[DeTomaso] Vegas (or, What I did on my spring vacation) LONG

Tue May 1 18:44:52 EDT 2007

Thanks, Chuck.  Once running correctly, I do plan on driving the car.  
That's why I'm adding so many creature comforts (along with the extra 125 
hp!)

Sincerely,

Chris

>From: <cengles at cox.net>
>To: Christopher Kimball <chrisvkimball at msn.com>
>CC: detomaso at realbig.com
>Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Vegas (or, What I did on my spring vacation) LONG
>Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 17:59:20 -0400
>
>
>Dear Chris,
>
>Don't lose heart. It can be done.
>
>In brief: three trips from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas in 1989,1990 and 
>1991---no problems----round trip mileage 2500 miles.
>
>five trips for road rallies from Oklahoma City to Santa Fe and northern New 
>Mexico 1999 through 2005----average round trip mileage 1100 miles--no 
>problems (although Jim Gray had to replace the water pump on his brand new 
>engine in Tecumcari, New Mexico)
>
>one Texas 1000 Rally trip from Oklahoma City to San Antonio in 1998 plus 
>rally mileage approximately 1800 miles----one problem: the new engine bent 
>a handful of pushrods.
>
>So, I would point out that it can be done. I would point out that the best 
>Pantera to take on a long trip is one that has been driven frequently and I 
>would also point out that fresh engines (and engine mods) do seem be 
>particularly vulnerable.
>
>Stiff upper lip lads, Chuck Engles
>
>
>
>
>
>
>---- Christopher Kimball <chrisvkimball at msn.com> wrote:
> >Dear Art,
> >
> >I would love to try to drive to Vegas from Washington State next year in 
>my
> >Pantera, but after reading your story (and the stories of others left
> >stranded going to or coming from) I'm getting the feeling it may not be 
>such
> >a good idea. I'm having problems getting the thing to operate sitting in 
>my
> >garage, let alone in the middle of the boonies!
> >
> >Then again, life is full of risks...
> >
> >Great story, though, thanks for telling it.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >
> >Chris
> >
> >
> >>From: "Art Stephens" <artstephens at charter.net>
> >>To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
> >>Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Vegas (or, What I did on my spring vacation) 
>LONG
> >>Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 13:33:09 -0700
> >>
> >>
> >>WARNING!!! This is LONG!!!
> >>
> >>
> >>I left as planned, (sort of), on Tuesday morning for Vegas. I
> >>wanted to get out at like 2:00 AM to have a nice traffic free drive up 
>to
> >>Bishop where I planned to meet the PCNC group. I had a millon things I
> >>wanted to do to prepare for the trip and of course only a few of them 
>got
> >>done. Anyway, I finally got on the road at 4:45 AM. Five minutes from
> >>home, they had just finished grinding the freeway so it is now covered
> >>with concrete dust and water! So ten miles from home, it looks like I've
> >>already driven across the country chasing tornados! Working on
> >>approximately ZERO minutes sleep, I drove the 300 miles to Bishop. I was
> >>so excited about this trip, that I had no problem staying awake. I'd 
>been
> >>dreaming about this trip since I bought the car almost ten years ago. 
>This
> >>trip was supposed to include driving out to Colorado Springs to visit my
> >>sister and her family. Based on my recent history with the car, some
> >>thought I was delusional. Uh, I guess they were right. I got to the
> >>motel in Bishop and collapsed into a coma for a couple of hours. On my
> >>first tank of gas, I got 14.4 mpg. Uh-oh, I was hoping for 16 or 17.
> >>Let's see, $60 to go 240 miles, oh man this is going to get a little
> >>pricey. Little did I know that 14.4 was the best I would see during the
> >>entire trip. The worst was 11.78 and I figured I averaged 12 or 13 mpg.
> >>So I'm hanging around Bishop waiting for the gang and saving money 
>because
> >>I'm not driving. And I thought, "I don't want to be kicking myself for
> >>sitting around a motel to save a few bucks when what I really want to do 
>is
> >>go driving". So driving I went. I headed up highway 6 north out of 
>Bishop
> >>for about 30 miles to highway 120 that heads west. Driving up highway 6,
> >>I've got 14,000 ft. White Mountain Peak on my right and the Sierras on 
>my
> >>left, life is good! Highway 120 takes me to Mono Lake and HIghway 395.
> >>The sign on hwy 6 says dips ahead. I have never seen dips like these! If
> >>you weren't paying attention, I think these things would launch you to 
>the
> >>moon! The drive on 120 was great fun, very scenic and I think I saw less
> >>than ten cars over the 46 miles, although one of those cars was a 
