#1252 Pushbutton Pantera nearing completion

Still has the small script emblems unique to early pushbutton Panteras

Pushbutton assembly with new tabs welded and rechromed

Old pushbutton doors were badly rusted. New door skins were fabricated out of steel by Hall Pantera using their pushbutton Pantera as a template. However extensive body work was needed to make the skins work. Overall it looks like new again

Seats were originally covered by wrong year 72 vinyl covers, those were removed and correct 1971 new complete leather seat covers by SACC restorations installed.

When I first got the car the clutch took two feet to push in. A new flywheel with diaphram clutch was installed along with a clutch effort reduction kit from Wilkinson Pantera. Now its much more manageable

When I first got the car the windshield rubber and chrome trim were wrong for the pushbutton Pantera. The previous owner who painted the car used a later model windshield rubber piece and window chrome. They came with two large brass window chrome pieces that joined in the middle with two stainless pieces. I sourced a very early windshield rubber piece from Mrfiat.com it fit but did not seem as wide as it should be so there is a small gap between the dash and the windshield. I had the windshield chrome pieces sent out to be rechromed and Hall pantera fabricated the two stainless joining pieces. Now the window looks correct.

Car looks great benchu, after 4 year's you must urge to drive it. Just wondering, you've seem to have gone to great lengths to get period correct trim etc., but how do the mirrors fit into that scheme? I prefer the original small almost useless chrome ones

Your car, I know...

Beautiful - congratulations.

I thought about the period correct mirrors and actually bought a set but looking at the mirrors now it almost looks like they match the car well. Plus you can actually see well out of them as they are fully adjustable from the inside via a switch

Ben, Congrats looks like an excellent job. Stunning.

I second that! Beautiful companion to your equally beautiful Mangusta. Nice pair!

Mark

Congrats on completion of the refurb. Beautiful.

Two yellow DeTomaso cars! In case you weren't aware, yellow was Alejandro DeTomaso's favorite color.

-G

Thanks for the replies. Yellow is my favorite color for a sports car. I painted a very clean 2008 Corvette yellow. I have yet to drive the car. Driving to the body shop does not really count. I hope to actually enjoy the car one day. The design of both cars are truly beautiful and still looks modern today. Oh by the way Italford, the stainless mufflers on the car are sourced from you. I still need to take those to a muffler shop to align the muffler perfectly. The car does sound loud and healthy but I like it.

There were so many issues with the car, the rear quarter covers were chrome, there was bad rust on the doors and rear hatch, panels which fit poorly, seats that did not roll back and forth, interior panels done in yellow, wiper grills in chrome, loose suspension, worn shocks

bad rust and misaligned rear hatch

Very Nice! Congrats on nearing completion of your project. Of course I have found that the project is never really finished, but just comes near to completion.

Nice! I remember the previous owner had a pushbutton index web, Smartstores or something like that? In Alabama?

Yes the previous owner actually had a pushbutton registry for only pushbutton owners from around the world. Also pictures of each car and the differences between pushbuttons and non-pushbutton panteras. The website make this car seem pretty cherry, that's why I bought it, but it actually needed a lot of work and time to sort out the car. I had a friend of a friend drive down to see the car in person and he said the car was pretty nice like a 8/10 but in actually it was a 4/10 and needed a lot to restore it to its current condition.

A pushbutton registry?! For pushbutton owners only?!! We can't have that! All pullhandle owners: Unite and rebel!

BTW, my wife's first car was a pushbutton, as pictured