De Tomaso Pantera

[Bret]

Unfortunately the Panteras seem to attract the type that likes to do the Walter Mitty modification program on them -flairs, wings, the whole deal.

I see them at my local Italian car day, usually talking about how fast their car can go. Except that of course aside from leaving regular strips of rubber, none of them ever get anywhere near the performance envelope of the car (nor should they on the street) and the modifications are just for show.

Nothing wrong with Walter Mitty. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

But regarding Pantara owners modifying their cars – As long as most are "period & tastefully" done, I don’t have a problem with it. Wings, flares - it's all good and I can stomach just about anything. So long as they don’t bolt on a set of those stupid 22” pimp mobile wheels or give it a Bass Boat paint job - I'm ok. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

As for modifications just for show? Again - nothing wrong with that either, as long as they're the real deal. In the Porsche 928 world I also reside in - I’ve ran across a lot of guys who’ve done some pretty amazing things to their Sharks. Not uncommon at all, to see all kinds of performance add on’s & upgrades, like Superchargers, suspension & cat-back exhausts. But body mods are quite prevalent as well – flares, wide body kits and even wings. Buy the difference between these types of modifications and those that you see on the bulk of those posers in the Street Tuner crowd with the huge [censored] cans & wheels – the 928 (as I suspect with the Pantera’s) crowd are real and actually work.

 

[GregW]

This Pantera was at the Cars and Coffee several weeks back, though I bet it is a regular there.

 

[bugimike]

One of the most awsomely impressive moments I experienced as a younger lad was arriving at work one day (Interdata/Rowan, Eatontown, N.J.,1967) and being greeted by these cars in the parking lot. One not pictured that was also present was a Ghia styling exercise on an Olds Toronado that was as impressive as the Mangusta! It seems Alejandro De Tomasso was brother-in-law to my boss and needed a place to keep the cars until the NY Auto Show!!