"D" day minus Seven - ! Manpower !

and upholstery. Carpets shall be ready next Tuesday. Not time to do perfect leather edges to the carpet, but that ca eb don later.

Hope you don't mind, but I need to make a safety coaching comment,

I hope the spacing of the stands are far enough for "doors open" and people crawling in so It doesn't tip over.

Good luck with the show

All advise is welcome !!, but, no worries, over the stands there is a large Wood piece, that that supports from the edge of the car. Only the stands are too close toguether, but wou have a point !


On other tópica, yesterday arived my missing Highbeam fro Cyprus, of all places. The Fiamm Dual horn, will arrive just one day short of the sow, so I bought a pair of Chinesse ones, to fit, and be able to change the day before. the sow.

ohny, yes, of course, the windshield goes last, thanks for the advise.

More on the glass later. I had neg, perfect glass made here, for the windshield and back Windows. Today we did fit it, and was "perfecto".

Also the headers arrived yesterday. I know, it is not "correct" to wrap them, but this is so easily removed, and really protects....

Rear suspensión

rear right

Exhaust. Maybe not perfect, but easy to echange later. The original stickers will be added lated...

I was able to get almost all perfect Wheatherstripping....

And got the right sie windshield rubber. Next Tuesday we will know how well it fits.

the glass for the car...

The rear rubber. This odes NOT look like the original, but for very Little money, I may have made the molds of an exact rubber replica. I will think about it...

Well that was the end of day "D" minus seven. and today it was a rest day. Thanks God for Sundays . But I feel confident now. It will be really minor pieces missing....

I am missing security belts... the Fiamm horns are arriving late, so I bought a pair of Chinnese horns to do the instalation and replace for the correct one on Friday.

Also a question: I bough Vitalonis Mach 1 Mirrors. It will hurt me to perforate the fenders, but that is the mostt likely place... I am inclined, for this contest to shw the car as it came out of the Factory: No radio (I guess they came with no raio) and no mirrors... ANy opinión on Mirror placement?

Depends on whether you actually want to drive the car on the street. Vitaloni's out on the front fenders are how some Mangustas came from the importer (NOT from the factory; DeTomaso's stance on both Mangusta and Pantera was, all countries have their own regulations so put on what you like, where you like). But stuck out on the fenders British style are about as close to useless driving mirrors as I can imagine. I have seen the rectangular painted ones from a late '60s Mustang that looked nice mounted on the doors and they are also period-correct. And while local laws will vary, some places only require one outside mirror on the drivers side. So another decision....

Thank you Boss. Those will arrive tomorrow. Lets se if there is time to paint and mount. I am inlcined to go to the fenders.

Here my new turn/Higbeam/horn lever, installed.

and mounting rubber for the inner window. Wow, was that glass thick !

A very preliminar sight of the tool set. Some parts are original, other new USAG, and so... eventually will fill everithing.

Well, the engine started !. Only the gas pump was not in the mood. Temp electrical pump meanwhile.

Also the fornt brakes pump felt sick and wouldn´t wake up... will see

Sound is beautiful though !!

Rubber for the rear ( and Chrome) is getting in place.

Not bad for "D" day minus 2.....

the seats arrived. They look of excelent quality.... Vey nice leaher.....

are you going to make it ?

Gonzo, send me your real e-mail and I'll send you a pdf of an illustrated article I wrote for POCA a couple of years ago re on-board tool kits from DeTomaso. There's a LOT of mis-information out there!

JF:

I will make it, somehow. As Johny Woods said, not good idea to rush it, so , I am almost doing all right and notting down what I missed...

Here my own repro valve cover badges.....

and nice Michelin XWX with centers...

It looks great. Keep up the good work!

Rocky

So, did you make it??? Inquiring minds want to know... Also, we'd love to see pics from the show. I hope your Goose made a spectacular showing.

I found this link
https://www.facebook.com/concu...5488/?type=3&theater

and photos from the Concurso de Elegancia
https://www.facebook.com/concu...am?ref=page_internal

Thank yoou for the interest...

the answer is a complicated YES! we did it....

It was hard, Thusday we worked until late, with a problema ith the engine (ignition module) and tha night of friday we didn´t sleep, but lowered the car just in time for the trnsport was coming in....

I am trying to post more tan one picture per rely, but I cant find the way... and it is consming having to resize every picture to the ma size, but here we go....

Here the car getting on its was to the show.... (engine couldnt start yet !!

leaving ...

Satuday, 7 am, after the sleepless night.....

here the rear.....

We were installed in the italian pavillion.

Yellow Ferrari 330,
blue Ferrari 350 GT
Blue Ferrari 308
masserati Quatroporte
Lambo (modern)
some more....

This wss fun day, because I decided if a nice girl coul come in, and have a photo on the car. Lots of smiles !!!!

The car had several problems.

