Mangusta thread

I read somewhere that Larry Stock from Pantera Parts Connection was working on a glass Goose, Could not find where though!!

As to the claim of deficiencies, new radial tires make a lot of difference in the way car handles. Some have also instaled adjustable QA coilovers an slightly dropped the car. The Miura has roughly the same weight distribution, test drivers were not satisfied with the handling of it, that is why it's launch was delayed. 2 current Mangusta owners have re-inforced/ re-designed the rear crossmember, no news yet on how this will work under heavy cornering/racing situation. Another owner has dropped the car, instaled Baer brakes and relocated the fuel cell to the front, but his car is still far from finished.

The main reason these cars are not agressively modified is that there are so them of them left. I reaaly like mine, have driven 200 miles last summer as a vintage car. If I had a Miura or a Daytona, I wouldn't beat it up either.

Denis

 

Better tires help, but the Mangusta had three inherent design flaws that have to be addressed to really "fix" its handling. The car's steering rack (from the Renault 4) is too slow, the car is too tail heavy, and the spine chassis flexes. The steering rack can be replaced, and the weight distribution fiddled with, but to combat the chassis flex you have to introduce substantial torsional rigidity enhancement through the cockpit area. The cars I've seen that have "fixed" this have all used major triangulated tube structures to stiffen things up, and invariably end up compromising interior room, ingress/egress and, in my opinion, the overall aesthetics. I would have to ask, "Why bother". I drive my 'Goose within its limits and it's just fine for touring around. If I want to drive hard I take one of the other cars. I'll be driving the Mangusta to Milwaukee and back later this month (200 miles), and I'm actually looking forward to it. (provided it doesn't rain) The idea of attaching look-alike body panels on some other car's underpinnings is something I've never understood. Kind of like going out on the town with a Marilyn Monroe impersonator.

 

+1000

Denis

 

Greetings, all.
Since my previous attempt to liven this near-moribund forum/thread only elicited two responses, I hereby pose another question:
how many Mangusta's are still extant? I've read that scarcely +50% of the 400+ Mangusta's produced by De Tomaso are accounted for. Surely more have survived, and their current owners simply haven't chosen to publish news of their existence. Conjures up the possibility of the legendary "barn find", i.e. a Mangusta left languishing and neglected in a barn/warehouse/garage for many years, slowly rusting away. I wonder how many int'l, rare car sleuths are in pursuit of same, now that the Mangusta is slowly acquiring the cachet it has been denied for so long.

 

From yesterday's Tutto Italiano event in Brookline.
What a beautiful car.
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As you can see from my screen name this is one of my most coveted cars. I have yet to see an intact goose in person. I have however, unfortunately, seen the remains of what was once a glorious blue quad light semi barn find that fell victim to a suspect fire a few years back. Most beautiful car of all time as far as I'm concerned.

 

Hard to argue with that,
It deserved better.

 

Barn finds? Well, when I was looking for my car I travelled to see 23 different Mangustas all over the US. Along the way I saw some disturbing cases. Unless a Mangusta lover with a big heart and an even bigger bank account has acquired them, I suspect most of these cars are still languishing in a derilect state. Some were really heartbreaking.
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http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Official-De-Tomaso-Heritage/137089716330331

The official Heritage DE Tomaso Page

 

Funny you should mention that. At the time we had a discussion about the color and the best we could come up with (the owner wasn't available) was Prugna or something close. My wife described it as eggplant or aubergine.
I don't know about the Alfa but there was a stunning Dino in a Barrone (?) that the owner said was the same shade as Steve McQueen's Daytona.
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If you add-up the cars from the 3 registries 162 cars on list, now some way beyond restoration. I know of 3 cars whose owners do not divuldge serial number. Also some in museums and collections. So assume less than 200.

Denis

 

Mangusta's were not treated with much respect for many years and as a result the prices dropped, so many ended up in storage or barns. I think there are many to be found.

 

He may have been referring to McQueen's Lusso....
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You're absolutely correct.
I knew something wasn't right when he said Daytona.

 

Yep, something ridiculous like $2.3 MM at Christie's Jet Center sale during Pebble. Gorgeous color on it, the Dino, and the Mangusta. It's interesting how those deep browns are now in style again.

Daryl's pics of the derelict Mangustas are sad! Hopefully someone with true enthusiasm for those will come along and rescue them.

 

Originally Posted by VIZSLA
there was a stunning Dino in a Barrone (?) that the owner said was the same shade as Steve McQueen's Daytona.


I think the color is called Marrone

 

OK so I'm 0 for 2

 

Mike,

that is a very original one owner SV from Italy, nice car
but i have to say i am not in love with the color in real life (i would still be happy to accept the car ...)

i met the owner some times here, he is a BIG countach fan and he had (believe or not) a countach steering on this car

 

Sold for $100,000 (hammer price)

 

Perhaps what the buyer actually paid? (hammer price plus commission)