[DeTomaso] SN 5533 - Mods information and photo file share
Steve Lisa
stevelisa at patentit.com
Fri Jul 30 10:55:21 EDT 2021
Thanks, Asa Jay. We will have the Pantera racing at Portland for the
Columbia River Classic September 3-5. It would be great to see you (and
your family) if you are up for a long day trip. It is has been a long
process to get all this done. Thankfully, the race team overhead helps
justify it -- the guys just kept the Pantera in the shop until it got
done. We usually have three race cars at a time in the shop, and when we
are unable to make progress on one, we work on the others. I will continue
to load pictures up, including the video from Road America (which is still
in the camera in the car).
Regards,
Steven G. Lisa, Esq.
*The Law Offices of Lisa & Lesko, LLC*
Email: SteveLisa at PatentIt.com
Direct: 480-442-0297
www.PatentIt.com <http://www.patentit.com/>
*Scottsdale Office* | *P*: 480.535.6656 | *F:* 480.535.6628 | *A:* 7689
East Paradise Lane, Suite 2, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
*Chicago Office *|* P:* 312.752.4357 | *F:* 312.896.5633 | *A:* 55 E.
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This email is intended only for the recipient above and may contain
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On Thu, Jul 29, 2021 at 9:31 PM Asa Jay Laughton via DeTomaso <
detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> wrote:
> Steve,
> Wow. I ran through a large number of photos to see the end-result of
> what you've done with 5533. Wow. You have really taken her to the
> next level. Looking through all the photos, you have managed to
> tastefully implement every item I had hoped to do "someday" but knew
> I'd never have the time or money to. Your result looks awesome! I
> couldn't be happier with how your team has improved the product and are
> now campaigning it regularly with success.
> Yes, the Pantera is not the be-all, end-all race car, but it's a great
> looking car on the track, can hold it's own when properly prepared, is
> a real crowd pleaser and is a blast to drive in the right kind of
> races.
> Again, your team has done a fantastic job of creating a real
> head-turner Pantera track vehicle. That is the car I would have
> built. Glad to see you got it there. :)
> With great sincerity,
> Asa Jay
> Asa Jay Laughton - W7TSC, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
> Spokane County ARES-RACES-ACS EC/RO
> ******************************
> [1]https://w7tsc.org
> [2]https://www.teampanteraracing.com
>
> On 7/28/2021 10:52, Steve Lisa wrote:
>
> All,A
> I have posted some of the photos we have gathered (there are many more)
> showing the modification history for SN5533 in its journey from Asa Jay
> to its current race trim.A I am happy to answer any questions.A There
> are many more photos in my son's (Tony) phone, which I am trying to
> coax out of him.A Here is the link to the file share:
> * [1][3]https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1NsfZraJ9cdbh5Q9
>
> Briefly, we started with the goal of making the Pantera an SVRA Gold
> Medallion Group 3 racer.A Initially, in the older folders and in the
> trim it raced in Portolan a few years ago, it was indeed limited
> strictly to only the "true" Group 3 mods as allowed as of 12/1972 FIA
> Group 3 specs.
> Our thought was that we have enough of the more modified race cars in
> the stable, and we wanted the Pantera to remain street legal and "out"
> of the more heavily modified categories of vintage racing (e.g., the
> notorious Group 6).A We have spent aA bunch of time racing in Group 6,
> and the cars are heavily modified with huge HP, etc.A We still do race
> in GroupA 6 and Group 10 with our appropriate cars.A But, the goal
> here was to get the Pantera into Group 3 - true early FIA racers.A
> Unfortunately, we quickly found out that a Pantera that was strictly
> compliant with the 12/1972 FIA Group 3 rules was not a fun (or even
> safe) car to drive.A So, we abandoned the goal of limiting the mods
> strictly to the 12/1972 FIA rules, and instead,A try to "walk the fine
> line" by making the mods that were "allowed" by the SVRA and other
> rules outside of Gold Medallion but within Group 3.A A
> When we signed up for the big WIC Challenge at Road America and
> submitted our specifications sheet for the Pantera, we were initially
> put in Group 6, which was incredibly disappointing.A However, when we
> arrived for technical inspection, we were promptly moved to Group 3.A
> Jack Woehrle -- the chief technical inspector for HSR, congratulated us
> on a build that was well within the Group 3 spirit, with only tasteful
> and safety-inspired mods.A Goal accomplished!
> Before getting to the technical mods, I want to say thank you to all
> the members of this forum that contributed to our build, answered my
> (often repeated) questions, showed up the races, and generally kept us
> motivated on the project.A I think we are close to done on the build
> SN5533-- we now intend to race the crap out of it.A We had a
> successful run at Road America a few weeks (first in class and 10th
> overall in Group 3).A Our next race for SN5533 is the Columbia River
> Classic in Portland September 4-5.A From there, we head to the
> Historic Daytona 24-hour classic.A We will bring two cars to Daytona,
> and the Pantera will probably run the HSR sprint races and not the full
> 24-hour race (which we will run in the Panoz GT2 endurance car).A A
> Here is the progression of mods that we made and the logic, and if sort
> the images in the folder by time you can see how the progression
> occurred.A Please feel free to ask any questions.A Also - I am sure
> there are some additional mods you will see in the images that are
> relatively minor and self-apparent (e.g., emergency off switch, some
> additional sensors/gauges, etc.).A Feel free to ask any questions.A
> The limited mods allowed (and made to SN5533) that were specified by
> the FIA as of December 31, 1972:
> 1. plexiglass rear window
> 2. Roll cage and bars to back towers
> 3. Moving the radiator catch can to accommodate the roll bar
> 4. racing seats
> 5. radio delete
> 6. internally adjustable (rebound) Koni shocks
>
> The additional mods also expressly allowed by SVRA Gold Medallion
> rules, and made by us to SN5533:
> 1. improved / modern seats
> 2. improvedA roll cage (driver/passenger intrusion, etc.)