>sherrif
> >>in an suv. As the sun went down, I drove 395 back to Bishop, gorgeous
> >>mountain scenery! So that was just a little 150+ mile afternoon cruise. 
>I
> >>went to my favorite Mexican restoaurant in Bishop, I think the name is 
>La
> >>Casita? Two thumbs up. While minding my own business and enjoying my
> >>dinner, I suddenly and without provocation, found myself being harrassed
> >>by a wandering band of Pantera owners :-) We talked cars for awhile then
> >>went back to the motel to rest up for the next big day. Wednesday 
>morning
> >>we left Bishop driving south on 395 to hwy 168 at Big Pine. Highway
> >>168/266 takes us North East over the White Mountain range to hwy 95 in
> >>Nevada. The road up out of Big pine was awesome! Curves and rises and
> >>dips as it climbed up into the mountains. There was one little surprise
> >>for me, over one of the rises, was an immediate right turn! Lesson
> >>learned, If you don't know what is on the other side of the rise, assume
> >>the worst. New Pantera owner Trevor and I both saw two antelope near the
> >>side of the road. I had never seen an antelope and I didn't know they 
>were
> >>in the area. The road was great, very little traffic and beautiful
> >>scenery. At the junction of 266 and 95 was the Cottontail Ranch. At this
> >>point the rest of the group headed south toward Vegas and I headed 
>north,
> >>(or at least that's what I told them) :-) I drove up to Tonopah where I
> >>hung out for an hour or two. The local kids were fascinated by the car.
> >>After they left, a couple of them came back with a camera and asked if
> >>they could sit in the car. I gladly let them do so. I saw Pantera owner
> >>Steve Rovarino and his family at the Mcdonalds, nice people the 
>Rovarinos.
> >>From Tonopah, I headed north on hwy 376 to Austin. About 30 miles north
> >>of Tonopah, in the absolute middle of nowhere, I pass a bicycle rider
> >>pulling a trailer! That dude was tough! Austin was a pretty cool little
> >>place. Population 200, on a windy, steep road in a conyon. Not much
> >>traffic on 376, but one vehicle was a chippie. My old Escort, battery
> >>operated Passport gave me two little blips when I was in watermelon
> >>throwing range of said chippie. I couldn't see him till I got close due 
>to
> >>curves, but I would assume they were using instant on? Of course I was
> >>driving the speed limit, which I don't think I have ever exceeded. 
>What's
> >>that like anyway? From Austin, I took 305 to Battle Mountain. From
> >>Battle Mountain I took Interstate 80 to 278 which I drove south to 
>Eureka.
> >>Off of 278, I saw a very cool old prop trainer or fighter parked at a
> >>small airstrip. It was the only plane there. It was dusk and I wanted to
> >>keep moving but I kind of wish I would have stopped to take a picture. I
> >>rolled into Eureka after dark, where I got some gas, another cup of
> >>coffee and some more little Hostess donuts. Man, I was eatin good on 
>this
> >>trip! From Eureka I headed east on hwy 50, (the lonliest road in
> >>america), to Ely where I spent the night. My primary concern about
> >>lodging was the security of my car, so I picked the motel with the
> >>emptiest parking lot. An empty motel parking lot may be good for the car
> >>but perhaps not as good for the driver. The place was a dump but it was
> >>cheap, like 32 bucks for the night. There was a reason it wasn't listed
> >>in my AAA tourbook. The name was The Deserest? I hung around Ely for a
> >>couple of hours before hitting the road south on 318 to Vegas. 318 is 
>the
> >>road the Silver State is run on. That is an event I hope to do when I
> >>finally get my car where I want it to be. When I got into Vegas, it was
> >>hot outside, probably in the 90's? The car didn't want to idle and I 
>just
> >>figured it was due to the heat and running the A/C. I turned up the idle
> >>and it was ok. The next morning when I fired up the car to head out to
> >>Pahrump, the engine popped a bit before I left the parking lot. Once I
> >>got going, it seemed to run fine. The engine ran well until I was on my
> >>way back from the track. I was cruising along when I could feel I lost
> >>some power. I pulled over and it sounded like an exhaust leak. The day
> >>before, one of my exhaust brackets had broken and I wound up using a 
>wire
> >>tie to secure the muffler. I figured the exhast leak was due to the
> >>bracket breaking and allowing the parts to move around. I found loose
> >>bolts at the collector and tightened them. No improvement, so I checked
> >>header bolts, tight. Then I noticed oil aroung one of my spark plugs,
> >>damn! This was the second time this year I had a spark plug come loose.
