quote:
Originally posted by dallas:
Well, I AM still trying to get my Pantera...but I have to sell my ZR-1 first. You can read my previous post ("ZR-1 offered") to get details. I have lowered the price, and will be getting a brand new factory "clear" panel top this week and new Yokohama 315-35 X 17s for the rears (W,Y rated).
To reassure any of you of the reliability of this road rocket, I have just completed a 3,000 mile dream tour on some of the most challenging roads in the country without any hint of problems.
I left Las Vegas, heading up 95 to Reno to catch "Hot August Nights". My average speed was 90+ through the night. Then, it was up 395 through Susanville (CA), then on 44 over to Redding and the extreme 299 Arcata which put me on the California coast. From there I caught 101 up into Oregon to Coos Bay (visiting son & grandchildren). Then, back down 101 to Crescent City (CA) with side trips up 199 until the big forest fire forced us to turn around, and 197 deep into the California Redwoods. A few days of camping and on my way south on 101 through the forests to 20 East around Clear Lake and on to Williams where I got on 5 South to Sacramento, then back up 80 to Roseville/Granite Bay/Auburn where I spent 2 days visiting family and cruising the back roads of the Sierra Foothills. Repacked and headed down 80/5 South, across 152 through Gilroy (whew, that garlic is strong), and then on to Monterey/Carmel and HWY 1. After a brief rest and peek at the classics and exotics at Laguna Seca, I gathered my strength, took off the top, and headed into the mist-covered 1 South for Big Sur and San Luis Obispo. 3 hours of twisting, climbing, cliff-hanging turns at whatever rpms I could stand finally got me to Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. I spent several hours cruising the town and visiting the Cal Poly campus where I started my post-high school life (only to find they had torn down my 100-year-old dormitory), then headed up 101 to Paso Robles. Enough of this. The car is doing fine, but I'm wearing down fighting the road and stupid drivers. I got on 46 East, fought through the controlled 55 mph lanes and trucks (sometimes passing at 130+ to clear 5 or 6 at a time), then hit 5 South to 58 and on to Bakersfield. More food for the car and up the Tehachapies (get those damn trucks out of the passing lanes), down through Mojave, on to Barstow (God, it's good to have lots of horsepower), and then grabbed 15 East all the way back to Las Vegas. Thank God, too, for CA's 70 mph speed limit on this stretch...which means average speeds of 85+ punctuated by 100 mph bursts when clear. I put the ZR-1 in the driveway, wiped her down, covered her up, and will take her to the shop for a complete checkup this week (used a couple of quarts of Mobile 1, rolled off a little rubber, and enjoyed the most fun trip of my life. But it's done, and I need to sell the beast if I ever want to own a Pantera. Buy this incredible machine so I can do it again next year and really hear a (my)
Pantera's throaty exhaust.
I was really tempted to buy your Z a few months ago but I got the Pantera #1683 instead. I wish I could afford both! Good Luck.
[This message has been edited by madguy (edited 08-21-2002).]