Fordnatics List Archive

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Mail From: Lee=Atkinson%Port=Perf%Port=(email redacted)

>From: "Ronald C. Dillman" <(email redacted)>
>Any and all information on the Panteras would be appreciated.
>Thanks.

Ronald, the Pantera was DeTomaso's 3rd production car (if you count
the 50-off Vallelunga and 401 Mangusta before that as "production". The
Vallelunga was a Ferrari Dino-looking car (5 years before the 206 was
produced) with a Ford Cortina-4 and VW transaxle. The Mangusta was
announced in '66, and the 400 coupes and 1 roadster were made in 69/70.
The 'Goose was ford 302-powered with a ZF tranny, and looks very much like
the Pantera except for gull-wing engine covers).
The Pantera was marketed in the US by Lincoln Mercury from 70-74,
during that time about 6000 were sold. After that, production dropped to
about 50/year and still continues; though the car now looks very different
it still uses a ford V8. The first 20 years of the car were 351-Cleveland
powered, starting off at 330bhp (claimed) and coasting down to 250bhp by
the '74 models. Some claim that Emissions/EPA killed the car, but more
likely it was the nightmare of a Lincoln dealership having to handle the
quality complaints of a handbuilt Italian car.
A few good books;
"DeTomaso Autmobiles" by Wallace Wyss, published by Motorbooks
International. This gives the full history of Alessandro Detomaso
and his attempts at courting Ford. Probably the most complete history.
"Panteras for the Road" by Henry Rasmussen is okay and pictorially
features the cars in original and modified forms.
Brooklands has a collection of magazine reviews of Detomaso's cars,
it is informative but since it just incorporates magazine articles it can
often be wrong or very biased (in that sensational way magazines write).
"Pantera International" is the US club for Detomaso owners, mostly
concentrates (of course) on Panteras. Yearly membership including
an excellent quarterly magazine is $50 (714-848-6674 for Dave or Linda
Adler).
Hall Pantera in Bellflower, California makes a lot of upgrades for
these cars, his prices are reasonable and his involvement has kept the
Pantera marque going 20 years after importing stopped.

The Pantera was known as the "poor mans' Ferrari" but present prices are
very near Ferrari 308 prices. Panteras are fairly crude (okay, like any
Italian car) and have noted problems cooling and holding an alignment. Rust
is also a real problem. The biggest threat to most Pantera's condition is
their owners, who seem terribly pre-occupied with putting flares and wings on
their car trying to make it look like a Lamborghini...
Also, pity the guy who had $20K in '72 but bought a Pantera instead
of a Ferrari Daytona, since the Daytona sells for a lot more than $10k more
than a Pantera now...okay, like a lot of exotics...

The Pantera is truly a beautiful car, even 25 years later it is
stunning. New Mustangs will blow it out of the water in terms of
performance, driveability, and probably handling...but 25 years of
technology make a lot of difference...

- Lee, 70 Mustang cvt. 351c
70 Detomaso Mangusta (brother's car)
79 308 GT4 (nearly running again)

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Mail From: Dan Malek <(email redacted)>


> Date: Wed, 29 Mar 95 13:48:48 CST
> From: Lee=Atkinson <@bangate.compaq.com,@port=hou:Lee=Atkinson@port=perf>
>

> .... New Mustangs will blow it out of the water in terms of
> performance, driveability, and probably handling...

I guess you have never had a ride in a Pantera, or seen one blow
away Ferrari at a race track :-).


-- Dan

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Mail From: (email redacted) (Dave Williams)


-> produced) with a Ford Cortina-4 and VW transaxle. The Mangusta was
-> announced in '66, and the 400 coupes and 1 roadster were made in
-> 69/70.

The prototype Mangusta wore some really nice aluminum heads, strongly
reminescent of later Gurney Eagle heads. The photos I've seen of
production Mangustas showed what appear to be ordinary iron heads.


-> it still uses a ford V8. The first 20 years of the [Pantera] car were
-> 351-Cleveland powered, starting off at 330bhp (claim

DeTomaso used Australian 351Cs through '80. I've seen mention of 5
liter Panteras, but I don't know if they were using the US 302W or the
Australian 302C motor.

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Mail From: "Dan. Jones" <(email redacted)>


Dave,

> The prototype Mangusta wore some really nice aluminum heads, strongly
> reminescent of later Gurney Eagle heads. The photos I've seen of
> production Mangustas showed what appear to be ordinary iron heads.

Has anyone flowed a set of the Gurney heads against the AR, Dart, or
TFS heads? There's a guy here in St. Louis who has a '31 Ford Pick-up
street rod with a Gurney-Weslake engine. I read somewhere that the
Gurney heads were all set to be included in the Muscleparts catalog but
there was some squabble. Anyone remember the details?

> DeTomaso used Australian 351Cs through '80. I've seen mention of 5
> liter Panteras, but I don't know if they were using the US 302W or the
> Australian 302C motor.

The '91 version has the fuel injected 5.0. One article I have indicates
they start with a standard HO 5.0, swap cams and rework the heads, pistons,
and intake (the picture shows a standard upper plenum with weld marks so I
assume it's been cut apart, ported, and welded back togeter). They claim
305 hp. Another article shows they switched to the GT40 intake but still
has the same hp rating.

Dan