[DeTomaso] Door Mechanism Parts

[John Taphorn]

Last night managed to get my wife out in the Pantera to attend our Space City monthly Pantera Meeting.  This month it was held at Saltgrass Steakhouse.  I'm generally without my wife at most Pantera events.

I'm not sure I can count on one hand how many times she has driven in this Pantera.  Quite a contrast to my first Pantera acquired in 1984.  We were dating then and the Pantera was my everyday driver.  We drove it everywhere we needed to go and I was living in Charleston, SC at the time.  Drove it annually to NY to visit family and even get married.  Took a trip to Cincinnati to visit my brother and another to New Orleans.  We looked forward to these long trips in the car, despite having every inch of space filled with one luggage item or another. She never complained.  Eventually, we had a family and the daily drivers shifted to Hondas and Sport-utes.  The Pantera became more track oriented and less civilized.  Along the way, my wife and Pantera parted ways.  I've worked in recent years to get her back in it.  I've clean up the car's exhaust so she wouldn't smell like gas after a short ride, improved the window/door seals, ensure the AC works etc.  Our life is transitioning a bit as this will be our first fall as empty nesters.  Our two kids will be away at college.  This removes another obstacle to her participating in Pantera events.  "Somebody needs to be available for the kids", I 'd frequently hear.

So, last night the stars aligned.  The kids were out, and I recruited Wally Meyer to drive over with his wife, my wife's friend, in their Lotus.  The wives were on-board. David Bell also joined us in his Pantera for the caravan.  We had a pleasant night with the Pantera families but not without Pantera issues.  

Exiting the highway while heading for the restaurant, my wife states, "I don't know how we used to drive all the time and to New York in this thing."  Well we didn't.  That was another car and it had different seats - although, they were stockers - not Flofits.  Of course, I didn't say that.  Rather, I agreed that the seats were not as comfortable as I would like and strategically planted the seed to acquire different seats in the future.  I've wanted different seats for some time, not because I find the Flofits to be uncomfortable - they are very adjustable and I think of them as comfortable.  However, I've wanted a lighter seat with more side support.  Not sure they would actually be more comfortable - reminder to self to put that characteristic in the equation.

When backing into the parking spot at the restaurant, I stalled the Pantera and it wouldn't restart.  The battery lacked sufficient juice to turn the engine.  Then my wife went to exit the passenger side and the door would not open for her.  This is great - not.  While the car started fine after dinner, my voltmeter gauge, that replaces the ampmeter, showed less than 10 volts.  Driving home at night with lights, AC and fans, the voltmeter had bottomed at 8 volts and the lights were yellow dim.  Thankfully, I didn't stall at one of the streetlights lights or it would certainly not have restarted.  Despite my effort to comfort her with the car's reliability, I achieved the opposite - again.

So today, I set forth to correct the problems so as to get her back in the car another time.  It wasn't hard.  I took the red top Optima and alternator to the auto store and had them tested.  Alternator dead, 6 year old Optima - just dandy.  Probably been driving alternator-less for a year or more now.  I've noticed the voltmeter never showing more than 12 volts; but have always blamed that on the car sitting around between drives for so long.  Live and learn.  Probably would have recognized it sooner with an ampmeter.

Actually, the reason for this posting is that I've recently learned that the two plastic replacement pieces required for the long rod inside the door are available at O'reillys.  The rod connector to the rear of the door mechanism is available in metal instead of plastic and a replacement plastic piece that looks proper is also available for the rod to door latch mechanism.  I bought the metal replacements and installed them today to replace the broken one in my passenger door as well as the yet to break plastic piece in my driver's door.  I didn't purchase the plastic pieces that looked to be a match for the latch to rod because I already had a couple of vendor supplied pieces.  Credit for discovering the metal replacement pieces actually goes to David Bell and Rob Pink as they sourced them recently for Rob's car.  I must say, it was great to find these items locally and for a few bucks.  I had always thought them to be pantera specific and vendor items.

The metal clips are packaged by Dorman and called Linkage Clips #41017.  The plastic clips are also Dorman but I didn't get a part number.  SO Bill - perhaps these are appropriate for the database.

Hope it helps.

JT