1972 Pantera

According to the Pantera Registry, This car sold at auction with a hammer price of $47K in the middle of 2013. While prices have gone up, I think thats correct money for a non stock car with non original seats, headliner, steering wheel , color, and funny speckle paint in the engine bay.
Thats just one persons opinion though!
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I Agree. That's a lot of profit in a few months, and the market hasn't been THAT kind to Panteras, although prices for original, clean cars is on the rise along with everything else it seems. The car looks reasonable but is definitely not original — although it's far from some of the questionably modified cars out there. The price is perhaps a bit high, but that is to be expected at a dealership.

David you should check out the Pantera forums where you can see links for several cars for sale and network with people who can assist in the purchase and inspection before you get in too deep. It's possible someone there will know the car personally and might provide more insight.

Good luck with the search!

Mark

Added:

For the same money — and if it was MY money — from what I see in the photos and details, I would buy the yellow 1972 Pantera currently on eBay at the same price. But I already have two Panteras so I'll leave it to you.

 

From am investment standpoint get a more original car. These cars come in a million different flavors now due to being so heavily modified over the years.

I'd take a bit of time and find out what things HAVE to be upgraded to make them reliable and use that as a base. I saw a really nice "originalistic" but upgraded one last year at a Jag club event here locally and it was very nice.

If you want a custom one that's been hot rodded you'll have plenty to choose from so that's going to be much easier.

+1 on the high price.

 

Agreed. Don't go for the guy who's spent big bucks modifying it to his liking. The more mods, the more headaches you go through in trying to sort it out. Stay as close to original as possible. These cars stock are not as bad as people make them out to be.

 

This 1987 GT5-S is/was for sale near you. Was being sold by Paul Christ from Rockville MD at the Rockville Antique show last fall.

https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1385744_588124191248771_356173621_n.jpg

 

I see the front well integrated rubber bumper of the GT5-S that looks DOT legal but what did the original rear bumpers of these cars look like? I see cars with these two bumperettes in the rear and think that can't possibly legal?

 

There are lots of these available for sale at anytime so you can do your own checking. I think they are going after a premium on this car maybe they feel that the market is strong for an all blacked out car. I guess it's a good deal for you if you would mod it the same way and no others are available.

They have it up on Ebay too and I just oogled over the pictures. I could live with this car, it sure looks good to me. Chrome is over rated...it pits you know?

There is a "Make Offer" button

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Other-Makes-De-Tomaso-Pantera-RARE-De-Tomaso-Pantera-351-400hp-Cleveland-ZF-5-Speed-Holly-600-CFM-/171234738564

 

There are several for sale in Hemings at any given time. Some are even stock appearing. It is nice to see a stock panther and a sympathetically modded engine and cooling system would be welcomed by me.

Stay away from the indecently modded cars if you are looking for a long term value.

 

I had a 1972 for many years and prefer the stock look as well. That said, a few modifications are simply mandatory IMO. The cooling system is marginal at best, as is the A/C. The fusebox tends to need work, and I think they look better with more modern wheels, but there are larger diameter Campagnolo look-alikes out there and the car can easily accept 8" wide fronts and 10" wide rears without any trouble at all.

The biggest issue is rust and you must have someone with experience look for rust! These are unibody cars and rust can be a structural problem and hard to spot with the usual undercoating crap on the car.

 

If you get the chance. buy a GT5 or later GTS, they are well sorted out with better suspension, brakes & cooling system, if you look in the engine bay, you will note the inner wings are fabricated with square edges, not rounded pressings like the early cars and the battery is located down between the front wishbones not on the scuttle, also these cars do not rust like the early ones did, I had been looking at buying a Pantera for a long time and seen some junk, I eventually bought a 1984 GTS in South Africa and kept it for 6 years, a great car, I should never have sold it!!!!!!

 

I've been looking at Panteras on the side too. Several of my friends are muscle car guys, and they tell me the motor can be made to be both reliable and sick as stink powerful. I've learned the weak spots in the early ones - rust, cooling, and electrical - but the first ones came out when I was a freshman in high school, so I'm biased toward that look.

Saw a fantastic yellow '72 in Austin a couple of weekends back. I would love to have one exactly like it, color and everything.

Cheers,

George
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With you...'narrow body' early chrome bumper with 15" rims (10's on the rear), BEST look.

 

+1

Me too !

 

I'd like to do a treatment that would keep it looking 100% stock on the outside, but have everything under the skin tactfully modernized - cooling sorted, electrical sorted, A/C updates, &c. - but still looking suitably spartan and analog, and a genuine suspension tuning...

... plus a fire-breathing motor into a rebuilt transmission.

I just think it would be a head-rush of a car.

Cheers,

George

 

I can't argue with you there Mike.

Mark
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Nice...Clean look Mark!

 

Very righteous Pantera. The rear is tight with those tires. I'm going American Hot Rod with the motor, though, so I want the additional... mass in the ass.

Cheers,

George

 

I agree about the look of the none flared winged/GT5, but they carried on with the standard GTS at least until 1984, mine was an 84 model SERIAL No THPNCM09348, having said that I think most of the later units were built to order, and came with all the big wheels and dress-up bits, but mechanically mine was exactly the same as the GT5 apart from the 10"/8" wheels - see picture attached taken in South Africa before I sold it in the U.K
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You didn't have to deal with the 5 MPH bumpers, like we did in the US. Completely ruined the look of the car, IMO (And the FIAT X1/9, and the Alfa Romeo, and...).

If I could get an '84 with those small bumpers, I surely would!

Cheers,

George

 

George,

The smaller bumpers can (and often are) be fitted to ANY Pantera of any vintage. There are some holes to be covered once the shock pistons/mounts of the larger bumpers are removed, but the body shape suits the smaller bumpers better, IMHO.

The widest tire you will likely be able to fit on a Pantera without serious modifications are the 335/35-17s that I have on mine. Even the wide body cars typically max out at this (some do have 345's). How much wider do you want to go?
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I want the widest that fit on the classic rims, like the yellow '74 I posted. I'm not trying for anything wider than that. I believe they are commonly called 10" tires, for the width.

Cheers,

George

 

George, I believe you are referring the the rare 10x15 rear wheels. Problem with these is finding tires that fit and are wide enough to look good. This is why most owners opt for an 11x17 rear wheel with 335/35/17 tires.

 

Interesting. Learning more about Panteras every day.

I really love the original Pantera wheels, and after reading the Mangusta thread, I bet they're easier to come by than those! lol.

Cheers,

George

 

Well then don't ask me how I know , but those 10" rear Campy's are getting into very high valuation territory. I sold a set for solid $ yrs. ago already. Anyone seen them exchange hands recently? Wondering myself how much they trade for?

As for tires....replica NEW Dunlop racing tires are a GREAT way to put a somewhat streetable 'period' tire that fills those wheel wells and look awesome on a 15" rim....they are pricey though.

BF Goodrich 'euro ta' radials in 305/50/15 are worth keeping an eye out for too....to me the BEST fit tire for Pantera's with 10" rears, hands down.