1973 De Tomaso Pantera #4392
Price: $79,750
SPECIFICATIONS
- Year1973
- MakeDeTomaso
- ModelPantera
- Serial Number 4392
We are pleased to offer 1973 De Tomaso Pantera s/n 4392, a long-term California car, with the last owner since at least 2002, so 22 years and now offered out of an estate sale. In speaking with the former-owner’s brother and reviewing the title and registration paperwork that came with the car, we know that Pantera s/n 4392 spent most of it’s life with Mr. Mark Manoogian in storage in his hangar at Chandler Field in Fresno. Mark Manoogian died in 2016 and we know the Pantera hadn’t been driven for several years before his death, so in dry inside storage for at least ten years, probably longer. As per Mike Drew, who was the editor of the Pantera Club magazine for decades and is still the historian for the Pantera club, the club has no early history on this car, which isn’t unusual for cars with few owners and never offered for sale on the open market. Mike Drew was kind enough to visit Ferraris Online and inspect Pantera s/n 4392. At the time of Mike’s visit we had no yet gotten s/n 4392 running, but Mike did confirm that s/n 4392 is both rust free and accident free.
As an unusual nice survivor it was easy to get her up and running. We installed a good used battery, sprayed some oil down the carb to lube the cylinders and turned her over. She turned over easily, but there was no spark. Both the clutch and brake pedals went straight to the floor, so plan “A” was to get her started. We installed new plug wires, a new distributor cap and cleaned both sets of points. With some gas down the carb and a bit of spray start it ran for a few seconds. Moving on to the fuel system, we replaced the fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump and from the fuel pump to the carb. We then drained and cleaned the fuel tank. With fresh gas the Pantera now runs well, we bled the cooling system, added a gallon of coolant, checked the engine oil, flushed and bled clutch and brakes systems and added another four gallons of fresh gas. We next had a short test drive, re-bled brakes, added more coolant and had a second test drive. On the third test drive Pantera s/n 4392 now runs cool but has only the front brake system working. Next was a careful driving video. We also did a light test, cleaned all the electrical connections and fuse box connections to confirm that the headlights went up and down, we had both high and low beam, turn signals, tail lights and brake lights. Pantera parts are both affordable and available. To be a nice driver Pantera needs a new brake master cylinder and possibly a new brake booster. Both are the exact same brake master cylinder and brake booster used by Ferrari for the 308 GTB and GTS Ferraris. The driver’s seat has seen better days, but a new seat back and bottom kit is available through multiple Pantera parts houses at $300 up.
Thanks to the sleek body lines penned by Tom Tjaarda and coachwork by Ghia, the Pantera features a long, low hood line, a compact yet comfortable cabin and an abrupt cutoff Kamm tail rear—trademark styling of other early 1970s mid-engined supercars such as the Lamborghini Miura and the Maserati Bora. Abundant power and torque were supplied thanks to an ultra-dependable, mid-mounted, 4–bolt main 5.7-liter, 351 Ford Cleveland engine. While the original Pantera was easily capable of the supercar performance levels of the Miura and far quicker than the Maserati Bora, the Pantera was also known for its effortless torque at both low and high speeds and ultra-low cost maintenance. The lightweight small-block Ford 351 was mounted deep in the chassis, permitting the sweeping rear profile, while lots of rubber on the ground meant great handling. Thanks to a low center of gravity, excellent weight distribution, minimal weight on the front end, a bullet-proof 5-speed ZF transaxle, a powerful clutch and more-than adequate A/C, the Pantera is user-friendly, easy to drive, predictable, balanced and forgiving.
Cosmetically, this is an excellent “survivor” Pantera finished in what we believe is the original (and now 51 years old) damage-free body and an all original black interior. The body and chassis are accident free, rust free and are clean underneath and topside. The panels are straight and panel fit is excellent. The bright trim is in good condition, as are the lights and glass. The car is solid and devoid of rust. Pantera s/n 04392 runs and drives extremely well with great power through the RPM range. The engine is well-tuned and sounds as it should, with the quintessential American V8 rumble. The car is powerful and moves easily through modern traffic. The bulletproof ZF transaxle shifts superbly, with excellent synchromesh, even when cold. The steering and suspension are free from any play. While the paint shows very well for it’s age and is almost dent free, there are the usual minor chips one would expect at 51 years!
This is a great opportunity to acquire a rust free, US-delivered, California owner Pantera in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. It is a structurally excellent example that makes a strong cosmetic impression and delivers exceptional performance, retaining the purity of the early 1970s cars. Pantera s/n 04392 gives Daytona performance at 1/5 the cost, with much lower maintenance. Even better, unlike other Italian exotics of the period, there’s no valves to adjust, no cams to time, no multiple carbs to tune, no cam seals to leak and no cam belts to replace, ever. User friendly, extremely reliable and virtually unbreakable thanks to the well proven Ford V8 and ZF Gearbox! Because it is a 1973 year model, it is smog-exempt, even in the People’s Socialist republic of California. Pantera s/n 4392 has 69,485 miles. A great “survivor” Pantera that offers a massive amount of bang for the buck and is priced right at $79,750 or best offer!
