In this Shopping with Colin, we take a look at one of the truly great Italo-American exotics.
Penned by American designer Tom Tjaarda and sold in the U.S. between 1971 and 1974, the De Tomaso Pantera aimed to offer Ferrari Daytona performance at less than half the price. The spec sheet was impressive: unibody construction, four-wheel power disc brakes and independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, power windows, and standard air-conditioning. Ford's 351-cubic-inch Cleveland V-8 was mounted midship, mated to a five-speed ZF transaxle with gated shifter. De Tomaso promised 310 hp and a 0–60-mph time in the six-second range.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, a few things. First, De Tomaso was horrible at building a low-production supercar. Second, Lincoln-Mercury dealers were horrible at selling and servicing horribly built, low-production supercars. Rust was a serious issue, owing to the fact that De Tomaso used bare, untreated steel for the unibody, with multiple water traps, no less. Photographs exist of cars outside the factory in Modena, covered in rust, awaiting paint and assembly. Which explains why Panteras literally rust from the inside out. There is no explanation, however, for the horrendous cabin ergonomics, other than its Italian origins.
The Pantera still stirred up its fair share of lust. It was exotic yet unintimidating; a "Power by Ford" badge promised that your uncle could tune it. Attainability outshone the car's flaws, and roughly 5200 examples were sold in the U.S. between 1971 and 1974.
As a kid, I was smitten at first sight. Beginning with a red '71 that cost $10,000 in the early Nineties, I've owned a number of Panteras, including a rare European-spec GTS. The best of the bunch was a low-mileage, two-owner car from Beverly Hills, one of the cleanest Panteras I have ever seen. I loved its simplicity, effortless speed, and of course, that glorious Ford V8. I sold it to a friend in 2000 but always kept an eye out for another.
While Panteras do have some mechanical sins, Ford essentially used customers as beta testers, so most cars were sorted under warranty. The endless stream of service bulletins remains a how-to guide for Pantera maintenance. And what Ford didn't figure out, a network of owners clubs, specialists, and an expansive aftermarket has. It's not uncommon for a Pantera to have wonderful A/C, shift well, and perform as its original spec sheet suggests, all without overheating. Problem is, few owners can resist modifying a Pantera. Finding a clean, stock (or sensibly upgraded) example is like discovering a Detroit street without potholes.
And the 1974 Pantera on these pages? It's that same Beverly Hills car I sold 15 years ago. When my friend, the new owner, approached me about selling, I simply couldn't resist. I wanted one, I knew the car, and I had a plan.
The Plan
Early cars, known as pre-L models, are identifiable by lower ride height and slender, chrome bumpers. The L, or Lusso, version was introduced in late 1972. It had numerous updates to rectify the issues of earlier cars, as well as a redesigned dash. Unfortunately, the Lusso's tippy-toe suspension and heavy, unsightly, rubber-faced bumpers are a major turnoff.
In a perfect world, I'd want an untouched, flawless, push-button-door, pre-L Pantera. But like most people, I'm fond of the Lusso dashboard, and I appreciate the changes made in the final run of Panteras. This car, a late U.S.-spec L, offered me an opportunity to try something interesting: create a Lusso that looks and performs like a pre-L, without the problems. The best of both worlds.
The Project
I started by installing a set of early chrome bumpers, which only necessitated welding a few holes. To lower the car, I removed the one-inch spring spacers De Tomaso used to meet U.S. safety regulations. To simulate the stance of a GTS model (which wore now-unobtainable 15-by-10-inch rear wheels), I added one-inch wheel spacers to the original 15-by-8-inch rears and mounted fat, sticky Avon CR6ZZ competition tires. Headers and tuning woke up the 351 V8, and a larger radiator with aftermarket high-velocity cooling fans ensures the engine runs at about 180 degrees, even on the hottest days.
The result is the supercar Ford should've sold, instead of the wheezy thing found at Lincoln-Mercury dealers in 1974. Although I went overboard on execution, you can do this on short money. New bumpers are less than $2000, and any body shop worth its salt won't charge much more for labor. Armed with Pantera Owners Club of America tech tips, the rest is mostly tuning and elbow grease. Considering nice pre-L cars now fetch six figures and a decent Lusso can be had for less than $75,000, this method represents a great route to Pantera ownership.
Source: www.roadandtrack.com
