[DeTomaso] Putting a small block Chevrolet in a 1973 pantera

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/2/08 10 36 46, bwerner at live.com writes:


> I need help!! I want to put a small block Chevrolet in my pantera.
> 

All the help in the world can be found by using your Yellow Pages; look under 
'mental health'. :>)

And that's not said from a jingoistic Ford vs. Chevy position, either, but 
rather from a purely practical perspective.   It is a LOT of work to adapt a 
small block Chevy into a Pantera, much more than you would imagine, and at the 
end of the day, you will discover that it is also a LOT more expensive than 
simply installing some other type of Ford, or building a nice 351C.

I actually have some peripheral first-hand experience, as I played a small 
role in helping a PCNC member (Doug Abadie) convert his otherwise very stock '72 
Pre-L over to Chevy power last year.   He did so purely for practical 
reasons; he had just finished driving his '85 Corvette over a cliff, and that car had 
been equipped with an absolutely dynamite all-aluminum 418 cubic inch Donovan 
small-block Chevy, that would cost a fortune to reproduce, yet had very 
little monetary value as a used motor.   With the Corvette reduced to splinters, 
and leaving its excellent engine sitting on a stand, it seemed reasonable to try 
to incorporate it into the Pantera.

Ultimately he was very successful but the job took the better part of a year 
to accomplish.   I spoke to him about it (that is, about your query) tonight 
and he was fairly adamant that if somebody didn't already have a free, 
super-duper small-block Chevy sitting in the garage, that he would *highly* discourage 
such an installation, when there are so many Ford solutions that are simpler, 
and ultimately cheaper.   

He's going to e-mail you privately, and will be happy to help if you should 
still elect to go down this path, but I think he will try to convince you to 
forget about the slightly lower up-front costs of a small block Chevy, and 
instead take a hard look at the big picture, to include the vastly greater expense 
of getting the project finished, relative to a Ford solution.

Again, this isn't a religious argument, but rather one based purely on 
function, cost and practicality....

Mike


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