De Tomaso Pantera

[ncbugeye]

I saw a De Tomaso Pantera on the road today, the first one I have seen for many years. It was tooling along at about 55mph in the right-hand lane of I-40 between Durham and Raleigh, NC. It took me a while to work out what it was. I vaguely remember it being from the 1970s. Has anyone any details on this car, like how many were made, and where?

 

[AngliaGT]

They were made in Italy,using a Ford 351 engine.
They were sold for $10,000 thru Lincoln-Mercury dealers.
A friend of mine had one - was less impressed the more I
saw it.I still like them anyway.
I was amazed to see that they used Lucas switches in
them.

- Doug

 

[Bret]

I’ve always been a huge fan of the Pantara.

Nothing like exotic Italian styling coupled with an engine that just about anyone with opposable thumbs can work on and can go to any part store in America to buy stuff for.

 

[swift6]

They were made in Italy,using a Ford 351 engine.
- Doug

Interestingly, the Ford 351 they used for the Pantera was from Australia. Not the 351C or 351W we are used to here. Parts are still easy to get though. The differences are not that big.

 

[Tullamore]

I see panteras often, they were made for like 30 years so there are quite a few of them around. Someone in our club has a Mangusta too!

 

[PC]

Awesome cars.

For the longest time they were the biggest performance bang for the buck of any exotic, or anything else for that matter.

You could argue they still are even though many sell for five times their original price or more. You can easily pay two or three times as much for a car that isn’t as fast and doesn’t look as good.


PC.

 

[vagt6]

The Pantera was a cool and fun car to drive.

I drove one from Roanoke to Summit Point and back once (about 250 miles+-), very interesting. The engine, located about 12 inches behind the driver's head, was so loud that I had to wear ear plugs for the entire trip. Loud as heck.

The 351 powered the Pantera well, and it handled nicely, if not a bit stiff on bad roads. Not a touring sedan, but then it was not designed to be. It was not that fast, relative to other cars in the same class. But for the average Joe, it was more than enough.

Prices have escalated on Panteras recently, interesting to see where that goes.

Fun car to drive, but maybe not to restore . . .

 

[MGA Steve]

We have a number of them around here and 1 or 2 normally show up for Friday and Saturday night cruises. Also saw a guy bring a Ferrari to a car show last year and park next to 4 or 5 Panteras. The Pantera owners gave him such a hard time about how much he paid for an Italian car slower than theirs that he left the show early!

One of my son's co-workers has one and is the local Pantera Club Webmaster. Like my son, his daily driver is a Subaru WRX STi--guess they have a "need for speed" even when just driving to the office.

 

[tiga2]

...I had one for 15 years, it was great, wish I still had it. Got a "barn find" and restored it.

 

[DART]

Nice restoration. I like the effect of the lower body black.

 

[Bruce Bowker]

Many owners have a tendency to go all out with the engine compartment - even as far as gold plating Webers. Pantera owners can be in a car world of their own.

Bruce

 

[tiga2]

LOL ! Know what you mean, there are a lot of the "gold chain" crowd that really mess those cars up!!

 

[tiga2]

Thanks...This is how it looked the day I picked it up!

 

[Bruce Bowker]

Also saw a guy bring a Ferrari to a car show last year and park next to 4 or 5 Panteras. The Pantera owners gave him such a hard time about how much he paid for an Italian car slower than theirs that he left the show early!

Too bad he did not think to say, "Gee lets see, 5 of your 'common car' and only one of mine".

Part of price is uniqueness.

Bruce

 

[SteveL]

LOL ! Know what you mean, there are a lot of the "gold chain" crowd that really mess those cars up!!

This guy didn't, He added more power...

That's me behind it in the second pic...

SteveL

 

[DrEntropy]

GAD! Twin hair dryers! An' enuff AeroQuip to plumb my hovel!

It's nice, BTW. I'm just jealous. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

 

[14dna]

For those of you who are familiar with Canada, our coffee shop chain is Tim Horton's and the man behind the name died at huge speed in one of these at St. Catherines Ont.
Dave

 

[tiga2]

Yikes!!, These things get a little light in the front end at "normal" speeds, that would be pretty scarry, and no front spoiler either!!

 

[billspohn]

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. In Vancouver, it seems that the majority of the owners are Chinese - the guys that don't own Tigers I guess.

I delight in going up to their cars and saying to a friend standing with me "You can hardly see the original Fiero frame - they did this one really nicely...."

The only time I've ever come up on them on the road I actually buzzed it up to maybe 120 mph from 80 mph and did it more quickly than they did (you know, they pull along side, go rumble rumble and punch it, and in a weak moment I gave in to temptation). I was in the old Jensen, heavier than they are but with a more powerful big block Chrysler (and gearing has a lot to do with it). I guess at least they won't do their "rumble rumble" routine again on cars they don't know about - I probably hurt their feelings when I laughed at them as I slowed down. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif

I was just lucky the guy that did this wasn't driving a non-stock Pantera - some of them are packing a lot of power.

 

[swift6]

We have a number of them around here and 1 or 2 normally show up for Friday and Saturday night cruises.

Have spent some time on the track with some of the local Panteras. I'm leading this one in the photo. Stayed in front for about half a lap even. At least until the back straight. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif Not bad for the 104hp version of my TR6.