> 3. fire system
> 4. removal of all glass (and glass systems) with replacement using
> plexiglass (except for front window).A [Note side plexiglass
> quarter windows]
>
> The SVRA also allows the following on theA PanteraA outsideA of Gold
> Medallion, which we made to SN5533:
> 1. AccusumpA
> 2. Weber carbs (or similar) and manifold
> 3. Period lip spoiler (must be mounted completely below the hub
> centerline)
> 4. Stock appearing aftermarket heads of correct material and plug
> location
> 5. Roller type camshaft and roller rocker arms
> 6. MSD type electronic ignition, must be triggered from distributor
>
> Additional mods were made to SN5533 that weA believed would not kick us
> out of Group 3.A Most of these mods were at some point allowed in the
> later Group 3 FIA rules:
> 1. 10" rear and 8" front wheels (initially Bassett wheels to test, but
> later purchased the Superlite's you see in the pics with custom
> backspacing)A
> 2. replacement fan for the radiator
> 3. brake ducting in the front
> 4. use of the '73 GTS Exhaust and hollowed mufflers
> 5. GTS front spoiler that is on the car with proper ducting
> 6. Smallest Wildwood brake, master cylinder, pedal upgrade
> (pre-approved by SVRA as safety upgrade)
> 7. bigger swaybars front and rear
> 8. Complete rewiring of the car, using as much of the original wiring
> and routing as possible, with upgraded fuse paneling
> 9. removal of a/c components
> 10. lowering of seats
> 11. A few spring rates for the F/R shocks
> 12. 10-quartA racing oil pan
> 13. Racing brake lines and racing fluid hoses
> 14. re-routing the oil cooler to back
> 15. upgraded racing radiator
> 16. cutting air holes in front bay and pinning/raising front hood 2
> inches
> 17. Additional bracing underneath rear top suspension points
> 18. stripping and repainting trunk
>
> Engine configuration - we have three engines for SN5533.A A
> 1. The original motor was rebuilt and put away with only dyno time.A
> We made no mods whatsoever to that engine, and do not intend to use
> it.A A
> 2. We have a second motor, which is a 351 Cleveland built to 1969 SCCA
> Trans-Am specs.A The build sheet has running at around 475 HP and
> 450 ft-lbs.A Unfortunately, when we put it in the car it felt soft
> with not great oil pressure.A You can see some of the pics of that
> motor in the car with the GTS exhaust system and gutted motors.A
> Sounded awesome, but ran poorly.A So, that motor was taken out and
> sent to our motor builder in Tucson (making our NASCAR motors).A
> TheA rebuild with further and better "oiling fixes" is nearly done
> on a complete rebuild with further upgrades, and will be our
> primary engine when done - but it very rowdy and loud with the GTS
> headers and gutted exhaust.A A
> 3. Our third motor is CLEVOR race motor that, frankly, is an awesome
> motor.A It has a ton of HP and torque (about 450 each), runs low
> (unstressed) RPM's (limited at 6000 rpm) and works just fine (so
> far).A We are running the CLEVOR with the 100% stock 1973 exhaust
> system.A It is an easy motor to drive, streetable, quiet, but
> raceable.A That is what we ran at Road America to a top speed of
> 145 mph on the front straight and a low time of 2:36.A The engine
> was welcome in HSR Group 3 -- again, mission accomplished.A
>
> Transaxle - we have two transaxles for SN5533
> 1. The original ZF, which we sent out for rebuild to our desert
> transaxle builder.A He said the condition was a-ok.A So, we are
> currently racing the ZF.A I am not anxious to continue racing the
> original ZF for SN5533.
> 2. So, we have a Quiaffe ZF that I bought many years ago for our CAV
> GT40 race car.A We have had it flipped for use in the Pantera.A
> We are looking to engineer and complete that swap early next
> year.A
>
> A A Finally, we also paid attention to the following article written
> years ago by Mike Drew:
> GROUP 3A PANTERA
> While a Group 4A PanteraA is a dedicated, purpose-built race car that
> usedA PanteraA architecture but a unique chassis and suspension, the
> FIA Group 3 rules were far more restrictive, as the FIA intended for
> this class to consist solely of essentially stock, unmodified
> production sports cars.A Initially, modifications from standard,
> production-car specification were few, mostly relating to pure safety
> issues, but after a few years, as the series evolved, the list of
> allowable modifications grew for all cars competing in Group 3.
> Unlike the Group 4 Panteras which were built utilizing special
> components, all Group 3 Panteras were constructed from ordinary,
> production-line European Panteras.A As they were all built to
> individual customer order, itas difficult to generalize about them.A
> Furthermore, the nature of bespoke De Tomaso automobiles makes it even
> more difficult to differentiate between different models, since it was
> possible for any European customer to order each of the components used
> to create a Gr3A PanteraA directly from the factory, and modify a
> standard car to that specification after the fact and then race it.A A
> It was also possible to order a Euro GTS and then have it built with
> all the Gr3 components at the factory.A So there is a very fine line
> between a factory-built Gr3 race car, a Euro GTS fitted with Gr3
> components, and a race car converted to Gr3 specs by a private party.A
> While the De Tomaso factory public relations personnel are extremely
> helpful, and are capable of answering a query to determine if a
> specific car was constructed as a Gr3, at this time they donat have a
> complete list of all Gr3 cars made, but they have committed to
> researching the information for the next edition of the De Tomaso
> registry.
> The process of building a Gr3A PanteraA started in the engine room.A
> De Tomaso certified the Gr3A PanteraA with either a standard cast-iron
> intake manifold and Motorcraft carburetor, or an optional aluminum Ford
> manifold with a Holley R-4777 650 cfm manual-secondary carburetor.A
> The stock oil pan was replaced with a large (8 liter on early cars, 10
> liter on later cars) pan with an integral windage tray and an optional
> removable chassis cross member.
> Standard exhaust manifolds, and later European GTS exhaust headers were
> fitted (consisting of 4-into-2-into-1 headers with a 2 1/2 inch
> collector), and the 2 1/2 inch tailpipes fed into either
> low-restriction ANSA GTS mufflers, or the so-called Gr3 mufflers
> (GTS-style muffler cans with no internals, and hence no sound-reduction
> capabilities.)A Finally, the entire muffler assemblies could be
> deleted and replaced by simple straight exhaust pipes.A One would hope
> the engines were thoroughly checked over and received careful
> blueprinting and hand-assembly at the factory, but there is no evidence
> the De Tomaso engine-builders werenat simply affixing these bolt-on
> parts to otherwise-standard engines.
> The radiator was unmodified, although optional 8-bladed fans replaced
> the standard units. The chassis received only subtle tweaks
> initially.A The same Ariston adjustable shocks fitted to conventional
> Panteras were standard on the Gr3 version, but there were two levels of
> Koni shock upgrades available.A The first featured internal rebound
> adjustment only, while the top-of-the-line shocks had a threaded
> aluminum body with ride-height adjustment, and external controls for
> compression and rebound adjustment, with over 100 different
> combinations available.A The top-of-the-line shock package cost an
> additional $1,000 back in 1973, quite a serious investment when you
> consider you could buy an entire streetA PanteraA for under $10,000!
> The Gr3 Panteras were equipped with the same springs as the European
> GTS, with only one optional spacer listed (presumably for rally
> cars.)A The steering rack was repositioned using spacers to alleviate
> bump-steer concerns, but the control arms and sway bars were the same
> as those fitted on production Panteras.
> The brakes consisted of standardA PanteraA calipers squeezing
> ventilated discs measuring 282mm in diameter and 20mm thick, and
> actuated by a standard master cylinder; this was a common option for
> Euro GTS Panteras as well.A Standard 7- and 8-inch Campagnolo wheels
> and Michelin radial XWX 185/70 and 215/70 tires were fitted.
> In 1974, the FIA approved further modifications to the suspension.A
> The rear hub carriers and front spindles were replaced by heavier Group
> 4 units, and the brakes were changed by using a larger master cylinder,
> larger cast-iron three-piston front calipers with 288mm x 31.75mm front
> rotors, and larger cast-iron three-piston rear calipers with standard
> GTS vented rotors and stronger axles with heavy-duty wheel
> studs.Although similar in appearance, these were not the same brakes as
> used on the Group 4 Panteras, but this system later became standard
> issue on the GT5 and GT5-S.A Small auxiliary rear calipers with their
> own small pads were used for the parking brake.
> The stock sway bars were replaced with an adjustable system,
> philosophically similar to, but mechanically different from, the
> adjustable bars featured on the Group 4 Panteras.A The then-common
> 10-inch Campagnolo Euro GTS wheel was allowed for fitment in the rear,
> and 8-inch wheels were issued for the front.
> The interior of the Gr3A PanteraA was surprisingly mundane.A Earlier
> cars had the two-pod dashboard, while later cars received either the
> one-piece molded USA L-model dashboard, or the similar-appearing
> two-piece upholstered Euro GTS dashboard; all were fitted with metric
> gauges and European switchgear.A The stock seat belts were retained
> with a race harness installed for the driver only, and the
> standardA PanteraA seats were supplanted by one-piece racing bucket
> seats, the same as those in the Group 4 Panteras.
> (Interestingly enough, these one-piece racing seats were actually
> constructed from the remains of the prototypeA Panteraas radical
> apicket fencea seats.A Those seats consisted of a sheetmetal frame,
> fitted with yellow foam blocks.A Visually striking, but judged by Ford
> as being too weird for the marketplace, they never went into
> production.A As De Tomaso had already produced many of these frames,
> they simply upholstered them with light padding and turned them into
> race car seats.)
