Pantera with a Chevy Motor

There were about a dozen of these things built in the '80s by Mike Cook in Norco CA. Most have been re-converted back to 351Cs, once the owners found that they weren't any faster and were quite a bit heavier than a 'std' Pantera. Drag racing a Pantera is not very successful as with any independent rear suspension car. As far as I remember, the gearboxes were left stock and worked just fine that way. No particular advantage or disadvantage socially- Kerry Shaw regularly runs his at Willow Springs race track with the TPOC crew.

Can you explain why an independent rear suspension car is not succesful at drag racing? I always wondered why the Pantera didn't fare well in this area. Thanks.

Thanks Boss.
Seems to me that this kind of engine swap would ruin the value of the car.

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Originally posted by Bosswrench:
There were about a dozen of these things built in the '80s by Mike Cook in Norco CA. Most have been re-converted back to 351Cs, once the owners found that they weren't any faster and were quite a bit heavier than a 'std' Pantera. Drag racing a Pantera is not very successful as with any independent rear suspension car. As far as I remember, the gearboxes were left stock and worked just fine that way. No particular advantage or disadvantage socially- Kerry Shaw regularly runs his at Willow Springs race track with the TPOC crew.

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Don't buy it get a pantera alreadly nicely restorted with a 351c preferablly a Boss 351c
you'll be better off and it won't devalue car.

Full independent rear suspensions have too many links that all have to move under acceleration before imparting any force to the car. Dump clutch: the rear tires spread to slight toe-out as the car squats deflecting the shocks & compressing the a-arm bushings, the 4 u-joints deflect and finally the machine begins to move. By that time, the Mustang with the primitive straight-axle in the next lane is already 10 ft in front and if the power is close to equal, he'll stay there. Successful drag-race Corvettes with the same problem used 9" Ford (or 12-bolt Chev) live axles. Now, put a curve at the end of the straight and the story is much different....you pick your game by your strengths.