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Moving to Florida: ’74 DeTomaso Pantera Project

Ah, yes – a sentiment I know well: the yearning to live in a warm weather climate, where snow rarely falls and you can drive your beloved project cars all day long. Except for the owner of this unfinished DeTomaso Pantera project here on eBay, he’s selling off his bargain exotic so he can move south to Florida, as there’s too much work left to be done and it’d likely be a pain to ship it all southwards. The only hitch? He’s got a $30K price tag attached to it. 

Now, that’s not to say it’s a bad price (he even thinks there’s still money to be made once it’s finished), but it’s hard for buyers to visualize exactly what they’re up against when the seller doesn’t list which parts he has and what condition the engine is in. He says to call him up and he’ll talk your ear off, but that doesn’t usually work for internet sales. If I were him, I’d create a detailed write-up to post ASAP if he really wants to move the car.

The body appears to be ready for paint, but we don’t know if that’s the final step or if there’s more bodywork to be done. Other photos show orange paint on the doors, a factory color Panteras look particularly good in. Has the engine been rebuilt? Where is it now – in boxes or fully assembled? All of this information is useful simply for determining if $30,000 is a suitable price for a Pantera project. And we haven’t even gotten to the suspension!

The inside is also a work in progress. It’s hard to tell if there are even seats included, but the seller is adamant that he has all the parts necessary for restoration. Presumably, the floors are in fine shape for the asking price. The seller is located in a town called LaGrangeville, New York, which is where your author spent his childhood. I wonder if I’ve ever walked past the shop where this ready-to-restore Pantera was hiding. Anyone want to take this project on?

Comments

  1. Avatar DAN

    he even thinks there’s still money to be made once it’s finished

    LOL,GOOD ONE

    Like 0
  2. Avatar JD

    Love these cars. The run like a raped ape when setup correctly, nothing Lambo, Porsche, Ferrari, etc can catch it for the same amount of money and still look like it’s going 200mph standing still.

    If all the parts are there as he suggests and it is truly a rust free car, it’s worth every penny for the guy who knows how to turn a wrench. They are easy to work on and with American Muscle under the lid, the possibilities are endless for HP (assuming you know how to setup a ZF correctly).

    If it were in CA, I’d be at his house with a trailer, cash and checking off the parts list, tomorrow. Anything missing, the price drops accordingly. These are the last real super cars to not have increased to an insane $$$, so for all the guys that salivate over missed opportunities, this one’s starring them right in the face.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Blindmarc

    I’d take a chance on the ZL-1 Camaro before this…..

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Rocko

    Ive heard to avoid these unless money is not an option. If you really want one , spend a little more and buy one off of an aging Pantera club member that has had all the upgrade work done, and wants out.

    Like 0
    • Avatar DAN

      yes, that is what jay leno says

      Like 0
  5. Avatar grant

    Nope.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Bingo

    Maybe it’s a typo and it’s a “zero” off??

    Like 0
  7. Avatar CapNemo

    30 Grand my ass. Just say No to drugs.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jeffro

      30K can buy alot of drugs

      Like 0
  8. Avatar Jason

    ” THIS CAR IS A GREAT PROJECT CAR FOR SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO MAKE MONEY”

    Is today New Year’s or April Fool’s?!?

    Like 0
    • Avatar RayT

      I think the seller left out a word. It should be “this car is a great project car for someone that wants to make money DISAPPEAR.”

      Like 0
  9. Avatar michael streuly

    30 grand the guy is dreaming.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    We’ve seen many comments before about pricing something that is not really for sale, just to satisfy a spouse?

    To me, this one also smells like one of those projects which is in this condition because: It was taken way further apart than it needed to be, in a very haphazard/disorganized fashion, with parts everywhere and all the nuts and bolts tossed into one container…. Now 15/20 years later, much is lost, including the recollection of where everything goes. Someone sanded through that primer a LONG time ago.
    I always worry about the claims of “rust free”, when I see brushed-on Rustoleum in an area like the front trunk…
    $30 big ones, and not one photo of the engine/transaxle? Gee.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Ck

    Too much money ,too much work.If you were able to get it for half the money then maybe it would be worth it.Definitely a money pit as it sits .If I had 30K to blow on somthin, it wouldn’t be on this thing .

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Jim L

    Looks like he will be taking it to Florida after all!

    Like 0
  13. Avatar TJP

    Another
    “I took it apart, you put it back together”

    AND,

    “All the parts are there”

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Jack Quantrill

    To think that these sold new, for $10,000!

    Like 1
    • Avatar JD

      Yep and ’65 thru ’70 Shelby’s sold new for under $6k.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Harold wood

      Yep Your right Jack I bought one new in 1973 but it was a 72 that didn’t sell, was just over $10,000 with options and TT&L. They still hadn’t worked out all the bugs in them but they were sure fun.

      Like 0
  15. Avatar Billy Speed

    I think that Sal has been watching too many TV shows over the holidays….and I don’t mean the weight-loss specials.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Bruce Best

    These can be real rust buckets. There is little to no rust protection on the inside face of many of the outer panels. These are drop dead beautiful cars when in good to perfect condition and they are fast for the price. The complexity factor has been correctly noted as being far easier than Ferraris or other Italian cars.

    What has not been noted is what they are like to drive. A six footer will have no problem but for short trips ONLY. Due to the large size of the front wheel wells the pedals are off set to the interior about an inch or more, the steering wheel is off set to the exterior about a half to a full inch. So driving it while twisted is the only way.

    That it goes like a scaled cat with corning to match is true especially for a car from the day. Purchasing one that has been updated is most certainly an option but the certainty of doing it properly yourself has a value also. Plus you can make certain the most current options and developments are in place where you can not always do that on a car that the work has been done many years before.

    I think the price is 10K too much even if it is rust free. Be completely certain about the transaxle and engine but they are getting harder and harder to find. This may be a case of paying the money too soon and getting what you want and waiting for the market to catch up. Just do not plan a long trip in one unless you plan on getting your back fixed as well.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar John

    I wonder how the Goodyear “Arrivas” impact the handling? Not one I’d ever thought of seeing on an Italian exotic.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Blindmarc

    On this very day, 30 years ago, I left San Antonio at 3:40 in the morning on a Honda 700 nighthawk headed to El Paso and then albuquerque. At 5;40 am, a deer tried to beat the semi I was passing across the road. Needless to say it didn’t make it and I had stand up at 80 mph as it spun into my lane. Later in the day I stopped for gas at ft. Stockton and a older man pulled up on a dark green pantara. Seeing the octane of the crappy gas, I offered him some of the 104 octane boost I always carried. He & I raced back and forth all the way to El Paso. Great memories…..

    Like 0

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