> Heavily padded bolsters, as used in the Group 4 cars, were sometimes
> fitted to the door panels on one or both sides.
> On some cars, the ignition switch was later relocated from under the
> dashboard to the middle of the center console, behind the ashtray, and
> within easy reach of the driver while he was belted in.A A fire
> extinguisher was bolted to the floor in front of the passenger seat.
> The USA-model steering wheel was standard equipment, but buyers had the
> option of fitting theA three-spoke Euro GTS Momo Prototipo wheel or
> the smaller Group 4 Momo Prototipo wheel instead.A Interestingly, the
> Gr3 Panteras were sold with full heating and air conditioning, electric
> windows, a radio aerial bolted to the roof, and a pair of speakers
> installed in the center kick panels (one in front of the gas pedal, and
> the other pointing into the passenger footwell), but no radio was
> included.A Air horns were also optional.
> The plexiglass rear window and six-point roll cage of the Group
> 4A PanteraA were standard issue in the Gr3 cars as well.A Furthermore,
> the front engine cover was modified to allow easy access to the front
> of the engine without requiring the removal of the entire back panel
> (which would have required removal of the roll cage!)
> Cosmetically, the Gr3 Panteras slowly changed as the production
> Panteras changed.A Early Gr3 cars carried standard two-piece front and
> rear bumperettes.A After the introduction of the L-modelA Pantera,
> some Gr3 cars were equipped with early-style front bumperettes
> incorporating the front turn signals, while others had European L-model
> bumperettes with the turn signals residing in the standard L-model pods
> on the underside of the front fenders.A Turn signal lenses were either
> clear with a colored bulb, or bi-color with an amber and a clear
> section.
> Some cars retained two-piece rear bumperettes while others received the
> European L-model one-piece rear bumper (which was the same as the USA
> L-model bumper, except that instead of being mounted on hydraulic rams,
> it was mounted on solid brackets, considerably closer to the caras
> body.)A Both front and rear bumpers on Gr3 cars were normally chrome.
> There were various driving and fog light packages issued; some cars
> received Carello fog lights, while others received massive lighting
> arrays for nighttime rally racing.A For the first few years, a simple
> flat blade front spoiler with cooling ducts for the front brakes was
> installed while later cars got a miniature air dam (also a common
> option on the post-1976 European GTS) and small, riveted-on GTS flares.
> Apparently few of the Gr3 cars received the Euro GTS paint scheme, with
> a blacked-out front hood and rear decklid and blacked-out rocker
> panels.A The Gr3A PanteraA shown in the factory brochure and postcards
> is solid yellow.A In most cases, the European GTS rocker panel decal
> (which said aDe Tomasoa in large letters, then had the words aPanteraa
> in smaller script, above the word aGTSa) was used, but modified to
> delete the mention of aGTS.a
> As with the Group 4 cars, rubber tie-downs were used to secure the
> front hood and rear decklid, although unlike the Group 4, the sheet
> metal was standard steel instead of aluminum.A An external battery
> cut-off switch without a removable key was fitted to the right front
> fender; the same switch was mounted on the Group 4 cars.
> The documentation on racing Panteras is sketchy at best; itas difficult
> to say exactly how many were built.A At least one owner claims that
> his Gr3 is one of only 10 cars produced by the factory, but the De
> Tomaso Registrary now lists at least 13 claimed Gr3 cars (although itas
> possible that some of those were converted from regular production
> Panteras.)A A A
> Regards,A
> Steven G. Lisa, Esq.
> The Law Offices of Lisa & Lesko, LLC
> Email: [4]SteveLisa at PatentIt.comA
> Direct: 480-442-0297
> [2]www.PatentIt.com
> Scottsdale OfficeA |A P:A 480.535.6656A |A A F:A 480.535.6628A
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>
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-------------- next part --------------
Thanks, Asa Jay.A We will have the Pantera racing at Portland for the
Columbia River Classic September 3-5.A It would be great to see you
(and your family) if you are up for a long day trip. It is has been a
long process to get all this done.A Thankfully, the race team overhead
helps justify it -- the guys just kept the Pantera in the shop until it
got done.A We usually have three race cars at a time in the shop, and
when we are unable to make progress on one, we work on the others.A I
will continue to load pictures up, including the video from Road
America (which is still in the camera in the car).A A
Regards,A
Steven G. Lisa, Esq.
The Law Offices of Lisa & Lesko, LLC
Email: SteveLisa at PatentIt.comA
Direct: 480-442-0297
[1]www.PatentIt.com
Scottsdale OfficeA |A P:A 480.535.6656A |A A F:A 480.535.6628A
|A A A:A 7689 East Paradise Lane, Suite 2, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Chicago OfficeA |A P: 312.752.4357A |A F: 312.896.5633A |A A: 55 E.
Monroe Street, Suite 3800, Chicago, IL 60603
This email is intended only for the recipient above and may contain
confidential and privileged information. If you received this email in
error please destroy it and indicate such by return email to me. Thank
you.
