Is there no one else!?

Numbers?

We don't need no stinkin numbers!!!

I guess if there was a strip near home, I'd go and see what I could do. But there isn't, so I haven't. And if I had the spare change for a suction cup mounted toy that would give me some numbers, maybe I'd buy one. I did dyno the car at Vegas in '03 and got 297 RWHP.

But really, I don't care. I'm not braggin about my Pantera. I'm not racing for pink slips. I'm sure there are Vipers, Camaros and rice rockets in town that can out perform 2511.

But the bottom line is this:

There are a lot of nice cars out there on the roads today, but they are not a Pantera - the most beautiful, mid engined car ever conceived. It is powered by a bad ass Ford pushrod V-8, it SOUNDS bad ass, it is not a cookie cutter car that any neighbor can go and buy at the dealer, and owning it has fulfilled a thirty year old dream.

And I'm driving it ..... the other guy is wishing he could ;-)

Larry

Larry,

thanks....the thought was expressed perfectly

George

I agree with you Larry 100%! With countless porsches and vipers that are on every street corner they have nothing else to discuss but numbers. As a PANTERA owner and lover we don't need calculators and accountants we simply admire what we have and watch others drool.

I'm running over 500 HP, The car hauls ass,,, "When I jump on it". I would not take my car to the drag strip. I like my ZF trans to much, I'm sure it could take it ,,,But,,, we will not be speed shifting this polished ZF any time soon.

Well, it has been a few years but I did have mine on the strip in Sacramento. Lots of wheel spin 118 mph and 12.75. Haven't had the new engine on a chassis dyno or strip yet.

I was at the strip a few weeks ago. It was very hot, low 90s high 80s but the car was in the very high 12s at the end of the night trapping at 109 or so. The cooler temp was, the faster the times. My car will be in the high 1:20s at Blackhawk Farms and I've forgotten my exact Road America times but I will check. They were something under 3:00 I believe. I also have times for Autobahn CC, north and south. It's written down in the car. Those times are on Michelin Pilots. Smoke em if you got em. A hotted up Pantera should be competitve with a stock C 5 at the strip and on a road course. Past a certain point, it doesn't matter anymore. For a 30 something year old car, They're great! Does that sound like Tony the Tiger there? If they gave points for cool, a Pantera always wins.

Well, I understand that the cars are rare and no one needs to prove themselves in the sports car community, but I have owned three Porsche's and two Vette's in the past and I drive them.

I know all the times of these cars and soon will on my Pantera as well. I hope to see 600 horsepower when finished. I will post the times on the list for reference to anyone who is interested.

These are beautiful cars, but I did not buy a wall painting. The car will have to be able to perform or I will not keep it long.
Steve

Steve, I think you have found there is a strong emotional attachment among most Pantera owners for their cars.

You are welcome to have as little or as much attachment as you feel proper.

Don't forget, the Pantera is a 30+ year old Classic Italian sports car. NO other 30 year old sports car is expected by the owners to be competitive with the 2005 models. NONE.

But, the Pantera can acquit itself reasonably well, say in comparison to a modern Corvette, which would have cost you about the same amount of money. The 351C can be tuned to make a competitive 400 bhp easily.

This morning, as I drove to work, I stopped to buy donuts for my employees, a guy & his wife were outside checking out the car. A kid on a bicycle yelled out, nice car mister! A group of 3 ladies at Starbucks stopped me and inquired about the car. A couple of guys at the gas station checked it out as I fueled it this morning, there eyes followed me as I pulled out of the service station and headed down the highway. As I drove to work, nobody passed me, everybody slowed down & followed so they can check out the car. This is all in one morning's drive to work. That will never happen with a 'Vette or Porsche. People in general, not just Pantera owners, admire our cars. Power, sex & beauty on wheels. I was just thinking as I drove this morning, man did Tom Tjaarda hit the nail square on the head.

your friend on the PIBB, George

quote:

People in general, not just Pantera owners, admire our cars. Power, sex & beauty on wheels. I was just thinking as I drove this morning, man did Tom Tjaarda hit the nail square on the head.

Couldn't agree more

This might be one of those times when everyone is right. The car be be many things to different people. That's why we're all here.

Ok, here are some numbers. I have been building my car for 6 years. I have driven it 0 times. Hopefully it will have >1 hp. I plan to go through 1/4 inch of tire in two months and stop every 10 miles for gas. Hope those numbers make you feel better.

