DeTomaso Mailing List: April 1997, Message #112
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Hi Mike, and all, Thank you to those who have ventured replies to this perplexing question. As many of you have pointed out, the book is a very good source, for the most part. I have been looking it over and last night found this very list. Thanks to Mike, it now makes much more sense and I can clearly understand the changes better. I guess it really all boils down to how it was built the first time and how it's been modified by it's owners since. As with so many earlier cars, it looks like it just depends on how it they put that particular car together. My education continues. I've joined POCA and hopefully will soon enjoy reading my first official newsletter copies. Once again, thank you to all who have replied. It's been great information. At 14:20 04/15/97 -0400, you wrote: >Capt Mike Drew >150 Westgate Dr. >San Francisco, CA 94127 > >(415) 334-7860 > >Asa Jay, > >The 'L' model was designated mostly to delineate the early chrome-bumpered >cars from the cars using the newly-required one-piece 'safety bumpers.' There >weren't really that many changes introduced on the first 'L' model; rather, >DeTomaso had about a zillion running changes from the time the cars were >first built, about half made before the L model was introduced, and half >afterwards. Really, other than visually, there's no clear break between >'early' and 'late' Panteras. To answer your question directly, here's a list >cribbed from the Wally Wyss book (and a must-have for you), "DeTomaso: The >Man and the Machines" with my comments in () > >Pantera 'L' new features >'72- Chassis 4269-4839 >'73-Chassis 4840 and later > >1. Front/rear impact bumpers (the one-piece black bumpers, as opposed to the >chrome bumperettes; note that now also the front turn signals are contained >in metal housings welded to the bottom of the front valence, as opposed to >being screwed to the back of the front bumpers) > >2. Added illumination for instrument panel switches (the early L-models used >the old-style dashboard, and had an additional light in a housing grafted on >above the radio and instruments. This light was only found on cars built in >late October, November and December 1972. Additionally, a small run of about >20 cars in April 1973 was built using (leftover?) early dashboards and had >this feature. The later L-model dashboard (discussed below) had two lights >built in, one which shined on the instruments, the other on the radio) > >3. Goodyear Arriva tires. > >4. Seat belt warning light and buzzer (I was under the impression that all >Panteras had the seat belt warning light; I know my July '72 Pre-L does. > Don't think the buzzer came into play until the L-model though) > >5. Positive retention of spare wheel and tire. > >6. Identification of all controls. (What does this mean? Well, perhaps it >alludes to the use of switches that say "Lights" or "Fan" instead of just >having a picture, but the picture switches were only used on Euro cars and >VERY early U.S. cars, so I wouldn't call that an L-model change. Any idea >what they're talking about here?) > >7. Warning light to indicate brake pad wear. (This light is fitted next to >the emergency brake/brake failure light. The brake failure light is a >typically Italian invention. The light illuminates when you stomp on the >brakes, and the brakes don't work. I have a feeling that if you stomp on >your brakes and they don't work, you won't need a tiny light to clue you in >that something's wrong!) > >8. External fuel filler cap (this was not fitted until early in '73.) > >9. 8.1:1 compression ration engine. (Bummer) > >10. Revised instrument panel with rotating defroster outlets (According to >Ford TSB's this new dash wasn't used until about the 800th L-model Pantera, >early in '73. This new dash was built completely differently, consisting of >molded plastic instead of upholstered fiberglass. As part and parcel of this >change, the entire heating/air conditioning box was changed around too, so >fitting a late dash to an early car involves some creativity there if your >defrosters are to work correctly) > >12. Forward facing air cleaner intake (A-HA!) > >13. All relays in one panel on left side of interior, to match fuse panel. > (Early cars had the relays mounted in a tray bolted under the dash forward >of the glovebox) > >14. Sealed fasteners for trunk liner (very early '71's used a zillion >allen-head fasteners, a pain in the butt to get the trunk out. These were >replaced by Dzus fasteners, but I've yet to see a Pantera still using them!) > >15. Dual rheostats for dash panel illumination (one rheostat controls the >instrument lights themselves, the other the 'floodlights' as discussed in (2) > >16. Revising A/C icing switch (27 Sep '72) > >17. Silicone rubber sealer applied between the windshield and windshield >weather-strip (Sep '72, #4269) > >18. Redesigned front upper grille assembly which permits external removal in >order to gain access to the hood hinges in the event of a malfunction of the >hood release mechanism. The redesigned grille is not interchangeable with >earlier production models (Sept 1972, #5032) (Wrongo, my car #3960 is fitted >with a later grille I acquired through a complicated swap back in '89. It's >secured to the car via Phillips-head screws from the outside; earlier grills >have studs and are secured with nuts on the inside. Interestingly, I got my >grille from a March '72 Euro car #3173, which was factory-built with a >late-model dash and this grille almost a year before they made their way onto >U.S. cars!) > >19. Redesigned engine cover (Jan 2, 1973, #4840) (Okay, confirmation of what >we discussed a few weeks ago) > >20. New windshield wiper motor (Feb 14, 1973) (Anyone know the difference? > I don't.) > >21. Quick-release aircraft fasteners for engine cover (Mar 1, 1973) > >22. New dust shields for rear wheel bearings (April 4, 1973) > >23. Additional emergency hood release cable (April 6, 1973) (This was a >Ford TSB, and most cars were retrofitted with this device, including mine. > If you don't have one, you should, especially if you have an early front >grille. It's simply a piece of wire attached to the hood latch, strung >through into the front of the passenger compartment. It's got a 'grenade >ring' on the end, and hangs down under the dash next to the normal hood >release handle. If you have an early car without this cable, and your normal >cable breaks or comes unglued, you're in BIG trouble!) > >24. Positive water heater control shut-off valve assembly (how positive is >positive?) > >25. Repositioned windshield washer reservoir (April 18, 1973) (Hmm, to tell >you the truth, I don't know exactly where in the front trunk these are >supposed to go, either in early or late cars. Anybody care to volunteer the >info?) > >26. New wheel bearing adjustment nuts (April 26, 1973) > >27. 90-amp/hour battery to replace 72 amp/hour battery (May 14, 1973) > >28. Stamping burrs removed from the selector gate. Used a fine file on the >windshield weather-strip (May 5, 1973) > >29. New front wheel inner bearing splash shield (June 12, 1973) > >30. Chafing strip covering the seat back frame raw metal edge (July 13, >1973) > >31. Battery externally vented to prevent under-hood battery corrosion (July >13, 1973) > >32. New water temperature gauge reading 260 degrees (July 16, 1973) > >33. Revised front fender wheel opening flanges to lessen possibility of tire >rubbing against fender (Sep 5, 1973) (Does this mean 'rolling' the fender >lips?) > > >Okay, so that's The List according to The Book. Additionally, 1974 cars had >the windshield wipers park on the passenger side so they didn't permanently >block the driver's vision. This required different wiper arms, and the >mechanism was rigged differently, so the wipers started off turning to the >left, then back to the right, instead of vice-versa as on the earlier cars. > >Also, L-model Panteras used completely different wheels. You wouldn't >necessarily think so just by glancing at them, but it's true. I've written a >super-geek story on Pantera wheel identification which will run in my next >POCA quarterly (assuming, of course, that I stop screwing around with the >e-mail list and finally finish it off!) :>) > >Questions? Comments from anyone? > >Mike > > > Asa Jay Laughton 7X Pantera - Two year goal to aquisition 71 Mustang Mach I - Looks Fast, Goes Fast, 72 Mustang Convertible - Topless Fun in the Sun 87 Jeep Cherokee - Tows the boat