This will be the start of a new chapter in my life both out in the garage and on the computer.  I got a new car to play with and this is my first attempt at blogging.  I'm more comfortable out in the garage but we're going to give this a go anyway.

I've liked Panteras since I was barely a teenager, even before I knew what they were or anything about cars really.  I was rummaging through a box of my old stuff a couple of months back and found this:

I got this cup when I was like 12 or 13, and for some reason, I've kept it all these years through some 15 moves, give or take.  I had already been looking for a car for a while when I found this cup.  Just seemed like a sign or something that I was on the right track.

The Search:
I've been looking for the better part of a couple of years to see what was out there but in the last 6 months I was to the point of ready to buy if I found the right car.  I wanted a project, something I could mess around with in the garage but also drive.  The car I was looking for is pretty rare.  Most cars are either already restored and the sellers are asking $50-60,000.  Or the car is a total basket case, 2 years from being on the road, and the seller wants $20-35,000.  I looked for a good while and missed out on 2 or 3 cars because I was just not quick enough.

Then my luck turned about a month back.  A car was posted on the Pantera Forum and I was the first to call.  Tom, the seller, spent about 25 minutes telling me about the car.  I asked him what his price was and a deal was struck then and there.  With a deposit in the mail the next day, Tom was a stand-up guy and held the car for me while I made arrangements to get the rest of the funds together.  I've been contacted by at least one person already that was next in line behind me if I did not buy the car.

The Pick-up:
The car was exactly what I was looking for:  Decent looking body and interior.  No major parts missing.  Needs some mechanical attention to get it back on the road.  The only problem is that the car was in San Francisco and I was in Tennessee.  Most sane people would just get a shipping company but not me.  I borrowed a truck from work and a trailer from a friend and headed out one Thursday early morning for an "adventure".  2300 miles and 2 days later, I had this to show for it:

2300 more miles and 2 1/2 more days later I had the car to her new home.

And now the real adventure begins:  to get 2127 back on the road after more than 5 years of being parked.