Ready For Finishing: 1974 De Tomaso Pantera
This project-grade De Tomaso Pantera may be the same car we featured in June of last year, as the chances of two primered Panteras running around the Northeast seems unlikely. The years actually don’t match up, as the car Barn Finds editor Jamie Palmer wrote up was a ’72 in Canada and this is a ’74 model on Long Island. Regardless, this most recent project Pantera has emerged from 30 years of storage and is listed here on eBay with bids to just over $14K and no reserve.
The difference in years and location make it less likely that these are indeed the same cars, but they’re certainly in the same sort of condition. I find cars in this primered state somewhat unattractive, as my mind quickly wanders to thoughts of which parts were lost when the tear-down began. The seller claims, however, that all the parts required for re-assembly were removed and stored in boxes when the Pantera went into storage 30 years ago.
The interior is bare but shows what looks like new floor pans and plenty of work completed to make this a rust-free project when the next owner picks it up. Of course, the cabin will need full re-assembly including carpeting, consoles, door panels, pedal assembly, gearbox, and more, but there’s likely more than a few Pantera enthusiasts out there planning on getting a good price on a project and doing the work themselves.
Thankfully, the original wheels are included and it won’t be rolling on those ugly steel shop wheels forever. The seller notes the motor and transmission are matching to the car, and that it was originally white with a black interior. While the engine may be ready for final assembly, the seller notes he is still missing a fair number of components, including the rear glass window and bucket seats. Those won’t be impossible to find, but they won’t be cheap, either.
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Comments
Call Gas Monkey they have retromod a couple of them
I have always wondered how you can source floor pans for cars like this…I am guessing you either have to have them made, or cut them out of a donor car? I doubt you can call someone and they are sitting on a shelf…
Floor pans are indeed “sitting on a shelf” and are available from several different Pantera Vendors.
Most people aren’t aware, but parts availability for the Pantera is absolutely no problem. Not only can you still pretty much get 100% of the original parts, there is another 20% availability in aftermarket and upgrades.
The DeTomaso Pantera had one of the longest production runs of any Supercar in history. Although they were only imported to the U.S. by Ford from 1971-1974, they were built and sold in Europe and abroad from 1971-1992, some 21 years.
It’s actually easier in many ways to get Pantera parts than to get parts for a 65-70 mustang. Heck, you can still buy a brand spanking new 5-speed ZF transaxle for them!
That’s not to say that parts are cheap, but they are readily available.
You are so wrong!,the sheet metal is very EXPENSIVE FOR A PANTERA,a front fender is in the area of $4000.00 the rear Tail light panel just where the tail lights get bolted in is roughly $3000.00 the Gas tank if you go stainless is close to $1500.00 So no a Pantera is way more expensiveyou can buy a Dynacore Mustang Shell for $18000.00,I own both a mustang and a Pantera and the Stang is WAAAY EASIER
How’s he wrong? The man said they aren’t cheap, but they are available. All you did was reinforce his point.
james VanSicklin,
So, when exactly did I ever say that Pantera sheet metal is “cheap”?
I said, quote:
“That’s NOT to say that parts are cheap, but they are readily available.”
Pantera parts can definitely be pricey, especially body panels and the Transaxle. The point is that they ARE available.
BTW, I’ve owned my Pantera for 33 years now. ;-)
I’m currently Mustang-less, however I have owned and completely restored 8 of them with my favorites being between my 1968 GT Fastback and My 1970 Mach I. Third place would probably go to my 1973 Mach I.
Here is my 1973 Pantera; it has 16,000 original miles and is about 95% factory original down to the 46 year old factory paint that still shines up pretty good. :-)
The engine & transaxle have never been out of the car. Only changes from original are the intake, carb, aircleaner, & valvecovers. I can change it back to 100% stock in an afternoon if I ever want to.
The exhaust from the factory manifolds to the mufflers is all original and in amazing condition.
Just google car and floor pans and it comes up with several.
Looks like a kit car with those steelies
They are just rollers
When these came out, they were the fantasy of every red blooded American. I never thought I’d ever see one like this,,,
List price at the dealer in 1974, was $10,000.
And I remember the yellow one advertised on the back of Playboy magazine; two icons of a teenagers imagination!
It’s nice to see a car like this as No Reserve. It will sell and the buyers will dictate the value.
That is, if the inevitable “Seller ended auction early due to an error in the listing” doesn’t happen.
RUN…RUN…. Any Pantera in this condition is going to be a time consuming and expensive reconstruct. These cars were lacking in both engineering and build quality. If you plan to restore and sell for profit, it may not be worth the effort. On the other hand, if you are able to do most of the work and just want to own/drive it then it could be worth your effort. With a good street built Cleveland, they are strong. I had a ’72 for 23 yrs. and even with massive and constant feeding of hundred dollar bills, it ALWAYS had things wrong with it. However, there were days when it was absolutely the Ruler of the Road. It’s best trait was running 120 in 5th, I could go to the floor – with no downshift, and it would gather speed so hard that it was impossible to not bust out laughing. Nothing ever stayed with it on an open road. Sold in ’02. I miss it about 5 mins. a year.
Tom Cotter, BF Hunter, showed one of these fairly rusted out a while back but with all the lenses, plenty of trim pieces, etc. Would seem to be attractive to marry that one with this one.
I wolud prefer to repair the Sout truck next to it, and if anybody noticed, inthe picture of the back of the car, yu see a Chevy Apache, a white MG coupe and a red Citroen 2 CV Fourgonette, a “rara avis” in the US, if toy think a 2CV is undepowered, try this one!