[DeTomaso] from MSN - Concorso Italiano view of the Pantera

[Bill Lewis]

Chuck, I agree:   Pantera = Gearhead           Also: cost of entry.  Pantera $30K+ and you're a player.   And, I was looking on eBay at Lamborghini's for sale, and you can get into their game for a little over the same price, but, who you gonna play with (gearhead with).  There may be a Lambo/Ferrari community of gearheads - I don't know.   Another thought:  is NOT keeping Panteras original  (ala, Corvettes, etc.), going to keep them from ever being 7-figure collectibles?  Plus, I think that there is a little snobbery in the Pantera community, but obviously, there are Pantera owners with other brands in their garages - much more expensive.  There's room for everyone in the auto gameroom!!!  Ain't America great!    ---Bill



> From: cengles at cox.net
> To: JJD1010 at aol.com; detomaso at realbig.com
> Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:22:22 -0500
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] from MSN - Concorso Italiano view of the Pantera
> 
> Dear Jeff,
> 
> 
>                    A pretty good overview from the conventional point of
> view of the cognoscenti.   They state that the Ferrari crowd are inhibited
> from any modifications and that the Pantera cult doesn't suffer from it.
> Then they berate any chrome that didn't come from the factory and fawn over
> a car that was unmodified (look closely it was not completely stock
> externally) and had been driven 200k miles.  It would seem that the unspoken
> benchmark is stock originality with only minimal variation from it
> permitted.  Hmmm, that is just not our philosophy.
> 
> 
>                   Why isn't that our philosophy?   I don't know.  I do know
> that for those of us vulnerable to her charms the Pantera is irresistible.
> I do know that I was very happy with my all original and completely stock
> 2000 mile Pantera L in 1988.  I do know that after driving it a while is
> began to see some faults in my beauty.  A trip to the Fun Rally opened up
> the wide world of *improvements* to the Pantera's performance in all areas:
> cosmetic and drivetrain and suspension, etc.   For those of us who are weak,
> the first improvement becomes a slippery slope because, IMHO, the immediate
> reinforcement of better handling, braking and acceleration is readily
> apparent and  undeniable.  After the plunge, the idea of returning to 1970's
> era handling, tires, braking and acceleration is distinctly unattractive.
> 
>                 The other aspect of our philosophy is that the basic nature
> of the Pantera owner is more gearhead than the Ferrari crowd.  They are
> happy to rest on the laurels of the marque and history and leave the car
> untouched as a rolling status symbol and testament to the pedigree.  The
> Pantera owner is not inclined to rest on his laurels until, " you can lay
> down two black stripes of rubber from the exit of one corner to the entrance
> of the next. Then you have enough horsepower (laurels!)".   Since we do our
> own wrenching, why shouldn't we enhance the machinery?  It is more pleasant
> wrenching on polished and chromed hipo parts, than on stock parts with the
> patina of time and surface corrosion.  
> 
>              Finally, as one wag said, the Pantera will do 150 mph *right
> now*.  It doesn't need kilometers of autostrada.  Consequently, the Pantera
> owner can dip into the deep reservoir of Cleveland torque  at will anywhere.
> He can enjoy a back road romp easily.  It does not require the benefit of
> Tuscan ambiance and cuisine or autostrada---not that those are bad, mind
> you.  The Pantera can be enjoyed *right now*.  
>                     
>            I will keep my modified non-stock 1974 Pantera L.  
> 
> 
>                    Philosophically yours, Chuck Engles 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
> Behalf Of JJD1010 at aol.com
> Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2011 10:40 AM
> To: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: [DeTomaso] from MSN - Concorso Italiano view of the Pantera
> 
> _http://editorial.autos.msn.com/pantera-an-italian-american-exotic_ 
> (http://editorial.autos.msn.com/pantera-an-italian-american-exotic) 
>  
> Jeff
> 6559
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