preL or not

CJ, Don't feel like the lone ranger. I once traded emails with a guy who had the same question, and he said he had owned 6 Pantera ??!! Easiest difference is probably the dash...two pods, one for tach and one for speedo is the Pre-L. One pod housing both is an L. Fuel filler is inside the engine bay on a Pre-L, through the LH gill fuel door on an L. Engine cover and side panels may have other differences I am not aware of, but I think this you get you on the right track.

G'day mate, Larry Finch

I think the better question posed to you would have been "where is your gas filler is located."

Earlier models have the gas filler located in the engine compartment instead of the outside gill for later models. This determines what type of engine covers you need.

To add more fuel to your fire...

A Pre-L engine cover (the center piece)is "all screen", and curves down toward the glass with the same curve as teh side covers.

An "L" center cover has a solid piece in the center, (with the wire mess on either side), and the front section towards the glass is in the shape of the air cleaner, somewhat.

I can send you an image of an "L" cover if you like.

Then during the L production, (which started in August, 1972, with the bumper change, and other items...) the side engine cover pieces also changed. The gas filler was reloacted into the gill, officially with VIN 5000,(but my 4580 has it) and shortly thereafter, the engine cover on that side was changed (perhaps twice) to cover the gas fill hose.

To ramble on....
Then quite a while later, the right side cover was modified. (Early or Mid production 1974s ?) A hole was cut into the cover to give better access to the water fill tank.

If this is not enough, early 1971 cars were different from later 71 and 72 cars, where the engine screen meets the window.
How the cover fits into the groove was changed at some point.
I think some modification was made to this groove at the "L" change over also, so going from the early type to the L type may require some slight mods.

Need more, or was that too much already ?

Chuck

The "L" model was introduced in Sept 1972 with a host of changes. The most notable were the repositioning of the relay box from above the right footwell to alongside of the left footwell, and in the U.S, the use of the big rubber front bumper & one-piece rear bumper, and a single-pod dash vs the earlier 2-pod dask. If your car has a build-date of Sept 72 or later, its an 'L' version (Euro cars have different updates than US cars). The engine screen cover was changed in the post-80s cars but I think all the 71-77 cars will interchange. 1st version was all screen while 2nd version had a metal plate for more air cleaner clearance.

Thanks but my car is a hibrid it would seem!
The dash is a two pod. The relays are on the left hand side and to confuse me even more it has the rubber and one piece rear bumper.
so where do I go from here.
Thanks to all who replied

It's still an 'L'. The L model changes were incorporated piecemeal, not all at once, so all the '72 Ls and many of the early '73s are built exactly as you describe your machine. As for the engine screen, an early all-screen unit, or the 'later' '72-1/2 -77 screen with the metal center section should bolt right on. The screen's dimensions changed around build-date 1980 after all the original "Ford-built" bodies wrre used up.

My 1973 L (#04526) has the dual pod dash.

I HAVE RECENTLY READ THAT SOME EARLY "L" PANTERAS WERE STILL FITTED WITH LEFT OVER 2 POD DASHS. MY 74L #5723 HAS THE SINGLE POD DASH. MARLIN

[This message has been edited by MARLIN JACK (edited 05-28-2002).]

My 72 L 4687, build date Nov 72 also has the 2 pod dash and fuel filer in engine compartment.

[This message has been edited by Jerry Porter (edited 05-30-2002).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jerry Porter:
[B]My 72 L 4687, build date Nov 72 also has the 2 pod dash and fuel filer in engine compartment.

How strange. My 1973 #4526 has the outside fuel filler!