My daughter showed me this vid i about died laughing, why because when I was 14 I used to prep the molds to make the bodies for those cars . Started out at 12 cleaning the shop. I always told my kids when they asked me , what is your dream car dad? I’d always say , a pantera! Never owned one but have driven several!
Jean Legault I could of bought one 10 years ago for around 40 grand and yes I'm still kicking myself in the ass for not buying one now il be paying anywhere from 90 to 120 thousand for one fuck!!!!!! Excuse my LANGUAGE
What an excellent car to have chosen to do a video on. Most people, specifically the younger generations dont know about these cars. So thank you for creating content to show of this beautiful machine. After a few modifications that NEED to be done to these cars, they truly are an awesome, great looking, machine to drive. Long live the de tomaso pantera!
The GT40, was designed by John Weir after advice to Ford from Carol Shelby and built by John Weir Racing in Thames Ditton, Great Britain. They were shipped to the US where they fitted the engines, suddenly, its American... Hm...Oh, same for the AC Cobra.. Credit where it's due is hard to come by these days...
The 1963 Lola mk6 was the basis of the GT40. Eric Broadley owned Lola and ford bought the design and hired him to help build it. It can hardly be called an American car when the design and main men behind it were British.
Ha ha ha....what do you think Ford would call it after throwing all those dollars at it. Eric Broadley was the heart and sole of the GT40. The Lola GT was a spark of automotive genius. Now if Ford was smart they would/ should have let Eric and his team lead the development of the car .But alot of times men with lots of money , think it makes them the. Smart One. Well we know how that turns out. They would have had victory years sooner if they kept the "creator" on board.
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No you should not have to tell anyone what this car is unless they are under 30 or have not spent anytime learning the history of classic sports cars and muscle cars. To me and to most diverse car lovers, it instantly recognizable. That said if your focus is on modern european money cars, or the Japanese compacts than you would be clueless.
The Ford dealership in the small Illinois town I lived in had a yellow Pantera. I would see it going thru town , thinking ---- That is one Beautiful automobile. I was 14. Seems like it was about $10,000 back in 1971 , you could buy a Buick Skylark Coupe for about $3,000 I think. Maybe my rich Uncle will leave me some money and I will be able to get one before I die. Very professional video thank you. Ohh, I wasn't comparing the Buick to the Pantera LOL
I understood your comment about the Buick. You were trying to portray how expensive it was relative to a moderately luxurious car of the same time period!
Had a 1972 Pre L for 9 years, many electrical problems, AC sucked, they would rust setting in a garage, but was a good looking car with a good engine. Ford replaced a lot of transaxels because of second gear syncros. When I got mine you could hardly push the clutch in, Ford came out with a linkage kit to fix that, worse problem was over heating, I don't miss it.
Same here. When I tell people what my number one favorite car is, they have no clue what a Pantera is but I've wanted one of these cars since I got my drivers license many years ago. It's a discreet bad ass car.
This is a subject near & dear to my heart as a Pantera owner since 1985. I agree with your view of the cars lack of identity & the truth is it is generated by the owner's themselves. Most of these cars are owned by the older baby boomers which were all hot rodders. The simple fact is it is a Italian exotic not a hot rod yet the first thing these guys do is bling out the engine compartment like its a Mustang or Camero. Ask yourself when you have seen a Ferrari or a Lamborghini all chromed out. Another problem is the bulk of the Pantera crowd is always chasing the trend of the day. Sorry but carbon fiber dash inserts doesn't transform the Pantera into a modern day super car. How about painting it a modern day Lamborghini color like pearl orange, really. It doesn't fit the era of the car and simply looks like you really want a Lamborghini but can't afford it. Ask yourself, would you see a Cobra or GT40 owner do this. And as far as the Pantera specialtist go, well most of them aren't good guys & the list would surprise you. Two people that are exceptional assets are Tony Fabozzi Metalworks, in Norco CA for body & Jon Haas from Pantera Electronics who just happens to be in PA. The Pantera does lend it self to some mods but tasteful would do wonders for the identity & value. Have any of you seen the black Pantera with the GT40 front end grafted on. If you want a GT40 then the Superformance is the only one you want & it probably is less than that ridiculous bastardization & don't get me started on the Ring Brothers monstrosity. It's a exotic that just happens to be powered by a American engine, that's it. As far as the 4:22 ring & pinion that has been mentioned, the best thing you can do for the car is replace it with something like the 3:50. The standard gear is useless & if your staying with the Cleveland, replace the heads with a set of modern aluminum heads like the Trick Flows, you would be shocked at how much better the car is just with those two mods. And don't listen to anyone that tells you about the Australlian or some other factory Ford head, so much advancement in the last 40 plus years. Once sorted these are great cars, just treat it like the true exotic it is and you'll realize you're driving something truly special.
The body design has always reminded me of the GT40. It's like taking the GT40's proportions to a street vehicle. I wonder if the body was inspired by the GT40.
