Pantera #2263 : Documented history of the first factory Pantera Group 4 2263 / 8263

quote:

It shows two reinforcement bars that are unique to 2263. They are still in our car today.

Actually, the reinforcementbars are std. to all the Pantera chassis prior til maybe #2700, but I agree the welds are unique and recognizable.

What I find even more convincing are the chassis transaxle mounts - they are not the std mounts but unique fabricated sidemount brackets present both in the 1972 and 2016 pictures.

The sidemounts of the Pantera were introduced on the production Pantera chassis at a later point (I think after 2263) and looked different. Prior to that the Pantera chassis had a single rear mount for the transaxle, and if I'm not mistaken, you can actually see the holes with threads for the rear mount still present in the rear crossmember!

Why, I engage myself for this cause who dont bring anythings to me ?

Who is silent consents.
In a bus, if a mother strikes her child and no one says anything, you are all accomplices to the beatings that the child has received.

quote:

Originally posted by Olczyk:

In a bus, if a mother strikes her child and no one says anything, you are all accomplices to the beatings that the child has received.

And I find that very well, a slap has never hurt a kid. I have received a number of them and I am very well, I have given some to my own children and they are doing very well too, and they are quite grateful to me for that.

But we move away from the subject .....

It's great Philippe, you are a great philanthropist we have all understood for a long time.

weld photos are compelling.... I am a believer.

I think you found your pot of gold. I also believe that it is the original Pantera. I would feel compelled to try to bring it back as a Group 4. Congratulations

Well I'm not quite there yet, where money and vintage race cars are involved there's a lot of underhand stuff that happens. As the car is not as found and has already been restored to Group 4 it's pretty easy to recreate a few blobs of weld...

What documented evidence is there over the anecdotal?

Now that we have shown you the physical evidences which show our car is indeed the very first original factory Pantera group 4 chassis 2263, let's dive into the documents. We have 70 pages of period documents or copies of period documents on 2263 and 8263 gathered by the former owner and us. It would be tedious to publish everything here but we will focus on extracts that will show you that the factory did modify 2263 to build a GT5 road car for the German importer in 1979 and stamped it with 8263 number.

This is a copy of the cardboard cover containing the internal "Preventivo" (Estimate) to build 8263.
You will notice that next to "Preventivo", it is written by hand "Ex.Muller".

Now the Preventivo (Estimate) itself in two pages :
The document is entitled : "Pantera chassis 8263 G4 red".
Despite building a GT5 road car, the car is referred to as G4 or Group 4.

The first two lines are interesting :
- Labour to substitute the right rear chassis with used parts to be found in our workshop...
- Replacement of two lateral front part type ...
- Replacement rear right fender and rear part ...

The second page :
The most interesting parts are in the first 8 lines of the second page. I translate here for the sake of clarity :
- 1 inner front part (Note : corrected compared to the first page where it was written 2 inner front parts)
- 1 complete front part (only right side, not left)
- 1 front grill
- 1 front spoiler, 1 rear normal
- Bumpers
- 2 fender flares G4
- 1 Air scoop front and rear
- 1 rear right fender (check if it can be repaired : YES)

That internal estimate done by the factory to build 8263 shows that they reused an old car that was damaged in the front right and rear right areas (1 complete front part, right only - line 2 / 1 rear right fender - line 8).

Those damages to this old car are exactly in the same areas as 2263 when it was damaged at the 1972 Monza 1000 Km.

Here are the pictures of the crash on the 25th of April 1972 at Monza :

A second view of the right side :

And the rear :

An interesting video of the crash that shows the car was not badly damaged :
1972 Monza 1000 Km

And some pictures of the car stored behind the factory after the Monza crash .

It is obvious that the car mentioned in the estimate to build 8263 is 2263, the Group 4 racer damaged by Herbert Muller at Monza. It is written "Ex Muller" on the cover of the estimate and the damages to be repaired noted in the estimate are in the front right and rear right, the exact same areas the Muller car was damaged on at Monza.

Note that looking at the pictures, it is obvious that the damages were not that heavy and that 2263 was easily repairable.

And one more :

The following documents come from a 30 pages files of hand written notes, meeting reports and factory documents regarding the GT5 road demonstrator chassis 8263 to be sold to the German importer AHI.

The first document is dated 19th of April 1979. This is a hand written report of Mr.Fischer's visit to De Tomaso. Fishcer was the representative of AHI, the De Tomaso German importer.

From the very first meeting between the German importer AHI and De Tomaso it was clear that 2263 was going to be used to build 8263. It is referred to as "Scocca Gr 4 ex.Muller" or Chassis Group 4 ex.Muller.

Again on this internal note it is written : " Fischer x Gr4 scocca" or Group 4 chassis (Note, Fischer was the representative of AHI, the German importer).

Could it be anything else but 2263 ?

How many Group 4 chassis ex.Muller did the factory had at their disposal ?

On this hand written report of a phone call with Fischer (AHI) dated 23/07/80, it is again noted "Gruppo 4 usato" or used Group 4.

The following document is a telex sent by De Tomaso to Fischer (AHI) which lists the cars ordered with chassis numbers and their price. 8263 is now referred to as "Pantera GT4 rosso".

Interestingly, if it had been a regular GT5 it would have been noted as "Pantera GT5" just like the two first cars of the list. But the factory chose to call it Pantera GT4, exactly what 2263 is and will ever be.

On this hand written report of a meeting with Fischer, the price of the Gr4 has been agreed to 36000 DM. Interestingly, the car is referred to as "Gr4 ex Muller".

Again, is there any doubt this is 2263, the ex.Muller Pantera Group 4 ?