GT-350 Euro road trip report

Hi guys,

It=92s been awhile since my last road trip report. I spent the better part=20=
of=20
the winter flying for the Air Force Reserve in an attempt to rebuild my bank=
=20
account, which took a pretty serious shelling during last year=92s prolonged=
=20
European adventures. In this, I was only moderately successful, but I wasn=
=92t=20
about to let that stop me from playing cars again this year!

My season actually began with a drive in my 427 Cobra replica to the annual=20
Pantera Owners Club of America Las Vegas Fun Rally back in April. After mon=
ths=20
of preparation, the car was in tip-top shape as I left the house, but then=20
slowly fell apart like a soup sandwich during the course of the weekend, and=
I=20
only made it home after replacing a busted pushrod and rocker arm. So, with=
=20
the Cobra now looking very tired and decrepit and demanding attention to the=
=20
engine, clutch, exhaust, windshield, electrical system, and steering systems=
, I=20
decided that the prudent thing to do would be to turn my back on it and go o=
n=20
another vacation!

And so it was that after flying a quick trip with the Air Force (gotta earn=20
some bread to try to pay for all of that), I returned home to do laundry and=
=20
answer the mail, then packed my bags and headed for England.

Some of you may recall my description of the RAC Euroclassic, the vintage ca=
r=20
rally that I ran last year in my GT-350 clone with my British friend, George=
=20
Gordon-Smith. The route took us through France, Switzerland, Monaco and end=
ed=20
up in Italy, and featured spectacular driving on deserted roads combined wit=
h=20
tours of auto museums and the opportunity to drive on various racetracks.

This year=92s Euroclassic was moved from the fall to the spring, as the=20
organizers are also responsible for staging the British Formula One Grand Pr=
ix and=20
the British round of the World Rally Championship, and thus their plate gets=
=20
pretty full later in the season.

Their credentials should be obvious to see, and one of the principal reasons=
=20
I like to participate in this event is the extreme professionalism of the=20
entire thing. From a comprehensive route book that even a child could follo=
w, to=20
the excellent accommodations, and the supreme talent of the dozen or so=20
mechanics who follow along and try to fix any cars that happen to have issue=
s, the=20
event is truly a marvel to behold, much less participate in.

This year=92s route covered uncharted territory, aiming for Denmark and Swed=
en.=20
Now, those might not seem like obvious locations for driving enthusiasts,=20
but with Volvo Cars coming on board as an event sponsor, a trip to Sweden wa=
s=20
more or less preordained.

Anyway, I flew to London a few days early, both to ensure that I would in=20
fact make it there in time for the event=92s start (as I fly standby, and th=
us=20
can=92t be assured of a seat on a given flight), and also to enable me to he=
lp my=20
Mustang=92s host with his ongoing Pantera restoration.

Upon my arrival early in the morning, I was picked up by Geoff in his daily=20
driver Bentley (they are surprisingly cheap over there, secondhand, and deli=
ver=20
the most bang for the buck of any car on the road), and soon found myself=20
back at his house and hard at work. My first job was to install the=20
reconditioned brake calipers--except that new caliper mounting bolts had bee=
n forgotten=20
and the old ones were buried in a giant pile of trash hardware. Eventually=20=
it=20
was all sorted out, but it took substantially longer than we=92d planned.

On the second day, John Woods was wiring up the dash and Geoff was working o=
n=20
the MSD ignition system. He broke one of the studs off his coil, so he had=20
to rob a coil from his Rover V-8 powered MG drophead. By late in the evenin=
g,=20
we were ready for the big moment.

Turn the key, pump the gas and VAROOM followed immediately by expensive=20
grinding noises and SMOKE coming from the bellhousing.

Hmm. That doesn=92t sound right.

We shut everything down, scratched our heads and pondered the situation. =20
Clearly, something was broken, but what?

We gave up in disgust and called it a night. The next morning, John and I=20
took it upon ourselves to yank the transmission back out to see what was wro=
ng. =20
Expecting carnage, instead we found everything looking pristine.

George Gordon-Smith had arrived by now, and it was time to leave, so I left=20
John to the project and we headed down the road (it was later discovered tha=
t=20
the starter was defective or incorrect, and wasn=92t disengaging after the e=
ngine=20
started. Thankfully the ring gear was unhurt but the starter took a bit of=20=
a=20
beating). Throughout the event, George and I would take turns driving and=20
navigating, and also share the track-driving duties.

George and I drove in a very light rain to the coastal town of Harwich, whic=
h=20
I was pointedly informed is not pronounced =93Harwich=94 as you might imagin=
e,=20
but instead is called =93Harrich=94 for reasons that were never adequately e=
xplained.

It is there that we were scheduled for an overnight ferry which would deposi=
t=20
us in Esberg, Denmark. When we arrived, the dock was already filled with=20
classic cars of every description--fellow participants all. We reacquainted=
=20
ourselves with several people we remembered from last year=92s event, and on=
e new=20
team as well. Imagine my surprise as I pulled into the lot and looked in my=
=20
mirror and found an Ivy Green =9167 Mustang fastback behind me! This more-o=
r-less=20
Bullit clone was being driven by a pair of British gents, and was equipped=20
with a moderately pumped up 289, five-speed, and Total Control power rack an=
d=20
pinion steering.

Once loaded on the ferry, we enjoyed a light dinner and then retired to our=20
inboard cabin. The berths were exquisitely comfortable, and we slept soundl=
y=20
for almost 12 hours!

We were awakened by a loud announcement over the ship=92s PA system that=20
Breakfast Was Served. After an absolutely dynamite all-you-can-eat buffet,=20=
we=20
waddled down to the car and soon found ourselves on the Danish motorway, des=
tined=20
for the starting location, the town of =C5rhus.=20

Annoyingly, both Denmark and Sweden have ridiculous traffic laws that mandat=
e=20
the full-time use of headlights, we we had to constantly remind ourselves to=
=20
turn the damn things on, and then turn them off when we stopped so we didn=
=92t=20
drain the battery.

Along the way, I discovered that my horn button, which had failed on me on=20
last year=92s rally but had been patched together in Geneva by Thierry Monne=
y, had=20
conked out again. Upon arrival and check-in at =C5rhus, we were subjected t=
o a=20
moderate technical inspection, consisting of a test of turn signals, lights,=
=20
and the horn. All went well until I was asked to sound the horn; as=20
spontaneously but as if on cue, both George and I leaned our heads out the w=
indow and=20
shouted =93BEEP!=94

The inspectors laughed, and then waved us on.

I noted that the clutch pedal was high and had zero free play, this despite=20
the fact that I had adjusted it not that long ago. I steered my way to the=20
Royal Auto Club mechanics, and asked if they=92d take a look at it. Within=20=
five=20
minutes, the car was in the air, the adjuster adjusted, and I once again had=
=20
free play at the clutch. Gotta love those guys.