*The Alejandro's grandfather was born in Italy with surname Di Tomasso, after changed in De Tomaso in Argentina. So Alejandro returned to his origin homeland from which his family come from, Italy and built Pantera in his country of origin*
Alejandro always made it clear that he was Argentinian, not Italian, regardless of his family origins. He went as far as placing the Argentinian flag on the car originial wheel caps, as well as on the steering wheel and specially, the logo. Funny how Italians claim an Argentinian as an Italian, only when it benefits their reputation, when and if they can take credit for it and run with it...
The Pantera was the perfect combination of good looks, performance, and a doable price tag. The later models with the fender flares were hideous and should never have been produced. The Pantera has such name recognition that a new model should be introduced to go against a very disappointing C8.
Just want to say that my Pantera has synchros in the forward gears only. Also you need to look for one that has had the radiator and brake upgrades already done. Aside from that the car is fairly bullet proof.....except for Elvis', he shot his.
@@Miguelsgarage He did, and it used to always fail on him so one day he shot the engine. I think if you want to be a youtuber you need to research a bit more, at least if you want to impress car guys.We know our stuff.
Ironic for an Italian car, it was actually designed in Italy, by an American-Tom Tjaarda. Tom Tjaarda was my friend. He grew up in Birmingham, Michigan. His father John was of Dutch ancestry and designed the 1939 Lincoln Zephyr. The Zephyr design, was stollen by Ferdinand Porsche, after John Tjaarda mistakenly allowed Porsche in his studio. Porsche later shortened the look to design the VW bug. Tom went to school at U of M and graduated in architecture. He later moved to Italy, got married and worked for Bertone and Ghia studios. Tom also designed the Fiat 124 and Ferrari 365 California.
2 years old when this model hit the pavement it was head of the times at least by a decade not a lot i wouldn't do to have and keep this car well, it was a street fighter then and still is after all these years this care still stirs me in places that are to vulgar to mention. me this car and Walkins Glen, ideal to say the least. cars like this one, you don't own them they own you. if your not aware of the arrangement you wont have it long. it a commitment its the bargain so goes such a privilege.
@@Miguelsgarage hey Miguel, I’m seeing several different prices for the Panteras. Some from around $30,000 up to $150,000. It’s a little confusing. I’m not a mechanic at all and have just basic knowledge of them. I was born in 74 so it’d be cool to have one the year I was born. Preferably someone who put in the wrench time to make reliable.
I'd take a well sorted Pantera (with the chrome bumpers) over any Lambergainie or Ferrie (forgive my spelling) I'd put the latter dash in it as it looks so much nicer. I sat in one for sale Years ago that was for sale, a Real nice example and he wanted $25000 - 'should have bought it-Damm
No, the car still has a manual. When we were talking about that is has an automatic, that was just me being sarcastic and joking around with the owner. Sorry for the confusion! Thanks for commenting and please subscribe if you haven't! I really appreciate it!
Go here:poca.clubexpress.com/ You should also keep an eye out for sites like Bringatrailer.com. They typically have a few being auctioned off on their site.
There were push button Panteras and the latter square door handle Panteras. There was the L model and Pre-L. Chrome bumperettes and the God Awful EPA mandated black rubber wedge Pantera. My Pantera is a 1972 Pre-L
I got the Same one but in Black some old lady's husband just kicked the bucket and she was selling it for 5500$ I gave her 4500$ is that a good price for this old Car??
Would it be unrealistic to find a good condition Pantera for around 60k or less? They're great cars, but a lot of listings are over 80k. Where's the best place to buy one and get a good deal?
Definitely an awesome car that just like Ferrari and Porsche the common people don't have to worry about because we can't afford it, lol, the awesome sound is do to the short exhaust system, this car much like the 356 Porsche nobody wanted years ago and you could pick them up for a few thousand, now good luck finding one
Already in the beginning rubbish: A GT40 is not mostly made by Americans or made in the US. It was made in England, with a development team around Eric Broadley from Lola and John Wyer from Aston Martin. Just the money and the engine came from Ford...
Sorry, my comment was a bit harsh. But even though the later models got then built in the US, with development and beginning of production in the UK it's surely not a US car. But you are not the only one. For instance Jay Leno calls the Pantera an American car?! And many claim the AC Cobra to be an American car, but it's a british AC Ace (that used to have 6 cylinder engines) tweaked and fitted with Ford engines in the US. You should have better taken the Corvette as an example, especially the C2's are wonderful cars! (Apart from the vague steering with almost no response ;-)
CArol SHelby said himself that the AC Cobra had to be completely redone "bolt by bolt" for the extreme torque of the 289 and 427. same for the GT-40 project. so you can climb down of your high horse now.
SuperChief5 Ford didn’t make the Pantera, the just provided the engine and then sold the cars on their dealerships here in the US. DeTomaso is working on building a new car, the P72. I’ve also heard that Ares is working on buildua Pantera based on a Lamborghini chassis.
Where are you located? This one is actually for sale as well. Otherwise, you can find a few on Bringatrailer.com, searching online and on the Pantera club.
