1971 Other Makes Pantera

Coupe

5.8L 5752CC 351Cu. In. V8 GAS OHV Naturally Aspira

Manual

THPNLL01501

Clear

GAS

I bought this car to restore several years ago. At the time, it was a running, driving car that needed restoration. I removed and replaced rusty floor pans and rockers, the rest of the body and frame members were solid. All repairs were done with new sheet metal and continuous welded seams. The body was stripped of three different paint colors, epoxy primed then surfaced with urethane primer, with much blocking between coats. When I had it right I sprayed what I believe to be the original color, or at least as close as I could get to it in a single stage urethane with clear over it. The pictures speak for themselves as far as the end result goes. The body is straight and smooth and there are no flaws big enough to show in a picture. The bumpers are painted replacement fiberglass pieces- nice looking, but not original! The trunk insert over the transaxle is in incredible condition. I do not know the original miles, either it turned over(113303), or it was altered at some point. I removed all 4 corners of the suspension and rebushed the A arms and steering rack. I rebuilt all 4 calipers and replaced the brake hoses. The air conditioning was not working, with the compressor removed, so I had all new lines made up, bought a new compressor, receiver/drier, evaporator and condenser and installed them. I replaced the window motors(2) and the headlight motor with later Ford products as recommended on the Pantera websites. I rewired the car with a harness from Painless Wiring. I was very impressed with the quality and completeness of their product. This and the air conditioning were a major job involving removal of the dashboard, but it should be good for many years to come. I replaced the alternator with a 100 amp unit. I had an aluminum radiator made by the shop in Mt Clemons, Mi that actually worked on overheating problems on the car back in the late 60s when Ford was prototyping it. I installed dual electric fans and a relay kit. I replaced the Autolite carb with an aluminum Holley and installed a Pertronix electronic ignition in the original distributor. I replaced the gas struts on the engine cover. I do not have the space saver spare or any tools. The tires are old, but have good tread. The original magnesium wheels , in my opinion, are way better than aftermarket items. They just need some detailing. I believe the entire powertrain to be original and unmolested- rare in a Pantera. The interior of the car is so-so and will need attention. The seats and dashboard are in excellent condition and are tear and crack free. The seats are vinyl upholstered. I'm not sure if that is original, but it was done quite well if not and seems to be very similar to the vinyl they used in Alfas and Fiats back then. The carpets are nice, but will require snap installation to keep them in place on the floor or replacement. There is no sound deadener or padding under them, as the pictures show. The headliner is fine, but I do not have sunvisors. The door panels (fiberglass) are poor. They may be repairable, but most people would buy new panels. The driver's door armrest is a disaster. It might be repairable. I got involved with other projects and never finished this one. I don't see where I will get the time to do so. The car is registered and drivable. In fact, it is a blast to drive- fast, tight and quite an attention getter. But it will need some things done to make it a daily driver. I never charged the air conditioning; I planned to use R12, it should take about 3 1/2 lbs, so it isn't horribly expensive. The new owner could use R134 by changing the oil first-the compressor has never been run. The heater is not hooked up, mostly because it needs an expensive valve and I figured I wouldn't be needing it for summer driving. I put shutoffs in the heater lines as recommended on some Pantera websites. They allow the air to be colder as the evaporator and heater core are in one unit. The gauges work, the horn works, the lights work, but I can't get the blower to work. The motor works, so it is probably a switch or wire issue. The wipers do not work, again probably a wiring issue. The washers also do not work. I have many extras that will go with the car- The rare original carb, radiator(it weighs a ton, it is worth scrapping if you don't expect to use it- I wouldn't) glovebox and fuse box cover(I had to make a new one to cover the new fuse panel). Also, I have a replacement owner's manual, dealer service manual reprint, parts manual(very useful for assembly diagrams) and a book of service updates from Detomaso. The car looks great and runs great. Someone with the time and the interest could easily make this a daily driver, or even a show car. Or it can be modified as many have been- it's all up to the purchaser. I'm starting the bidding at less than I paid for the car when I got it in rough condition. It is definitely worth completing with virtually all the hard, expensive work already done. I forgot to write that the car will need a wheel alignment and that the driver's side window switch is "sticky".