By now, there were over 80 cars gathered in a gravel lot in front of the=20
town=92s cultural center and museum. Oldest and arguably most significant w=
as a=20
1928 Bentley race car, of the type which won Le Mans that year. This partic=
ular=20
car had been sent to Argentina from new where it enjoyed a successful race=20
history during the pre-war years, and had eventually found its way back to t=
he=20
UK. The car broke on the first day, suffering a starter failure, but they w=
ere=20
able to push-start it, and as it had a 100-liter fuel tank, they could drive=
=20
it all day without shutting it off! Replacement starter bits were flown ove=
r=20
and the car was fixed on the third day.

We were treated to a welcome reception and a greeting by a city councilman,=20
then took a Volvo shuttle to our hotel, which was a beautiful creation datin=
g=20
from the early 1800s and located near the city center.

After getting situated, we strolled the cobblestone streets, and sat down at=
=20
a quiet outdoor cafe in a small square, basking in the sunlight and watching=
=20
the world go by. I was especially taken by the scenery, in the form of=20
delectable Eurobabes who seemed to travel in packs. Tall, Nordic with blond=
hair and=20
blue eyes, they seemed to be everywhere. As this is a college town, they ar=
e=20
also of an age where flaws are few and far between.

I could get used to this place. :>)

We decided to forgo a heavy meal and eventually decided on a bowl of chili,=20
which seems strangely out of place in a small city in Denmark, but it appear=
ed=20
on the menu of virtually every restaurant and bar. I wasn=92t expecting muc=
h=20
and was therefore greatly surprised to discover some of the best chili I=92d=
ever=20
had in my life!

A post-dinner stroll took us to a more populated part of the city, teeming=20
with nightlife, with large outdoor cafes filled with people. We spotted sev=
eral=20
of our fellow rally participants and settled down to join them for a beer or=
=20
three.

We were well-entertained by a father-and-son team, a pair of Irishmen from=20
Dublin driving a Jensen CV8 (called a Chinese Eyes Jensen, go ahead, do a Go=
ogle=20
search on it). Vincent and Rolan O=92Reilly had us in stitches all night lo=
ng.=20
Commenting on the high number of Eurobabes and the seemingly favorable=20
babe-to-guy ratio among the people in the area, Vincent remarked in his thic=
k Lucky=20
Charms brogue, =93I tink dey must drown fifty percent of d=92boys at birt!=
=94

The next morning, we were away on the first official day of the rally. Our=20
first stop was Legoland, a stop which drew some healthy skepticism among som=
e=20
participants but which was actually greatly enjoyed. Snacks and drinks were=
=20
waiting for us in our private parking lot, and complimentary admission to th=
e=20
park allowed us to ride the kiddie roller coaster (we couldn=92t resist) as=20=
well=20
as eyeball the rather comprehensive Lego exhibits.

This was followed by a very rural drive of some 82 miles, over some roads=20
small enough to not warrant any kind of center line; the destination was Ege=
skof=20
Slott, a castle in the Danish countryside. Besides featuring beautiful=20
grounds and a stately castle complete with moat, the owner of the castle had=
a=20
rather large collection of cars, trucks and airplanes on display in his priv=
ate=20
museum.

We spent a good part of the afternoon there, then pressed on via a short=20
20-mile run to Odense, site of the home of Hans Christian Anderson and featu=
ring a=20
museum of his works. We didn=92t arrive until after it had closed and misse=
d=20
it not one bit. After getting our route card stamped and sucking down a qui=
ck=20
drink, we continued on to our overnight stop at Nyborg Strand, where all the=
=20
participants were able to share the same hotel (the only time this was true=20=
on=20
the whole rally). The traditional end-of-event dinner was thus held on the=20
first night instead of the last, and we enjoyed great conversation with a ta=
ble=20
full of Irishmen, including a couple who were returning to the event in thei=
r=20
Ferrari 330 GTS, having elected to leave the Ferrari Daytona and Maserati=20
Ghibli at home. His daily driver is a Ferrari 456. Must be nice! :>)

The weather had been decent during the day, but during dinner the heavens=20
opened in a hellacious torrent. This was a pattern to be repeated several t=
imes=20
during the course of the event.

In the morning the skies were still rather gloomy and we encountered some=20
light drizzle as we crossed a massive suspension bridge to Denmark=92s main=20=
island.=20
The skies cleared as we approached the Koreteknisk Institut, a small privat=
e=20
race track used for historic and club racing as well as driver training.

The track was open for our use, and after a quick rest, we set out to feel=20
our way around. The track was short enough that it could be circulated in a=
bout=20
one minute. It feels decidedly odd bashing around a race track in a car tha=
t=20
is loaded to the absolute maximum with a trunk and passenger floorboards=20
filled with luggage, computers, cameras, tools, and a comprehensive array of=
=20
(heavy) spare parts, while not wearing any helmets, and with no restrictions=
or=20
rules to speak of. The organizers rely on the instinct for self-preservatio=
n as=20
well as traditional British civility to avoid any problems, and in this they=
=20
are universally successful.

Among the participating cars, by far the fastest one was a genuine 1973=20
Kremer Porsche 911 RSR. This particular car was the =91mule=92 given to Kre=
mer to=20
develop their RSR Group 4 race cars, which subsequently proved to dominate i=
n=20
European racing. While boasting no racing history itself, it was nonetheles=
s=20
wicked fast!

Although in terms of speed, and talent, I am most assuredly in the bottom=20
half among the people I normally open-track with in the Nor-Cal Shelby Club,=
I=20
found that in this particular group I was rather near the top of the heap. =20=
I=20
was keen to see how I would do against the =9167 Mustang, and was quite chuf=
fed=20
when we took to the track at the same time and I simply drove away from him=20=
and=20
left him for dead, eventually catching and passing him again. Whee!

The only drama of the day was when a fellow named Bill spun his big-block=20
1969 Corvette convertible in a big way coming onto the front straight on his=
=20
first lap, and wound up in the grass. However, he soon rejoined the fray an=
d=20
continued to drive around, albeit with a degree of circumspection that might=
=20
better have been introduced earlier.

This was followed with a short drive to Ledreborg Slott, a privately owned=20
castle which also has one the longest tree-lined avenues in Denmark, over fo=
ur=20
and a half miles. There we found a luncheon waiting for us, and we enjoyed=20
fine conversation with a husband-and-wife team driving a Sunbeam Tiger, and=20
another couples team in a custom 1951 Bentley set up as a 1930s-style racing=
car,=20
completely devoid of any weather protection whatsoever.