> >>I'm sure I've installed over a thousand spark plugs in my life and I 
>never
> >>had one come loose till this year. Am I just getting weak in my old age?
> >>I brought a bunch of extra tools for the trip, but of course no spark 
>plug
> >>socket. I had driven the northern route to Pahrump which of course no
> >>other Pantera owners took, so no luck there. After hanging out at the
> >>intersection of the 120 and 95 for a hour or two, hoping to get lucky 
>and
> >>find someone with the right socket, I finally decided to limp to the 
>next
> >>gas station in hopes of finding a socket. I thought about calling AAA 
>for
> >>a socket, but I didn't. I stopped at the next gas station but no one had
> >>what I needed so I got back on the road driving 60 mph toward Vegas when
> >>the car started making a very expensive noise. Son of a _____! I bought
> >>my first cell phone prior to this trip for just such an occasion. The
> >>phone was deader that a beaver hat! Mother ____er!!!!! After recovering
> >>from my Terets outburst, I noticed a motor home broken down on the other
> >>side of the highway. Hmm, how did he get there? I hadn't even noticed
> >>him as I was a little pre occupied with my own situation. The motor home
> >>owner had blown a front tire and said it was a white knuckler getting it
> >>stopped. He was about done changing his tire and he let me use his 
>working
> >>cell phone, thanks man. The lady at AAA kept asking me what city I was
> >>in! I'm not in a city, I'm in the middle of the friggin desert! "What
> >>city are you in" ? I told you I'm not in a city, I'm surrounded by
> >>sagebrush! I can't see a city, all I can see is desert. A highway patrol
> >>shows up and I tell him that she keeps asking me what city I'm in! He
> >>says, just tell her Las Vegas. He was cool and that was what she wanted
> >>to hear. Anyway, I got towed to the Orleans but the tow truck was too
> >>tall to go up the ramp. So I talk him into dropping me off near the base
> >>of the ramp, on the side of the little road going thru the hotel. He
> >>wasn't supposed to leave me in a tow away zone like that but he was 
>cool.
> >>I ran up to the hospitality suite to try to find some help getting my 
>car
> >>up to the Pantera parking area. Steve Wilkinson and Bill Gagnon came 
>thru
> >>for me using Steve's pick up and tow strap to get me up the ramp, Thanks
> >>guys! After a long day, I just chilled out and didn't want anything to 
>do
> >>with the car. The next morning, Saturday, I pulled the right valve cover
> >>and saw no problem. Then we pulled the plugs. Oh boy, this doesn't look
> >>good. I have never seen plugs that looked like these. On two of them,
> >>half of the electrode was burnt away. The number one plug had been 
>smashed
> >>the smithereens. It appeared a valve had slammed into it completely
> >>removing the electrode. On the left bank, only the number 5 plug looked
> >>good, although 6,7 and 8 looked a lot better than 1,2,3 and 4. When we
> >>could see a hole in the number one piston, we knew the party was over 
>:-(
> >>The engine was siezed to where I could not turn it over with a socket on
> >>the crank nut. We put it into 5th gear and gave it a little bump and it
> >>broke loose, so I figure it was just that one cylinder that was stuck? I
> >>had the car towed home on Sunday and it was good to get home though I 
>had
> >>hoped to be getting home about a week later. One of these days I'll pull
> >>the head and see how bad it is. The only good I can see coming from this
> >>blow up is that maybe I'll have a more potent engine when I'm done? The
> >>good parts of the trip were great! The day spent driving the two lanes 
>in
> >>Nevada was one of the best days I've ever had on the road. I really
> >>enjoyed hanging out with the Pantera folks in Vegas. For those non
> >>gamblers out there, I'm not a gambler, but the convention is fun anyway.
> >>If you have never been, give it a try at least once, you may be
> >>pleasantly surprised. I owe a big thanks to Dave Rudderow for helping me
> >>get my car home, Dave is really something, thanks man. Others that
> >>really came thru for me include; Bill and Diana Wright, Johnny Woods,
> >>Brett Santos, Steve Rovarino, Roger Sharp, Mike Drew, Dennis and Mary
> >>Antennuci, Rod and Phyllis Kunishege, JC, and I'm sorry if I've
> >>forgotten anyone. It was good to get back to the hotel where I knew I 
>was
> >>surrounded by people that wanted to help me out, I knew I was in good
> >>hands. That really makes Pantera ownership something special. Thank you
> >>all.
> >>
> >>See, I told you it was long!
> >>
> >>Art
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