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My Latest 351C 4V Aquisition... and How I Got It Home

The USC Pantera is GONE.
NO, you can't have it now.

This is a long story. Sit back and relax, and marvel at why you couldn't buy this car.

It all started with an email posting by Mike Drew to the DeTomaso email Forum. Another Pantera had come available for sale. This time is was through a pseudo estate sale being managed by the University of Southern California (USC). I had a contact name and number, so being the nice guy I am, I called and started a dialogue with John Lambert. John works for USC and is an alumni, playing in the NBA for several years, finally retiring in 1985. I kept my conversations very open and honest with John. He agreed to hold the car until I could fly down to take a look. That would prove to take a short while. The car was located in Danville California, so I would have to fly down and either rent a car or get someone to shuttle me around.

Here, Shelley and I stand next to our latest engine aquisition. Notice how it is conveniently wrapped inside a Pantera shipping carton. : )

Once Shelley and I went to the POCA Las Vegas Fun Rally, we got to see the photos that Mike Drew took of the car. I was intrigued, it looked pretty straight. So While at the Silver State Barbecue that evening, we got to talk with Mike at length about the car. Mike had already appraised it, so he had a good idea of what the car was like. Well, that was it for me. I really had to look. I made arrangements with Jack DeRyke, boss wrench for POCA and PI. I flew into San Francisco on May 14th and Jack picked me up at the airport. After a restful nights sleep at Jack and Judy's, Jack shuttled me over to Danville and we looked at the car.

Now, we aren't talking about a little "kick the tires and light the fires" here. Noooooo, I took almost two hours going over every inch of the car. I pretty much had the whole checklist made out in my head. There wasn't anything we didn't look at. Jack, having the more experienced eye, was able to point out a great many things I would not have known. More on that later. So two hours later, we sit down in some lawn chairs in John's driveway and do some serious talking. I point out the good and bad about the car. I get brutally honest with him, and make an offer. I won't tell you how much here, that's between John, USC and myself. Let's just say, the other offers weren't quite as well intentioned.

So there I am, I've made an offer. Now I just have to live up to it. I had anticipated I would really want this car and had already started my financing process. Without going into detail, let me just say it was a long drawn out process that included many phone calls, a lot of faxing, a lot of Fed-x'ing and some creativity on my part. Done deal. I got the money.

The title however, was another story. After a week delay after I had obtained funding, Shelley and I hop on a plane and head for Frisco. John picks us up at the airport and we head right over to a AAA office (both of us are members : ) and we take those poor girls through almost an hour and a half of legal paperwork. In a nutshell, I walk out with a California Title application already filed and registration papers in hand, for CA. We head over to John's place, we drink a little Champagne to celebrate, I stick the 2000 tab on the rear plate and we are good to go.

Here is my new Pantera pulled up in front of Mike Drew's place. He offered garage space and tools to do a quickie tech-session before heading out to Spokane Washington.

I bet Mike would like to see this photo more often. Of course, I was parked where the Shelby Mustang goes. That's another story. So while the new cat was in Mike's garage, Shelley and I, and Mikes SO (significant other, yes people, she does exist, and a might nice sight to see too : ) we took off in the Scirraco (sp) of Doom. Let's just say I can't figure out why that car still runs, but it does. We went out for some dinner, Mike dropped us off at a hotel and Shelley and I got some good sleep. Mike still is living in a bachelor furnished house, not much in the way of sleepover equipment, so instead of a bare rug floor, we opted for the king size bed with jacuzzi. : )

Mike picked me up at the hotel around 7:30 in the morning. I let Shelley sleep in and just relax for the drive ahead of us. We stopped at the grocery store for some morning meal planning and road trip fruit. Afterwards, we headed back to Mike's to start our mini tech-session. We started by pulling the rear wheels and replacing the muffler hangers. Mike had one spare and a coat hanger. My parts list begins, right at the top, one muffler hanger, right side. We also check rear wheel bearings, good and solid, but that lower left control arm shaft is kinda loose. Item two, new shafts. I take a look at the u-joints, by rotating the wheels. I inspect both the inner and outer. Whoops, I find shinny caps on three of four u-joints. Looks like they are spinning, that's an indication of a worn and sticking cap. Item three, new u-joints.

Mike was kind enough to pre-purchase a case of oil and really good oil filter for me. I warmed up the engine, hmm, what's that dripping? Looks like a gas leak at the carb. I shut her down and drained the oil, removing the air cleaner, I find old stiff fuel line from the hard line to the filter and from the filter to the carb. I pull a piece off and Mike is off to the parts store. I change the filter, re-fill the crankcase and Mike arrives with the new fuel line.

