DeTomaso Mailing List: May 2001, Message #22

Welcome aboard, oh enthusiastic one.  Feel free to expose yourself any time.
Have fun.

Tony

----- Original Message -----
From: <Fresnofinches@aol.com>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <detomaso@realbig.com>
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2001 3:11 PM
Subject: lurker exposes himself at Vegas


> OH WOW...OH WOW...OH WOW.  Enough shouting.
>
> Greetings and salutations to the list from your newest member, and
certainly
> one of the newest members of POCA (PCNC affiliate) and P.I..  After the
best
> weekend of my  51 year life, I am now home in dull, no pantera content
> anywhere to be seen except in my home and garage,  central valley (think
> Yosemite) Fresno, CA..  Although I fell in love with the Cat about '73 or
'74
> when there was still one at the local L-M dealer,  my passion for
ownership
> still remains a distant, but getting closer, fantasy dream.  Finally going
> online less than 2 years ago led me to the various Pantera Ring sites, and
> then to the forum.  I have been lurking, often daily, always weekly, in
the
> archives since late last summer.
>
> After months of hemming and hawing on Vegas reservations, Tuesday night
saw
> me online and on the 800 numbers, finally getting a room for the weekend.
I
> arrived Friday at the track about 1:30 to find more Panteras in one place
> than I had ever seen (my previous best had been the POCA corral at the
> Monterey Historics).  Bill Santos holds the prize, (well not really, I
didn't
> give him anything but this big, here and now, THANKS) of being the first
> member I spoke with.
>
> I can see right now if I continue to write in my often excessively verbose
> style, this post will rival some of Steve's goose reports, or Cal's
painting
> adventures.  Let me condense.
>
> Jack (He's forgotten more than I will ever learn) and Judy, Larry ("I got
it
> in the truck") , Linda and P.I., hospitality suite, Gary (thanks for
getting
> Mike for me) and Sandi, the Drewski (a legend in his own time), Richard
> (owner of the Zonkey that now moves!), Dean and Helena, Mark (ever need a
> tool partner, call me at 559:436-4240) and wife from Modesto, Martin
(already
> been to Planet Pantera.com), John (there's a lady on your car's hood),
> dinner for six,  bench racing to who knows when Friday night, peering in,
> under, over and numerous chats at the Fremont exhibit, more hospitality
suite
> bench racing, lunch with Richard, Gary at PCNC table, Jim (I bet those
> Mattels are waiting for me at Target), dinner with the PCNC tables (I
still
> think that 'milk' was 25 cremora containers), Miss Pantera (thank you Jim,
> thank you) in a lovely black evening dress, raffles won by two at our
table
> (sorry Guy, I was rooting for you), bench racing and that crazy Japanese
on a
> rice burner video, Laurie (thanks for the isis pin), Brett Santos (what a
> lucky guy to grow up with his Dad's Cat),  Sunday in the Plaza lot at 8:30
> just in time to hook up with the PCNC group for the drive home, letting
Bill
> lead us out of Vegas, wondering why that white smoke (bad thing #1) was
> coming out from Gary's overpowered, lovely to listen to (I turned off my
CD
> and rolled down the window whenever I was behind you) black delta-winged
Cat,
> bad thing #1 conquered, Roger's STS (who is this Caddy between me and
Gary?),
>  Barstow, the Goose, and "hey mister, there's oil coming out from under
your
> car" (bad thing #2, real bad this time), the amazing serendipity of Roger
> winning that floor jack at the raffle AND having to take the STS to Vegas
> this year, Barstow local Greg and his welding friend Dave, bad thing #2
> conquered, that obscene traffic signal outside Barstow at 395, Harley
after
> Harley passing on the shoulder and pointing and looking at the Cats,
> wondering why we were pulling over (bad thing #3) at the railroad tracks
just
> past 395 (the previous 4 miles taking 45 minutes might have had something
to
> do with it, you think?), taking care of Diane's very thirsty Cat, bad
thing
> #3 conquered (they always come in threes, you know), running with the
Goose
> and Cats all the way from Vegas to 99 (sorry about that sloppy exit off of
58
> onto 99), tagging onto that ugly new red boxster about 70 miles south of
> Fresno, running his bumper (not too close, though) through traffic for 40
> miles, taking the lead at the 3 to 2 lane narrowing that evidently only I
> knew about ahead of time, and keeping him behind me till my turnoff, and
> finally, wondering why the hell I didn't do all this about twenty years
> earlier.
>
> To all I met this weekend, named or unnamed, I say thanks.  With everyone,
I
> felt like one of the group right from the start and know this is where I
> belong, owner or not.  The Detomaso fraternity is absolutely unbelievable,
> and I am proud to be "out of the closet" and openly amongst you.  For all
of
> you, my phone number is listed above in the body of this post.  I will
always
> be happy and available to assist any of you should you find yourself with
car
> troubles while in my area, need travel tips and advice for around here, or
if
> you are a lurker who is hesitant about joining and has questions like the
> ones I used to have.
>
> Next PCNC club meeting is on Thursday, May 31, correct?  If it lasts too
> late, anyone got a spare corner for me and my sleeping bag?  And when's
the
> next PCNC tech session? (Might I suggest radiator caps and associated
> maintenance?)
>
> Aren't you all glad I "condensed" this?!!  (By the way, the opportunity of
> giving me my first ride in a Pantera (a Goose would be fine) is still
open;
> any takers?)  Till later,
>
> teach peace - Larry Finch
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