@@Miguelsgarage the Pantera owners club is great, but I gotta pay 50/year to be a member to see the cars for sale section. I guess it isn't much money compared to the Pantera's cost, but still
First Panteras were poorly finished and gave trouble.Thats Why Ford sold its stake and stopped selling them, it was giving them bad image. De Tomaso wasn't prepared to make as many cars as Ford wanted, with a quality level high enough.When they started to hand made them and sell a few hundred a year, they got it right, but by then the car already had a bad reputation.
Seriously? 11 minutes into a 13 minute video i finally learn what to look for when buying one.... frame corrosion (of which all 4 bullet points were regarding corrosion)? At least re-title the video. I learned more about what to look for from Tim Osmonds comments under your video. I can now relate to Ralphie in Christmas Story when he read "be sure to drink your ovaltine"
Yeah right nobody knows,,,, I got two ,,, one with 351 Windsor and the 2nd with a 351 Cleveland...ZF transmission.....one is a collector item, let me know which one.....
The guy Said it was Allentown, Pa . Allentown does NOT have a Steel Industry. He's riding around the old Bethlehem Steel plant so give credit where credit is due. IT's BETHLEHEM Pennsylvania.
You are 100% correct! My apologies. The owner lives in Allentown PA, so when I said "I borrowed the car from a friend here is Allentown PA", I was thinking of where the owner lives. My mistake! That was a good catch and I'm glad you pointed that out!
Allen Inks we were shooting from 9am to 1:30pm. We have a lot of unused footage. We drove the car in different places. Is hard to cramp everything into a few minutes and keep people engaged.
I lost any trust I would have had for him after seeing him put on sunglasses after already speaking for a minute as if he now had something _cool_ to say.
Alejandro DeTomaso was Argentinian. You could have at least mentioned that...as well as many other extremely important details about how he brought this car into existance. Shitty omissions.
I was going to watch this until I got to the point where you claimed the GT40 was American. At this point it became clear that you don't know what you're talking about
There are definitely things to look for! I hope I covered some of the biggest ones. What else can you share with us? Thanks for your comment and for watching. Please subscribe if you haven't. I really appreciate it!
@@Miguelsgarage Over it, on top of it, under it, orthoscope it, look everywhere. There are many many areas in these cars where rust can hide. And if you find any rust at all, expect it to be 10-20x worse than what you would think. These car bodies were assembled and then set out in the yard in Italy in the elements, sometimes for weeks+ at a time while still bare metal. So, if you got the last body in the run, no rain, before they primed the bodies and started assembly, then you might have a solid body. If you got one that sat out in the rain for 3 weeks or more, and then brought into the shop to start work, you got a rust bucket. If you buy one used that was in the yard for weeks, and then driven up north in the winter, you will most likely have a super rust bucket. Some cars came to the USA already rusted out in the rear suspension area. It was bad enough that Ford came up with a factory patch kit. Combine that with sandwiched unibody body panels and weak fender liners and you have hidden rust. The short list of my body work was, floor pans (fabricated and dropped), floor pan sub rails (fabricated), middle and outer rocker panels both sides, bottom of door corners (the doors were actually pretty good), headlight buckets (tops mostly, hammer formed), engine compartment both sides of the sheet metal inside the engine bay (strangely enough the suspension rails on the tire side were okay. Had to cut off the entire lower front end that had been brazed on improperly after a previous accident (not me). About a million spot-weld drills and rosebud welds later I finally completed the body patch work. Then all the other mech work, paint, leather interior, better seats, burlwood inlay dash, custom AC that actually worked, etc. etc. These cars were a shame really, because if they had only galvanize dipped the bodies there would have been no huge problems. I saw a Pantera down here in South Florida that had been sitting out in the weather for years, and it was so far gone that the only thing left that was salvageable was part of the roof, transaxle, and engine, maybe. I would buy another one, but if I do it will be a mid-80s factory GT5, although they are insanely expensive now. Also the shame is after doing all that work, I had also built a wide body twin turbo Porsche 928 with a GTS body kit on it, and that car was so nice, extremely fast, super comfortable to drive, that I really didnt want to drive my Pantera much. Panteras are very fast, but very rough riding cars. Sold mine in 2009. I drive a Honda Accord now - LOL.
@@troyammons9994 Agreed on the rust. Not why they didn't take any rust preventative measures. Thanks for sharing those details! And to end the story going from a Pantera to a Honda Accord!!! WOW :)
My business was next door to Hall Panteras in Paramount, Ca. He restored and modified dozens and dozens of Panteras. There are a lot of structural issues with a stock car, and we made bracing kits that helped strengthen the body. Floor pan rust was a real problem, and he replaced pretty much every stock model they worked on with beefed up sheet metal. You can upgrade everything on these dream cars and the only limit is your pocketbook. I got to drive most of the cars and they are scarey fast. My only complaint was the location of the foot pedals. I could have bought one from them back in the 80s, on the cheap but he who hesitates is lost.......I lost darn it🤦🏼♂️
I'm german and my english skills are not really the best, but if I've understood it right, that guy in that video has said more times the car has a power-steering. Seriously? Sure?
Sorry, that was a mistake. There is no power steering on this car. Thanks for your comment and for watching. Please subscribe if you haven't. I really appreciate it!
