Pantera Fumes

My wife was never happy when she had clothes hang drying in the garage and I started the Pantera.

quote:

No wonder folks don't spend much time tailgating me.

They don't, because they can't ... we've all seen your videos


I know what you mean though, my eldest keeps asking "what's that smell" when I take him for a drive.

I have my list to run through with him depending on how acrid the stench is - Oh, just the exhaust, or or a little clutch material, or some overheating wires. You know, regular car smells - then I crack the window a bit further and wait for a chance to open her up and clear the cockpit.

At this point, I still like the smell (the exhaust anyway, I can do without the overheated wires), it rounds out the sensory impact of the car - but then again, the smell in the underground of the hotel in Kingston was pretty strong when the 15+ cats fired up and departed back in Sept.

Alright maybe I am an oddball ...

There is a very distinct smell about the Pantera - in all respects.

I have always loved it.

B.G.

Not only does my wife hate the smell of the exhaust and on me after a drive, she can also tell when I've just been sitting in the car without even starting it.

I have come to associate that smell with driving the Pantera, so whenever I smell it I feel happy, elated.
"I LOVE THE SMELL OF PANTERA AFTER I DRIVE IT!. It smells like...victory!"
Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now!"

EDIT: I changed it from Bill to Bob. I ain't real good with names. Also misspelled Apocalypse.

Typically, it's running rich. I had my Pantera dyno-tuned (installed and O2 sensor) and the carb re-jetted appropriately, but it still smells rich. At least my eyes don't burn from the fumes after only seconds standing behind the car at idle like they used to.

My wife also complains that her clothes smell whenever we go out of town in the Pantera and her suitcase rides in the trunk. I wrap it in a garbage bag now.

Hey Garth do like one of the group does, send her stuff by Fed X. No complaints and more room for your stuff. Or do what I do and leave her at home.
Richard

Yup, I've distinctly noticed that, especially in traffic where who is faster than who is not an issue, people do not like sitting behind the pantera. Even when my son and I go blasting around in the mountains he backs off a 1/2 K.
Says "it's just &%$@$% terrible being right behind that thing". Hey, no pollution controls, short pipes, bad mufflers, I'm doing my part to deplete the ozone layer.
Doug M

Well I'm glad to see it's not just a problem with me or my car, but a general bad ass cat malaise.

But what about the fumes from regular street traffic? How come exterior fumes while in traffic (not those created by the Pantera) are much worse in the Pantera as compared to my SUV?

less than 1m30s

That's the time it takes for me to set off the carbon monoxide alarm in my underground parking garage, which also starts up the auxiliary vent fans. I intend to take advantage of this in the winter to control the temperature & humidity.

All I have to do is start my car in the garage and the wife complains that I smell like exhaust when I come in. I do have it running at Stoich or slightly leaner at cruise so It shouldnt be too bad following me.

Blaine

On one occasion I was confronted by an individual asking if I knew what damage I was doing to the enviroment with a car that emitted such smelly exhaust. My reply was that with so many people now conserving energy there was an excess of unused "carbon credits" and I was doing my part to "recycle" the unused credits. Admittedly it was a weak answer, but it shut the guy up.

Just remind them that cars DID NOT create CO2 emissions until they required catalytic converters!!!

Fuel fragrance is the answer!

I can’t believe no one chimed in on this. You can buy the fuel additive in Grape, Bubblegum, Pina Colada, Watermelon, & Cherry. I am told Grape is the most fragrant. I used the grape additive. Drive into a group and people ask what is that smell? Smells like grape! Italian hence grape. I just say it runs on cheap wine. The fragrance does linger in the garage.

I think it was developed to mask race gas.
IndyDave

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself ...



But at $9.99 for 4oz, that's about $320 per gallon (we Canucks are on the metric system, I think it's 128oz/gallon, but I'm open to correction) ... boy that doesn't sound like cheap wine to me ... makes gas seem cheap though!
JEGS has about 18 flavours available at $12.99/bottle - If y'all are getting heck for coming in smelling like rocket fuel, just think what's gonna happen if you come home smelling all fruity or like you've been out drinking pina coladas!
Not to mention the critters it would probably attract to your garage - Those of you in Bear country may want to think twice ...

quote:

How come exterior fumes while in traffic (not those created by the Pantera) are much worse in the Pantera as compared to my SUV?

Uh, most of what you're smelling is probably your own Pantera fumes. And if you are smelling the other cars around you more in the Pantera than your SUV, it's because your modern SUV seals up much tighter than your Pantera with leaky 30 year old weatherstripping, holes in the firewall with worn boots and grommets for shift linkages, heater hoses and wiring, and 30 year old manufacturing tolerances which are far from today's standards for automotive manufacturing.

Just part of the sensory-experience of driving a Pantera!

Garth, I agree. When burning the grape, I will often smell the fumes at a light, depending on the wind direction. The fumes flow under/around the car & back up through the windows. The fumes, at least the strong fumes, come from the end of the tail pipes not the engine compartment.

Regarding the fragrance, you only need to use about 1/2 the bottle or 2 oz per full tank. The manufacturer would like for you to use an entire bottle but you really only need to use 1/2 for the full effect. $9.99 is the average price. Check your local speed shop or http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/1656,58_Fuel-Fragrance-...mNo=fuel%20fragrance

Pretty cool idea. I'll hand out that smelly stuff next big Pantera event and see if we can actually drive behind eachother that way.

Hey Garth, I don't think it's my own fumes that I smell when in traffic in the cat. I've done some experimenting, eg - if I start choking on fumes behind some car and then change lanes or drop back it goes away.

Sitting in stop and go traffic in the cat with my windows open or closed I can smell the exhausts of other cars. In my SUV with the windows open or closed I can't. I think it is the height (or lack of it) that makes all the difference.

David some thing minor to consider ... I found while cutting out my floors ... 12 little V's cut into the sheet metal and most had a 1/16" openings and the location that really caught my eye was the 4 in the bottom of the console that potentially allowed fumes to come in to the Cockpit. Also I think we discussed this once before that the Pantera has no vents cut into the doors to allow air OUT. As the AC or heat is circulating this could potentially create a vacumn and pull exhaust in thru small holes .. Sorry my HVAC backround is kicking is ... am I over thinking this ? I didnt notice fresh air inlet on the P car ?

9138 I add dyno mat and sealed all the potential opening last year and it made a big difference .. but ahrd to shut the doors with the windows closed.

Ron