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Any southern California forum members that are not attending the Jaguar drive and meet in Santa Barbara this weekend going to the French/Italian Car Show at Woodley Park in Van Nuys? I will be there with my Italian made De Tomaso Pantera as I am picking it up finally tomorrow at noon. It's a great show with a lot of very interesting cars and very well attended, and it's free admission. I would love to meet up with some forum members and maybe grab a late lunch and/or a beer afterwards. After four long years, it is finally coming home although there are still a few little things I need to have done.to make it what I want.
Hopefully, I'll see some of you out there this Sunday on a beautiful, warm so Cal day., You'll find me standing next to the beast below.
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She's home!!! My other big cat has been reunited with me in the last hour. There are still a few little gremlins to be addressed next week, but she's mine again to drive around. And she is stunning!!! And so loud that I've got to go buy some ear plugs. NASTY! Below are some photos of the re-unification "ceremony." And Sunday she goes to the French/Italian Car Show. Can't wait. My first look at her clean in 4 years. Try not to stare! What a rear end! All new leather diamond quilted interior and leather dash.
Looks good and glad you got it back. 4 years seems like a long time. At first I thought the rear bumper was missing until I recognized the boxer paint scheme. From the back it looks like there is no bumper. But you're the one who likes it so that's all that counts. Good luck and good driving.
jagtoes,
You're quite observant. The rear bumper was "shaved" when I bought the car about 15 years ago. And the car was painted in the Pantera GTS scheme with a black front hood and rear deck. But I didn't like it that way, and I'd always admired the Ferrari 512bbi paint scheme with a black lower "beltline" and the upper red, so I did mine that way many years ago when I first brought it home. When we repainted it at the beginning of this restoration, I redid it the same way, and I still like it. It's not as if the 1971-1972 Pantera little mini bumperettes provided any protection. With the late 1972-1974 L models, the Pantera got the big black front bumper and larger one piece rear bumper to meet 1973 Federal 5 mph regulations. There are plenty of aftermarket bumper recreations available, but I liked the clean look of the bumperless rear. Thanks for noticing.
shes absolute Beautiful!!!!
Very Very nicely done Ted
I’m just glad to read you finally got your Pantera back!!! shame I didn’t get to see it in person while out there but Holy crap!!! Final product looks great!
Drive it in good health Ted
best
dave
Originally Posted by tberg
She's home!!! My other big cat has been reunited with me in the last hour. There are still a few little gremlins to be addressed next week, but she's mine again to drive around. And she is stunning!!! And so loud that I've got to go buy some ear plugs. NASTY! Below are some photos of the re-unification "ceremony." And Sunday she goes to the French/Italian Car Show. Can't wait. My first look at her clean in 4 years. Try not to stare! What a rear end! All new leather diamond quilted interior and leather dash.
She's certainly no XKR in terms pf driveability. In fact, it was that I was so spoiled by my XKR's comfort, ride, and performance that I wasn't driving the Pantera. The Jag did everyrthing so well, effortlessly, while just starting the Pantera was a pain in the ***. But the Pantera will have its own rewards.
Cee Jay,
There was no lack of horsepower even with the original engines in the 1971-1972 models. Although rated at the factory at between 310-330hp, they were actually putting out over 380hp and driving a 3100lb. car. My new engine is putting out over 500hp and 550ft./lbs. of torque, and I'm going to have to drive it a while to build up the nerve to test its limits right now, especially since I drive it without shoes on since my size 14's essentially cover all three pedals at once. After the show this Sunday, it will go in for a couple of days to finish a few things and to either calibrate or give me a new temperature gauge that more accurately displays the real temp of the engine. It goes straight to overheating on the gauge within a couple of miles of driving, however the digital gauge inside of the engine bay shows much more normal driving temps. But it's quite unnerving see the gauge in overheating territory while you're driving. When everything is completely sorted, I want to take it for a day to Buttonwillow Raceway just to safely test some of its limits. It should be wild. I also still need to get new tires as the rears on this car are old and showing sidewall mini cracks. But for driving the 7 minutes from my house to the French/Italian Car show, they'll do just fine. I'm trying to get my son to do an audio clip of the engine running, it is the loudest street car I have ever heard!
Cee Jay,
There was no lack of horsepower even with the original engines in the 1971-1972 models. Although rated at the factory at between 310-330hp, they were actually putting out over 380hp and driving a 3100lb. car. My new engine is putting out over 500hp and 550ft./lbs. of torque, .............
Oh, I more than believe that. My P/S Mustang has a 460-based engine at 9.2 liters, and has just about 1000 HP and very near that for torque. Big Blocks are beasts. Now IF I decide to add nitrous, bump that up to 1500 HP. Not sure if I'd even WANT that. The thing is frightening to drive as it is. Course, it's geared for the 1/4 mile so Top Speed is about 180 MPH at redline of 7400 RPM.
A light car like a Pantera?????? Daaannnnnngggg......
mosesbotbol,
It's funny you should mention that, but I have been buying parts from the owner of a since closed Lincoln/Mercury dealership, Mayberry Lincoln/Mercury. Mike Mayberry devotes his time now, to fully restoring Panteras out of his garage where he is just finishing up two of them right now. Obviously, no Mercury dealerships any longer and the Lincoln Dealership in our area is part of the Galpin Ford motor group (also Jaguar/Aston Martin, Lotus, VW, Mazda, Honda, etc.) The Galpin Group has a huge car show which was just a couple of weeks ago that I was supposed to take the car to, but wasn't ready. (I took my XKR instead).
There was a very nice turnout of cars and spectators at the Best of France and Italy Car Show at Woodley Park in Van Nuys, today. My Pantera made its maiden voyage since coming home Thursday afternoon, and it was joined by seven or eight more Panteras as well as dozens of Ferraris, Lambos, Alfas, Fiats, Citroens, Peugeots, Lancias, and various others. Beautifual 90F day in the San Fernando Valley. Below are some pictures including Jay Leno's monstrous Fiat. Me in front of my Pantera The Pantera contingency Jay Leno pulling in with his crazy cigar shaped Fiat Jay Leno's Fiat Spectacular 1965 Lamborghini 350GT Alfa Land Feerrari Land Vintage Racing Ferrari
French/Italian Car Show at Woodley Park
