Just added 300th De Tomaso to Registry

Super site and very impressive Ben! Your on-line registry must be the largest on the web and the place to register a de Tomaso car. That’s a big accomplishment because from my experience most de Tomaso owners are not interested in registries. As an example, the POCA scrap book only has 178 cars listed and they have been working on it for years and years. Now that your registry is so large have you considered adding a category for 71 - 74 Panteras sold in the US?

Mike

I would like to add my car to your registery. It is a 73 euro-GTS, number 4903. Could you please email me an application at detomaso72@yahoo.com?
Thank you and have a good day.

Thanks Mike, I'll hopefully add categories for the regular Pantera's within the next couple of weeks.

DeTom, if you e-mail me some photos and information on your GTS I'll be happy to add it to the registry right away. My e-mail is bentyer@qv500.com.

With the next round of updates I'll also add some application forms for each De Tomaso model to make the submission process easier.

BT

Thanks! Your site is a wonderful addition to the de Tomaso community. The site layout and easy access is really nice. I’d like to add my car to the list when you start the new group.

Mike

Ben: I am sure this has been asked before, but here goes - "How many GT5s panteras' have been imported to the USA as far as your records show?"
Thanks,
Bob

Hi Bob - regarding GT5S Pantera's, although I don't have any definitive records as such, I would guess less than 50 made it to the US, either via Amerisport/Kirk Evans or as grey imports by other parties.

Mike (or any other Pantera experts ) - I've begun adding the Pantera and Pantera L derivatives offline. Can you confirm there was some crossover in so far as chassis numbers went? E.g. were some non-L Pantera's still rolling out of the factory after the L had already been introduced?

Finally, any owners of 71-74 Pantera's who'd like to have their car listed can now drop me a line as the new section will be going live this weekend.

BT

quote:

Originally posted by Ben Tyer:
...Can you confirm there was some crossover in so far as chassis numbers went? E.g. were some non-L Pantera's still rolling out of the factory after the L had already been introduced...

Ben,

from my US perspective the answer would be "no".

The L Pantera was a 1973 model, but the factory got a late start in production, as the big bumpers & emissions motor did not find their way into production until sometime in August of 1972, whereas 1973 production would have normally begun the first week in July 1972. What that means is that the Panteras assembled in July 1972, while technically built during the 1973 production year, were pre-L Panteras. The first chassis with the big bumpers is recognized as being #4269, it was assembled in August. Of the cars I have seen, this seems to have been a decisive cut-over, there was no mixing of Pre-L and L models after #4269.

Although the cars were not necessarily assembled in sequential chassis number order, the switch to the L front bumper involved adding the front turn signal pods into the front valence, so this change to the body work was most likely a decisive change at the coachworks, and would prevent any mxing of pre-L parts onto coaches designed for L turn signals.

The only means to have a full picture of the production history is by including the final assembly date found on the door tag and the body service number on the foot box. Bill Van Ess has done a better job of this than anybody else here in the states.

That's my US perspective, I have no idea what was happening with the Panteras asembled for European destinations.

Thanks for that George. I've now added Index pages for the pre-L and L Pantera's.

Ben,

Great job on your worldwide de Tomaso registry site and appreciate you adding the 71 cars, pre Ls and Ls.

George Pence,

Considering Ben is building an International Worldwide de Tomaso registry, how about adding a link to his site from Pantera International. I found it very easy to send Ben an email with my car information and he took it from there.

Mike

George,

I forgot to add that the link on the PI page http://www.panteracars.com/links.html to www.detomaso.net is a non working website.

Mike

Sweet, 4295 just posted in registry


http://www.qv500.com/detomasoregistryindexpanteral.php

Ben, 2 questions:

(1) what does pulsante mean? my translator inteprets it as "beating". I know it has something to do with the pushbutton doors.

(2) what distinguishes a series one GTS from a series two GTS?

And one correction for you to incorporate: chassis 5900 was the first 1974 Pantera. You have some L's with higher chassis numbers listed as '73s. (In California the early '74 Panteras were redocumented as '73s, because Ford neglected to have the Cleveland motor smog certified for California for the '74 model year on time). Mine, chassis 6018 is one such car. I always tell people my car is a '74, although the registration reads '73. But I have the '74 windshield wipers.

And finally, a situation to ponder. Mechanically the GTS, GT5 & GT5-S are the same, with the better brakes, rear carriers with larger wheel bearings, improved exhaust system and what ever other improvements were incorporated into these cars. The American GTS however has none of these improvements, it is mechanically identical to the '74 Pantera L. I wonder if it is more accurate to lump the American GTS with the European GTS as you have done, or to lump it in with the Pantera Ls? A third alternative would be to give them a category of their own.

thanks my friend

quote:

Originally posted by www.PanteraPlace.com:
George,

I forgot to add that the link on the PI page http://www.panteracars.com/links.html to www.detomaso.net is a non working website.

Mike

thank you Mike, I'll keep that in mind. The web site is being neglected and needs a lot of updating. Right or wrong, I've made this of less importance than other things, like the magazine.

An overhaul of the web site will be coming down the pike. Secure on-line shopping, membership, renewals, etc. More eye candy for those "possible future owners" browsing the 'net for Pantera info & pictures. Links to your site & Ben's will be displayed prominently. I don't have the ability or time to do this, so I'm waiting for the funds to be available to allow me to hire somebody.

There will be a password protected area for members only, with special features accessible only by members.

Hey George - some interesting comments, thanks.

1 - Pulsante translates to pushbutton. I was considering classifying these cars as Vignale Pantera's, something to differentiate them from what's referred to as the 'pre-L'.
2 - The Series 2 GTS adopted the updated L-type bodywork that can most easily be identified by the reconfigured indicator/turn light pods positioned below the front bumperettes. Series 1 GTS used the matt black early style bumpers with integral sidelights.
3 - Regarding the American-spec GTS, I think for now I'll keep them with the other GTS variants but hope that sometime in the future (when there are a few more listed ) they can have a category to themselves.

I have a dozen or so more cars going on tonight which should take the total number of De Tomaso's listed beyond 350. By just hoovering up all the available information that's around, I hope to pass the 1000 cars mark before the end of '07.

Ben

There are a number of sites like this one with 178 cars http://www.panteraclub.com/scrapbook/page.asp?User=All&Click=Next that you can Hoover up plus this one http://detomaso.carcommunity.net/ with 312 and I sent you an email with a link to another site. I think there are five or six sites on the net. Hoover away!

A number of the sites have my car on them and I didn’t send them the information!

Mike