mangusta Rear "wings"

Wellis, this may be ancient history from 12 years ago, but during the '96 Factory Tour, a few of us wandered into the off-limits storage warehouse, and stacked on a shelf were at least 6 complete Mangusta front clips! We got hustled out before we got much further, but I spotted the famous 3-seat Maserati V6-powered Pantera 2+2 sitting there, too.

I saw only one, but a bunch of other parts, and BOXES of switches. We also found 2 SI frames sitting in a pile.

The interesting thing is that Santiago knows much of the stuff, but not everything. There was a box, that I opened, and it was 100+ locks. It seems that someone put it in the wrong place.

Hi Wellis, wasn't positive if the wings you mentioned were engine covers or front fenders? If it's the latter, I'm a interested in finding a replacement front left fender (US driver's side)... heard they might still exist but I've procrastinated several years since then. Regards, Nate Stevens

Nate,

What "was" sitting at the factory was complete front clips, consisting of both front fenders and the front lower section.... All stacked neatly nested into one another!!!

Not sure if I have a picture from my visit, but the image is still etched in the brain!

Steve

Is this what you are referring to?

Yup! Those would be the ones!!! They were standing up way back in the dark confines of one of the warehouses when I saw them.....under neath overhead shelves with lots of other parts up top......

Ciao!
Steve

That is them, now they are in the other building and they are stacked together. Those are the fronts I think. There are a bunch of the rears, over the engine. I did not see any US spec front ends, there was only one complete front there, it was the left,right fenders and lower front of the car. I am sure it was a EURO spec one. I have sent Santiago a note to see what he says.

Wellis,

Euro spec....US spec....????

There was no difference........they both got shipped to the US.....flip ups, and fixed headlamps....

Just bugs me when people use those terms.....I much rather would prefer to hear or read...flip up or four headlamp.... As in Italy so many times...the "US spec" was more of a "suggestion!"

If it TRULY was the case, we'd be seeing many many more flip up headlamp cars here and this just isn't the case.

While the flip ups "may have been designed for the US requirements" I don't think it slowed down DeT from shipping everything they had to the US.....fixed or flip-up....

Steve

I disagree with you about the term US vs Europe. There was a difference in the flip vs 4 light versions. The US had a different engine. You can not use the idea of more of one vs another in the US as a point of reference, since 30 years has passed. Take the "only original goose" it was a US car, it had been here since 1969, and was shipped to Europe last year. Does that mean that should be counted as a Flip in Europ. I do not think so.

When you are talking about a car that is in such a small number, anything is possible. While in Italy this last trip, my aunt was talking about how they wanted to get rid of the last of the Mangustas as the production of the Pantera was taking off. She stated that they sold the last 50 or so to some people in Germany to finsh. So, I guess you could say that the last ones were German Spec. As for deTomaso shipping everything they had to the US, this is not the case. Importing those last cars would have required more exceptions for the emissions. I remember as a child the amount of complaining that went on about each of the exceptions. I believe that Ethal, my fathers Secretary, had to go to Baltimore to get the paperwork for each "exception."

To answer the question, Santiago says that the front clip is for a 4 light version.

Wellis,
OK, when I said everything, I was speaking more figuratively...

I didn't know about the German connection with the last 50! So they built the 10 RH drive cars?? So the pictures we've all seen of Panteras and Mangustas on the assembly line were at Ghia (body works) and from there they went to Germany for final fitting?

Which car are you referring to as the "only original Goose"? The orange car from PA? That was a 4 headlamp version that I have inspected in person years ago. Very nice! But very bad in that it suffered from non-use....

Engines: While I believe that intentions were to put the hipo 289 in Euro Gooses, I believe that this was quickly abandoned due to cost, in favor of the cheaper 302. All of the Euro cars that I have had the experience of seeing or working with the owners, have had conventional 302 engines....nothing special. It wouldn't surprise me if the cams and valve springs were replaced, but I would think this would be the extent of any mods. Just too costly to do in terms of mass production.

The stock V8 was a torquey street motor and was good for 6K rpms very easily....up to the point where the pistons all cracked.... However, if you know of info that was related to a Euro motor, I would love to hear about it!!! As I will look for this sort of thing. Presently I can only deal with part numbers (casting numbers) and date codes to tell what is what...for the most part. But they do not tell the entire story!

Ciao!
Steve

Does anyone know what happened to the first car that was used to start the race in Monte Carlo?
Grace Kelly rode around the track in it.

Dick Ruzzin

Dick, This is another thread.

What colour was the car? I was told the Prince of Monaco has a light blue Mangusta in his museum collection.

Denis

ps: New name/avatar ?