New gasket fitted

We have now fitted a brand new rubber gasket to replace the faulty one on the car. The customer has specified for the fitment to be rubber but we also have a special order cork gasket heading over from Australia as we speak. The De Tomaso Pantera forums have mixed reviews on both the rubber and cork so with the rubber gasket now fitted and a cork one arriving very soon we will have both options to hand.

The car is back together and ready to go home…

Pantera engine running issues

Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera seems to be weeping around the rocker cover. We have discovered that the rubber gasket has slipped due to it being slightly ill-fitting. This is the only option for gaskets in the UK so we have broadened our search to Australia where they are producing the gaskets in cork which should give a better seal.

Work now complete on our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera

One of the star attractions of last week’s Classic & Sports Car & Bike Show was our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera.

The engine work is now complete and the car is ready to return home.

The car came to us for a full service, to tighten, loctite the gear linkage and to investigate a misfire. We have replaced the obvious; plugs, leads, rotor arm, distributor cap. The fault was still present. We have now discovered an incorrect push rod fitted which has resulted in the rocker arm breaking.

We have stripped own and crack tested all rocker arms where we have established 3 being cracked.

We have fitted lifters, inlet manifold gaskets, pushrods and 4x rocker arms.

We have also removed offside rear hub assembly, replaced nut and tightened.

The torque has been adjusted to manufacturers recommendation.

Lastly we carried out a full MOT inspection.

De Tomaso Pantera Wheel Bearing

Pete has replaced the nut on the De Tomaso Pantera’s wheel bearing.

1974 De Tomaso Pantera – Service

Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera is in our workshops today for a full service.

The return of our De Tomaso Pantera

Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera has returned to our workshops to get her ready for the summer ahead.

She’s now sitting on a set of brand new tyres.

The air filter, spark plugs and oils have all been changed so she’s good to go once more!!

Replacing the dust covers De Tomaso Pantera

Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera is back in with us to have the dust covers replaced top and bottom.

De Tomaso Pantera Wheel Bearings

We first saw our stunning 1974 De Tomaso Pantera in February 2017 as an insurance valuation but we welcome her back to the Bridge Classic Cars workshops for a wheel bearing change as well as an oil and filter change.

Work will start tomorrow with all of the parts (hopefully) ready and here waiting.

Insurance Valuation – 1974 De Tomaso Pantera

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In the Bridge Classic Cars workshop this afternoon we welcomed a stunning 1974 De Tomaso Pantera for an insurance valuation assessment.

Quite often insurance companies require advise from an independent valuer, this can be a Car Club Official, Restorer, Valuer or Specialist Dealer. With the classic car market changing so rapidly it is important for insurers to understand the true value of the vehicle, not only for themselves but for the vehicle’s owner too.

There’s many different scenarios to be aware of. This example isn’t the only one but it’s a simple one to understand:

If your car is very rare, you know yourself it is worth £30,000 but the only one that is found on the internet in a search sold 2 years ago for £20,000. An insurance company only has this information to go on, therefore they may consider your car to have a market value of £20,000. An independent valuer will be able to assess it on it’s current condition and the current market value of similar vehicles and will be able to provide a more accurate and trusted valuation.

Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera has arrived today for an insurance valuation. A full inspection has been carried out by the team and all findings have been recorded. This information will now be relayed to the insurance company and a more accurate figure can be agreed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”10154,10155,10156,10157,10158,10159,10160,10161,10162,10163,10164,10165,10166,10167,10168,10169,10170,10171,10172,10173,10174,10175,10176,10177,10178,10179,10180,10181,10182,10183,10184,10185,10186,10187,10188,10189,10190,10191,10192,10193,10194,10195,10196″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I think it’s safe to say this De Tomaso Pantera made a lot of people very happy today as it drew quite the crowd; with the guys at Wilco and FastFit popping by to say hello, even Andy and Pete came down from Bridge MOT to have a little look too.

The crowd seemed to gather before the car even arrived but I guess they knew it was coming, I think the fact we heard it from around the Asda area helped!!

…and by the way, if you own a De Tomaso Pantera yourself and are wondering it’s worth, don’t worry, the hypathetical story above does not relate in any way.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]