[DeTomaso] Sad news

[asajay at asajay.com]

I first heard about Gary Hall in about 1991 or 2 when someone gave me  
(or I picked up) a copy of Super Ford which had a Hall Ultra Pantera  
as the centerfold.  Somewhere around 1996 or 7 I joined the online De  
Tomaso email forum as a charter member.  After reading, posting and  
getting the bug again really bad, I started researching in earnest.  I  
called Hall Pantera.

Gary answered the phone.  I told him I was beginning to look for a  
car.  He and I held a very friendly conversation, him telling me I  
could buy anything from a rusty old hulk in his back yard for several  
thousand dollars, or a Hall Ultra Pantera for somewhere north of $100K.

At some point in our conversation, he asked if I was going to the Fun  
Rally which was in about a week.  With a deer in the headlights look,  
I asked "what's that?"  Gary then told me about the POCA Fun Rally,  
and explained that was -the- event to go to in order to learn more  
about the Pantera, all it's iterations, and what folks have done to  
them.  He offered a catalog and asked me to send a check when I got  
it.  I gladly did.

As someone claimed previously, the catalog was like the Sears Catalog  
Christmas edition for kids.  Wow!  All that cool stuff.  All -I-  
needed, was a car.

I've only been in POCA for about 13 years or so, but I remember Gary  
bringing cars and items to the Fun Rally to display and talk with  
people.  He always was very friendly.  He drove his Panteras too.   
He'd bring them to Vegas, or to the open road events and he wasn't shy  
about pushing the limits.

Some of the POCA Fun Rally survey results show folks really miss  
having vendor displays.  Gary always seemed to be a catalyst for that;  
knowing the Fun Rally was a good place to show the wares.

I never personally purchased much from Hall Pantera, however I  
certainly hope the business will stick around.  Hall had a lot of  
innovative stuff and I'd like to see it continue to be available in  
some way.

He was a pioneer, and I for one, appreciate his contribution to the community.

Asa Jay