This picture was taken at the facility where my office was located from 1987 until my retirement in 2012. Located about 15 minutes from Mayberry Lincoln Mercury.
The picture was taken by Mark Fechser, a gentleman with a great natural talent for photography.
Life With My Italian Mistress
I purchased the Pantera to be a driver, I don't plan to restore it. But I'll replace, repair or refurbish whatever is worn as time goes along. Along the way I'll perform the usual emendations to cure the Panteras foibles and perform a few improvements too.
I tackled a few easy things right away. I adjusted and lubricated the shifter linkage, and widened the slots in the shifter gate where needed. The trans shifts buttery smooth with very little effort now, I can shift it holding the knob lightly between my thumb and forefinger. I placed stacks of washers under the front seat mounts to make the seating position more comfortable until I replace the seats. And I fiddled with the engine a little bit.
The speedometer needle started bouncing, so I lubed the inner cable with synthetic grease and squirted WD40 down the cable housing to soften the old grease. That fixed it.
I drove #6018 half of 2004, all of 2005 and all of 2006 with very little maintenance (servicing fluids) and no major repairs or refurbishment. I drove it to work at least one day per week and on weekends. I drove it to Phoenix Arizona and back (1000 miles round trip). I also drove it to my mother's home and back in very heavy rain (700 miles round trip). I made many day trips northward along the central coast and into the mountains and canyons along the central coast.
Frankly, there were a couple of items I was pushing my luck with; the cooling system and the clutch & gearbox. It was so much fun driving it that I kept putting-off working on it. Between my day job and the club time was also an issue.