We then set out on a short 10-mile drive to Roskilde, the seaside town which=
=20
has a fantastic Viking museum featuring five original Viking ships which had=
=20
been sunk in the mud and thus preserved for thousands of years, and recently=
=20
unearthed and preserved. It was here that the problems started.
=0BWell, to be honest, the problems really started years ago. I had the eng=
ine=20
in my car rebuilt in 1997 and it was supposed to be fitted with a new clutch=
=20
at the time, but instead a cheaper rebuilt stock-style clutch was installed.=
=20
It was never really satisfactory, and always had a fair bit of chatter. But=
=20
now, suddenly, it was markedly worse, requiring brutal slipping in order to=20
avoid tooth-jarring shudder which seemed to want to tear the driveshaft out=20=
of=20
the car.

Not good.

We blew off the museum and struggled to make it to Copenhagen, a further 20=20
miles away. We made it into the town square and parked in front of City Hal=
l,=20
then sought out professional help.

The RAC mechanics had already been busy that day, changing out the entire=20
back axle on a Fiat 124 after the differential blew out. They were not plea=
sed=20
at the prospects of pulling the transmission and changing the clutch on my c=
ar,=20
at night, on their backs with the car on jackstands--and this presumed that=20=
a=20
replacement clutch could even be found. Things were looking grim.

Fortunately, the RAC had a Danish opposite number in their midst, and they=20
conferred with him. He suddenly got the big A-ha!, snapped his fingers and=20
whipped out his cell phone.

I soon found myself speaking with a fellow named Bryan Stoltze, who runs an=20
outfit called B&S Auto just outside of town. As my considerable good luck=20
would have it, Bryan runs a shop that deals exclusively with vintage Mustang=
s! =20
(His website is www.b-s-auto.dk, check it out). Furthermore, he had a=20
replacement clutch disc, pressure plate and flywheel just sitting on his she=
lf (used,=20
but like new), and said that if we got there in an hour he could do the work=
=20
right that night!

The RAC boys all had GPS nav systems so two of them piled into one of their=20
trucks and led us through a driving rainstorm to the shop. We encountered=20
heavy traffic which did the clutch no good at all.

George and I were a bit skeptical as we approached, expecting to find a=20
backwoods shade-tree joint. Instead we were pleased when we pulled into the=
=20
industrial park to find five 60s Mustangs parked in front of the shop, inclu=
ding a=20
fully race-prepared GT-350 clone on a trailer, and inside found a totally=20
immaculate shop jammed with more Mustangs, including a =9167 coupe that was=20=
being=20
turned into a killer dedicated race car.

The =9167 had been brought over from the USA a few months earlier, and had=20
recently been fitted with a new clutch. As part of its race preparation, it=
had=20
been replaced by a Tilton multi-disc setup, leaving the stock clutch surplus=
to=20
the cause.

My car was wheeled onto the lift, and up we went. Bryan showed himself to b=
e=20
a fellow of uncommonly good humor, and made it a point to laugh in hysterics=
=20
at my car, which was both filthy and suffering from unpardonable (in his vie=
w)=20
mechanical sins such as rubber motor mounts, stock (but in good shape)=20
suspension bushings, etc.

Initially we thought the RAC boys were going to turn around and head for hom=
e=20
once they=92d led us to the shop, but they couldn=92t help themselves and so=
on=20
they were in there spinning ratchets alongside Bryan. That left no room for=
me,=20
so I stood aside and made gentle suggestions or pointed out various m
echanical idiosyncrasies unique to my car.

Down with the parking brake, out with the driveshaft and starter, off with=20
the exhaust, disconnect the shifter, and heave-ho, the gearbox was out. The=
n=20
the bellhousing had to be removed. It wouldn=92t quite clear the exhaust u=
ntil a=20
big piece of steel was introduced to one of the collectors and suitable=20
influence brought to bear, at which point it popped free.

=93This clutch is history=94 Brian said, as a cloud of debris fell from the=20
junction between the bellhousing and block. The pressure plate was removed,=
and=20
dropped straight into a well-positioned trash can, along with the disc. The=
=20
pressure plate and flywheel were both blue and cracked from severe overheati=
ng. =20
The disc was pretty well worn-out, but the problem immediately became appare=
nt=20
when we turned it over. Half the friction material had broken away=20
completely, leading to metal-on-metal between the clutch disc and the flywhe=
el, never a=20
good thing!

Once it was determined that the =91new=92 clutch was identical to the old on=
e and=20
repairs could continue, suddenly the spanners hit the floor, for now it was=20
7:00 p.m. and time for the Danish equivalent of a traditional British tea=20
break. We all gathered in a conference room and enjoyed coffee, soda, and a=
cake=20
that Bryan=92s wife baked for us upon learning of our pending arrival, and=20
ordered dinner from a local take-out joint. After an hour of BS-ing (Bryan=20=
is a=20
singularly entertaining fellow), dinner arrived and we spent another 45 hour=
s=20
chowing on cheap but delicious steaks. Bryan has won the FIA Historic Touri=
ng=20
Car championship for the last ten straight years behind the wheel of his=20
self-prepared 1966 Mustang coupe, and also prepares the cars for a good perc=
entage of=20
his competitors.

He said that his business strategy was to build their cars faster than his,=20
visibly faster, but then beat them anyway!

Once dinner was through, we continued with installing the new clutch and=20
screwing the car back together, finishing up just before 10:00 p.m. For thi=
s, I=20
was charged 2000 Danish Kroner for the parts and 2000 for labor, something o=
n=20
the order of $700 or so. Under the circumstances, I couldn=92t have been=20
happier, and of course the car was transformed!

We drove back to the town square and parked the car, then walked to the=20
Tivoli Gardens across the street just in time to have the gates slammed in o=
ur=20
faces. Oh well, we wandered to an Irish pub instead and found Bill the Corv=
ette=20
Guy lamenting the sorry state of his car following his first-lap off-track=20
excursion. Talk of worn-out shocks and crappy tires ensued, although my gen=
tle=20
suggestion was that going full throttle in the middle of a turn after four=20
corners in a big-block ANYTHING was a sure-fire recipe for disaster!

A hoped-for early evening failed to materialize, and we plopped into our=20
hotel room well after midnight. =20

The next morning we had a short, clutch-chatter-free urban drive to the=20
Sommers Automobil Museum, a small and tidy collection of cars with a nice em=
phasis=20
on Jaguars, including both C- and D-types, as well as a rocketship TVR=20
Griffith which itself won the 2003 FIA European Historic Sports Car champion=
ship.

We had a brief drive to a ferry, where we then sailed for about 30 minutes=20
across a channel to Sweden. A short road section took us to Knutstorf Circu=
it,=20
a small club racing track. When we pulled into the paddock George and I wer=
e=20
greatly surprised to see a white Pantera sitting there, with Mats Gorski,=20
president of the Svenska De Tomaso Kl=FCbben waiting for us!

