RE: De Tomaso Pantera: Spotted
Discussion
rastapasta said:
The car looks fantastic fair play to you.
Is that your barn restoration in the background??
You are very kind, thank you.Is that your barn restoration in the background??
Alas not, our host's. In the process of conversion (sympathetically) into an event venue, in the Dordogne. Just out of sight is the rest of the motley crew who made the trip, mostly GTPork, a TVR, and an E and F Type. Epic trip.
steveirl said:
I don't recognise that car and I know most of them. Was that photo taken when touring the Dordogne with the De Tomaso group in 2016 by any chance?
Hi Steve, I remember your car well, a lovely car. My car was owned by the previous owner for about 25 years. He was not a club member, and the car was little used, part of a collection of Maserati in Hertfordshire. It was a white and black GTS from factory, then painted red. The previous owner undertook the GT5 conversion with what I understand to be factory parts, in period, at which point the colour scheme went to blue over cream.
It's been on the scene since I bought it in 2011 with invitations to Brooklands, Goodwood, Wilton, Hurlingham, City Concours and I drive it all the time, all through the year. Next outing probably here in West Sussex.
Alas not on a DTOC trip to France. Boys road trip in August to watch the racing in Angouleme. Staying at a mates house out there.
tch911 said:
Hi Steve, I remember your car well, a lovely car. My car was owned by the previous owner for about 25 years. He was not a club member, and the car was little used, part of a collection of Maserati in Hertfordshire.
It was a white and black GTS from factory, then painted red. The previous owner undertook the GT5 conversion with what I understand to be factory parts, in period, at which point the colour scheme went to blue over cream.
It's been on the scene since I bought it in 2011 with invitations to Brooklands, Goodwood, Wilton, Hurlingham, City Concours and I drive it all the time, all through the year. Next outing probably here in West Sussex.
Alas not on a DTOC trip to France. Boys road trip in August to watch the racing in Angouleme. Staying at a mates house out there.
Looks like a Porsche colour...Iris Blue ?? looks beautiful. It was a white and black GTS from factory, then painted red. The previous owner undertook the GT5 conversion with what I understand to be factory parts, in period, at which point the colour scheme went to blue over cream.
It's been on the scene since I bought it in 2011 with invitations to Brooklands, Goodwood, Wilton, Hurlingham, City Concours and I drive it all the time, all through the year. Next outing probably here in West Sussex.
Alas not on a DTOC trip to France. Boys road trip in August to watch the racing in Angouleme. Staying at a mates house out there.
I have recently bought this one, back in a Pantera again;)
pantera front by stephen burke jnr, on Flickr
pantera motor by stephen burke jnr, on Flickr
pantera rear by stephen burke jnr, on Flickr
Edited by steveirl on Tuesday 16th January 23:17
The author is absolutely right about the "divine styling" of the early Panteras! They have a timeless shape that looks as sexy today as it did when first introduced. But as an owner, I can say the author of the original article has very little experience, if any, behind the wheel of a Pantera. There is nothing temperamental about the car, and it's not difficult to drive at all, but there is a learning curve!
The Pantera is fast, reliable, and easy to drive (assuming you're experienced with something other than a lumbering sedan overloaded with nanny-aids to make up for a lack of driving ability). Steering is heavy in a parking lot, but once moving at any speed the car handles like a go-kart! It's very stable, handling is crisp and responsive, and it's fast! There are some things to get used to as this is a mid-engine car with different handling characteristics than a front-engine car. If the rear-end comes loose in a turn, you must keep your foot in it to keep the rear planted; similar to driving a Porsche 911. If you let off the gas when the rear end comes loose, you will unload the rear suspension and the car will immediately switch ends before you know what's happened.
Almost every article I've read mentions the "awkward driving position" but frankly it's almost unnoticeable. What's more noticeable is the limited space between the gas and brake pedals in the foot well. But the position is not awkward at all. The car is very comfortable on a road trip. There is a lack of fresh air ventilation from the vents, but then again, I usually use the 're-circulation' setting on my daily driver anyway. A turn of the switch turns on the AC, and if I want fresh air, I just lower one or both of the windows a 1/2".
Visibility is definitely compromised in the rear to the sides due to the lovely sail panels on the rear deck lid. But frankly, it's not that big of an issue - it's just part of the learning curve. First, you adjust your side view mirrors correctly, which means you angle them to show you whether a vehicle is beside you in your blind spots; the side mirrors are not rear-view mirrors and should not show you what's immediately behind you! Second, you accelerate into an opening in the adjacent lane when making a lane change. These 2 points alone easily overcome any poor visibility shortcomings. Now, have you ever driven a Countach or tried backing one up?! Talk about limited visibility!!!
