[DeTomaso] Expected performance?

[Cullen McCann]

Good Morning Michael, 

 

As always, thanks for your input. Funny how things seem to get lost in
translation so quickly. I see this on this list quite often. Hopefully I
have the chemistry right when I say that I am trying to read your email with
a bit of playful sarcasm. If I have otherwise overstepped my bounds, feel
free to let me know. Your opening remark caught me by surprise.

 

As far as "what I am thinking"  in the context of the discussion, I was not
advocating that Panteras should be driven like drag cars. I was responding
to Corey and Will's inquiry as to why a 540 horse engine might perform
better in a specific timed contest in a Mustang, vs a Pantera..so I
hypothesized that this could be due to differences in driving style and
gearing between the two vastly different types of cars.

 

I don't know that bashing drag racing by oversimplifying it is necessary,
but we your opinion is not without merit. I have a respect for all types of
racing.both by way of personal athletics, by animal, on 4 wheels, 2 wheels,
air, water and land.but in all fairness I do agree that road racing is by
far more comprehensive and taxing of both driver and machine endurance and
capability over drag racing. It's just here in Oklahoma, in my limited years
of growing up as a motorsports fan, we drag raced.and it got me where I am
today, and had a lot of fun doing it. I was more engrossed in a high
performance machine at high speeds than most people by the time they are 35
years old, I assure you. There are speed events such as Formula One that
make driving a Pantera around the track look like driving miss Daisy.I
believe it's all relative. We all have to start somewhere. Some of us never
start at all. 

 

I agree wholeheartedly with your enthusiasm for the Pantera, I am
purposefully engaging a group out of a sincere desire to contribute to one
of the greatest followings I have ever seen, surrounding a machine that is a
timeless exotic of exquisite beauty and charisma. I feel fortunate to be a
part of it even at the stage I'm at.

 

Thanks!

 

Cullen

 

From: michael at michaelshortt.com [mailto:michaelsavga at gmail.com] 
Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 9:42 PM
To: Cullen1972
Cc: detomaso at realbig.com; Curt Hall
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Expected performance?

 

Pardon me for saying this...

What are you thinking?

This is not a Drag Racer, the ZF wasn't designed for that kind of abuse.
It's a all round performance car that goes fast, handles well for its time
period engineering,  stops fast and above all looks amazing.

Even Midnight street racers gave up standing starts to save their equipment,
you get side by side at 40-60 MPH and then you race to a given point or
distance.

DRAG RACING is a mechanics sport, no more, no less, its 95% equipment and 5%
driver. 

Dress it up like a lady, drive it like a w$%#*.   Its an immersive,
visceral,  gut check.  Properly prepared, a balanced Pantera with power,
braking and handling / suspension mods will deliver a driving experience
beyond the driving capabilities of most skilled drivers.  You will cry uncle
before the car will, call it a lack of spherical fortitude if you will, but
I've driven a lot of fine automobiles...only one has ever challenged my ego,
invited me to drive into the abyss and made my * pucker.

Viva La Pantera.
Michael 

On Jul 24, 2011 9:52 PM, "Cullen1972" <cmccann1972 at gmail.com> wrote: