Reply to "Barn find"

HaHaHa! Great comments, thanks guys!

Jack, the amusing story you tell of my workshop needs some correcting. My workshop was actually built in about 1890 as part of a Tannery. It does have electricity!!! but no heating. I run dehumidifiers 24/7 though.

Other than the colour, this car is almost identical to mine in condition and UK GTS spec. Although mine has never been wrecked or burned, just rusted to buggery!

I find this car fascinating. What an unusual colour. The brown interior bits dont look original to me but the rest of it looks very original. For some reason the UK spec Panteras had a chrome plated American rear bumper and bumperets on the front. The front side lamp/indicators are from an Austin 1100 and mounted on a unique pod. I have only seen these on UK Panteras up until about 76/77. I think they chose them because they where type approved for the UK and De Tomaso's Inichenti where building Minis under licence in Italy so they had access to British Leyland's parts bin.
The fog light where also very common option for flashing. I found holes on my car where they had been fitted.

This car is about as rusty as mine was except mine had been sculptured out of filler so had none of the charming originality this car does.

I am often asked to advise on rusty Panteras and I am sorry to say I normally advise them to buy a nice rust free, dry state, American car and convert it to European spec. That way they can spend their time and money on engine, paint, suspension, interior, all the fun bits in other words.

Johnny