For sale $96 000
Car is new from ground up as of May 1996. (Keep in mind that this is only a partial list and that I have a detailed 23 page workorder breaking it down to the nut and bolt that totals in excess of $93000)- NEW : lay down radiator with new Spal fans, rotary a/c, a/c condenser, fan assembly and ALL parts in between there and the a/c pump, Sierra street competition brakes w/4 piston caliper & aluminum hats, custom Carrera shocks, custom made 'one-off' 17" 'one-slot' billet aluminum rims (17 x 9 fr 17 x 11 rr) w/Michelin Pilots (245/40/17 and 235/35/17), Grp4 tail lights, factory windshield, new Wilkinson custom headers, factory exhaust (rare small box), electronic ignition (Ford) w/MSD, all new rubber trim & window gaskets, thick carpet (front boot was redone in this carpet as well), all leather interior in original stock pattern (including dash), rear trunk boot redone in leather and thick carpet, new wiring harness, new running lights, new splash shields, half shafts, wheelhouse camber bar, all bearings, bushings, struts and seals etc, hi-torque starter, clutch (Hays), brake lines...ALL NEW. Then we REBUILT: motor (closed chamber heads brought DOWN to 10.2:1 to run on pump gas. Car is euro spec with slightly higher hp rating somewhere around 350 hp. New 600 Holley. All stock except ignition and valve covers (they are Hall aftermarkets.), transaxle, uprights and hub carriers, steering column, master cylinder, steering wheel recovered (rare 2 spoke Ghia only found on first 150 cars), powder coated suspension in semi gloss black (stock), rechromed all window trim and front bumpers, dropped floor pan (2"), rebuilt fan blower (inder dash).
Car was stripped to bare metal and all parts removed for restoration, ALL welds were regusseted, ALL imperfections reskinned!, body was prepped with acid etching primer and double block sanded, underside and engine bay sprayed with Body Shutz, car sprayed factory yellow (Dupont 2-stage), double color sanded and double clear coated. Painter was Jim Gordon.
Very rare Pantera. Built and sold in Italy hence, Euro spec. i.e.- euro guages, running lights, tail lights. I have never met someone with a lower serial number than this one. While I have heard of 2 in the U.S., from what I understand they are in NO WHERE near the shape of mine. It is the 116th Pantera produced. 170 units before Ford sold their first one through a Lincoln Mercury dealer. It has MANY 'prototype-ish' features that did not make it on to the 'production' Pantera so that Ford could keep costs down... such as: pushbutton door handles, flat ended 'bumperettes', tiny script emblems on the rear, an interior rear deck release located in the dr side door jam (no button over the lic plate... cleans up the lines on the rear of the car plus adds security), battery is mounted in front of the right rear tire (approx first 125 cars), slightly different dash configuration, chrome is unique in that it is one piece chromed brass-- later cars had pieced together sections, early 'Type 1' transaxle (said to be stronger) w/slightly different gear ratios on 1st and 3rd gears, seamless rear deck, locking glove box and front boot courtesy light.
Engine bay is 'squared off' inside... only found on earlier cars that had more hands on assembly and on GT5s.
The lines on this car look great! The double block sanding really paid off. You may notice that the car has no rear view mirrors. This euro car originally left the factory with mirrors out on the fenders like you would find on cars in europe. U.S. bound cars had dealer or importer installed mirrors which varied. After reskinning the holes where the mirrors originally mounted, I could not see myself drilling in to it to mount a mirror that no one could agree upon what was stock. It really cleans the lines up. Kinda of illegal in some states but I haven't really done the daily commute in it yet! Combine that with the seamless rear deck and smaller running lights and I think it is THE BEST looking stock body in the Pantera world.
As you read earlier, I have ONE receipt (from Panteras by Wilkinson) for over $93000! It totals 23 pages. He is a factory authorized shop with factory authorized parts. I have in excess of $128000 invested in the car!
It was featured in the Sept. 1996 European Car magazine. It was on the satellite tv networks show 'Classics' on the Speedvision channel. It has been referenced/featured in at least 15 club newsletters and quarterly's. It was a Pantera Club of America 'Ballroom Car' in 1996. A 22" x 16" picture of the car with my autograph on it hangs in the foyer at the de Tomaso factory in Italy!
Major Awards: La Dolce Vida Concours Italiano 1996, Best of Show/Best Paint/Best Interior (triple Bests!) Pantera International White Gloves Concours at the Concours Italiano 1996 (the Panteras 25th Anniversary against 105 Panteras!), Best of Show/Best Paint Pantera International White Glove Concours at the Concours Italiano 1997. Inducted in to the Pantera Internationl Hall of Fame (2nd inductee of 3).
As reference, you may contact pretty much ANYONE in the Pantera world and they will know the car (& me!).
Mike Drew, editor of the Pantera Owners Club of America called this car; "The finest stock bodied Pantera in the World."
Jack DyRyke, Master Mechanic for both Pantera International and The Pantera Owners Club of America has looked the car over and can be reached for an opinion.
David Adler, Editor in Chief and mastermind of Pantera International has called the car, "Phenomenal!"
Tom Tjaarda, designer of the Pantera, called it, "Exceptional!" (He personally handed me my Best of Show trophy in 1997 at the Concours Italiano!)
So... as you can see, it is truly a fine car. I restored this car to very high standards. Cost was no object to 'make it right' as I truly did it for myself and really had no intentions of selling the car. After 13 years it and I have become well known in the 'Pantera World' and have had the most fun one could imagine with it. My priorities have changed, however, and I now live on a lake in beautiful Alabama. I have plenty of other cars to keep me busy but I do not feel I can do the Pantera justice and it really needs to be enjoyed.
If you want the finest, rarest Pantera ever offered- this car is for you.