On Thu, Jul 29, 2021 at 9:31 PM Asa Jay Laughton via DeTomaso
<[2]detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> wrote:
A A Steve,
A A Wow.A I ran through a large number of photos to see the
end-result of
A A what you've done with 5533.A Wow.A You have really taken her
to the
A A next level.A Looking through all the photos, you have managed
to
A A tastefully implement every item I had hoped to do "someday" but
knew
A A I'd never have the time or money to.A Your result looks
awesome!A I
A A couldn't be happier with how your team has improved the product
and are
A A now campaigning it regularly with success.
A A Yes, the Pantera is not the be-all, end-all race car, but it's
a great
A A looking car on the track, can hold it's own when properly
prepared, is
A A a real crowd pleaser and is a blast to drive in the right kind
of
A A races.
A A Again, your team has done a fantastic job of creating a real
A A head-turner Pantera track vehicle.A That is the car I would
have
A A built.A Glad to see you got it there. :)
A A With great sincerity,
A A AsaA Jay
Asa Jay Laughton - W7TSC, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
Spokane County ARES-RACES-ACS EC/RO
******************************
[1][3]https://w7tsc.org
[2][4]https://www.teampanteraracing.com
A A On 7/28/2021 10:52, Steve Lisa wrote:
A A All,A
A A I have posted some of the photos we have gathered (there are
many more)
A A showing the modification history for SN5533 in its journey from
Asa Jay
A A to its current race trim.AA I am happy to answer any
questions.AA There
A A are many more photos in my son's (Tony) phone, which I am
trying to
A A coax out of him.AA Here is the link to the file share:
A A A * [1][3][5]https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1NsfZraJ9cdbh5Q9
A A Briefly, we started with the goal of making the Pantera an SVRA
Gold
A A Medallion Group 3 racer.AA Initially, in the older folders and
in the
A A trim it raced in Portolan a few years ago, it was indeed
limited
A A strictly to only the "true" Group 3 mods as allowed as of
12/1972 FIA
A A Group 3 specs.
A A Our thought was that we have enough of the more modified race
cars in
A A the stable, and we wanted the Pantera to remain street legal
and "out"
A A of the more heavily modified categories of vintage racing
(e.g., the
A A notorious Group 6).AA We have spent aA bunch of time racing in
Group 6,
A A and the cars are heavily modified with huge HP, etc.AA We
still do race
A A in GroupA 6 and Group 10 with our appropriate cars.AA But, the
goal
A A here was to get the Pantera into Group 3 - true early FIA
racers.A
A A Unfortunately, we quickly found out that a Pantera that was
strictly
A A compliant with the 12/1972 FIA Group 3 rules was not a fun (or
even
A A safe) car to drive.AA So, we abandoned the goal of limiting
the mods
A A strictly to the 12/1972 FIA rules, and instead,A try to "walk
the fine
A A line" by making the mods that were "allowed" by the SVRA and
other
A A rules outside of Gold Medallion but within Group 3.A A
A A When we signed up for the big WIC Challenge at Road America and
A A submitted our specifications sheet for the Pantera, we were
initially
A A put in Group 6, which was incredibly disappointing.AA However,
when we
A A arrived for technical inspection, we were promptly moved to
Group 3.A
A A Jack Woehrle -- the chief technical inspector for HSR,
congratulated us
A A on a build that was well within the Group 3 spirit, with only
tasteful
A A and safety-inspired mods.AA Goal accomplished!
A A Before getting to the technical mods, I want to say thank you
to all
A A the members of this forum that contributed to our build,
answered my
A A (often repeated) questions, showed up the races, and generally
kept us
A A motivated on the project.AA I think we are close to done on
the build
A A SN5533-- we now intend to race the crap out of it.AA We had a
A A successful run at Road America a few weeks (first in class and
10th
A A overall in Group 3).AA Our next race for SN5533 is the
Columbia River
A A Classic in Portland September 4-5.AA From there, we head to
the
A A Historic Daytona 24-hour classic.AA We will bring two cars to
Daytona,
A A and the Pantera will probably run the HSR sprint races and not
the full
A A 24-hour race (which we will run in the Panoz GT2 endurance
car).A A
A A Here is the progression of mods that we made and the logic, and
if sort
A A the images in the folder by time you can see how the
progression
A A occurred.AA Please feel free to ask any questions.AA Also - I
am sure
A A there are some additional mods you will see in the images that
are
A A relatively minor and self-apparent (e.g., emergency off switch,
some
A A additional sensors/gauges, etc.).AA Feel free to ask any
questions.A
A A The limited mods allowed (and made to SN5533) that were
specified by
A A the FIA as of December 31, 1972:
A A 1. plexiglass rear window
A A 2. Roll cage and bars to back towers
A A 3. Moving the radiator catch can to accommodate the roll bar
A A 4. racing seats
A A 5. radio delete
A A 6. internally adjustable (rebound) Koni shocks
A A The additional mods also expressly allowed by SVRA Gold
Medallion
A A rules, and made by us to SN5533:
A A 1. improved / modern seats
A A 2. improvedA roll cage (driver/passenger intrusion, etc.)
