[DeTomaso] Matching numbers

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

There are two separate serial numbers found on most Panteras- one for the 
chassis and a diferent one for the body number. The 'ordinary' Pantera 
chassis serial numbers are stamped into the leftside rear of the engine block, the 
windshield tag, the toebox inside the front hood, and the fragile white 
plastic tag (body serial) found in various locations around the cars. Our 
plastic tag is rivited on the passenger's doorjamb and a similar aluminum tag is 
rivited above the emission plate on the left rear inner fender. There may 
also be a black aluminum tag rivited to the driver's doorpost with the year of 
manufacture and the chassis serial. 
On the bottomside of both headlight buckets is also stamped the car's 
chassis serial number. The stamping is not visible unless the bucket is removed 
from the car, and the stamps may be partially or completely filled in with 
paint. NOT having a number stamped there may indicate an unstamped   service 
replacement bucket installed as a result of an accident. I believe most '71s 
and post-Ford- built cars did not have this stamping, either; I've only seen 
it in '72-'75 Panteras.
With Mangustas, our 8MA 0760 car had '0760', chalked on the backside of 
every interior panel in the car: the inner door panels, the underside of the 
dash pad, the center console upholstering and the rear cabin pad. The only 
other spot there was a serial, was the 'official' number' stamped into the 
leftside upper rear strut brace, and that is the only one visible without a 
wrench or screwdriver. All this info is available on a routine basis from Hall 
Pantera and most other vendors, since they need it to send you the parts that 
fit your individual car. FWIW- J DeRyke