[DeTomaso] Hello Again!
MikeLDrew at aol.com
MikeLDrew at aol.com
Fri Mar 16 02:07:24 EDT 2007
In a message dated 3/15/07 21:44:21, spleen at spamcop.net writes:
<< At a local outdoor storage lot, right next to where the U.S. Air Force
stores many of their planes that are in "mothballs", ready to be put
back into service when needed. Dry desert air and all that.
>>>HOT dry desert air. If your dash wasn't destroyed already, it probably is
now. :<(
>In retrospect, that may not have been a great decision.
>>>Gee, ya think???
>But a coworker
who utilized an indoor lot paid five times as much to store his BMW, and
they ended up leaving it outside - with the windows rolled down! - which
completely ruined the interior. The rest is a long story, but the
result was that my company ended up paying for the repairs. The place I
used started up the engine every two weeks and moved the car to another
place on the lot to keep the tires from sitting on one spot, keep the
gaskets lubed, etc. It seemed like the better choice than draining the
fluids and putting it in indoor storage. What can I say? I made the
wrong decision. On the other hand, the paint was a little tired when I
put it in storage, so I might have been looking at a paint job now
anyway. This forces the issue, and I may be glad in the end that I now
have a strong impetus to get it done. At least that's how I'm selling
it to my wife. <g>
>>>HAHAHA!!! Clever man!
>No, the hazard lights flash and I can't turn them off, key in or key
out. Several list members have already responded privately with
suggestions for a fix, so I think I'm in good shape. Thanks, guys!
>>>Great. Replacement switches are available very cheaply, which
unfortunately don't have the same markings but are mechanically identical. Since you
have already figured out how to take yours apart, you might be able to swap the
guts over and be back in the saddle for only $20 or so.
> Hooray for the Pantera vendors. It's one of the things I love about
owning this car. I'll swap the still functioning passenger's belt with
the driver's until I can order the replacement. Then I can drive the
car without fear of a traffic ticket (or, at least, one for not wearing
a seat belt.)
>>>HAHAHA!!
> I hate to admit it, but it might have been due to my decision to use a
car cover rather than just letting the desert have its way with it. I
bought a pretty expensive cover that was supposed to breathe, but it may
have trapped water which led to the rust. Live and learn.
>>>Ah well.
>
> Good point. What are the details on Vegas this year?
>>>Last weekend in April, 25th-29th or thereabouts? People start showing up
Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday we're at the racetrack, Saturday is
the car show and banquet. There are also many, many other things going on
including group scenic drives to various mountains and state parks and whatnot;
trips to visit a private car museum, cruises to hot-rod-themed restaurants, and
much more.
>
>A bit of a long story here, but I'll try to keep the answer just shy of
a novel. I bought a Stephen's body 1988 Esprit Turbo shortly after
moving to England in 2002, with the intention of driving it until I was
ready to leave, and selling it before I returned. After a couple of
months, I decided that I couldn't live without it, and looked into
bringing it back. Since it wasn't Federalized (i.e. built to U.S.
safety specs), that was pretty much impossible. I even got a letter
from Lotus detailing the differences between the European and U.S.
models, and it would be impossible to modify that car to satisfy the
NHTSA. However, reading the fine print, it turns out that if the car is
25 years old or older, all of those rules are void. I didn't want a
normally aspirated Esprit, I wanted a turbo. Those began production in
1980, but they were the Essex models which almost never go on sale (and
I couldn't afford one if they did.) But 1981 saw just shy of 100 Turbo
Esprits (as opposed to the Stephen's Esprit Turbo, the one I had) for
sale, so I began looking for one. They were rare, but I finally bagged
one out if Wiggan, UK. It was a mess, exactly the kind of Esprit you
*don't* want to buy, but it was the only one I had seen for sale for
months. I sold the 1988 Esprit Turbo to buy the 1981 Turbo Esprit, and
began fixing it up. Suffice it to say that for the 24 months I owned
that car in England, it was in my possession (rather than a mechanic's
or body shop) for exactly 12 days. But in that time, the suspension was
fixed and upgraded with modern parts, the body had several flaws
corrected and was repainted, including a clear coat, and the leather
interior was completely recovered, top to bottom, front to back - *by
Lotus*. The engine was supposed to be completely refurbished as well,
but time ran short and I need to get that done here in the U.S. now.
Given that the car was 25 years old, importation was a breeze. My
overseas contract let me import it on my company's dime. Otherwise,
that would have been about $3000 more (it was imported in its own
container.) If it hadn't been for my special circumstances, I'm not
sure I could have afforded to bring it back with me. I doubt there is a
viable market for importing old Esprits, but I'm sure glad I have mine. <g>
>>>Good on ya! If the Pantera is still a little green around the gills come
April, by all means bring the Lotus instead!
Mike
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