Apparently word had spread around among the Swedish De Tomaso community that=
=20
we were coming to town, and Mats fired up the 351 Cleveland-powered welcome=20
wagon and drove almost 100 miles to come see us!

Mats, who is well into his 70s, had been racing at this track for many years=
,=20
so I asked him if he wouldn=92t mind showing me =91the line=92. He strapped=
in and=20
we took off.

Mats speaks seven languages fluently, but all of them exceedingly slowly=20
(including his native Swedish). Thus when he was giving directions, by the=20=
time=20
he had finished we were already to and through the corner! =20

The track featured some really interesting elevation changes, leading to=20
blind brows. He would stick his open hand out in front of us and point, say=
ing=20
(slowly), =93Lefffft=94 or =93Righhhht.=94 The thing is, I thought he was t=
elling me=20
which direction to turn, but in fact he was simply telling me which side of=20=
the=20
track to be on. Thus after exiting a very slow 2nd gear uphill corner and=20
seeing a blind crest ahead of me with cornering berms on the right, as he sa=
id,=20
=93Righhhht=94 I set myself up for a right turn, only to find upon cresting=20=
the=20
brow and turning right that the track in fact went to the left! I narrowly=20
avoided the grass, and undoubtedly Mats wondered what the hell I was doing??=
?

I soon cracked his code, and he then became extremely helpful. After a few=20
laps I pulled in and turned the car over to George, and he took the car on a=
=20
few laps, while I sat in the right seat and said, (rather more quickly) =93L=
efft=94=20
and =93Righht=94.

I then took over again and bashed the car by myself while George and Mats=20
enjoyed conversation in the paddock. A section of the track is configured=20
exactly like the Esses at Sears Point, although on a smaller scale, so I was=
able to=20
really fly through there. Another corner featured a steep, 45-degree descen=
t=20
into the braking zone, which took a great leap of faith since there were no=20
corner workers anywhere! (The event organizers did have a doctor at each of=
=20
the circuits as part of the organizational team).

Eventually I pulled in and the three of us had coffee while Mats briefed us=20
on his upcoming trip to Modena, where he was part of a small delegation=20
travelling to the De Tomaso factory to formally say goodbye for about the te=
nth time,=20
as the company continues to devolve.

We were one of the last cars to leave the track as we continued on for 65=20
miles to B=E4ckaskog Slott (castle) where a nice luncheon awaited. 70 more=20=
back=20
roads miles led us to the town of V=E4xj=F6, our next overnight stop.

I should mention that Sweden was completely different from what I had=20
expected. Somehow I had it in my mind that it would be rather like Iceland-=
-cold,=20
windswept and rocky. Nothing could be further from the truth, as in fact it=
is=20
heavily forested, and equipped with rather wide and fast roads. Oddly, Swed=
en=20
was recently struck with a hurricane (who knew they had hurricanes in=20
Scandinavia?) which had knocked down 20% of the trees throughout the country=
.. So=20
everywhere we went, we saw signs of the recent devastation, and logging comp=
anies=20
were busy scooping up the fallen trees and trying to salvage something.

We pulled into V=E4xj=F6 and parked in the town square, then attended anothe=
r=20
reception with a welcome from the town=92s mayor. Soon a familiar rumble co=
uld be=20
heard, and over the tops of the other cars a white wing could be seen. Bj=
=F6rn=20
Carlsson had arrived behind the wheel of his 1986 Pantera GT5-S.

We exchanged greetings, then set out to head back to his house for dinner. =20
He lives out in the country, in a small village about 45 miles from the city=
.. =20
Now, in previous international meetings the Swedes had earned a reputation f=
or=20
overly conservative driving, tooling along in groups in the slow lane going=20=
5=20
mph under the speed limit, etc. So when George piled into the Pantera and I=
=20
followed along in the GT-350 I had a leisurely drive in mind.

But as soon as we got to the city limits, suddenly there was a puff of smoke=
=20
from the quad tailpipes, the rear suspension squatted down and the Pantera=20
simply took off! I grabbed third gear and stood on it, then banged into 4th=
and=20
did it again, and soon was sailing along at over 100 mph in an effort to kee=
p=20
up! There was a bit of a rubber band effect as we would get slowed up by a=20
logging truck, then Bj=F6rn would make it around him but I couldn=92t due to=
=20
traffic. So at the next opportunity I had to really fly to catch up. It wa=
s a=20
fantastic, life-affirming drive, and when we turned onto a slightly bumpy ro=
ad, my=20
suspension bottomed a few times as we hurtled along, now completely devoid o=
f=20
traffic.

We got to Bj=F6rn=92s house, situated alongside a beautiful lake, and spent=20=
a=20
good hour admiring his garage, which he had expanded a few years ago. Besid=
es=20
his white GT5-S Pantera and his daily driver something-or-other, it also=20
contained a beautiful red 1971 Pantera (only the 14th car made), and a blue=20=
De Tomaso=20
Longchamp GTS couple (think Mercedes 450SL) undergoing restoration, two=20
motorcycles, and a fully-equipped underground machine shop!

His wife fired up the BBQ and we enjoyed a terrific steak dinner, along with=
=20
his parents, who were equally charming (and in fact who we had met at a De=20
Tomaso event in Austria three years ago).

Eventually George and I headed back to town, at a slightly reduced pace (!),=
=20
but we could still hustle along since it was still light out, even at 10:30=20
p.m.

The next morning we arose early, and lined up for our departure. Vincent,=20
our Irish friend in the Jensen was ready to pull out, and George yielded to=20=
him,=20
waving and saying, =93After you!=94

Vincent waved back and said, =93Tanks, yer a gentleman=94 to which George=20
replied, =93Why thank you, nobody has called me that in quite some time.=94
=0BQuick as a flash, with a twinkling smile, as he pulled away Vincent said=20
over his shoulder, =93Well, most people=92r honest....=94

HAHAHAHA!!!

We cruised to a glassworks (the seemingly obligatory shopping stop for the=20
gentler participants) and blew right through the checkpoint after a quick bi=
te=20
to eat, then enjoyed a very rural section through typical Swedish villages t=
o=20
Eksj=F6, a charming 600-year-old town, where we were greeted by a wonderful=20=
array=20
of local car enthusiasts who had brought their own classic cars out to=20
display them alongside ours. We were once again allowed to park right in th=
e city=20
square and were greeted by the mayor, before wandering through the old woode=
n=20
buildings and finding a place to eat.

We chose a place called the Balkan Pizzeria, which we learned (after we had=20
ordered) was in fact a Chinese restaurant! So instead of Balkan or Italian=20
food, we enjoyed Chinese beef, pork and noodles with rice.

