[DeTomaso] Shipping Companies

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/19/07 7:42:29 PM, tgr289 at verizon.net writes:


> Something I'm in immediate need for are OEM shoulder harnesses. I've got 
> the
> lap belts, but the shoulder belts are missing. Are they hard to find? 
> 
>>>Impossible to find new; hard to find used.   Also, they suck.

Look upon this as an opportunity.   If you have any performance driving 
aspirations, you should upgrade to a set of harnesses (five-point preferred); if 
you are just planning on cruising, Pantera vendors sell very nice, bolt-in 
aftermarket seat belts that work like 'normal' seat belts.   (All but the 1974+ 
Panteras used horrible three-piece belts which are distinctly unpleasant to use).


> Also,
> the driver belt retraction mechanism doesn't work - I'll look into that this
> weekend; hopefully no big deal.
> 
> >>>Yet another reason to throw the whole works over the hedge and start over.

> Also, someone installed urethane bushings and the squeal like stuck pigs.
> I've got to deal with that too (later).
> 
> >>>Fixing them is easy.   Time-consuming, but easy.   The bushing 
manufacturers normally include tiny tubes of clear-ish lube; I just found out yesterday 
that NAPA auto parts stores sell the stuff in 4 oz. tubes.   It's under the 
NAPA brand, and they call it Sil-Glyde.   It's basically K-Y jelly for your car. 
:>)

Interestingly, they list a host of uses, including brake pads (on the back 
side dummy, not on the friction side!), calipers, rubber boots, fan belts, 
weatherstripping, trunk seals and bumpers, speedo cables, window channels, hood 
strips, and rubber gaskets.   Not a word about poly suspension bushings.   But of 
course, production cars don't ever use poly bushings (and for good reason), 
and since they are geared strictly towards production cars, they don't bother 
to mention it.

But I compared the contents of this tube with the contents of one of those 
little tiny tubes, and sure enough, it appears to be the same stuff.   So go 
ahead and get a tube of it, and lube your heart out.

Normally it's very easy to remove poly bushings from the A-arms.   Just 
remove the bolts (ah, now THAT can be a treat, particularly for the rearmost bolt 
on the front upper A-arms which is accessed from inside the footwell, behind 
the carpet), slide the A-arm out of the yokes, pull the bushings and lubricate 
them, then reinstall.   Actually, most of the squeaking actually comes from the 
outer faces of the bushings, which rub against the mounting yokes.   So 
lubing the outside diameter of the bushing, where it rides inside the A-arm, isn't 
sufficient.


> >I guess these are just nits, but everything else seems to work just fine.
> I'm sure I'll come up with more questions, but for now I just am enjoying
> driving it.
> 
>>>THAT is the most important part!   Congratulations on buying a CAR and not 
a restoration project.   That said, it will require enough work to endear it 
to you in no time. :>)

Mike




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