[DeTomaso] How do you know if the axles are aftermarket

[John Maffeo]

we don't need no stink'n registry.......we've got Mike Drew!
   
  It's doubtful that there's a Pantera (or scirocco) anywhere that he doesn't know something about.
   
  John

MikeLDrew at aol.com wrote:
  
In a message dated 8/5/07 12 07 14, hoppe1 at cox.net writes:


> My tech question is- if the rear axles have holes in the center can they 
> still be aftermarket strong axles?
> 
>>>I think not. Your car was built and raced long before the world figured 
out that the stock axles were weak and prone to failure. The Gr4 cars and 
later GT5/GT5-S Panteras had beefier hub carriers and bigger, better axles, but 
your car probably still has the originals. I'd change them out right away, 
before you start racing it.

> 
> Now for the rest of the story
> 
> I should go to some kind of therapy for doing this but I bought another 
> pantera. 
> 
> I again have 3 cars.   One driver, one on a rotisery, and the third one I 
> bought yesterday is a racer.
> 
> It was the Round Table Pizza car if you know it.  I bought it from the 
> original owner.  A real nice guy.
> 
>>>That is a FANTASTIC car. It's been for sale for many years, at an 
unrealistic price IMHO. But the value of the Pantera has been going up and it's 
possible that the market finally caught up with his price--or he lowered his 
price?

> 
> >It hasn't raced in a while so it needs TLC.
> 
>>>The owner/racer of the car, Pete Brailler, owned a Round Table Pizza 
parlor in San Bruno, just south of San Francisco. It was the site of the monthly 
Pantera Club of Northern California meetings way back before my day, i.e. late 
'70s, early 1980s. (I've never met him). He raced it in the S.F. region 
of the SCCA, having fun but not necessarily doing very well (he may have been 
placed in a class with much superior cars)?

> 
> >I think it is cool.  No key, throw a few toggle switches and press a 
> starter button.  Full cage. 351C dry sump. 180 degree headers.  Gas fill flappers 
> on the roof.  It has aluminum doors, hood, trunk, and engine lid. I think it 
> has a different gear ratio for high speeds.   I thought I know cars but there 
> are some performance things on this car that I don't know what they are for.
> 
>>>That car (#3043) was built very early in its life into a dedicated race 
car by Dick Guldstrand, who was the importer for De Tomaso performance parts in 
the 1970s, using numerous Gr4 parts, including the exhaust, roll cage, body 
panels, and dry sump system. The 180-degree exhausts are just delicious--much 
nicer than the aftermarket exhausts the Pantera vendors sell now. Dick is 
still around; you should call him and ask him about it--I'm sure he'd remember 
it, as he is as sharp as a tack, even in his advanced years.

The motor was built by Al Leist, another PCNC member who owned the Bay Area's 
best-known race engine shop. He's since retired and moved up north, but I 
know Jack DeRyke and Larry Stock are both in regular touch with him--he might 
have some insight on the engine build, if Pete didn't have full documentation.
> 
> >It seems to run good but with straight 5 or 6 inch exhaust and no plates I 
> haven't really tested it our yet.
> 
>>>I think that thing will go like hell, although it's been sitting for a 
long time, so you may have to de-gunk the, flush all the fluids, etc. etc. I'd 
also check the Minilite magnesium wheels for cracks. They are great wheels, 
but being magnesium, they are vulnerable to the ravages of time. (I think 
they are the same size as those originally fitted to the Boss 302 Trans Am race 
cars).

> 
> >Now I am really a slacker unless I get it to events.
> 

>>>Indeed! Looking forward to seeing it!

I hope you keep it in its original Round Table livery?

Somewhere, I have a photo from an SCCA race program at Laguna Seca, showing 
the car racing through the corkscrew, back in the late 70s...but I have no idea 
where it is right now?

Mike




**************************************
Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at 
http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour
_______________________________________________

Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA

Archive Search Engine Now Available at http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/

DeTomaso mailing list
DeTomaso at list.realbig.com
http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso


       
---------------------------------
Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo! FareChase.