[DeTomaso] [DaneTomaso] My Trip home

Tue May 1 20:20:55 EDT 2012

Wow--thank God you're alive!
It really puts things in perspective.  I'm glad you made out OK.
Sincerely,
Chris

> Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 16:05:30 -0700
> From: rspink2012 at yahoo.com
> To: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: [DeTomaso] My Trip home
> 
> As a few of you may have heard I had an interesting trip back from the  Fun Rally. 
> 
> Before the trip back I had a great time at the Rally spending a day at the track, a half day at the Car Museum and enjoying the area and the great hotel. 
> 
> Unfortunately I had to return earlier than was planned to deal with a family situation. I needed to get back to Houston (about 1,200 miles and then to Elliot Lake, Ontario ,Canada another 1,600 miles).
> 
> I had towed my car to the Fun Rally using my truck and a trailer that was kindly lent to me by Bill Lewis. Now haste was needed for my trip back so Bill agreed to trailer his car back letting me drive the Pantera.  So I headed out around 5 pm on Friday.  
> 
> Now  through a combination of haste, a lack of common sense or just stupidity  I neglected to check the lug nuts on my rear wheel. ( having been on the track the day before and straining them quite a bit.)
> 
> Well about 160 miles down I-10 the car began to feel really unsettled. As I slowed down the car would shake from side to side. I decided to stop at exit 331 just before Wilcox. About  3/4 of a mile away from exit 331  the drivers side rear wheel fell off my car. As the car was screeching to a stop I watched the wheel bound past me.  I wasn't really focused on where the wheel was going as I was intent on getting the car stopped.
> 
> So now I am stopped luckily on the side of the road out of traffic. After my heart rate slows down I look at the car. The hub carrier took a beating and that big washer was ground flat.  The wheel still has 4 studs that look intact and no other obvious damage. Unles you count the dent in the wheel well. No fluids leaking etc.
> 
> I begin to focus on finding the wheel. The the interstate is 4 lanes ( two each way) with a big area of dessert that serves as a medium. I  am pretty sure the wheel went past the car so it should be in front . I think. I begin to look in the medium. I walk up at least 1/4 of a mile and no wheel. After about half an hour of looking. I think it might have crossed to the other side of freeway. Another half hour of looking. It is getting dark I find the wheel on the opposite side of the freeway having crossed all 4 lanes - maybe a  1/2 a mile in front of the car. In a field behind a barb wire fence. So of course I climb the fence and retrieve the wheel.
> 
> Well now it was dark and AAA was on the way.  We get the wheel back on using lug nuts from the other wheels. 3 lug nuts on the back wheel and 4 on the rest of the wheels.
> 
> I limp down the road to Wilcox hoping to find some more lug nuts at the Autozone. It was closed. I have amazing offers to stay in the home of a local Pantera owner and even an offer of a car to drive back to Houston. Wow the Pantera community never fails to amaze.
> 
> Next morning after lots of calls and advice from John Taphorn  - I get the lug nuts ( a new lug wrench - all my tools are in my truck)  and secure my wheels and decide to head out. Now I will admit to stoping after 30 miles and checking the lug nuts and then  checking them at every gas stop.
> 
> For the first hundred miles or so I am half expecting the wheel to come off again. Then I begin to relax  and enjoy the car. It is driving perfectly if a little rich. I have 1050 miles to go that day.    Just  outside of El Paso I see flashing lights in me rear view mirror. Now at this point I was in traffic  and couldn't have been speeding. Well I get the --  I just wanted to see your car and  I need to explain that you need a front plate in Texas. I get a written warning.  The second one of the trip. The first one was in Arizona for one of my trailer tires hitting the white line.
> 
> As I move through Texas with a sensible speed limit of 80 mph. I begin to enjoy the car. The ac was working great. Still a bit gun shy I keep it below 100 mph but make good time and enjoy the drive. I push on to Houston driving over 1,000 miles with a few brief stops for gas. At every stop people drool about the car. Never gets old. Home at about 2 am.
> 
> I head out next morning for nothern Canada driving a Buick Enclave.  Well although a nice car it feels like video game not a real car. 20 hours later I arrive in Elliot lake. Ok the cruise control was nice.
> 
> 
> I am looking forward to the Fun Rally next year. Hopefully all the wheels will stay on.
> 
> 
> Rob
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