[DeTomaso] Race McLaren and DeTomaso & Pantera Si Body Panels

[Dave Kanahele]

Just to add, if anyone wants to convert their Pant era to the Is body style
as shown in the video, I have the molds taken from the ADA Pant era shown in
the video. 

I'd either like to sell the molds outright and/or could make some body parts
if there is sufficient interest. I have molds for all 4 fenders, the bonnet,
front/rear bumpers and the headlight pods.

The molds are currently located in the UK. But I expect to have them shipped
to the U.S. eventually.

Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Kanahele [mailto:detomaso.pantera at verizon.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 3:23 PM
To: 'detomaso at list.realbig.com'
Subject: Race McLaren and DeTomaso


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VpNA-Gq3MM

Nice video! Thanks Klaus for sharing.

Since I've had some involvement with this Pantera in the past, I'll share
some of what I've learned about the history of both the Pantera (and how it
compared to the McLaren).

First, it's very interesting to hear Ray Bellm's comments regarding the BPR
series and the McLaren F1 specifically: "No, this is not Group C. This is a
road going sportscar modified for the track". That seems a bit prophetic to
me.

While, as described by it's designer Gordon Murray, "the 1995 racecars
really were road cars in almost every sense" (including use of the road
car's springs/damper package, uprights, gearbox housing, engine position,
etc.), the Pantera in contrast had a fully custom suspension designed around
uprights from a Porsche 962 and Jaguar Gp C racecar. The Pantera chassis was
mostly stock aside from the cage, and most of the body panels were still
stock (including doors and ft/rr fenders), but just about anything that
could bolt to the chassis was far from stock. 

Given those two vastly different views and approaches for the 1995 season,
the Pantera was at times on the same pace as the McLarens. 

I owned this car along with a partner after it retired from professional
racing and had the chance to discuss the car's development with Chris
Crawford from the former ADA team. Chris told me the Pantera "was certainly
quicker than any Porsche and as quick as any McLaren when Andy Wallace was
driving it". And in speaking w/Andy a few years later, he found it to be a
good car considering the low budget of the team - keeping in mind that "low"
as compared to McLaren's budget is not likely what most of us would consider
"low budget"!


In the end for 1995, the McLaren went on to win 10 out of 12 rounds in the
BPR series . not to mention winning Le Mans outright!

And in the same year the Pantera went on to compete at a national level in
the British GT series where it ended up second overall and first in GT1
against Porsche, Marcos and Ascari. (McLaren did not run in the British GT
series in 95.)

In 1996 McLaren (and Porsche and others) built vastly more "serious" race
cars (even though externally the 1996 McLarens looked close to the 1995
iteration), and it was increasingly difficult for the Pantera to compete on
a global basis. By 1997 the GT classes looked nothing like they did just a
couple of years earlier. That trend was to continue through 1999 when some
said that cars like the Mercedes CLR "killed GT racing". By that time they
really were the new Group C cars!

It's certainly interesting to think about what the Pantera might have looked
like in 1999 had it followed a similar pace of development.

Regards,
Dave