Our next leg took us some 60 miles along deserted roads to Mantorp Park,=20
Sweden=92s main race track.

Until now, the circuits we had been driving on had been small and tight, and=
=20
thus very easy on the brakes. But Mantorp Park has a single, long straight=20
that ends in a tight 2nd gear hairpin right hand turn, and soon after taking=
to=20
the track, I began to doubt the wisdom of continuing without changing brake=20
pads.

My car is equipped with Porterfield R4-S pads, which are excellent=20
dual-purpose pads but which most decidedly will not tolerate full-on racetra=
ck abuse for=20
long. Knowing this I carry a set of slightly used R4 race-compound pads=20
among my piles of spare parts. The smart thing to do would have been to fit=
them=20
right away, but I was seeing the red mist, and having fitted brake cooling=20
ducts I thought that perhaps I could get away with it.

Actually, no. After about 45 minutes of blasting around (George and I took=20
turns), reaching speeds in excess of 110 mph on the back straight, I pulled=20=
in=20
to give a ride to a fellow in a Triumph TR6, and on my next lap heard a=20
somewhat familiar sound--the sound of backing plates lightly kissing rotors.

I pulled in and wheeled up to the RAC van, and asked to borrow a jack so tha=
t=20
I could remove my now-destroyed street pads and fit my race pads. Instead I=
=20
was kindly shoved out of the way and the RAC men promptly changed the pads f=
or=20
me! We still had some time left, so I grabbed the owner of the green Mustan=
g=20
and took him out for a ride.

What a revelation! I had forgotten how much more effective these=20
race-compound pads are at racing speeds, since I hadn=92t used them since 20=
03. I could=20
now reach eye-popping velocities (well, for my passengers anyway) on the bac=
k=20
straight before absolutely standing on the brakes, heel-and-toeing down into=
3rd=20
then 2nd and pitching the car into the corner for a nice, controlled slide=20
all the way around. Whee!!!!

As I mentioned before the Porsche RSR was without a doubt the fastest car=20
present, but oddly enough the owner would normally only take a few laps, bli=
tz=20
everybody, and then disappear down the road. George and I, on the other han=
d,=20
fully exploited the opportunities to drive on the track, and I in particular=
=20
would go around and around and around, pulling in to switch passengers, then=
go=20
around and around and around some more....

The other Mustang owner was quite surprised to see how well my car handled=20
and braked compared to his. His is equipped with exceedingly crappy street=20
tires while mine enjoys quality Z-rated Firestones, and that undoubtedly mak=
es a=20
big difference; the Shelby handling package also goes a long way. My car is=
=20
seriously hobbled by over-tall gearing (3.25 rear end) and a general lack of=
=20
power, at least by USA Mustang standards. So it is very much a back-of-the-=
pack=20
kind of car at US track events, and thus my little ego was greatly inflated=20=
by=20
my near-top-of-the-heap status here. A well-driven Sunbeam Tiger was closel=
y=20
matched with me; I could out-corner him easily but his superior power and=20
lighter weight and better gearing allowed him to just drive away from me in=20=
the=20
straights. There was also a Ferrari 246 Dino running with us, and depending=
on=20
the track layout, either car might enjoy the advantage. Once again cornerin=
g=20
seemed to be my strong suit, and he seemed to enjoy a bit of a speed=20
advantage on the straights.

Another improbable contender was a bone-stock Triumph Stag. This is a car=20
that, although equipped with a V-8, should have quickly receded into my wake=
,=20
were it not for the fact that the driver knows the car intimately and is, to=
put=20
it mildly, a complete wild man. Following behind him was highly=20
entertaining, for he danced on the absolute limit of adhesion in every corne=
r, with the=20
car rolling over on its soft suspension, lifting the inside front tire off t=
he=20
ground, and generally sliding and slithering around as he sawed at the wheel=
.. =20
I prefer to keep a rather healthy margin of error as the Armco barriers=20
typically found at European tracks tend to be rather unforgiving of errors i=
n=20
judgment, but he seemed rather less concerned.=20

In one instance I got the Red Mist and out-powered him down the back=20
straight. He waved me past and I pulled a good car length ahead of him, but=
as I was=20
still on my street brake pads I braked rather early and cautiously, at which=
=20
point he out-braked me and took the corner back from me!

In any case, George and I drove the car literally until the gas tank was=20
empty, and I limped into the pits with the engine sputtering from fuel starv=
ation.=20
The other Mustang offered up five liters of fuel and I made my way to=20
another fuel stop (one of countless, and countlessly expensive fuel stops al=
ong the=20
way) before arriving in Link=F6ping.

Another Swedish Pantera owner named Yngve Pettersson lived in this town, but=
=20
he was in Milan on business and couldn=92t meet us for dinner, so instead we=
=20
joined a half-dozen other rally participants and enjoyed a feast in an outdo=
or=20
cafe on the main square, right next to all the cars. Literally thousands of=
=20
people turned up to look at the cars, as in fact they had at virtually all o=
ur=20
lunch and overnight stops.

As it had almost every night, the heavens opened up after we had parked, but=
=20
we had enjoyed dry driving all day long.

A local TV station ran a five-minute feature on the event on the news that=20
night. They had set up their camera along the shorter straight, and on two=20
separate occasions, they were panning a particular car (1961 Corvette in one=
=20
instance, Jaguar 140 in the other) as it accelerated down the straight, when=
VAROOM=20
out of nowhere a red and white GT-350 clone roared past and absolutely blew=20
the other car=92s doors off.

Hee hee...:>)

The next day dawned overcast and chilly. We drove to our first stop, the=20
castle and fortress at Karlsborg, some 80 miles distant. Yngve had come in=20=
late=20
the night before, but got up early and drove down in his Pantera to see us=20
off; sadly we only had about ten minutes to chat because we were running lat=
e due=20
to a problem with the hotel shuttle bus driver, who apparently didn=92t=20
understand that once his bus was full, he was supposed to drive us back to t=
he cars!

Along the drive, we enjoyed mostly twisty roads at elevated speeds although=20
occasionally we=92d get backed up behind a truck or bus for a few miles. =20
Rounding a corner I saw a red sports car in front of us, nearing the bottom=20=
of a long=20
downhill straight followed by an uphill. Believing it was an MGA which=20
historically had been running quite slowly, I was determined to pass him bef=
ore he=20
reached the twisties at the top of the hill, for afterwards it might be mile=
s=20
before another opportunity presented itself.
=0BSo down the hammer went, and the speedo needle quickly climbed, but oddly=
we=20
weren=92t catching him nearly as quickly as I thought we would. As we=20
continued to accelerate, to and through 100 mph, I realized that the car in=20=
question=20
was in fact a well-driven Triumph TR4, which was probably going 80 mph himse=
lf.=20
At this point I was morally committed, so kept my foot in it, and right as=20
we got to the bottom of the hill, I glanced down and saw the speedo going=20
through 120 mph. At the bottom there was an irregularity in the road, which=
=20
bottomed the suspension and caused it to lurch to one side, inspiring an=20=
=93OH!=94 from=20
my intrepid passenger. Nevertheless, we swept past the Triumph and powered=20=
up=20
the hill, lifting to whiz through the corner at a more sedate speed, althoug=
h=20
we soon left the Triumph in the dust.