I was driving last weekend, getting miles put on the new motor so I can change out the break in oil. A guy in a brand new vette with a drop dead gorgeous blonde in the front seat pulls along side. He keeps reving his engine and jerking the car forward, trying to get me to race him. I looked over at the blonde. She wasn't saying anything but the look on her face practically screamed "rescue me from this jerk". So as far as performance numbers, I would say it is a 8.5 in the babe magnet department.

DeTom, the Pantera is at least 8.5 on the babe magnet scale, maybe a perfect 10.0

While the guys can't take their eyes off the car, their lady friends always make the coy glance to check out the owner as well. If I have a female companion on board, she gets the envious inspection too. (Have you ever noticed the difference in the facial expression when a lady checks you out as compared to when she checks your lady passenger out?)

You see, the non-owners think the car is more expensive than it is. They're thinking mega-buck new Ferrari kind of money. So the gals are thinking, boy would I like to have his bank account to deplete! LOL

I've had many older ladies tell me, I don't know what that car is, but it smells like MONEY! LOL. I just put my hand on my back pocket, covering my wallet & back away. LOL

The Corvette driver made a serious error in judgement. Never race your car with a lady on board. Unless she is the unique lady who likes that sort of thing. Hopefully he'll learn from his mistake.

Mark, that was a good comeback for a drag race challenge, I'll have to keep that in the senior memory bank.

your friend on the PIBB, getting ready to head for Starbucks, George

Absolutely right. THe car has the big money look to it. Even a mechanic who I had instal my new engine assumed he was working on a car that cost a few hundred grand. It came back all polished up and spotless. You are right, women see the car and right away start fantasing how they will spend your money.

My wife drove the car from our old house out to our property. Heading down the main drag in town in the couse of about 3 miles she had 3 guys pull up next to her and start talking to her. I was following in a pickup truck. One guy at a light next to me hollered at me, "hey, you see that chick in that car!"

I am glad I love and trust my wife! We still laugh about it. Funny thing is some og the gawkers were in more expensive cars! Yea, it's fun! And it's equally fun when your on a back road all by yourself!

Gary

Yeah Gary. I don't have to be going fast or anything to just enjoy the car. I live in the mountains and cruising the backroads thi Sunday was a spiritual experiance. It was beutiful.

Exactly. There are a few who are extremely critical of others if not downright aerogent if we don't enter our cars in 150-200mph open road rallys. It's my damn car and I'll enjoy it how I wish right! I drove by a couple kids and they were rotating their fingers for me to do a burn out. I smiled, I burn rubber ($$$) for my benifit, not theirs!

Gary

quote:

Originally posted by DeTom:
Yeah Gary. I don't have to be going fast or anything to just enjoy the car. I live in the mountains and cruising the backroads thi Sunday was a spiritual experiance. It was beutiful.

Gary,

I have a "burning rubber" story for you. One of my employees, a fellow named Bob, was observed burning rubber while exiting a parking lot, by a member of the county sheriff's department. Bob was driving a Thunderbird Super Coupe.

Bob is a fellow my age who grew up in the '60s, didn't think burning rubber was a big deal. The younger deputy was livid due to Bob's blatant disrespect for public safety, he had to be restrained by fellow deputies who arrived on the scene minutes later, as he was on the verge of becoming physically violent. Bob was charged with felonious exhibition of speed.

Bob hired a lawyer for $1500 and was able to have the charge dimissed on a technicality, due to the fact the violation occured in a parking lot & not on a public street. The parking lot signs were not properly posted. Had Bob been a few more feet out into the public roadway, or had the signs in the parking lot been properly posted, and Bob would have had a felony conviction on his record for the rest of his life.

The arrest ocurrd in about 1991, in southern California, once the hot rod capitol of the world. Its a different world we live in.

As a side note, do not be too quick to judge the ardent open road racer, as I know him to be a decent gentleman, like most Pantera owners.

Its sometimes difficult to know when someone is speaking with tongue in cheek. I hope nobody believes I'm really as naive as Yorgay!! LOL Heck, I'm not even Czechoslovakian, I'm half Okie! LOL

your friend on the PIBB, George

quote:

Originally posted by george pence:

As a side note, do not be too quick to judge the ardent open road racer, as I know him to be a decent gentleman, like most Pantera owners.

Roger on that.

good story. My brothers and I were together with my parents not too long ago. We all have to age before we hear the good stories. He was talking about when he and another guy was racing in high school. This was back in the mid 50's. I think they were racing model A's and they were nothing special; mostly just seeing what they would run. He talked how his friend over took him but with the aerodynamic drag blocked by his budys car he was able to reverse his luck and pass his budy....All while going down a populer road at night with many other cars on it at the time....

You see, at the time the cars they were racing were so old, the daily drivers were passing them as they "raced"!