Ace and comedian Christopher Titus discuss who builds a better sport car, the Europeans or the Americans. Titus also tells us about how he wrecked his Viper, and of course Ace and the Professor take Skype Calls and talk about investor cars. Then we take a trip down memory lane in Cheryl Hines’ very first car.
First off, love the Car Cast at least as much as I love the daily podcast. Keep it up!. Got a question about the DeTomaso Pantera. I fell in love with these cars when I was a kid. Some relative gave me a plastic model kit of a Pantera GT5 (GTS? The kit was by some company I’d never heard of, & the box art was so stylized it was hard to tell if it was a 5 or an S.), & it looked like a Countach, only cooler. My question is, when Adam mentions how people ruin their Panteras with wings & such, does that include the GT5? Didn’t those come with a wing to begin with? I know my model kit came with a wing, & I got that sometime in the early ’80s. What I hate are the cars that have the name of the car painted on the side almost as big as the car. So, did they come with wings, or was that something people were adding right from the start? Thanks.
No we were not talking about the GT5 or GTS (I think their were 2 models) as being rigged’ It’s the guys that do lots of custom stuff like chrome NOS tanks, odd looking dashboards, strange air cleaners, billet looking Boyd Coddington rims and a host of other things that make the cars look bad (IMO). Hey to each their own, but like you, I like the more stock look. The wings were factory on one of them likely the GT5.
ChigatanaJuly 31, 2009
Why no pictures of Titus’ car? It sounds awesome, but I want to see it for myself. Maybe he has pictures of his car on a website somewhere? Thanks for the awesome podcast!
Good work, boys. Dare I say it? The Lord’s work. Keep it up. They will come.
And my special thanks goes out that guy that does the thinkin’ around there: the tale of the DB9 made my summer. Isn’t that what summer’s are supposed to be all about?
Thanks for the e30 m3 love. Do you have some pictures of yours? What have you done to it? Info please! As you can see [from my blog] I’ve been lovingly bringing an M3 back to life with my two hands. One day I’ll be in Ace’s status – just tinkering for fun not necessity!
Will KooimanSeptember 16, 2011
I have had a Pantera for about 10 years. It is the best car I have ever had by far. I also have a Viper GTS ACR and my wife has a Boxster-S. The Pantera will smoke the Viper in nearly every category (which in turn will smoke the Porsche). It isn’t even close – acceleration, handling, braking, comfort, attention, and most of all how it makes me feel.
The only negative with the Pantera is the age. Remember, it is over 40 years old. The engineering and build quality is above average for the period, but it was hand made, so there are some issues with fit and quality. On the plus side, it is all metal, so you don’t feel like you are in a plastic car.
The GT5S and Amerisport models came with wings. Some owners have added their own wings, but most Panteras are wingless. The GT5 doesn’t look right without a wing. The GT5S/Amerisport looks okay with or without, but better with.
The Boyd wheels are modern versions of the original Campys – which only came in 15-inch sizes. Panteras don’t need the bling of larger wheels, but you can’t find speed rated tires that fit the rear of a Pantera in the 15-inch size. A stock Pantera will do 160mph with ease. With very basic upgrades (cam, carb, etc.), it’s easy to hit 180mph. That’s not something I’d like to do with S-rated tires.
After market water tanks are not chrome. The original tanks rust from the inside out, and they require European style caps, which are harder to find than US style caps. The tanks you see are polished stainless. They are stainless for rust prevention. They are polished because if you have stainless, you may as well polish it.
I don’t care for the “dog-bone” air filter, but it is one of the few performance oriented air filters that fit the Pantera. The original Pantera had one of those big blue assemblies with a snorkel.
As for other mods, you never hear anyone complain about people customizing their Harley. Why the negativity about customizing a Pantera? I agree that many mods look stupid, but most retain the original concept. My car looks very much like Tom Tjaarda designed it, but I have made a few tasteful changes – no wings, side marker lights removed, smaller round marker light (Ferrari 360) added, Boyd Campy wheels, and that’s about it.
As for Adam Carolla disliking Pantera owners, I am not offended, but I really don’t care what he likes or dislikes. It would make the show better, though, if The Car Show did better research before spewing nonsense. he support for Panteras is better than any other car on the planet. I once had a wheel bearing go out (40 year old bearings) in Little Rock, and an hour after I posted my mishap I had an offer from someone to fix it – for free. Does that happen with Ferraris, Vipers, Corvettes, or Datsuns? I don’t know. Maybe so, but I’d put the Pantera owners up against any other brand in a heartbeat. There are many more stories like this.
Scott BlackSeptember 16, 2011
Well said, Will!
Thee MonkeySeptember 17, 2011
I have to say ,granted it was just an opinion and everyone is should have one but,why would you say negative things about car modifications on one car like the Pantera?Wont that start driving away viewers?Car owners who collect and or modify their cars are very passionate about them!If they were all stock and original they would be pretty boring fairly quickly.An example would be when you go to a car show and the Ferrari section is filled with the same stock red cars over and over.
The shows i have been to the Pantera guys and gals(yes i have met women owners!)along with Mustang,Camaro and Z owners have been super nice and willing to talk to you about what they have done with their cars in a NON snooty way!These people work on the cars as well as drive them!What a concept i know,they actually drive them.Not trailer/garage queens!Most modifications on all these cars are done well.Granted some are just a fad that will change with time(20 inch donk wheels etc),but as long as there is no damage so what.Heck i remember when slot mags were the rage,then Centerlines etc.
Shiny parts and a wing on the back are not the end of the world.All that matters is they are doing something that is car related and having fun.