A few minutes later, George quietly said, =93That was a little fast for me..=
..=94=20
to which I replied, =93Me too!=94

After yet another greeting by a local politician, we blew through the castle=
=20
and then continued on to the Kinnekulle-Ring circuit. This is another=20
smallish club racing track, but one for which my car seemed rather well-suit=
ed. =20
George took a few exploratory laps and pressed the car a bit, and then I too=
k over=20
and, having gone to school while George was driving, pressed it a bit=20
further. Knowing that this was our last track opportunity, and with the rac=
ing brake=20
pads still in place, I felt more comfortable pushing the car harder, and lon=
ge
r. I would periodically pull in to drop off a passenger and give a ride to=
=20
somebody else. I gave a ride to the tirelessly working RAC mechanic who had=
=20
worked on my clutch; they had a rather easier time of it on this trip than i=
n=20
years past and found themselves with free time on this last day. He really=20
seemed to enjoy his ride.

I also gave a ride to the driver of the =9151 Bentley Special. He had seen=20=
me=20
running on the track, and my car was noticeably faster than his, but he was=20
literally shocked and astounded when he rode with me and saw how neutral the=
=20
handling was, how powerful the brakes were, and how much cornering grip the=20=
car=20
had, even running on street tires.

In fact, three or four people came up to me during the course of the event=20
having been astounded that an American car could not only run with, but run=20=
away=20
from most of the European sports cars, and now several of them are seriously=
=20
contemplating adding a well-prepared 60=92s Mustang to their stables!

Duncan was back out in his green =9167 fastback, and we ran together for=20
awhile. He seriously held me up in the corners, but then slowly, due to gea=
ring and=20
power again, pulled away from me on the straight. Lap after lap we circled,=
=20
until he finally let me by, and then I pulled away from him. The Triumph St=
ag=20
appeared in my mirrors, and deciding that discretion was the better part of=20
valor, I waved him by and then chased him for awhile, laughing out loud as I=
=20
watched his car careening and sliding all over the track.

This track was unusually hard on my car though. From the second corner all=20
the way back around to the front straight, I NEVER got below 5000 rpm. I=
=92d=20
scream through the right-hand turn two in 2nd gear, bang into third just bef=
ore=20
the exit, but only for a moment, then heel-and-toe back into second for the=20
left-hand turn 3. Hard on the gas for a moment, then tap the brake to settl=
e the=20
nose as the car went over a rise into the next right-hand corner, taken at=20
about 3/4 throttle, 5000 rpm in second. Up to 5500 or so, then tap the brak=
e=20
and turn in to the left, again going from 5000 to 6000 through the corner, t=
hen=20
hard on the brake, and a tight right-hand corner, short straight and another=
=20
right-hand corner leading onto the front straight, where I=92d see 4th gear=20=
for a=20
short time.

Lap after lap, and then I started thinking about the fact that at most track=
s=20
I was spending a lot less time at those elevated rpms. My motor has a=20
completely stock crank with stock rods and bolts, and I=92m sure it just doe=
sn=92t like=20
spinning that high, that long, so eventually I decided to call it a day. I=20
had still driven 50 or 60 laps, easily twice as many an anybody else though.=
=20
Mine is the Energizer Bunny of track cars. :>)

I let the car cool down for awhile and shot some photos of the other cars on=
=20
the track before changing to a third set of (new) generic street brake pads=20
that I had with me. After a quick stop at a Scottish restaurant (McDonald=
=92s)=20
for a very late lunch, we went on to Trollh=E4ttan, home of Saab, where we t=
oured=20
the small but very tidy Saab museum, then continued on to Gothenburg, the la=
st=20
stop on the rally.

Upon entering the city and parking in the city square, we were presented wit=
h=20
finisher=92s medals, and then enjoyed another fine meal in an outdoor bistro=
..

Although the event had nominally finished, in fact it hadn=92t. For the nex=
t=20
morning, we all got up and drove to the Volvo headquarters, where we were to=
be=20
treated to a morning of corporate hospitality. After a brief audio/visual=20
presentation and an address by one of the Big Kahunas of the company, we wer=
e=20
split into three groups and boarded buses.

My group=92s first stop was a small meeting center in a manufactured garden=20
environment on the water. There we were briefed by a pair of female designe=
rs on=20
the development of the YCC, which stands for Your Concept Car. This was a=20
concept unveiled last year that was entirely designed and engineered by wome=
n,=20
for women. There was a small bit of derision from the male chauvinist pig=20
section of the gallery but most people seemed impressed with its innovative=20=
and=20
chick-friendly features. :>)

Our next stop was the Volvo museum, which was much larger and more=20
comprehensive than the Saab museum had been. Volvos weren=92t imported to t=
he USA until=20
the 50s so most Americans don=92t realize that they had been producing cars=20=
since=20
the 20s, cars which were almost exact copies of American designs of the day,=
=20
looking very much like the full-size Chevrolets, Pontiacs and Fords which=20
trolled our highways back then.

Our next stop was a small, one-lane test track, where about 20-25 current=20
Volvo cars and trucks were parked. Here we were afforded the opportunity to=
=20
test-drive anything we wanted, taking two laps before pulling in and switchi=
ng=20
cars. Although we hadn=92t thought this would be overly interesting, in fac=
t it=20
was surprisingly enjoyable, as we leapt out of an SUV and into a sedan, then=
=20
back into a coupe, and then a wagon, and so on and so forth, and drove them=20=
like=20
rental cars when out of sight of their minders. ABS working? Check. =20
Stability control working? Whoops, not installed on this car, mind the grav=
el trap!

Predictably enough, we were the very last to leave and the others were all=20
patiently waiting on the tour bus as we pulled in, parked and ran to join th=
em.

The event finally drew to a close with a giganto buffet luncheon, where it=20
was announced that the 2006 version of the event would again feature Volvo=20
sponsorship, and would concentrate on Sweden and Norway.

Most people were planning on spending the afternoon enjoying the town, then=20
heading for home in the morning, but George and I had other, more ambitious=20
plans. For the Swedish De Tomaso club had several members who had invited u=
s to=20
pay them a visit in various other parts of the country.

