[DeTomaso] Postcard from Belgium....

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/30/11 15 29 9, julian_kift at hotmail.com writes:


> That is one cool looking Mangusta with the widebody kit, I for one would 
> love to see more photos of it when you get a chance.
> 

Coming right up sir!

New photos of the Mangusta are now here:

http://www.poca.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=31258

This is a fascinating car.   He bought it as a complete and total write-off 
33 years ago.   It had been hit so hard in the front, that there was 
virtually nothing left forward of the rear firewall.   In those pre-internet days, 
information was hard to come by.   He MADE the whole front of the car and 
the interior, from scratch, by hand, working solely from photographs that 
gave an indication as to what a Mangusta was supposed to look like!   I think 
he may have been able to purchase the front fenders, but everything else was 
done by hand.

He's had a terrible time tearing up gearboxes; he snapped an input shaft 
clean in two, and has exploded the case three times.   He has since welded (!) 
the bellhousing to the case, and created a Pantera-style mounting system in 
the rear, eliminating those problems.   Now his clutch is falling 
apart--one of the damping springs has fallen out and is rattling around, but 
fortunately it's no longer interfering with shifting as it's fallen out of the way.

Due to the turbo plumbing etc. it takes a full day and a half to pull the 
gearbox out, so for now he's just driving it and enjoying it!

Awoke to a gloomy and rainy day, so today's motoring will be rather 
subdued.   Bright sunshine forecast for tomorrow and through the weekend, so the 
track event at Spa should be spectacular!

Mike