[DeTomaso] Pushbutton

[GW]

It went to France first. The first one imported to USA was 1286. It was 
reported this one was set aside and finished latter thus a 1972. I will 
dig out the full VIN latter. It's actual VIN as a USA car is #1280. No 
other numbers.The original number is on the brake box though.

There are a few things on this car that don't follow. This one has the 
ridge on the decklid, latch for the decklid in both the rear and the 
door jamb. Few other things a little different. Even has cloth seats 
which apparently came from the factory.

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars/panttransam/1280/seats.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/cars/panttransam/1280/1280a.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/cars/panttransam/1280/1280c.jpg

It was imported around 1985 and is stock except for valve cover and 
aircleaner removed. It is pretty rough but solid.

I got it stored till I finish the restoration on #1905. #1905 is 
extremely modified and 1280 will be 99% stock.
http://www.rc-tech.net/cars/panttransam/1280/stored.jpg

1905:
http://www.rc-tech.net/cars/panttransam/1905/fit/wheel.jpg

Gary



MikeLDrew at aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 9/12/07 16 59 35, gow2 at rc-tech.net writes:
>
>
>> My 1972 Pushbutton is #1280
>
>
> Your 1972 pushbutton isn't a 1972.  It's an early 1971 that wasn't 
> sold (and thus wasn't titled) until 1972.  Transmogrify the characters 
> in the VIN and it will tell you when it was built--probably mid '71.
>
> Apparently De Tomaso was already building cars before the crash tests 
> were conducted, and the early cars failed miserably.  Ford thus 
> couldn't import them, and they were set to the side, for De Tomaso to 
> later foist upon an unsuspecting European market.  I was astonished 
> when I took a good hard look at #1256 and saw how much critically 
> necessary structure was simply missing from the chassis.  I'm talking 
> about the area directly underneath and ahead of the heater box.  The 
> early cars fell apart like a soup sandwich when driven into a barrier, 
> and the center of the chassis in the cabin area was substantially 
> reinforced to correct the problems.
>
> All the French pushbutton cars I've seen are similar--they are in 
> roughly the same serial number range (1200s), and oddly they have 
> round bumperettes and two-slot wheels, but everything else is EARLY 
> early.  I suspect they might have been 95% complete when 'new', left 
> sitting at the factory, and were hastily finished off in 1972 when 
> they were ordered by French customers (or on spec by the French 
> dealer) with whatever bits and pieces were currently in use at the time.
>
> Does your #1280 have round bumpers and two-slot wheels?  And what is 
> its European history?
>
> Mike
>
>
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