Custom cars are a great way to express combine some of the best bits and pieces in the automotive market into a single package. For those that love De Tomaso Panteras and Ford GTs, this build should be the closest thing to automotive pornography you can get (in a good way). AutotopiaLA takes us for a ride on one of the cleanest, yet most unusual examples of De Tomaso Pantera. The car is, essentially, a unique hybrid between a Pantera and a Ford GT, with a very high level of finish and some bits that come from very unexpected places.

Performance & Drivetrain

While the car is a visual mash-up of De Tomaso Pantera and Ford GT, the same is true for the engine. A stock Pantera comes with a 351 cubic-inch (5.8-liter) Ford Cleveland V-8. The current engine is a 454 cubic-inch (7.4-liter) "Clevor" hybrid that consists of a Windsor small block and Cleveland big-block heads. It has a custom intake and a 180-degree exhaust. As it is, the engine is rated at 600 horsepower. Power goes to the rear axle through the original for the 1966 Ford GT40 and De Tomaso Pantera, ZF, five-speed manual transaxle. The car itself has a curb weight of 2,800 pounds (1,270 kg).

The custom De Tomaso features extensive chassis upgrades to reduce flexing to a minimum. The most noticeable chassis enhancements are the neatly-welded, multipoint roll-cage and the rear lateral brace with incorporated shocks that limit the movement of the custom exhaust. Yes, the exhaust requires a strut brace with integrated shocks to stay in place. In terms of suspension, the car rides on air suspension with RideTech shocks.

Exterior

The exterior is the most unique part of the build. The car is still, very much, recognized as a De Tomaso Pantera, but features quite a bit of Ford GT bits. Starting from the front, there is a front-end clip taken straight from a 2005-06 Ford GT that has been adapted to fit the Pantera front end with the help of a metal template since the stock piece is made of plastic. The fog lights are Ford GT pieces as is the large air intake, but it’s the headlights that come from an unusual place. They may resemble the Ford GT headlamps but are actually aftermarket Mazda RX-7 FD units.

The Pantera boasts a custom widebody consisting of flared wheel arches that accommodate Rushforth wheels that are 11x18 inches at the front and 13x19 inches in the back, wrapped in 255 and 355-width tires respectively. At the back end, the custom-built Pantera features the entire rear-end mask of the Ford GT, including an LED equivalent of the factory Ford GT taillights. Even the dual exhaust tips retain the same location as the Ford GT, despite the custom exhaust.

Interior

The interior is full of unusual decisions and the most noticeable of them is the plexiglass piece behind the seats, which allows the occupants to see the big-block V-8 in all its glory. It really is a sight to behold (just not while driving). The toggle switches from the Ford GT have also been transplanted into the slightly modernized interior of the Pantera and a multimedia screen sits at the center console, slightly off-set to the right. The seats are custom-made to fit the new, recessed floor, which essentially, means you are sitting on the floor. Tony, the owner of the car, says it’s not particularly comfortable.

Conclusion

Simply calling such a unique build a resto-mod would not do it any justice. It can best be described as a modern homage to the original Pantera with a hint of Ford GT DNA added. The most bonkers thing is that the people behind the project did everything in-house, and this isn’t even what they usually do. While the car was built by enthusiasts who simply had the passion and knew what they are doing, this epic mash-up of De Tomaso Pantera and Ford GT is easily comparable to when Ford Motor and Shelby American teamed up to make the original Ford GT40. If you are not convinced, the video below might change that.