When agreeing to the agenda, I didn=92t take into account that Sweden is an=20
improbably large country, considering that it=92s in Europe. We typically t=
hink of=20
European nations as little dinky things, but Sweden is bigger than Californi=
a=20
(although with only nine million people, has a population smaller than Los=20
Angeles). So when we set off for the Stockholm area, we faced a drive of so=
me=20
325 miles or so.

Initially we were on a motorway, but this soon turned into a strange two-lan=
e=20
road. Strange because it was unusually wide, with a paved hard shoulder. =20
And unlike virtually any other country I=92ve ever seen (and I=92ve seen a b=
unch),=20
the drivers here treat the shoulder as a driving surface. Much of the traff=
ic=20
would drive along straddling the line with two and sometimes all four wheels=
=20
on the shoulder, to enable faster traffic to overtake without actually cross=
ing=20
the center line. Lane-sharing, if you will. It was a very odd sensation to=
=20
pass cars on a two-lane road with oncoming traffic, but everybody seems to=20
cooperate, and indeed oncoming cars would move over to the shoulder to allow=
you=20
enough room to cross the centerline into their lane and effect a pass!

We waited for a =91rabbit=92 to appear, somebody with local knowledge who co=
uld=20
lead us at an elevated pace, and after not too long, we tucked in behind a f=
ast=20
Audi sedan and hustled right along. When he suddenly slowed, we did too, an=
d=20
soon a police car materialized. He led us for a few miles before turning=20
off, at which point the hammer came down and away we went again.

Our destination was actually the city of Uppsala, perhaps 40-50 miles north=20
of Stockholm. When we reached the town, we were met by Tomas Gunnarsson,=20
behind the wheel of his Mercedes since his Pantera is scattered about his wo=
rkshop,=20
as he bravely tackles an overhaul of the fiendishly complicated ZF gearbox.=20=
=20
He led us through the town to the home of Thomas T=F6rnblom, our host for th=
e=20
upcoming weekend, and there we enjoyed a huge feast with his wife and three=20
children.

The next morning, we piled into an Audi wagon, gathered up Tomas and set off=
=20
for a big car show and swap meet. Nothing could have prepared us for what w=
e=20
saw when we got to the big farm about 30 minutes outside of town.

Simply put, Sweden is absolutely CRAWLING with American cars! No lie, the=20
car show probably had 2000-2500 cars, and at least 85% of them were American=
! =20
And there weren=92t many dogs here--these were NICE American cars! Big 50s=20
boats, street rods, pickup trucks, and on and on. We were just knocked out=20=
at the=20
whole scene.

The Mustang Club of Sweden had a nice display (significantly, the Mustang=20
Club of Sweden calls itself just that, not Svenska Mustang Kl=FCbben; in fac=
t every=20
single person we met in Sweden spoke excellent English, making us both feel=20
rather ignorant and lame), as did the Cadillac, Jaguar and several other clu=
bs.

Yngve Pettersson had driven up from Link=F6ping accompanied by his wife Inga=
in=20
their black Pantera; another Pantera was also parked but we never managed to=
=20
link up with the owner. =20

The swap meet was filled with all sorts of car parts, much of them American,=
=20
as well as a bunch of other flotsam and jetsam. One of the most impressive=20
cars in the parking lot was a huge 1931 Cadillac V-16. Very few of these ca=
rs=20
were made and they are enormously valuable, the kind of thing that you norma=
lly=20
only see at Pebble Beach or Amelia Island. Yet this one was street-driven=20
and ENJOYED, and we got to see the owners pile in and drive off late in the=20
afternoon.

There was a short aerial display as three pre-war biplanes circled overhead=20
in formation, and then suddenly and surprisingly just plopped down and lande=
d=20
ial!our trip that much more specat the edge of the parking area!!!

After spending all day at the show, we left and drove a few short miles to a=
=20
local auto museum, which was small but boasted an impressive variety of cars=
=20
and even a few airplanes. From there, we drove to the home of Ulf Larsson,=20
where we enjoyed afternoon coffee and (surprise) talked about Panteras.

Then it was back to Thomas=92 house for another dynamite dinner!

Sunday morning, we again collected Tomas and then set off for Stockholm. Ou=
r=20
first visit was the home of Goran Malmberg, the well-known chassis engineer=20
and custom guitar builder whose e-mail handle HemiPantera refers to the fact=
=20
that his totally re-engineered Pantera is powered by an all-aluminum 8.1 lit=
er=20
Hemi! The motor is absolutely huge, and even with silencing discs in his=20
Supertrapp mufflers, it literally shakes the ground when he starts it up!

The neighbors don=92t like him. :>)

Ulf=92s Pantera was in his shop having new high-dollar shocks and springs=20
fitted; Goran pointed out to us that the car was absolutely riddled with ser=
ious=20
chassis rust! So certainly fitting expensive suspension to this car is a bi=
g=20
waste of money, as the car itself is basically one big oxide undamped spring=
! :<(

>From there, we drove another 40 minutes or so to the home of Kjell Jansson,=20
who owns not only a 1985 Pantera GT5-S, but also a 1990 Pantera Si (one of o=
nly=20
about 29 built) and a =9198 De Tomaso Guara. He and his wife have a beautif=
ul=20
cottage overlooking a lake, and she knocked out another dynamite lunch. Kje=
ll=20
had been with Mats on the trip to visit the De Tomaso factory earlier in the=
=20
week, and so he briefed us on the latest goings-on there. It=92s difficult=20=
to=20
predict just exactly what will happen to the company, but all the employees=20
will be leaving within the next two weeks, since under Italian law, if they=20=
don=92t=20
depart within a year of the announced liquidation, they render themselves=20
ineligible for the (generous) governmental financial support that accompanie=
s a=20
liquidation.

So now the company will have a warehouse full of parts, but nobody will be=20
left who knows where each part can be found???

We then returned to Tomas Gunnarsson=92s workshop and checked out his gearbo=
x. =20
He had all the parts, both old and new, carefully laid out on workbenches,=20
and he explained to us the many variations and intricacies of his less-commo=
n=20
5/DS25-1 transmission when compared to the more common 5/DS25-2 variant.

We left him behind, as this was Swedish Mother=92s Day and he was going to m=
ake=20
an appearance at his mom=92s house, and instead returned to Thomas=92s house=
=20
where we took him and his wife out to dinner at a restaurant downtown.

Strangely, we had been in Sweden for a week and hadn=92t actually had any=20
Swedish food yet??? And so we found ourselves in a Thai restaurant, which w=
as=20
nonetheless excellent!