A A 3. fire system
A A 4. removal of all glass (and glass systems) with replacement
using
A A A A plexiglass (except for front window).AA [Note side
plexiglass
A A A A quarter windows]
A A The SVRA also allows the following on theA PanteraA outsideA of
Gold
A A Medallion, which we made to SN5533:
A A 1. AccusumpA
A A 2. Weber carbs (or similar) and manifold
A A 3. Period lip spoiler (must be mounted completely below the
hub
A A A A centerline)
A A 4. Stock appearing aftermarket heads of correct material and
plug
A A A A location
A A 5. Roller type camshaft and roller rocker arms
A A 6. MSD type electronic ignition, must be triggered from
distributor
A A Additional mods were made to SN5533 that weA believed would not
kick us
A A out of Group 3.AA Most of these mods were at some point
allowed in the
A A later Group 3 FIA rules:
A A 1. 10" rear and 8" front wheels (initially Bassett wheels to
test, but
A A A A later purchased the Superlite's you see in the pics with
custom
A A A A backspacing)A
A A 2. replacement fan for the radiator
A A 3. brake ducting in the front
A A 4. use of the '73 GTS Exhaust and hollowed mufflers
A A 5. GTS front spoiler that is on the car with proper ducting
A A 6. Smallest Wildwood brake, master cylinder, pedal upgrade
A A A A (pre-approved by SVRA as safety upgrade)
A A 7. bigger swaybars front and rear
A A 8. Complete rewiring of the car, using as much of the original
wiring
A A A A and routing as possible, with upgraded fuse paneling
A A 9. removal of a/c components
A A 10. lowering of seats
A A 11. A few spring rates for the F/R shocks
A A 12. 10-quartA racing oil pan
A A 13. Racing brake lines and racing fluid hoses
A A 14. re-routing the oil cooler to back
A A 15. upgraded racing radiator
A A 16. cutting air holes in front bay and pinning/raising front
hood 2
A A A A inches
A A 17. Additional bracing underneath rear top suspension points
A A 18. stripping and repainting trunk
A A Engine configuration - we have three engines for SN5533.A A
A A 1. The original motor was rebuilt and put away with only dyno
time.A
A A A A We made no mods whatsoever to that engine, and do not
intend to use
A A A A it.AA A
A A 2. We have a second motor, which is a 351 Cleveland built to
1969 SCCA
A A A A Trans-Am specs.AA The build sheet has running at around
475 HP and
A A A A 450 ft-lbs.AA Unfortunately, when we put it in the car
it felt soft
A A A A with not great oil pressure.AA You can see some of the
pics of that
A A A A motor in the car with the GTS exhaust system and gutted
motors.A
A A A A Sounded awesome, but ran poorly.AA So, that motor was
taken out and
A A A A sent to our motor builder in Tucson (making our NASCAR
motors).A
A A A A TheA rebuild with further and better "oiling fixes" is
nearly done
A A A A on a complete rebuild with further upgrades, and will be
our
A A A A primary engine when done - but it very rowdy and loud
with the GTS
A A A A headers and gutted exhaust.AA A
A A 3. Our third motor is CLEVOR race motor that, frankly, is an
awesome
A A A A motor.AA It has a ton of HP and torque (about 450 each),
runs low
A A A A (unstressed) RPM's (limited at 6000 rpm) and works just
fine (so
A A A A far).AA We are running the CLEVOR with the 100% stock
1973 exhaust
A A A A system.AA It is an easy motor to drive, streetable,
quiet, but
A A A A raceable.AA That is what we ran at Road America to a top
speed of
A A A A 145 mph on the front straight and a low time of 2:36.AA
The engine
A A A A was welcome in HSR Group 3 -- again, mission
accomplished.A
A A Transaxle - we have two transaxles for SN5533
A A 1. The original ZF, which we sent out for rebuild to our
desert
A A A A transaxle builder.AA He said the condition was a-ok.AA
So, we are
A A A A currently racing the ZF.AA I am not anxious to continue
racing the
A A A A original ZF for SN5533.
A A 2. So, we have a Quiaffe ZF that I bought many years ago for
our CAV
A A A A GT40 race car.AA We have had it flipped for use in the
Pantera.A
A A A A We are looking to engineer and complete that swap early
next
A A A A year.A
A A AA AA Finally, we also paid attention to the following
article written
A A years ago by Mike Drew:
A A GROUP 3A PANTERA
A A While a Group 4A PanteraA is a dedicated, purpose-built race
car that
A A usedA PanteraA architecture but a unique chassis and
suspension, the
A A FIA Group 3 rules were far more restrictive, as the FIA
intended for
A A this class to consist solely of essentially stock, unmodified
A A production sports cars.AA Initially, modifications from
standard,
A A production-car specification were few, mostly relating to pure
safety
A A issues, but after a few years, as the series evolved, the list
of
A A allowable modifications grew for all cars competing in Group 3.
