2008 Fremont Street Display

Mark,
Will there be a conflict with the Pahrump track event that day?
Tom

YES

Yes track days are Thursday and Friday. I will be on Fremont Street Thursday and Playing on the track Friday. I'm also kind of excited that I may be able to do a Redrock or Mnt. Charleston run if they have one on Saturday. In the past I have been busy with the display.

Todays mail came I have 13 entry forms in my hand. I need 12 more so if you haven't mailed them in now is the time.

A much as I like to show my can and shoot the breeze over a few beers, unfortunately due to the conflict with Pahrump I'll be at the track.

Is there a schedule of events out yet, what will be happenin' on Saturday if there is no roof top show at the Orleans?

quote:

A much as I like to show my can and shoot the breeze over a few beers, unfortunately due to the conflict with Pahrump I'll be at the track.

YES, THIS IS A BIT OF A BUMMER.

We talked this out months ago, and decided that for the most part, the track guys will be there no matter what - Fremont running second to the track. I will miss viewing Fremont - it is a GREAT event. But we needed to get Fremont back on track after the less-than-ideal Orleans display situation. I want to see Saturday return for the Fremont day, and I know that is the desire of CHIPIE.

For those of you viewing Fremont on Thursday, you then need to venture out to Pahrump and watch our beauties do what they do best - DRIVE!!

Track entrance fees will again be covered by PCNC, plenty of food and drink at the track, and a great drive out of the Vegas grid-lock.....watch out for instant-on radar units.

Don't ask me how I know this....

Larry

Mark,
Are we going to have the 25 cars that are necessary for Fremont St?

We have eighteen cars as of yesterday. One week left and my fingers are crossed.

When I went to Vegas in '93 for the POCA raffled Pantera, there were 200(?)ish deTomasos on display on Freemont St. It was quite the ultimate Pantera car show! It went on for blocks. How is it that 20 can hardly be mustered for '08? What's changed so drastically?

Michael

Now that is an excellent question. Answers?

Freemont on Thursday may deter people who can't commit to a 4-day long event.

Choosing between a track day and a sitting around worrying about some kid scratching your car is probably not a tough choice for most.

Although its a dive, I think the attendance is way down since the event left the Plaza. It was really the perfect place though, with cars in the ball room , Fremont Street and the large parking area.

Mike

quote:

Although its dive, I think the attendance is way down since the event left the Plaza. It was really the perfect place though, with cars in the ball room , Fremont Street and the large parking area.

True to an extent, Mike. The ballroom cars option went away when the old-school owner sold off the Plaza, and the newbies didn't have the needed pull with the LV Fire Dept. They also had no sense of history with POCA, and added a price to every damn little perk that had just been 'comped' for years. The parking lot was big and secure, but right next to the RR tracks and all their dust. Fremont was an easy drive around the block, to be sure, and thus an easy walk back to the Hospitality Suite - there were always enough owners on the display to watch your baby if you couldn't hang for the whole time - drunk ex-show girls dancing on John's car excluded.

Sadly The Orleans IS more $$$ than the Plaza (old Place prices, that is). And the well-worn-in ambiance of the Plaza is missed by many.

All that said, let's make one thing perfectly clear....

The Fun Rally is NOT about the hotel room, any one event, or even the $$$.

It is about gathering owners/admirers of De Tomasos in one five-day community devoted to our cars.

There is ALWAYS something new to see, a new face to meet, old friends to see, and the bench racing never stops. The damn job at home can wait, the boss is a jerk anyways and you're going to spend all your money one way or the other.

For members of the Pantera Family, I believe there are two must-do events that never grow old - Fun Rally and Monterey Concorso Italiano.

So tell the boss you're taking time off, lay off the $5 Starbucks and the $10 quick picks for the next few months, call the Orleans and make your reservation (you can cancel up to three days prior to arrival), and get your car trip-worthy or buy the airline tickets.

Larry

(Still hoping for a repeat of those 150 car Fremont displays)

I know, I know, but there was just a certain magic there with the contrast of the cool pristine Panteras and the dilapidated Plaza.

