Out-of-production DeTomaso Pantera kits

[jeffs396]

Here is a 1:1 that's ALWAYS done it for me...the DeTomaso Pantera! I've lusted after these since I was a kid, and I've been wanting to build a scale version.

I realize there is a currently produced Fujimi kit, but this is about the old, out-of-production kits.

I picked up a gluebomb Testors (Gunze Sangyo) GTS about 8 or so years ago, but ruined the body by stripping it

I recently found a sealed USAirfix (ex-not sure who produced it originally?) kit CHEAP and figured why not, even though the box art had always stopped me before (the front-end looks too long and tapered on the boxtop rendering???) Good news...the kit body ISN'T out of proportion

Anyway, I compared it the the Testors body and it almost looks as though they were made by the same company, even though there isn't a Gunze logo anywhere on the sprue (there is a logo on it, but I can't identify the company).

Simple curbside kit, low parts count, poseable fronts, ex-motorized chassis.

Here's how it looks:





And a few mockups with the TESTORS wheels/tires:







Anyone that has any other old Pantera kits, please post what's in the box. There seems to have been LOTS of them...Entex, ARII, Nitto, Nichimo, IMAI, Marui, and others???

[The Junkman]

Forlorn hope but I wish someone had done a Mangusta kit/body. "Bill" from "Kill Bill" drove one. Had the lowest mounted headlamps ever legally allowed in CA-had to get a specific exemption.

Edited May 13, 2013 by The Junkman

[JS23U]

I would appreciate a Mangusta as well.

Concerning the Pantera I like the Marui kit best. It has very nice proportions and is quite crisp. Is a curbside, though. But I can live with that.

[Rob Hall]

I built one that was molded in a bright blue, big GTS fender flares, front air dam, big rear wing. Has a motorized style chassis, minimal interior detail (no door panels). It's from an offbeat Japanese company--Imaj, IIRC....got it in a hobby shop in Florida in the mid '80s. Not sure, but it may be the same tooling as that USAirfix kit.

[sfhess]

There was a 1/16 or 1/20-scale mangusta kit from one of the Japanese manufacturers years ago. Typical motorized kit. I had one years ago.

[jeffs396]

I would appreciate a Mangusta as well.

Concerning the Pantera I like the Marui kit best. It has very nice proportions and is quite crisp. Is a curbside, though. But I can live with that.

Do you have an unbuilt kit you can take pics of Jens?

[JS23U]

Hi Jeff,

yes, I have the kit with black plastic. Is from the late 80s, I think. I can post pics, but it would take a while...

[Ace-Garageguy]

There's another Pantera thread on here with possibly more info. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=58209&page=1

I'm currently doing a tube-frame back-half on a 1:1, and I've done just about everything humanly possible to do to Panteras over the years. Anybody needing 1:1 info, just ask.

Edited May 17, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[my name is nobody]

I have a GTS with poseable steering and motorized chassis...

however the doors open, and the rims are pretty cool.

picked it up in a bin of death @ Dons Model & Hobby in Greeley Colorado probably

twenty five years ago.

I would love a better detailed, DeTomaso Pantera kit in 1/25 scale.

Edited May 17, 2013 by my name is nobody

[Kennyboy]

I had the black version of this from Testors probably 23 years ago. It was the one where they show the completed model sitting next to a bottle of paint and a paintbrush or something like that. I remember being so excited to build it I opened it to find it was a curbside that you could mount a motor into (so it could be the one made by Marui.) Painted it black with MM spray paint which crazed horribly and my dumb self ended up throwing it away. I was a foolish kid. Haven't found another one since.

[jeffs396]

Ken, that Testors (Gunze) styrene must be of an odd formula because my Testors GTS body is ruined too

Chuck, your Pantera with opening doors is very cool, and who knew some company did one that way? Thanks for posting!

Body looks very accurately shaped, any identifying markings on it anywhere to hint as to manufacturer if you can't remember?

[my name is nobody]

Sorry.....I just examined that model closely...nothing to identify it.