Here, you can see how easy it is to work on the engine of a Pantera. I love this stuff. I replace two lines and we are done. This tech session is over, we need to get on the road.

No sooner than I pick Shelley up and we hit the highway, than Officer Friendly is flashing all his pretty lights, right behind us. Now this bears a little more explanation. (You laugh). This Sheriffs car pulls past us as we are travelling in the right lane. He gets off at the next off-ramp ahead of us, and I lean over to Shelley and say, "Watch, I bet he gets back on". No sh**, this guy gets back on and pulls us over.

License, registration and proof of insurance please. No problem, I already have them out, except for the Hagerty insurance card, in the trunk, in my briefcase. He let's me get out to get the insurance card. I do, and I hand it to him. We are standing at the back of the Pantera, he's looking very confused. Finally he askes "When did you buy this car?" I said "Yesterday." He looks at the registration, sees that it is valid, even though I have a Washington drivers license. He then says "The reason I pulled you over is because according to the DMV, this car was last registered in 1975." (why 75 I don't know, I have registration receipts up through the 80's). So he looks again, I explain the short version of the story thus far, and he says I'm free to go. Woohoo, what a great first police experience in the Pantera. I hope they all go this well. So much for running us in for Grand Theft Auto.

So we keep heading out. We thought we would take this picture of Mount Shasta, just to show you we really were driving this new engine home.
: )

Here, we have the gawkers. We pulled into a small town, off the main Interstate to fuel up. This time, it's in Oregon, where THEY have to fill your tank, while you watch. Turns out these boys are real Ford fans, and know what a 351 Cleveland is. They also have a KIT Pantera in town, so they were all over this one like flies on stink. We thought we'd take a photo.

We stopped in Oregon just south of Portland and stayed with Shelley's sister. Her twin sister that is. We stay the night and head out the next morning, Sunday, the 20th.

This is Shelley. The other guy is Brian, her sisters husband.

So after two days of driving, almost 9 hours the first day and 7 the second, we arrive home, safe and sound.

Here it is, in MY driveway, in front of MY garage. I'm getting ready to bed her down for the night.

Now it begs to ask, why me and not some other person that called John and offered him money?

Here's why....

Did you ask what the history of the car was? Take a look. This is a photocopy, kept by the ORIGINAL owner, of the delivery invoice. The car was not actually purchased new, it was a Ford Aerospace Employee Lease car. The Owner happened to be an employee, so he started to lease the car when it was new.

This very first registration shows the car still belonging to Ford, but the owner is listed in pencil. This document, along with every registration for every year after this, came with the car. That's right. I have an entire history on this car. I can tell you every year it was registered from the beginning. : )

Evidently, this guy was very fond of this car. Two years later, he purchased it from Ford, as evidenced by this invoice.

Testifying to the cars originality and the owners enthusiasm, this photo shows two things of significance. First, on the left, affixed to the drivers window, is the ORIGINAL EMISSIONS DECAL. Yes, the original, a little sun-baked, but there. It goes up and down with the window. Imagine my surprise, when I was looking over the car and rolled up the window. Not looking myself, Jack said "AJ, look at that!" and there it was. : ) Wow. The second item is the oval decal on the quarter window. This is an original PI sticker. Guess what else came with the car? Heheheheh... well, I don't know if you guessed, The first four volumes of PI's magazine. From Volume one number one, to Volume 4 number something. I don't know why he dropped it. I have a feeling there are more around that John has not found yet. The previous owner even kept all Pantera related correspondence. I have here the introductory letter from PI, naming him as member number 728. I now have some very original Mind Train literature, parts books from vendors in the really early days, tech service tips from PI and much much more. This guy kept receipts on EVERYTHING except gas. I can tell you exactly what has been serviced, when, and for what reasons. I can tell you when the holes were drilled in the frame uprights to fix the rusting problem. I have issues of PI where the previous owner circled info on upgrades and then I can find the receipt for the actual service to perform the upgrade. This car was a veritable gold-mine of history.

Now, I will admit. The car is rough. It needs some care and love. The carpet is worn, the drivers seat is ripped. At one point, the previous owner had the seats swapped. Presumably to get one re-upholstered. The engine is a bit tired, the body needs a few small dings repaired, and the electrical needs mending. But I tell you what. This car was an everyday driver for almost 20 years, and was pretty well maintained by it's owner. It shows regular wear and tear and is by far not ready for concours, nor will I make it so in the near future. But it is a piece of history in the flesh. This IS the car I was looking for. Mike Drew was right when he first posted this to the forum. He said "This is Asa Jay's car"

He was right.

So you can STOP calling John Lambert now, he doesn't have the car anymore. : )

Sincerely,
Asa Jay