Its not like they are driving a 240z painted white with red and blue stripes………Just kidding ; )
First off, love the Car Cast at least as much as I love the daily podcast. Keep it up!. Got a question about the DeTomaso Pantera. I fell in love with these cars when I was a kid. Some relative gave me a plastic model kit of a Pantera GT5 (GTS? The kit was by some company I’d never heard of, & the box art was so stylized it was hard to tell if it was a 5 or an S.), & it looked like a Countach, only cooler. My question is, when Adam mentions how people ruin their Panteras with wings & such, does that include the GT5? Didn’t those come with a wing to begin with? I know my model kit came with a wing, & I got that sometime in the early ’80s. What I hate are the cars that have the name of the car painted on the side almost as big as the car. So, did they come with wings, or was that something people were adding right from the start? Thanks.
Dave
No we were not talking about the GT5 or GTS (I think their were 2 models) as being rigged’ It’s the guys that do lots of custom stuff like chrome NOS tanks, odd looking dashboards, strange air cleaners, billet looking Boyd Coddington rims and a host of other things that make the cars look bad (IMO). Hey to each their own, but like you, I like the more stock look. The wings were factory on one of them likely the GT5.
Why no pictures of Titus’ car? It sounds awesome, but I want to see it for myself. Maybe he has pictures of his car on a website somewhere? Thanks for the awesome podcast!
https://carcastshow.com/2009/07/24/christopher-titus-foose-56-chevy/
Or look under the ‘Guest Rides’ section that is where you will find them.
Good work, boys. Dare I say it? The Lord’s work. Keep it up. They will come.
And my special thanks goes out that guy that does the thinkin’ around there: the tale of the DB9 made my summer. Isn’t that what summer’s are supposed to be all about?
Thanks for the e30 m3 love. Do you have some pictures of yours? What have you done to it? Info please! As you can see [from my blog] I’ve been lovingly bringing an M3 back to life with my two hands. One day I’ll be in Ace’s status – just tinkering for fun not necessity!
I have had a Pantera for about 10 years. It is the best car I have ever had by far. I also have a Viper GTS ACR and my wife has a Boxster-S. The Pantera will smoke the Viper in nearly every category (which in turn will smoke the Porsche). It isn’t even close – acceleration, handling, braking, comfort, attention, and most of all how it makes me feel.
The only negative with the Pantera is the age. Remember, it is over 40 years old. The engineering and build quality is above average for the period, but it was hand made, so there are some issues with fit and quality. On the plus side, it is all metal, so you don’t feel like you are in a plastic car.
The GT5S and Amerisport models came with wings. Some owners have added their own wings, but most Panteras are wingless. The GT5 doesn’t look right without a wing. The GT5S/Amerisport looks okay with or without, but better with.
The Boyd wheels are modern versions of the original Campys – which only came in 15-inch sizes. Panteras don’t need the bling of larger wheels, but you can’t find speed rated tires that fit the rear of a Pantera in the 15-inch size. A stock Pantera will do 160mph with ease. With very basic upgrades (cam, carb, etc.), it’s easy to hit 180mph. That’s not something I’d like to do with S-rated tires.
After market water tanks are not chrome. The original tanks rust from the inside out, and they require European style caps, which are harder to find than US style caps. The tanks you see are polished stainless. They are stainless for rust prevention. They are polished because if you have stainless, you may as well polish it.
I don’t care for the “dog-bone” air filter, but it is one of the few performance oriented air filters that fit the Pantera. The original Pantera had one of those big blue assemblies with a snorkel.
As for other mods, you never hear anyone complain about people customizing their Harley. Why the negativity about customizing a Pantera? I agree that many mods look stupid, but most retain the original concept. My car looks very much like Tom Tjaarda designed it, but I have made a few tasteful changes – no wings, side marker lights removed, smaller round marker light (Ferrari 360) added, Boyd Campy wheels, and that’s about it.
As for Adam Carolla disliking Pantera owners, I am not offended, but I really don’t care what he likes or dislikes. It would make the show better, though, if The Car Show did better research before spewing nonsense. he support for Panteras is better than any other car on the planet. I once had a wheel bearing go out (40 year old bearings) in Little Rock, and an hour after I posted my mishap I had an offer from someone to fix it – for free. Does that happen with Ferraris, Vipers, Corvettes, or Datsuns? I don’t know. Maybe so, but I’d put the Pantera owners up against any other brand in a heartbeat. There are many more stories like this.
Well said, Will!
I have to say ,granted it was just an opinion and everyone is should have one but,why would you say negative things about car modifications on one car like the Pantera?Wont that start driving away viewers?Car owners who collect and or modify their cars are very passionate about them!If they were all stock and original they would be pretty boring fairly quickly.An example would be when you go to a car show and the Ferrari section is filled with the same stock red cars over and over.
The shows i have been to the Pantera guys and gals(yes i have met women owners!)along with Mustang,Camaro and Z owners have been super nice and willing to talk to you about what they have done with their cars in a NON snooty way!These people work on the cars as well as drive them!What a concept i know,they actually drive them.Not trailer/garage queens!Most modifications on all these cars are done well.Granted some are just a fad that will change with time(20 inch donk wheels etc),but as long as there is no damage so what.Heck i remember when slot mags were the rage,then Centerlines etc.
Shiny parts and a wing on the back are not the end of the world.All that matters is they are doing something that is car related and having fun.
Its not like they are driving a 240z painted white with red and blue stripes………Just kidding ; )
Apreiciate you for saring this blog