And one thing the Pantera has that no other super car has... Ample luggage space! There's a tiny front trunk and a cavernous 9 cu.ft. rear trunk! There's enough room in there for a set of golf clubs (or 2, if packed carefully), or all of my wife's luggage for a long holiday weekend. This alone makes the car "practical," if it's possible to apply that word to an exotic car. When I bought mine 15 years ago, I found it was such an easy to live with and great driving car that I drove it every day the sun was shining for the first 4 or 5 years I owned it.
The ownership experience is wonderful. There's impressive power available on-demand at any RPM from the torquey 351C V8, the exhaust note from the 8-cylinder Cleveland Symphony is pure music, the car is very reliable, and nothing on the car is made of unobtanium. It's easy to service, there's excellent vendor support and parts are readily available - virtually every part is still available!
The author is spot on about one thing, "those that have driven Panteras certainly seem to like them!" One thing that struck me when I met Pantera Club members while shopping for my Pantera was just how much the owners love their cars. Most seem to hold onto their cars for decades!!! The owners are a great worldwide community of folks always willing to help out fellow enthusiasts!
My car is a 1972 pre-L and I'm the 3rd owner. It was featured in the 1987 movie "Banzai Runner," starring Dean Stockwell, and is mostly original. It still wears its original paint, although it shows the patina of over 100,000 miles of driving pleasure, and won "Best in Class" at the Ironstone Concours in 2016.
The Pantera is fast, reliable, and easy to drive (assuming you're experienced with something other than a lumbering sedan overloaded with nanny-aids to make up for a lack of driving ability). Steering is heavy in a parking lot, but once moving at any speed the car handles like a go-kart! It's very stable, handling is crisp and responsive, and it's fast! There are some things to get used to as this is a mid-engine car with different handling characteristics than a front-engine car. If the rear-end comes loose in a turn, you must keep your foot in it to keep the rear planted; similar to driving a Porsche 911. If you let off the gas when the rear end comes loose, you will unload the rear suspension and the car will immediately switch ends before you know what's happened.
Almost every article I've read mentions the "awkward driving position" but frankly it's almost unnoticeable. What's more noticeable is the limited space between the gas and brake pedals in the foot well. But the position is not awkward at all. The car is very comfortable on a road trip. There is a lack of fresh air ventilation from the vents, but then again, I usually use the 're-circulation' setting on my daily driver anyway. A turn of the switch turns on the AC, and if I want fresh air, I just lower one or both of the windows a 1/2".
Visibility is definitely compromised in the rear to the sides due to the lovely sail panels on the rear deck lid. But frankly, it's not that big of an issue - it's just part of the learning curve. First, you adjust your side view mirrors correctly, which means you angle them to show you whether a vehicle is beside you in your blind spots; the side mirrors are not rear-view mirrors and should not show you what's immediately behind you! Second, you accelerate into an opening in the adjacent lane when making a lane change. These 2 points alone easily overcome any poor visibility shortcomings. Now, have you ever driven a Countach or tried backing one up?! Talk about limited visibility!!!
And one thing the Pantera has that no other super car has... Ample luggage space! There's a tiny front trunk and a cavernous 9 cu.ft. rear trunk! There's enough room in there for a set of golf clubs (or 2, if packed carefully), or all of my wife's luggage for a long holiday weekend. This alone makes the car "practical," if it's possible to apply that word to an exotic car. When I bought mine 15 years ago, I found it was such an easy to live with and great driving car that I drove it every day the sun was shining for the first 4 or 5 years I owned it.
The ownership experience is wonderful. There's impressive power available on-demand at any RPM from the torquey 351C V8, the exhaust note from the 8-cylinder Cleveland Symphony is pure music, the car is very reliable, and nothing on the car is made of unobtanium. It's easy to service, there's excellent vendor support and parts are readily available - virtually every part is still available!
The author is spot on about one thing, "those that have driven Panteras certainly seem to like them!" One thing that struck me when I met Pantera Club members while shopping for my Pantera was just how much the owners love their cars. Most seem to hold onto their cars for decades!!! The owners are a great worldwide community of folks always willing to help out fellow enthusiasts!
My car is a 1972 pre-L and I'm the 3rd owner. It was featured in the 1987 movie "Banzai Runner," starring Dean Stockwell, and is mostly original. It still wears its original paint, although it shows the patina of over 100,000 miles of driving pleasure, and won "Best in Class" at the Ironstone Concours in 2016.
Edited by garth66 on Monday 22 January 19:52
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