Following dinner we took a walk through the historic and exceedingly quiet=20
old section of town. While walking alongside a river, we heard an incredibl=
e=20
shriek. A guy in a Ferrari 355 was doing drag-race starts on the road along=
side=20
the canal, using the paddle shift to accelerate from a standing start to=20
perhaps 80 mph before honking on the brakes and coming almost to a stop, the=
n=20
doing it again. The car was fitted with a Tubi exhaust, and although it=92s=
=20
certainly nothing compared to a well-tuned Ford, it still sounded lovely bou=
ncing off=20
the old stone buildings. :>)

The next morning we bid them farewell, and headed back south, this time=20
aiming at the home of Kjell Iseborn, who lives on a farm about 80 km south o=
f=20
Gotenburg. We got there by mid-afternoon, and after a tour of his HUGE work=
shop in=20
an old barn, containing his Pantera GT5-S as well as his Longchamp GTS, like=
=20
Bj=F6rn=92s undergoing restoration and in fact being painted the same color=20=
(=93I=20
was first, and he copied me, the bastard!=94 he said with a big grin) and an=
=20
assortment of De Tomaso-themed murals and flags on the walls, he and his wif=
e took=20
us on a windshield tour of the neighboring town, including a stop at an old=20
hotel that he had remodelled (complete with large swimming pool placed on th=
e=20
sixth floor!) =20

After a walk around the outside of a large 14th century fortress and a stop=20
for ice cream, we returned to the farm for what would prove to be an excelle=
nt=20
traditional Swedish dinner. Unfortunately something had gotten the better o=
f=20
me, some kind of ear infection I think, and I wound up crawling into bed an=
d=20
napping through dinner, so I missed it. :<(

The next morning, we blasted off at 5:30 a.m. to make the 7:30 a.m. ferry=20
from Gotenburg back to Denmark. Traffic was light and we got to the town mu=
ch=20
earlier than anticipated, which was a good thing. While sitting stopped at=20=
a=20
red light, a Volvo police car crossed in front of us, then suddenly the fron=
t=20
bumper almost hit the ground as he slammed on the brakes, stopped dead in th=
e=20
road, then zipped around the block to pull behind us and light us up. :<(

This was the obligatory police stop, similar to one I=92ve had on virtually=20
every other trip to Europe thus far. My car has no front license plate, whi=
ch=20
sends up red flags, and the rear plate is an American plate, which is enough=
to=20
clinch the deal and inspire the light show.

After the requisite display of documents, all was forgiven and we were on ou=
r=20
way. We loaded up on the ferry, and noted a couple of other classic cars=20
getting on as well. They were bound for England to participate in the Three=
=20
Castles tour, an event roughly similar to ours, but lacking any sort of trac=
k=20
driving, being mostly an organized low-speed tour through the countryside.

After three hours we disembarked in Denmark, and then had to drive back to=20
Esberg in order to catch the overnight ferry back to the UK. By now it was=20
absolutely pouring with rain, as a big storm swept in from the North Sea and=
=20
lashed the countryside. With howling winds and driving rain, we elected to=20=
forego=20
the motorways (since we had time to kill) and take the secondary roads=20
instead. Unfortunately they were polluted with big trucks and other slow-mo=
ving=20
traffic, so after a quick map check we pulled onto even smaller tertiary roa=
ds,=20
which were devoid of traffic and thus enabled us to move along at a much fas=
ter=20
clip, albeit not exactly in the direction we might have intended.

This was nevertheless a very enjoyable drive, for we could go quickly in the=
=20
wrong direction, enjoying the scenery even as we got pounded by the rain, an=
d=20
normally not having to deal with other traffic, then emerge at a crossroads,=
=20
consult our map, and make a correction to continue on in a slightly less wro=
ng=20
direction.

We got to Esberg with plenty of time to spare, and not feeling like being=20
particularly adventurous (not to mention spendy, as restaurants in Denmark c=
ost=20
an absolute fortune, a decent lunch costing at least $25), we again opted fo=
r=20
Scottish food in preparation for our sea journey.

We loaded up on the same ferry we had crossed over on, and skipped dinner in=
=20
lieu of an early turn-in, after watching Jeremy Clarkson hosting Top Gear on=
=20
the BBC. After an 11-hour sleep and a monster breakfast, we arrived back at=
=20
Harwich. At this point a funny thing happened--we basically got stuck on th=
e=20
ferry. The ramp was lowered, but the gate meant to keep people from walking=
on=20
the ramp got stuck. It was a simple affair, just a big metal garden gate=20
secured with a one-inch-diameter pin. But the ship was tweaked, and the pin=
was=20
stuck.

Loads of people standing around looking helpless, waiting for =91somebody el=
se=92=20
to fix the problem. The ship=92s workers were powerless to do anything. =20
Finally I got disgusted, walked the full length of the ship back to my car,=20=
reached=20
into my tool bag and got a big hammer, then walked all the way back to the=20
front. People parted as I approached, I nudged one of the ship=92s workers=20=
out of=20
the way, and went WHAM! and busted that pin free with one good whack!

There was a muted round of golf applause from the assembled masses as the=20
gates swung open, and as I walked back to my car triumphantly, I thought to=20
myself, =93THIS is why we were the ones who walked on the moon!=94 :>)

We then disembarked onto a moderately sunny England, and drove back to=20
Geoff=92s house.

We had made it. I forget how many miles we had driven, and I shudder to=20
think of how much money we spent on gas (but unquestionably it was a lot--a=20=
whole=20
lot). The car is absolutely filthy, and will remain so until I return to=20
England to drive it again--after all, what=92s the point of washing it if it=
=92s=20
pouring rain the next time I show up to drive it? We made a bunch of new fr=
iends,=20
got to visit numerous old friends in their homes (previously we had only met=
=20
at club meetings), learned a lot about countries that we knew absolutely=20
nothing about, drove some superlative roads, flogged the car on four differe=
nt race=20
tracks, and generally had an absolutely fantastic time!

I=92d especially like to thank our Swedish friends and hosts for making us f=
eel=20
so welcome and making our trip that much more special!

I didn=92t feel nearly as compelled to document this event with photographs=20=
as=20
I have in previous runnings, but nevertheless I did get off a few happy snap=
s,=20
which can be found here:

http://members.aol.com/mikeldrew/euroclassic2005.jpg

Now I am sitting in an American Airlines Boeing 777, enjoying the hospitalit=
y=20
of Business Class (with a very nominal increase in cost since as an employee=
=20
I only pay the taxes; the ticket itself is basically free), heading back to=20
California.

But not to work--no, of course not! For tomorrow is the first day of the=20
Wine Country Classic, the vintage races at Sears Point raceway. And Lord kn=
ows I=20
haven=92t spent nearly enough time around old cars lately, so you can guess=20
where I=92ll be all weekend!

See you at the races!

Mike