[DeTomaso] Fwd: Fwd: modded Pantera to be auctioned at Newport Beach next weekend

[Scott Carpenter]

Thanks for the input Mike.

I'm 85% sure my VIN plate is original but I can't be 100% sure. I know for
a fact my car has been painted at LEAST twice.  Is there a way to tell
original VIN plate from a vendor made one?

My car is in the registry so I am pretty sure I sent a picture of the VIN
plate to Chuck.  I will have to look around on my computer to see if I can
find it. Otherwise I can take a fresh pic tonight.

Scott
#1523

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <MikeLDrew at aol.com>
Date: Tue, Jun 17, 2014 at 12:47 AM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Fwd: modded Pantera to be auctioned at Newport
Beach next weekend
To: scscottc at gmail.com, detomaso at poca.com



In a message dated 6/16/14 5 23 43, scscottc at gmail.com writes:


I'm wondering if they have their facts correct.

>>>If it's from an auction house, you can be pretty well assured that they
don't!

> From the listing:  1972 De
Tomaso Pantera #1435

>>>Meaning it's DEFINITELY a 1971 model.

> "This DeTomaso Pantera was built in July/August of
1971 and sold new in 1972, being one of the 63 Panteras hand-built in total
during 1971."

>>>Which is complete and total BS.  We all know there were a LOT of
Panteras built in 1971.  The majority of the production run was completed
in 1972, true, but hundreds of cars were made in 1971.


>So my car is #1523 and has a build date of May/71 on the door plate.

>>>On the door plate.  That's when the car was completed.  Your full VIN is
THPNLL01523, indicating that it was started in May.  So it was built
relatively quickly.

Having said that, is your door plate original?  For many years, Hall and
others would make repro door plates, and would incorrectly assign the
month/year of completion based on the VIN *start* date.  They simply didn't
understand that most cars were started in one month, and completed in a
different month.

If your tag isn't an original factory tag, I would put zero faith in the
accuracy of the purported month of completion.

> Is it
possible that this car even though it is an earlier VIN than mine wasn't
completed until July/August?

>>>It's likely that your car wasn't completed until July/August, if your
VIN tag on the doorjamb is a repro.

>Does the delivery date of 1972 make it a
"1972" car?

>>>Nope.  Panteras sold in the USA were assigned model year by Ford, in a
fairly random way.  Ford says the first 1972 model was #2294.

>Or was it the August build date that pushed it to 1972 as I
know a lot of manufacturers start delivering the next model year cars
around August.  Not sure that was the practice in August of 1971.. I was

only a year old then.. ;-)

>>>I think, as others suggested, this was a dealer BS move to keep an
unsold Pantera looking 'new' to a gullible customer.

Mike
-------------- next part --------------
   Thanks for the input Mike.
   I'm 85% sure my VIN plate is original but I can't be 100% sure. I know
   for a fact my car has been painted at LEAST twice.A  Is there a way to
   tell original VIN plate from a vendor made one?
   My car is in the registry so I am pretty sure I sent a picture of the
   VIN plate to Chuck.A  I will have to look around on my computer to see
   if I can find it. Otherwise I can take a fresh pic tonight.
   Scott
   #1523
   ---------- Forwarded message ----------
   From: <[1]MikeLDrew at aol.com>
   Date: Tue, Jun 17, 2014 at 12:47 AM
   Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Fwd: modded Pantera to be auctioned at Newport
   Beach next weekend
   To: [2]scscottc at gmail.com, [3]detomaso at poca.com
   In a message dated 6/16/14 5 23 43, [4]scscottc at gmail.com writes:

   I'm wondering if they have their facts correct.
   >>>If it's from an auction house, you can be pretty well assured that
   they don't!

   > From the listing:A  1972 De
   Tomaso Pantera #1435
   >>>Meaning it's DEFINITELY a 1971 model.

   > "This DeTomaso Pantera was built in July/August of
   1971 and sold new in 1972, being one of the 63 Panteras hand-built in
   total
   during 1971."
   >>>Which is complete and total BS.A  We all know there were a LOT of
   Panteras built in 1971.A  The majority of the production run was
   completed in 1972, true, but hundreds of cars were made in 1971.

   >So my car is #1523 and has a build date of May/71 on the door plate.A
   >>>On the door plate.A  That's when the car was completed.A  Your full
   VIN is THPNLL01523, indicating that it was started in May.A  So it was
   built relatively quickly.
   Having said that, is your door plate original?A  For many years, Hall
   and others would make repro door plates, and would incorrectly assign
   the month/year of completion based on the VIN *start* date.A  They
   simply didn't understand that most cars were started in one month, and
   completed in a different month.
   If your tag isn't an original factory tag, I would put zero faith in
   the accuracy of the purported month of completion.

   > Is it
   possible that this car even though it is an earlier VIN than mine
   wasn't
   completed until July/August?A
   >>>It's likely that your car wasn't completed until July/August, if
   your VIN tag on the doorjamb is a repro.

   >Does the delivery date of 1972 make it a
   "1972" car?
   >>>Nope.A  Panteras sold in the USA were assigned model year by Ford,
   in a fairly random way.A  Ford says the first 1972 model was #2294.

   >Or was it the August build date that pushed it to 1972 as I
   know a lot of manufacturers start delivering the next model year cars
   around August.A  Not sure that was the practice in August of 1971.. I
   was
   only a year old then.. ;-)
   >>>I think, as others suggested, this was a dealer BS move to keep an
   unsold Pantera looking 'new' to a gullible customer.
   Mike

References

   1. mailto:MikeLDrew at aol.com
   2. mailto:scscottc at gmail.com
   3. mailto:detomaso at poca.com
   4. mailto:scscottc at gmail.com