[DeTomaso] I Think I'll Take it Off & Just Run Naked!

[Charles Engles]

Dear Scott,


               You wrote:




    "I know it may look a little getto, and there are probably some purist 
that may go into cardiac arrest,
    but it seems to me that it offer some heat dissipation advantages with 
minimal aero loss."


$$$$$$     What do I think?   I think I am feeling the twinges of angina 
which preceed a myocardial infarction.   "A little ghetto"?   Hardly.   It 
looks awful.  It would blaspheme Tom Tjaarda's magnificent form and shape. 
This is, at least, a case of form over function.   The beautiful rear half 
of the Pantera should not be besmirched by a purposefully removed rear deck 
for "some heat dissipation advantages with minimal aero loss."

                   Also remember that the various and sundry Panteras that 
have run on the salts at Bonneville have run with the rear deck in place. 
Also recall that Junior Wilson and Maddog have run in that stratosphere of 
speed with their cars put together as Tjaarda intended.  Look at the various 
racing Panteras in Olzmyk's (sp?) book.   None of them run high speed tracks 
with the rear deck *off*.


                 You should not do this terrible thing.   Reconsider.



                                  Shocked,  Chuck Engles 
;-)