[DeTomaso] Wanted: Used Pantera Grill

Julian Kift julian_kift at hotmail.com
Tue Jan 26 10:49:44 EST 2016


Interesting, is that TSB even executable? I always thought the front wall of the trunk sealed against the hood?

Julian

________________________________________
From: DeTomaso <detomaso-bounces at poca.com> on behalf of Jack DeRyke via DeTomaso <detomaso at poca.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2016 12:16 AM
To: byrdjf at embarqmail.com; detomaso at poca.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Wanted: Used Pantera Grill

Joe, I was at Larry Stock's Pantera shop last Saturday <larrys at panteraparts.com> and he had three used grilles (one black, two chrome). The problem with making your own is, the screen used in the grille is not generally available. Auction flacks wouldn't know the difference but POCA members would!

The later grille held on with screws was a factory fix that allowed Pantera owners with a broken cable to open the front trunk. One releases the latch by taking off the grille and reaching way up inside to pop the latch with a long screwdriver (TSB Bulletin 5 Article 30). Early cars with the grille held in by studs could not do this. Ford later released a short supplementary cable in '73  (TSB Bulletin 9, Article 64) that hung over the accelerator pedal to also allow opening the hood with a broken main cable. The '58 Fords had the same hood & latch design; a friend of mine back East had to chisel an inner fender panel in half to get his hood open when his cable broke!

Cheers- J DeRyke







-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph F. Byrd, Jr. <byrdjf at embarqmail.com>
To: De Tomaso List <detomaso at poca.com>
Sent: Mon, Jan 25, 2016 4:11 pm
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Wanted: Used Pantera Grill

Related Question from newbie...

Is it possible to make a grill with the proper size wire mesh?

Joe/5177/NC

-----Original Message-----
From: DeTomaso [mailto:detomaso-bounces at poca.com] On Behalf Of Mike Drew via
DeTomaso
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2016 18:04 PM
To: fred at creekspeak.com; detomaso at poca.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Wanted: Used Pantera Grill


In a message dated 1/25/16 13 27 51, fred at creekspeak.com writes:


> Need a solid original complete grill for my 1972 pre-L Pantera, serial
> #30XX. My original one had the stainless trim around the border. What
> is the difference between the ones offered "with studs" and "without
> studs"?
>

>>>Hi Fred,

Sadly, I had a grille for sale years ago but have long since sold it.

The early cars secured the grill with studs through holes in the body, and
tiny nuts (8mm? 6mm) on the back side.   When De Tomaso switched to the
one-piece bumper, they simplified construction and the new grille was
secured to
the body from the outside using sheetmetal screws.   Both grilles are
interchangeable, but the one-piece bumper hides the unsightly screws better.

The early grilles are susceptible to the attachment nuts rusting to the
studs, so when you try to remove them without first liberally soaking them
in Liquid Wrench or similar, the studs snap off.

Do you not have any grille at all at the moment?   Grilles are rare and
expensive, and almost no existing grille is beyond reasonable salvation
unless it was destroyed in a wreck.

Tell us what you have, and if you have nothing, then hopefully somebody can
help you find what you need!

Good luck!

Mike


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