DeTomaso Mailing List: February 1997, Message #29
     



From: Mike Shannon <svector@nwinfo.net>

Subject: Re: Introduction

Date: Mon, 03 Feb 1997 18:12:23 -0800



>I live in Spokane, WA, and have been, shall we say, infatuated with the

>DeTomaso Pantera since 1984 when I first discovered them.



Hey neighbor!  I'm in Yakima, and we own car #6152, a yellow & black '74

that originally came from California.



>  This car sounded like rolling thunder.  I

>remember going to the Sheraton in Spokane one night and this car just

>rumbled mere feet from me as I was walking down the parking lot into the

>building.  If anything other than my girlfriend could make me cream my

>shorts.... that was it.



<grin>  Yep, that describes driving a Pantera.  Definitely the most fun you

can have with your clothes on!  ;^)



>I've heard the term "pushbutton" Pantera.  What is this?  I would think

>pushbutton transmission, but I don't think that would right for a manual

>now would it... so the next probable thing I can think of is pushbutton

>door handles.  If that is the case, what is that in versus to?  Or am I way

>off track?



The first 70 or so cars were hand-built, and featured push-button door

handles. When the plant converted to assembly-line production, the buttons

were replaced with chrome latch-style handles that actually look nicer in my

opinion.



>If I decide on the purchase of an earlier model, (71 -74), what are the

>availability of parts for modification to modern styling?  I'm thinking the

>massive Italian rear wing for one (similar to that found on the Countach),

>and of course front spoiler, maybe flares and skirts.



There are three or four dealers in the U.S. that specialize in Pantera

parts, and they offer just about everything imagineable.  I did most of my

business with Gary Hall at Hall Pantera in Paramount California.  The guy

probably knows more about Panteras and DeTomaso cars in general than

DeTomaso himself...I highly recommend them.  Talked to him in person the day

after the '94 quake...real genuinely nice guy.  He was sobbing though

because the quake knocked one of his light fixtures off the ceiling, and it

crashed into the roof of one of his showroom cars - a '48 Cadillac.  Anyway,

I bought their aftermarket fiberglass wing, and installed it when I had the

car painted in 1990.  Now 90% of the rubberneckers think it's a Lambo, but I

rarely get offended with that brand of mistaken identity.  If you do buy a

Pantera, the people you will grow to loathe and despise are the ones that

come up and say, "Hey is that a kit car??"  I've gotten to the point where I

don't even reply any more.  Here's a tip people:  When you approach the

owner of an exotic that you cannot identify, it's best to err on the side of

good relations, and say something like "Hey, is that the genuine article?"

instead.  This will immediately get you on the car owner's Christmas card

list, and you will get A LOT more of your questions answered!



>Having a Cleveland in my Mach I, I am familiar with the Pantera powerplant.

> I'm curious though on the wide variety of induction systems that may be

>available for this car.  I'm especially interested in multi-port fuel

>injection.  Does anybody have any good leads, or periodicals I can reference?



I talked to a few guys at the Shelby track event in Portland that I

attended, and they were having good luck with the Holley fuel injection

system.  I'm still running the original Ford carb, but I have a new Holley

600 waiting to go in.   That will improve my fuel starvation in high-G

corners, but the FI unit would be ideal.



If you're ever in Yakima, give me a call.  I don't think I'll ever sell

mine, but I'd be glad to give you a ride and answer any questions I can.



Later,

Mike



509-457-2892