1974 De Tomaso Pantera

1974 PANTERA GHIA (ITALIAN FOR PANTHER) VIN – THPNNE06893 MILEAGE 57203 Restored WWW COLLECTORMOTORS COM The De Tomaso Pantera is a mid-engine sports car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer De Tomaso from 1971 to 1993 In motor racing, the safety of the driver depends on the car body which must meet stringent regulations and only a few cars have ever been built with monocoque structures. An aluminum alloy monocoque chassis was first used in the 1962 Lotus 25 Formula 1 race car. The Pantera's chassis was of a steel monocoque design, the first instance of De Tomaso using this construction technique. 1973 IMPORT CAR OF THE YEAR They were sold through Mercury Dealers, from 1971-1974 They were 0-60 in under six seconds in the 1974 product. They were a 14 second quarter mile. Ironically, they were built for handling and to compete against the Italian Giants! Top end speed of 159mph! Mid-engine design from Ford Ford and Ghia Joint Venture, Tjaarda & Dallara Great info can be found on these cars at - http://www.panteraplace.com We purchased our first Pantera in 2004. It was Gary Wilson’s GT5, which was the first Pantera in the Hall of Fame. We were hooked…. this vehicle was purchased in June of 2006. At that time, we considered her in great condition, she was our third Pantera. Originally, she was Cortez silver (see Marti Report), somewhere in the late 70’s early 80’s she was completely disassembled and painted Maltone (orange -#20R498). The files that will come with car date back to the original owner and give a complete historical vehicle documentation. In the past few years the price of these cars has jumped, due to rarity, and standard transmissions on Italian cars. In 2018, we decided to put the car on the market. We looked at the overall condition of this car. She was the perfect candidate for our restoration project. Time (14 months) and money (over $70,000), plus the cost of the car, we are now ready for market… The biggest parts of the project were, drivetrain rebuild, Lusso impact bumper(comes with car) to Gossamer Split nose bumper conversion, complete insulation/heat shield of cockpit and engine compartment and rewire and rebuild light assembly. Here are the shop notes of what we did, a bit choppy, but you will be able to follow. Remove engine and transaxle. Disassemble motor and inspect for wear. We found flat lobes on the camshaft and cylinder wall tapper with worn main and rod bearings. We sent engine out to machine shop. We rebuilt with OEM Bore and had the crankshaft turned. We reassembled engine with a Q code camshaft. We installed new Center-force flywheel and clutch assembly. Replaced a/c compressor, receiver, dryer and condenser. Rebuilt the carburetor Replaced the alternator and voltage regulator. Replaced the rear wheel bearings and rear upper and lower control arm bushings. Replaced half-shaft bolts. Replaced coolant expansion tank and hoses. Replaced front wheel bearings and seals. Replaced front upper and lower control arm bushings. Replaced upper and lower ball joints and outer tie rods. Replaced front and rear brake pads and had rotors resurfaced. Replaced ignition switch, turn signal switch, wiper switch, and headlamp switch. Replaced wiper motor, gears and cable, New wiper arms, blades and pivot assembly. Replaced door motor and limit switches. Replaced cooling fan relays and horns. Installed new battery and windshield washer pump. Replaced outer rear-view mirrors. Installed Euro front bumper. Replaced brake and clutch pedal pads. Installed gold heat shield in engine bay. Replaced vacuum brake hose from intake manifold to brake booster, Installed new ignition coil, distributor cap and starter. Replaced spark plugs and ignition wires. Replaced water temperature gauge and sending unit. Replaced reverse lamp switch and corrected wiring. Replaced breather caps. Oil pressure switches. Installed new stainless steel braided brake hose. Replaced front and rear sway-bar bushings.