linderpat

Here are some shots from a fun run....

FBIII

I had one 30 years ago and tried to use it as a daily driver. What a mistake. Ujoints fail, rear axle bearings fail, wiper motor failed 3 times. They rust big time, and the before mentioned cooling issues. I almost felt as though I was dealing with a kit car. The windshield wiper issue was one of incredibly poor application. The Pantera with its huge windsield and wipers used the same windshield wiper motor as a MGB. On the plus side was the look and the wonderful noises.

polecat702

In thier day, the Pantera was untouchable. And in stock form thet're still damn fast. IMHO, the Pantera is the most "BADASS" car ever built. Like a 928 the owners of the Pantera, have fixed and improved the car. The overheating issues were fixed in the beginning. Many Pantera's have power steering, improved A/C, and all the ZF transaxel needeed was to have the ring gear safety wired. Spicer half shafts have been available for over 25 years.
Pantera's have rust issues. Mine was stripped to the bone 25 years ago and zink'd, before painting, plus all the drains were reworked. Mine never sees rain, and it gets blow dried when it's washed.
A well sorted Pantera sells in the $50,000.00 range and goes up from there. I think the one that Willhoit has is in very good shape. And would only need a few upgrades to be reliable.
A Pantera will never ride like a 928. And neither car can be comparied to the other. The Pantera has a sound like no other car in the world. They'll set off car alarms when they pass by, and vibrate the ground.

danglerb

SoCal used to be a hot spot for Pantera's, one of my neighbors was the president of one of the owners clubs and had 200k+ mile daily driver. They are the yin to a 928 yang, cramped, not at all for the tall, bare and hard riding, noisy, not German build, but raw and fast.

Part of the appeal, in Calif anyway is that they are pre 1975, smog exempt.

Wow, how I wanted one back in 1974, then ten years later looked at a few with intent to buy and just did not fit at all.

Kaz

That car is at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and does indeed have that bullet hole.

polecat702

The Pantera that Elvis owned wasn't driven and Elvis shot the car because it had a dead battery. When Sonny West replaced the battery the car started right up. Elvis did a lot of crazy **** during his life. It wasn't the Pantera's fault it had a dead battery.

garth66

There are no composite bonding issues with a Pantera. Rust is a concern, but then again it's a concern with ANY Porsche, Ferrari, Mustang, Camaro, etc from the early 70's. Know what to look for and you'll find a solid car. As Polecat and others have pointed out, ALL the problems have been solved.

I think the Pantera is a joy to drive. I've put almost 7,000 miles per year on mine since I've owned it. It's not as plush or supple as a 928, but it does deliver a much better ride than you'd expect. Handling is quick and light with go-kart-like reflexes, although steering is quite heavy at parking lot speeds. Power is impressive, even in stock trim. And, the car is reliable!

I don't own a 928, although I've driven a few - was looking for one for a while, and a good friend at work has one that he's let me drive. Comparing the 928 with a Pantera is difficult. They're different animals, and each does it's job well. I would love to own both. Maybe someday!

Check out my website to learn more about Panteras:
http://www.banzairunnerpantera.com

Here are a few links I'm sure you will enjoy...

Killer Bee video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...illow+Springs#

March 1981 Popular Mechanics - Great article on page 112 which covers the 928 and the Pantera. I think you’ll enjoy it. I did!
http://books.google.com/books?id=tdg...page&q&f=false

DeTomaso Pantera in Spa-Francorchamps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-GiX7DxBBs

DeWolf

Friend had one in black. A GT5. Unfrigginreal!! Had 500HP and the thing was an animal. Very scary, very quickly. Almost identical to this , only in RHD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZq1F...eature=related

Tony

THAT is

turbobooost

I bought my first Pantera new in 1973..It was a left over 72 of which I still have the original window sticker that was $10,128.00 with out a radio !!! When I saw my first one it was UNREAL to say the least...Racing,Itilian design with a good ole Ford power plant..If it broke,take it to Friendly Ford !! Great idea , but it over heated so bad I was afraid to tke it out of town..LOL.. Sold it after 3,500 miles for only $5,500.00 !! Now they are bringing $50k and up for real nice ones..My Blue 74 L ,one owner is a great buy at $33,900.00 but after owning perhaps 15 of them,I must say they CAN'T be compared to the 928 in any form or fashion..Both have their place in history,BUT the 928 is a "REAL CAR" !!!

G Man

I have dreamed of owining a Pantera for a long time. To me they are the ultimate ride. Unfortunately I don't think I will ever be able to drive one due to the fact that I am unable to operate a clutch due to medical issues. As far as I know there was never an auto trans version produced. Bummer.

polecat702

Jim there is an automatic Pantera. One of our POCA members had one modified years ago, and it was for sale last year. I don't know if he ever sold it. And I believe it's here in Nevada. IIRC, it was in Reno, or Sparks.
I'll check around, Joe

blown 87

Putting a auto in a Pantera is kind of like putting a mini dress on a fat ugly chick, you got to ask why?

polecat702

Greg, I agree. But some of the guys are talking about putting paddle shifters in Pantera's, mine has the new RBT 6 speed, and it can be set up for paddle shifting. $20,000.00 was streaching it for me with the new transaxel. I'm still paying it off.

BC

What suspension design does it have?