[DeTomaso] Dawg Road Trip

[Mad Dog Antenucci]

I met Dick down at his shop this morning to pick up my Pantera. We started the engine and I did one last 5 minute run up and down the street near his shop and then came back and we put the decklid back on. Dick followed me the 10 minutes back to my house then I brought him back to his shop. 

I cleaned up the Pantera and then bolted in the seats, added the engine cover and headed up the Pacific Coast Highway out of Huntington Beach to Long Beach. The engine and the new 180 headers sound just about the same at idle or at anything under 2,500 R's....but at around 3,000 R's the cam comes on and the engine just screams. At WOT the sound is totally different.

Running north on PCH in 3rd to 4th gear at 5,000 R's through the Bolsa Chica Wetlands the engine and engine exhaust note was a beautiful thing to hear. Driving at legal cruise speeds I still had no trouble getting around people as soon as they heard the Pantera coming they gladly pulled into the slower lane to let me go by...everyone but Ricky Racer in the WRX with the tinted windows rolled up.  

He zoomed around me once or twice until we got to the end of the Bolsa Chica wetlands where there is a traffic light that leads into Sunset beach.....I slowly pulled along side him gave whoever was in the passenger seat a big grin and then I had a good laugh as the light turned green and he took off at full throttle into Sunset Beach......not a real bright thing to do on anyday but worse on a Saturday afterbiib where there is allot of traffic from Sunset to Seal Beach and Long Beach....Sure enough I got a mile down the road and he is pulled over with CHP right behind his car.

So other then the WRX excitement I saw the usual custom bikes and Ferrari's....even after 25 years iit  is still an exciting ride to drive this car in traffic.....even when people don't know what it is they will give you a thumbs up and a nod of approval....the attention the Pantera gets is like no other car I have ever owned. Okay maybe the '62 Chevy pickup I owned in Seattle that had rusted out body panels and no floors got allot of attention too.

Anyway I continued north into Long Beach, past the Queen Mary and around to the 710 highway and then turned around to make the 20 or so mile return trip.  There are some nice sweeper turns in Long Beach on PCH that the Long Beach Grand Prix uses and I never get tired of driving that road.... the weather could not have been any better....low 70's with clear skys.

Got home a few minutes ago and just stood outside the garage looking at the Pantera...Leaving the Pantera in a few weeks is going to be difficult. Wanna thank Dick, Russ, Tommy for all their support. 

Anyone want to buy it? Its for sale now  for $100K ;-]>
2 Hours of engine time....ready for the road or track



Mad Dawg Antenucci 
Team Pantera Racing 
"No One Gets Out Alive" 
www.teampanteraracing.com