Mike

Well the rooms were cheaper, but also older. The Orlean's rooms are very nice. The Plaza smelled like old cigarettes. The Orlean's smells nice despite the smokers etc.. (no offense meant to the smokers, I just dont like the smell). The Plaza's restuarant's & buffet were ok. The Orlean's restuarant's and buffet are really good. I always liked the Plaza with the cars inside and Kevin the bartender etc., etc.. The things we forget about are how many Pantera's were damaged just getting into the banquet room, especially the wide body cars. You only had about an inch or two to work with. also the facts that the Plaza had just raised their prices and the fact that despite the fact that we had reservations, they cancelled us! Told us to find somewhere else to have our fun rally because they were going to have a poker tournament (which did terrible for them), and then they came back begging us to come back for more money less concessions and even then did not want to let us put cars inside anymore. I have fond memories of the old days at the Plaza, I just have no desire to go back there.

Thanks to all those who've answered.

I can understand that the Freemont St. display being on a Thursday and competing with a track event would lower attendance. I was curious as to why there has been a steady decline in participants over the years?

I have pictures (not digital) from '93 of Fremont St. lined on both sides for 2 solid blocks with angle parked Panteras. There was just enough room to open doors. The center of the street had deTomasos 2 abreast lined up end to end for the same distance.

I would imagine that even if the Freemont St. display were held on a Saturday afternoon/evening, it still wouldn't have anywhere near the attendance of years past.

Has another event grown tremendoulsly while this one's shrunk? Which is the 'big' Pantera event to aspire to make it to?

To me, Vegas was always the 'Holy Grail' of Pantera events. I guess that's changed.

Michael

quote:

To me, Vegas was always the 'Holy Grail' of Pantera events. I guess that's changed.

Based on what? Last year we had 50 Pantera's in the display and some 20 parked in the garage down stairs. There was probably 80+ Pantera's at the 2007 Fun Rally in Vegas.

What event has more Detomaso cars than Vegas?

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Mensen:
What event has more Detomaso cars than Vegas?

That's what I'm asking.

Having 80 Panteras in attendance is still probably less than half of years past.

I'm not attacking the Vegas Fun Rally, I had a ton of fun while I was there! That's why I want to go back. But if I'm going to drive 3000 miles across the country from the east coast, I'd like to make sure it's still the event to drive to. Maybe more people attend Monterey with their Panteras now, or some other event.

That's what I'd like to know.

Michael

(Here's a picture of a picture of the Freemont display in '93. If I remember correctly, it was taken from somewhere in the beginning/middle looking away from The Plaza Hotel. The quality is terrible, but it's an idea of what it was like.)

quote:

Originally posted by Cyboman:
When I went to Vegas in '93 for the POCA raffled Pantera, there were 200(?)ish deTomasos on display on Freemont St.

Any chance that, like you, the bulk went for the Pantera raffle? 2 is ALWAYS better than 1!

-William

looks like I'll be attending both. I don't have a Pantera yet, but I'm looking forward to both seeing and learning much from you guys out there.

What is going to be the best way for me to meet you guys when I'm there?

I believe that the attendance is down because the members have so much competition for their time. I can't speak for you guy's, but for me I just don't know where the time goes. I am so busy that if I do not set aside time for these events, then I will not make it to them. Everybody that I seem to ask says that they are so busy, they don't have time to do anything. Does this sound true to most of you?

Time and Money are major factors in declining attendance. Death and Illness seem to have an impact to. Seems like every year we lose 2 or 3 active members.

That is why I make time to enjoy life now.

Below is a popular Fremont Street parking spot

I was just wondering what you guys had planned for saturday night and sunday. Looks like I won't be able to get out until Saturday afternoon, but really want to see you cars.

quote:

I was just wondering what you guys had planned for saturday night and sunday. Looks like I won't be able to get out until Saturday afternoon, but really want to see you cars.

Damn, you're going to miss most of the event.

Saturday afternoon is pretty much free time. We have the awards dinner/raffle Saturday night starting about 6. Late night, early to rise and folks start leaving for the drive home around 8 a.m.

Most of us will be at The Orleans hotel. Parking on an upper level is restricted to our event. There is a hospitality suite in the hotel were we gather, tho you need an event badge to enter. Many times there will be someone with the cars, and you could likely bum an entry with one of them.

Here's a schedule -

Larry

Mark, how many P cars have signed up for the Fremont Street show so far? Chuck