One *****in' Cool 1972 Pantara Chromed Mid Engine

[Rusty Heap]

Local Car Show.


Stunningly cool car.


Check out the air-brush artwork painted on both inner rear tubs.


Yeah just a wee bit of chrome too.



Not a drop of oil on the engine/transaxle anywhere.


Note the wood inlay on the interior door panel.





Stunningly cool car. 1972 Pantara.

[Heel n Toe]

I love the Pantera, and it looks especially good in black, but I'm not impressed with one that's as blinged up as that one.

I realize it's a show car, not a driver, but I'd rather see one that looks like it's driven a lot and wouldn't pass a white glove inspection, but different strokes for different folks.

At least it's not on 19" or 20" wheels. Somebody has done that before, I'm sure... I just hope no one posts photos.

[szyzygy]

very cool, I like it!

I haven't seen one of these in years. When I was a little kid back in the 70's, I remember liking these a lot.

[Embraer]

always loved the looks of the mangusta so much more...knew a guy who had one. ...as well as a pantera. said the mangusta had the worst body flex he's ever seen. pretty much an all-around POS. said the pantera was leaps and bounds ahead...but still a very, very crappy car.

love the way they look, though

[motion]

Very strange... but, I admire his commitment!

[Buckterrier]

Awesome thanks for posting. Yeah some of it is more over the top than my taste calls for but the exterior is fantastic.

[Nickshu]

I saw a Pantera a few weeks back at the Colorado Concours that they guy had put the engine from new new Ford GT in it. Pretty sweet. Wish I had snapped a pic.

[herr_oberst]

Tasteful on the outside, kinda funky on the inside, but somebody digs it. (And apparently digs Jesus and Champagne, too....)

[Hydrocket]

The airbrushing is terrible.

Car was fine without it.

[Laneco]

I really dig Panteras, especially in black. A few things on this car are not to my taste at all, but the effort was stupendous.

Very little chrome in the engine. It is all or almost all polished aluminum which defines an even deeper level of commitment to polish a rough cast part (e.g. transaxle) than just having it chromed.

angela

[Jim Bremner]

That's not my taste.

I like Pantera's but would rather have a Mangusta or even a Vallelunga.

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by Embraer

...the mangusta had the worst body flex he's ever seen. pretty much an all-around POS.

Ha! . Years ago I was at my indy with my twin turbo RX7 and wandered next door to a race shop. Saw a white Pantera on a lift on the ground.

The mech. sad they were waiting for the buyer, who'd purchased the 531 ci Cleveland powered beast sight unseen, for 50K from a seller in Vegas to come in for a "talk".

The new owner had brought the car in to be looked over and when they began to put it up in the air to have a look, the car literally began to break in half it was rusted so badly.

The mech. shook his head and said, I wouldn't drive this rusted hulk faster than 25 mph.

Beautiful looking, built like a poc. sad.

[Jim Bremner]

531 cleveland! damn!

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

531 cleveland! damn!

Yep, 351, the real deal. So sad to see the monocoque so deteriorated that it began to break in half when they started to hoist it.

Never did find out what the end of that story was.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

531 cleveland! damn!

Heh heh. You noticed that, too?

He might be heavy on the juice tonight.

[Bill Douglas]

What a car. And I'd drive it all the time. Great thing about it is you blow it up you could have it running by next weekend. Italian styling with American reliability and availability of engines.

[Steve Carlton]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

Heh heh. You noticed that, too?

He might be heavy on the juice tonight.

Well, 10 out of 2 people are dyslexic...

[sammyg2]

Useless IMO, but very nice to look at.

I wonder if it still overheats in 60 degree weather, rusts overnight, and has pedals so close together only a woman gymnast or a man who really needs to compensate can keep from accidentally pushing two pedals at a time?

[FastCarFan]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

I love the Pantera, and it looks especially good in black, but I'm not impressed with one that's as blinged up as that one.

I realize it's a show car, not a driver, but I'd rather see one that looks like it's driven a lot and wouldn't pass a white glove inspection, but different strokes for different folks.

At least it's not on 19" or 20" wheels. Somebody has done that before, I'm sure... I just hope no one posts photos.

Agreed. I think the guy ruined a pretty cool car.

[daepp]

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