A A Unlike the Group 4 Panteras which were built utilizing special
A A components, all Group 3 Panteras were constructed from
ordinary,
A A production-line European Panteras.AA As they were all built to
A A individual customer order, itas difficult to generalize about
them.A
A A Furthermore, the nature of bespoke De Tomaso automobiles makes
it even
A A more difficult to differentiate between different models, since
it was
A A possible for any European customer to order each of the
components used
A A to create a Gr3A PanteraA directly from the factory, and modify
a
A A standard car to that specification after the fact and then race
it.A A
A A It was also possible to order a Euro GTS and then have it built
with
A A all the Gr3 components at the factory.AA So there is a very
fine line
A A between a factory-built Gr3 race car, a Euro GTS fitted with
Gr3
A A components, and a race car converted to Gr3 specs by a private
party.A
A A While the De Tomaso factory public relations personnel are
extremely
A A helpful, and are capable of answering a query to determine if a
A A specific car was constructed as a Gr3, at this time they donat
have a
A A complete list of all Gr3 cars made, but they have committed to
A A researching the information for the next edition of the De
Tomaso
A A registry.
A A The process of building a Gr3A PanteraA started in the engine
room.A
A A De Tomaso certified the Gr3A PanteraA with either a standard
cast-iron
A A intake manifold and Motorcraft carburetor, or an optional
aluminum Ford
A A manifold with a Holley R-4777 650 cfm manual-secondary
carburetor.A
A A The stock oil pan was replaced with a large (8 liter on early
cars, 10
A A liter on later cars) pan with an integral windage tray and an
optional
A A removable chassis cross member.
A A Standard exhaust manifolds, and later European GTS exhaust
headers were
A A fitted (consisting of 4-into-2-into-1 headers with a 2 1/2 inch
A A collector), and the 2 1/2 inch tailpipes fed into either
A A low-restriction ANSA GTS mufflers, or the so-called Gr3
mufflers
A A (GTS-style muffler cans with no internals, and hence no
sound-reduction
A A capabilities.)AA Finally, the entire muffler assemblies could
be
A A deleted and replaced by simple straight exhaust pipes.AA One
would hope
A A the engines were thoroughly checked over and received careful
A A blueprinting and hand-assembly at the factory, but there is no
evidence
A A the De Tomaso engine-builders werenat simply affixing these
bolt-on
A A parts to otherwise-standard engines.
A A The radiator was unmodified, although optional 8-bladed fans
replaced
A A the standard units. The chassis received only subtle tweaks
A A initially.AA The same Ariston adjustable shocks fitted to
conventional
A A Panteras were standard on the Gr3 version, but there were two
levels of
A A Koni shock upgrades available.AA The first featured internal
rebound
A A adjustment only, while the top-of-the-line shocks had a
threaded
A A aluminum body with ride-height adjustment, and external
controls for
A A compression and rebound adjustment, with over 100 different
A A combinations available.AA The top-of-the-line shock package
cost an
A A additional $1,000 back in 1973, quite a serious investment when
you
A A consider you could buy an entire streetA PanteraA for under
$10,000!
A A The Gr3 Panteras were equipped with the same springs as the
European
A A GTS, with only one optional spacer listed (presumably for rally
A A cars.)AA The steering rack was repositioned using spacers to
alleviate
A A bump-steer concerns, but the control arms and sway bars were
the same
A A as those fitted on production Panteras.
A A The brakes consisted of standardA PanteraA calipers squeezing
A A ventilated discs measuring 282mm in diameter and 20mm thick,
and
A A actuated by a standard master cylinder; this was a common
option for
A A Euro GTS Panteras as well.AA Standard 7- and 8-inch Campagnolo
wheels
A A and Michelin radial XWX 185/70 and 215/70 tires were fitted.
A A In 1974, the FIA approved further modifications to the
suspension.A
A A The rear hub carriers and front spindles were replaced by
heavier Group
A A 4 units, and the brakes were changed by using a larger master
cylinder,
A A larger cast-iron three-piston front calipers with 288mm x
31.75mm front
A A rotors, and larger cast-iron three-piston rear calipers with
standard
A A GTS vented rotors and stronger axles with heavy-duty wheel
A A studs.Although similar in appearance, these were not the same
brakes as
A A used on the Group 4 Panteras, but this system later became
standard
A A issue on the GT5 and GT5-S.AA Small auxiliary rear calipers
with their
A A own small pads were used for the parking brake.
A A The stock sway bars were replaced with an adjustable system,
A A philosophically similar to, but mechanically different from,
the
A A adjustable bars featured on the Group 4 Panteras.AA The
then-common
A A 10-inch Campagnolo Euro GTS wheel was allowed for fitment in
the rear,
A A and 8-inch wheels were issued for the front.
A A The interior of the Gr3A PanteraA was surprisingly mundane.AA
Earlier
A A cars had the two-pod dashboard, while later cars received
either the
A A one-piece molded USA L-model dashboard, or the
similar-appearing
A A two-piece upholstered Euro GTS dashboard; all were fitted with
metric
A A gauges and European switchgear.AA The stock seat belts were
retained
A A with a race harness installed for the driver only, and the
A A standardA PanteraA seats were supplanted by one-piece racing
bucket
A A seats, the same as those in the Group 4 Panteras.
A A (Interestingly enough, these one-piece racing seats were
actually
A A constructed from the remains of the prototypeA Panteraas
radical
A A apicket fencea seats.AA Those seats consisted of a sheetmetal
frame,
A A fitted with yellow foam blocks.AA Visually striking, but
judged by Ford
A A as being too weird for the marketplace, they never went into
A A production.AA As De Tomaso had already produced many of these
frames,
A A they simply upholstered them with light padding and turned them
into
A A race car seats.)
