This 1973 DeTomaso Pantera was built in October 1972 as an “L” model and released in July 1973 for delivery to Carlisle Motors of Clearwater, Florida. Chassis THPNMY04566 later underwent a six-year refurbishment under previous ownership that involved a repaint in yellow, an interior refresh, a rebuild of the 351ci Ford Cleveland V8, overhauls of the drivetrain and suspension, and more as detailed below at a claimed cost of over $54k. The overbored engine is fitted with an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold and cylinder heads as well as a Holley carburetor, a Comp Cams hydraulic roller camshaft, SRP pistons, and Eagle Specialty Products H-beam connecting rods, while shifting is through a five-speed ZF manual transaxle. The car rides on 17″ multi-piece aluminum wheels and has four-wheel disc brakes as well as a Fluidyne radiator with dual SPAL electric puller fans. Inside, black vinyl–trimmed seats are coupled with Crow Safety Gear harnesses and accompanied by a Lecarra steering wheel, a gated shifter, and air conditioning. Acquired by the current owner in 2019, this Pantera is now offered by the seller on their behalf with a Deluxe Marti Report, build records and photos, and Connecticut registration listing the car as a 1972 model.
The Pantera’s bodywork was designed under the direction of American designer Tom Tjaarda. Updates for the “L” models in mid-1972 included larger black rubber bumpers as well as revised cooling vents. This “L” model was stripped and underwent rust repair and metalwork from 2012 to 2013 before being repainted yellow at Panteras by Wilkinson of Paramount, California, in 2014.
The black rubber bumpers were replaced with earlier-style chrome bumperettes, and various exterior trim pieces were powder-coated gloss black in the course of the project. Further details include pop-up headlights, bright window trim, and quad exhaust outlets. The car is not equipped with side mirrors, though an uninstalled set with carbon-fiber housings is included in the sale.
The 17″ multi-piece aluminum wheels are mounted with Michelin Pilot Sport tires measuring 225/45 up front and 335/35 out back. The four-wheel independent suspension was disassembled and various components were powder-coated as part of the aforementioned overhaul, and the power-assisted disc brakes were also serviced in the course of the refurbishment.
The refreshed interior houses black vinyl–trimmed bucket seats paired with Crow Safety Gear cam-lock harnesses. The car retains air conditioning and power windows, and a stereo and speakers have been removed. The clutch pedal mechanism was refurbished in 2013, the car was rewired in 2014, and Dynamat sound deadening material was installed in 2016.
The split-spoke Lecarra steering wheel is paired with a dogleg-pattern gated shifter and fronts a Veglia 200-mph speedometer and 8k-rpm tachometer along with auxiliary gauges for amperage, fuel level, water temperature, and oil pressure stationed in the center stack. The five-digit odometer shows 62k miles, approximately 200 of which were added under current ownership.
Cooling is from a Fluidyne radiator fitted with dual SPAL electric puller fans that is connected via Hall Pantera stainless-steel coolant piping.
The 351ci Ford Cleveland V8 was hot tanked and magnafluxed before being bored .030″ over as part of the aforementioned rebuild completed by Van Gordon Racing of Upland, California, in June 2016. One of the cylinders was sleeved, the torque-plate was bored and honed, the crankshaft was ground and heat-treated, and the rotating assembly was balanced as part of the process. A summary provided by the owner notes that the engine is equipped with the following parts and components:
- Holley 770-CFM Street Avenger carburetor
- Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum intake manifold and cylinder heads
- Comp Cams custom hydraulic roller camshaft, and roller rockers
- Manley Performance pushrods
- Cloyes roller timing set
- Pioneer timing cover
- Custom SRP pistons from JE Pistons
- Eagle Specialty Products H-beam connecting rods
- Vibration dampener
- Federal-Mogul bearings
- Milodon oil pump
- Baffled sump pan
- Carter fuel pump
- Edelbrock water pump
- MSD ignition and distributor
- Pioneer freeze plug kit
- ARP fasteners
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a ZF five-speed manual transaxle. Work as part of the refurbishment is noted to have involved: refurbishing the fuel tank, changing the fuel sending unit, and replacing the clutch master cylinder in 2014; powder-coating the driveshaft in gloss black in 2015; and installing a McLeod Racing 500-Series organic/ceramic clutch disc as well as rebuilding and powder-coating the halfshafts in gloss black in 2016.
The Deluxe Marti Report shows a build date of June 1973 for chassis THPNMY04566 and lists the car as a 1973 model. A four-page summary of the build from the seller is viewable in the gallery alongside over 100 pages of accompanying documents.
Over 100 photos taken at various stages of the build process are presented at the end of the gallery.
The door jamb chassis tag and body number plate have been replaced, and the removed units are included in the sale.
The vehicle is being sold on its Connecticut registration, which serves as an ownership document in the state. The document lists “Antique” under the Registered Usage section.