I remember the instructions were in Japanese, so that was a struggle.

the front end had a rack & pinion set up that at the time I built this thing

I thought was pretty cool. and the interior has very nice detail as well.

Edited May 19, 2013 by my name is nobody

[om617]

Sorry.....I just examined that model closely...nothing to identify it.

I remember the instructions were in Japanese, so that was a struggle.

the front end had a rack & pinion set up that at the time I built this thing

I thought was pretty cool. and the interior has very nice detail as well.

This might be the Marui 1:24.

I know Bandai did the 1:20 Mangusta.

Here is a lot of Pantera kit`s (Scroll down a little) http://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=180244

[The70judgeman]

I had the black version of this from Testors probably 23 years ago. It was the one where they show the completed model sitting next to a bottle of paint and a paintbrush or something like that. I remember being so excited to build it I opened it to find it was a curbside that you could mount a motor into (so it could be the one made by Marui.) Painted it black with MM spray paint which crazed horribly and my dumb self ended up throwing it away. I was a foolish kid. Haven't found another one since.

You mean this one?

[my name is nobody]

ooooooooooo...................I would love to get my hands on that Black Pantera GTS.

never, ever saw that one on a shelf for sale.

I'd buy two!

[Badluck 13]

You mean this one?

I had this many years ago,got trashed in the move,love to see this one re-issued.

[Kennyboy]

Yep that is the one! You lucky devil!

And just noticed you are local too.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Kennyboy

[The70judgeman]

Yep that is the one! You lucky devil!

And just noticed you are local too.

I had one back in the late 80's. Think I only have the tires from that one left. The one I posted above was from the annual sale at Model Empire a couple of years ago. And yes, I'm in the Milwaukee area...at least for now.

[Kennyboy]

I had one back in the late 80's. Think I only have the tires from that one left. The one I posted above was from the annual sale at Model Empire a couple of years ago. And yes, I'm in the Milwaukee area...at least for now.

Ah Model Empire, the treasure trove of rarities.

[JS23U]

The one from the top of the scalemate-page is the Marui-kit which I also have. Here are some pics of the body, excuse my lousy photographing abilities The body is one without the bolted on flares. It is a GTS version but is lacking decals. I think the one on the lower left of the scalemate-page is an older version of the Marui kit which has decals.

This Pantera came to a US-car meet over here in Germany on the last weekend. Seems to be an early US-version with its side markers (usually no side markers on European cars) and the small bumpers.

The valve covers and air cleaner have "DeTomaso" and "Pantera" scripts which makes me think they might be original equipment. The valve covers were very thick and looked like aluminum die-cast parts that were polished afterwards !

[jeffs396]

Thanks for posting pics of your kit Jens!

That body looks nicely done, I wonder if any of the old tooling from these long out-of-production kits is still in the hands of manufacturers, or destroyed?

[Jeremy Jon]

I love the Mangusta, and Pantera for that matter. The Mangusta is on my scratch build list, since no decent kit available, but the Pantera I never considered since kits are available, I didn't realize there was such an issue with aging bodies in those kits though?!

Forlorn hope but I wish someone had done a Mangusta kit/body. "Bill" from "Kill Bill" drove one. Had the lowest mounted headlamps ever legally allowed in CA-had to get a specific exemption.

[bigphoto]

A little info on Pantera kits The Testors kits are ex Gunze kits, the Marui kits are Marui kits. The Airfix kit is an Edai kit, the Entex kit is very small for 1/25. I do not know the origins of the Arii or Nichimo kits plus the have been a few 1/28 slot body models made into kit form.

[Zarana-X]

I have the Gunze Sangyo GTS kit, and I still have the box, I use it to store 1/24 figures. I remember the gold stripe decals were very unforgiving, so I did some wacky fade paintjob (midnight blue to lime green) on it when I first learned how to use an airbrush. The tires are split (I have three different GS kits from the 80's and the tires all split) and its sitting in a box waiting for somethign to happen.

[sjordan2]

Lots of good detail reference here.

http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/1361-DeTomaso-Pantera%20L-Ford%20351%20c.i.%20Cleveland%20V8