A A Heavily padded bolsters, as used in the Group 4 cars, were
sometimes
A A fitted to the door panels on one or both sides.
A A On some cars, the ignition switch was later relocated from
under the
A A dashboard to the middle of the center console, behind the
ashtray, and
A A within easy reach of the driver while he was belted in.AA A
fire
A A extinguisher was bolted to the floor in front of the passenger
seat.
A A The USA-model steering wheel was standard equipment, but buyers
had the
A A option of fitting theAA three-spoke Euro GTS Momo Prototipo
wheel or
A A the smaller Group 4 Momo Prototipo wheel instead.AA
Interestingly, the
A A Gr3 Panteras were sold with full heating and air conditioning,
electric
A A windows, a radio aerial bolted to the roof, and a pair of
speakers
A A installed in the center kick panels (one in front of the gas
pedal, and
A A the other pointing into the passenger footwell), but no radio
was
A A included.AA Air horns were also optional.
A A The plexiglass rear window and six-point roll cage of the Group
A A 4A PanteraA were standard issue in the Gr3 cars as well.AA
Furthermore,
A A the front engine cover was modified to allow easy access to the
front
A A of the engine without requiring the removal of the entire back
panel
A A (which would have required removal of the roll cage!)
A A Cosmetically, the Gr3 Panteras slowly changed as the production
A A Panteras changed.AA Early Gr3 cars carried standard two-piece
front and
A A rear bumperettes.AA After the introduction of the L-modelA
Pantera,
A A some Gr3 cars were equipped with early-style front bumperettes
A A incorporating the front turn signals, while others had European
L-model
A A bumperettes with the turn signals residing in the standard
L-model pods
A A on the underside of the front fenders.AA Turn signal lenses
were either
A A clear with a colored bulb, or bi-color with an amber and a
clear
A A section.
A A Some cars retained two-piece rear bumperettes while others
received the
A A European L-model one-piece rear bumper (which was the same as
the USA
A A L-model bumper, except that instead of being mounted on
hydraulic rams,
A A it was mounted on solid brackets, considerably closer to the
caras
A A body.)AA Both front and rear bumpers on Gr3 cars were normally
chrome.
A A There were various driving and fog light packages issued; some
cars
A A received Carello fog lights, while others received massive
lighting
A A arrays for nighttime rally racing.AA For the first few years,
a simple
A A flat blade front spoiler with cooling ducts for the front
brakes was
A A installed while later cars got a miniature air dam (also a
common
A A option on the post-1976 European GTS) and small, riveted-on GTS
flares.
A A Apparently few of the Gr3 cars received the Euro GTS paint
scheme, with
A A a blacked-out front hood and rear decklid and blacked-out
rocker
A A panels.AA The Gr3A PanteraA shown in the factory brochure and
postcards
A A is solid yellow.AA In most cases, the European GTS rocker
panel decal
A A (which said aDe Tomasoa in large letters, then had the words
aPanteraa
A A in smaller script, above the word aGTSa) was used, but modified
to
A A delete the mention of aGTS.a
A A As with the Group 4 cars, rubber tie-downs were used to secure
the
A A front hood and rear decklid, although unlike the Group 4, the
sheet
A A metal was standard steel instead of aluminum.AA An external
battery
A A cut-off switch without a removable key was fitted to the right
front
A A fender; the same switch was mounted on the Group 4 cars.
A A The documentation on racing Panteras is sketchy at best; itas
difficult
A A to say exactly how many were built.AA At least one owner
claims that
A A his Gr3 is one of only 10 cars produced by the factory, but the
De
A A Tomaso Registrary now lists at least 13 claimed Gr3 cars
(although itas
A A possible that some of those were converted from regular
production
A A Panteras.)AA AA A
A A Regards,A
A A Steven G. Lisa, Esq.
A A The Law Offices of Lisa & Lesko, LLC
A A Email: [4]SteveLisa at PatentIt.comA
A A Direct: 480-442-0297
A A [2][6]www.PatentIt.com
A A Scottsdale OfficeA |A P:A 480.535.6656AA |A A F:A
480.535.6628A
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A A This email is intended only for the recipient above and may
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A A confidential and privileged information. If you received this
email in
A A error please destroy it and indicate such by return email to
me. Thank
A A you.
A A Virus-free. [3][7]www.avg.com
References
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A A 1. [14]https://w7tsc.org/
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A A 3. [16]https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1NsfZraJ9cdbh5Q9
A A 4. mailto:[17]SteveLisa at PatentIt.comA
A A 5. [18]https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1NsfZraJ9cdbh5Q9
A A 6. [19]http://www.patentit.com/
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References
1. http://www.patentit.com/
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3. https://w7tsc.org/
4. https://www.teampanteraracing.com/
5. https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1NsfZraJ9cdbh5Q9
6. http://www.PatentIt.com/
7. http://www.avg.com/
8. https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1NsfZraJ9cdbh5Q9
9. http://www.patentit.com/
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15. https://www.teampanteraracing.com/
16. https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1NsfZraJ9cdbh5Q9
17. mailto:SteveLisa at PatentIt.comA
18. https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1NsfZraJ9cdbh5Q9
19. http://www.patentit.com/
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