Pantera's--all show or a formidable foe?

[JonT]

My brother is in love with these as am I for the looks--how do they perform on street/track? Whats their reputation? Any owners out there?

http://www.panteracars.com/mont2002a20.jpg

[RickM]

Lot's of power, less than perfect ergonomics, mediocre handling and great muscular looks. It's an exotic looking muscle car from the 70s....sold at Ford dealerships. The Pantera was offered starting in 1970 with a 310 HP V8 @2860 pounds.

BTW, the original rendition was the 1969 Detomaso Mangusta.... V8, 418 HP and 2150 pounds! Fuuuuu-Ahhhh

I'd probably not mind owning one for a while.

A search will uncover a good thread or two on these cars.

[UconnTim97]

I thought they had Ford engines...

[johnco]

a friend of my girlfriend has a Pantera and has asked me to get it going for him. it's been sitting for years. he knows nothing about engines. guess I'll have to take plenty pictures and many test rides. I rode with the previous owner many years ago. scared the hell out of me about 150-160mph. it has a 351 Cleveland

[RickM]

Yes, the Pantera had the Ford 351 Cleveland engine. I believe they're still made in Australia.

[pearldrum]

I saw a yellow one a couple months ago and immediatly went home and looked them up online. I had heard of them, but never seen one. I thought it looked great.

[dd74]

Sweet cars. Fast. I knew a guy who used to race his dad's on Mulholland back in my...er...irresponsible days. We spun it 360-degrees between Laurel Canyon and Coldwater - big 17-yr.-old fun.

Busting a clutch cable in those things is a major PITA.

They like to overheat unless the owner has performed a radiator upgrade.

[ZAMIRZ]

It's a Lamborghini Countach without everything that sucks about the Lamborghini Countach. A neighbor of mine did a full frame-off restoration on his and modified the motor to produce 500hp. It's a pretty freakish feeling when he lays into the throttle, you feel like the engine's going to swallow you. I'd like to own one some day just to build into a really sick street car with a whole bunch of power.

[Schrup]

Very cool cars. My brother-in-law looked at buying one a couple months back, but it needed too much work. He could have bought it for $14k, but has zero car skills. I wish I were in a position to pick it up. It would be a great project to make some serious coin.

[makaio]

I would like to own one someday.

[RickM]

OK, I broke out the New York Coliseum's 1969 (Mangusta) and 1970 (Pantera debut) International Automobile Show's program magazine........

[cstreit]

I've seen two on the track, they seem to handle like trucks...

...but go like stink when pointed in a streight line!

[dd74]

"Streight line..."

Ohhhhh brother!

[tabs]

Who cares...I don't fit in the fking thing anyway....

[dd74]

Originally posted by tabs
Who cares...I don't fit in the fking thing anyway....

It's a little guy's world, Tabs.

[ted]

Originally posted by cstreit
I've seen two on the track, they seem to handle like trucks...

...but go like stink when pointed in a streight line!

agree,,
at a recent Pantera day at Big Wiilow the trickest Pantera with 600+hp injected V8 with a good driver ran the same lap times as my 911 with a 3.2,,1:31.

I owned a Pantera and tracked it once, it did handle like a truck.
It is basically a low slung street rod with ok brakes.

[cstreit]

Streit line?

Strait line?

Strate line?

er...

Hangonaminute!

Straight lone!, er, wait...

[Sonic dB]

Below is a pic of a Ferrari 308. Do these cars not look very similar?

[nostatic]

there's a Ferrari in that picture?

[speeder]

The Pantera was a good looking car, especially in yellow in the picture above. (Nice driveway as well). A woman I know just sold a really nice, sorted car for $20Gs if not mistaken. I almost posted it here for her, but didn't think that anyone would give a shake. I sat in it and the workmanship was crap compared to what we are used to in a 911, almost like a kit car.

When I was in HS in the '70s and used to miss the bus every day I'd hitchhike to school, one of my regular AM rides was a guy w/ a Pantera, it was the thrill of my life at the time. The sound of that V-8 inches behind you and the torque that absolutely plastered you back in the seat, Not to mention being dropped off near school in that thing. For weaving through traffic it was a rocket, but probably doesn't perform by modern standards. It's funny, but I didn't even ask my friend if I could drive hers, sat in it and said, "No thanks". How times change.......

The Pantera club is doing an event at Willow this weekend, (club has a different name now), I think that my cousin will be there w/ his RUF so I'll probably go.