[DeTomaso] The Pantera "On the Mend" Quartet

[Dick Koch]

The Pantera "On the Mend" Quartet

When it comes to a love of cars, the Detomaso Pantera owners share a 
very common affinity - they love to talk about their favorite car with 
other Pantera owners around the world, regardless if they are running or 
not.

While there are many other local Pantera friends with Panteras "on the 
mend," four of us got together to share a few stories during the 2013 
final run of the ALMS race. This unique gathering of a quartet of 
Panteras "On the Mend" owners typified the wide geographic and personal 
background of the Pantera community.

The members of this not so elite quartet can be seen at these open 
Facebook links:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=651241634915839&l=a115b26c2b
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=651241624915840&l=4e75b99816

Dave Kanahele, while not local and from Cypress, California, decided to 
make a dog leg while on a business trip and take up my invitation to 
visit with us at the race. Dave is the Director of Systems Architecture 
at a left coast firm.  Many of you will remember the link to the 
pictures of his unique Pantera he is rebuilding.

Jesper Sahlberg is a Danish citizen working in the USA for a Danish firm 
that sells unique corporate software. Jesper is also the proud, yet foot 
bound, owner of a his late model supercharged Pantera that is being 
repaired, but tied up in a running battle with his insurance company. 
Jesper is also an avid racer who is now building his second race car, a 
Lotus Europa, and is planning to have it ready for the spring NASA race 
season.

Ed Zabinski, an accomplished race driver and the Level 5 Motorsports' 
driving coach and backup driver who lives in a south Atlanta suburb, has 
just "reclaimed" his Pantera from a fabrication shop that was delinquent 
(to say the least) in getting his his rear engine bay area rebuilt, and 
has moved it to another shop. Ed is hoping to get it completed in 6 months.

Most of my Pantera friends and brethren know my story. After completely 
rebuilding my 1974 Pantera and running it for several years, I blew an 
exhaust header gasket. Since I will not let anyone else work on my car 
and with other projects taking my time, such as the Shadrach Mustang 
program and the Barret Cuda charity build, I put fixing my Pantera on 
the back burner. Given I don't have any other major projects pending, I 
need to put it at the top of my car project "to-do" list and get it road 
worthy again.

Dick Koch - Atlanta
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