Stock Campagnolo wheels were
retained.
Note rare 10 inch rear wheels and 8 inch fronts.
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Roland Skårner, is 69 years old and retired.
In the 70’s he liked the idea of Italian design and a powerful
motor that is easy to maintain. His other cars owned are a Caterham
(Lotus) Super 7, 1996 BMW M3, 1997 BMW 528 and an old Volvo 740 as a
daily driver. Each car has its own purpose. Roland also has a Honda
XR 650R and ten other, old small motorcycles.
In search of his dream Pantera, Roland obtained a register from the
Swedish government of all the DeTomaso cars existing in Sweden and
through a cross reference with the register of members in the
Swedish DeTomaso Club, he reached all owners in Sweden with a
request for a mint condition Pantera. By a chance, he was told about
a nice yellow, 1973 that could be for sale. He was convinced by
Bjorn Carlsson, to participate in the DeTomaso reunion in Modena,
Italy in 1996. Roland and two other friends drove to Italy from
Sweden, all looking for Panteras. They made the trip in a normal,
passenger car to the event. It wasn’t long after he arrived in
Italy that his eyes landed on the car you see below, for the first
time. |
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In Denmark, the Pantera looks
not too different than
the original factory brochure.
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It was not an easy buy for Roland since Tommy
Karlsson had just restored it and did not want to sell the car
without having another project to work on. They talked many times
during the week the meeting lasted but with no result. Two weeks
after the meeting, Roland was told that they had a deal. Mr. Skarner
bought it and was then given detailed instructions of how to
maintain the car and what products to use! Tommy did find another
project. Remember the blue GT5 Hall of Fame Pantera in PI #
96-Winter 1998?
The featured Pantera was born in 1973 and bears chassis number
THPNMS 04836 The yellow show stopper is used for different events
and is no trailer queen. The latest event was the international
meeting in Denmark. It has gained a strong reputation for its stock
appearance and will be featured in a Swedish magazine this autumn. |
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Classic looks that never go out
of style. The European cars have the small, chrome bumperettes.
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The car was in mint condition when bought so the
only thing that has been added is some extra sound insulation. The
first owner, a German dentist, owned it from 1973 to 1985. Roland
has all the paperwork from the prior owners.
Originally, the car was purchased from the factory and even has
receipts of it’s maintenance. A Swede next bought the car in 1984
but hardly used it. It had been sitting for a long time when Tommy
obtained it, and it needed some TLC.
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This special liner prevents
contaminants from
entering the luggage compartment.
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No metal work was needed. The car was partly
dismantled for a thorough check. All mechanical parts were serviced.
The engine was dismantled but it was in good shape and kept as stock
with the addition of a bigger oil sump. A new radiator and a
Duraspark distributor was purchased from Hall Pantera. A complete
re-spray with the original color was also done.
The wheels are 8” Campagnolo in front, with Falken 225/50 and
10” Campys in the rear mounted with Yokohama 352 295/50 tires. The
car is a good example of a nice stock car. Original tools and the
spare tire, with the compressed air cannister, still reside in the
trunk.
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Those who favor stock drive
train componentry will be pleased with this engine room. Bone stock!
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Parts have been bought from the DeTomaso factory
but The Swedish DeTomaso Club also has a big stock of emergency
parts that Roland has shares in. That way, if something breaks down,
club members can access parts during vacation time for not ruining
the short summer they have. The factory in Italy is closed during
August and there are no parts vendors in Sweden.
When it comes to performance,the Pantera is a rather heavy
mid-engine car that takes some time to learn to drive, according to
the owner. “The rear is quite heavy and it’s difficult to
compare it to a more normal front engine car,” Roland explained.
“The engine is strong but it could use some better brakes for
track events,” Skarner believes. He usually uses his Super 7 in
track events since it is not that expensive to repair but he really
enjoys driving the Pantera. You would have to put up a big batch of
money to buy it from him! |
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The bumpers have been
"blacked-out". They originally were chromed.
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Mr. Skarner would like to thank Bjorn Carlsson,
Mats Gorski and the rest of the Swedish DeTomaso Club for putting
him in contact with Tommy Karlsson and for being such great friends. |
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Mr. Roland Skarner proudly
holds the trophy declaring his Pantera to be the World's Most
Beautiful.
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Mr. Skarner holds the trophy that his Pantera
earned at the European reunion in Denmark this year. This is a high
honor and the competition was incredible. Congratulations! |
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