1 Didnt start (module problema)
2 Door covers rrived late and incomplet, without (clamps is the Word?) to attach to the door.we put them in place , but keep on falling.
Part of te rear was repainted but not polished yet

I couldnt pick up the tool set yet

Air hoses were not yet installed (from carburator cover to the side close to the spare tire)

But not much more tan this..

The judges came and were benevolent with a 90.5 calification. They liked the car...

In this show there were about 400 to 500 cars ... they usually call the top 20 to a special spot in the show ("El corralito") around 5 pm. It was alrady 7 pm, and I called it quits. I told my boys to pick up tools and polish and so.... Be a finalist would have been nice....

As we were leaving, a organizer staff came and said "Hey, this car to the corralito !!! I couldnt believe it ! We made it to the top 20 cars of Mexico.. Big smile, and run ! Push the car to the spot. I was reminded that the car hat to rn on its own to the podum we won some category....

My boys were there finishing the paint... I ran to Office Depot (a 40 minutes drive) to buy Velcro to attach the door covers... aand call a mechanic to have the car started !!!!

No mechanics avalable... buuu

Lot of calls , run again......

So next posts are the photos and events for unday.....

A hearty congratulations! Magnificent car!

We need pictures of the car and the girls!

Great story - nice job!

Rocky

That color is Magnificent!!!...Mark

Congrats

https://instagram.com/p/19_0PYJwIZ/

Thanks to all for the support. Here I will finish this post with the comment and potos from Sunday, after being selected among the 20 finalists. we had fun... what is relevant form Sunday was a Mnagusta Barn find. I will comment on the on a separate thread.

So on sunday morning 8MMA-882 could not start... the door panels fell... the weatherstripping on doors and rear wings was too hick, so it was hard to close...

anyway, we were very happy to be seleced finalistas and tried to the our best...

It took us a lot of time to assemble all needd parts in my house, from mirrors, straps, air hoses, you name it... We arrived (late at 9:00) to try to do all cosmetic work, and all minor (but maaaany) pending details.

The mechanic did not arrive. I got a fellow friend with a lot of knowledge, we had already fgured our ignition module (Shae on ME !, I coudnt get the point distributor on time !!!) was to blame... whithin 20 minutes, he had he engine up and running !!! BIG big BIG smiles, and cheers (all of this already on the finalista corral, we the only ones doing mechanical work). THe headers paint started to burn (as it should), and we had lots of noise, lots of smoke and happiness, so the crowd was whith us...

The sound of the engine was great.... As per Rocky request now some of the pictures of girs that visited us the day before. On Sunday we never got a moment for that.. Saturday was much better... Unfortunatelly most of the photos of girl and Mangusta was done with the girl's camera, so I dont have them so I have only 2 or 3 that I took with mine... but here they are

another nice visitor.... As I could open the gate cord to allow them to see and touch the car, we were empowered, my boys and me. As we also had beer among out tool boxes, this were assigned to the more cooperative girls.

We did not lie when telling them that they were the first to get in the car.... but I also found that when they sat, and I said "those seats are happy as they have never had been felt a nicer butt on top of them"... just a lot of giggles form all girls... Hehe, lots of laughs...

quote:

Originally posted by Gonzalo:
...with the girl's camera, so I dont have them ...

Sly Move to use Her camera, now you have a excuse to go visiting. You did get a phone number, didn't you?

Well, JFB, at the end only Johnny Woods was right. Have to finish on time. Sincé I didn´t we were at all time running and fiing things....

Last girl photo of this set... as I mentioned there were more girls tan photos... The number of visitors were in the tens of thousands....

quote:

The number of visitors were in the tens of thousands....

You are now the "Most Interesting Man In The World"!

* Stay Thirsty, My Friend!



Thanks for the pictures. Look forward to seeing more some time!

Rocky

Back to the car.... It started, noice and smoke... Then we noticed the gear linkage was not adjusted... the engine was runing when a Judge came by and said: "In 2 minutes no more gas, mechanics, nothing !. Onlly the car and the owner !!!

I went pale, I didn´t know that was the momento of truth... The car was almost perfect, but We couldnt fix the internal rearview mirror, the doors took a lot of offort to close, but at least the door panels were in its place and wouldnt fell...

Well, there were 20 cars and a group of 4 or 5 judges. From what I noticed, a Spaniard, and english guy, a "gringo" and 2 mexicans, more or less...
They all went arond the car, reviewing every detail. One of them pointed out a "not shinny" front position light (the yellow one) one of my guys had accidentally "polished" it with a machine and damaged it.... They noticed the door required effort to get closed

And lastly, the Spaniard Judge noticed a cable of the ignition module...and therefore the ignition module. pity....

But the rest was really GREAT. All Windows with correct stamps and dates, red marks of quality control on the nuts and bolts , correct tires, all stamps or stickers on its place (alternator, AC, Wheels )

we competed agains these cars, among others... all from profesional restorers...

and these....

and these

Well done Gonzalo. Your car looks fantastic!
All it needs now is Harly Wax..

Johnny