Group 5 Pantera
Other Racing Panteras
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This page highlights racing Panteras developed by privateer racers.
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Hall Pantera "Burgundy Express"
Hall Pantera's "Burgundy Express", taken from inside turn 8 at Riverside International Raceway. Photo: Kurt Oblinger
Hall Pantera's "Burgundy Express", in the pits at Riverside International Raceway.
From "Panteras for the Road" by Henry Rasmussen
Bob Cleaves' Group 4 Pantera leads Hall Pantera's "Burgundy Express" exiting the infamous turn 9 at Riverside International Raceway. Photo: Matt Stone
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ADA / Superpower Pantera​
Ex Superpower Pantera in the AutoItalia series. Photo: Dean Martin
Built in 1994 by Chris Crawford's ADA Engineering team and raced at Le Mans that same year. In 1995, driven by Thorkild Thyrring, this Pantera achieved its greatest success - winning the British Racing Driver's Club (BRDC) National GT Championship in the GT1 Class, (and 3rd overall in points behind the GT2 class Marcos LM600 & Porsche 911 GT2).
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Sold to Superpower in 1996 and run in a few races that year. Re-entered the BRDC Championship in 1997, marking its final year in professional racing. Later sold to a private party and raced briefly in the AutoItalia series, winning at Snetterton.
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Highly developed, this Pantera utilized a dry sumped Ford Motorsports 5 liter iron block with aluminum heads. At Le Mans in '94 the ADA team ran with a Holley carburetor due to time constraints. The carb was later replaced with a custom designed EFI system. Suspension utilized uprights from a Gp C Jaguar (front) and Porsche 962 (rear). Stock suspension pick-up points were retained (as per the regulations). New A-arms were designed and fabricated to adapt to the uprights - making the suspension modifications effectively "bolt-on". Other than the addition of the safety cage, the rear "tube-frame" Si chassis was largely unchanged from stock. The gearbox was a March 5-speed. Superpower later added a "sequential" shift mechanism to the gearbox.
Ex Superpower Pantera in the AutoItalia series. Door "modification" is courtesy of a Ferrari driver's overly optimistic pass attempt.
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Bob Cleaves "Super Production" Gr 4 Pantera
Photo: Matt Stone
Built by Mike Cook and Lee Mueller to SCCA SuperProduction specs in 1981, chassis 3109 shows what was possible using state-of-the-art technology at that time. This was built to "professional" level standards but privately funded by then POCA president, Bob Cleaves. Unfortunately it had a limited racing career and was retired shortly after winning at a Riverside Raceway SCCA event .
Photo: Gr5Pantera.com
Pictured above at Riverside Raceway in 1988. The car was trailered to the track, but did not race. It was sold sometime thereafter.
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David Archibald Gr5 Pantera
Hugh Kleinpeter offered body parts using the same molds as his IMSA race Pantera. One Pantera in NY was converted using these fenders; now owned by David Archibald. The chassis was updated with a new suspension design and semi-tube frame structure. Pictured above at the 2012 POCA Rally in Phoenix.
Parked next to a stock bodied Pantera, it's obvious Dave Archibald's Pantera is a bit lower and wider!
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Luis Villalba Group 4 Pantera
Photo: Artes Max
Luis Villalba Group 4 Pantera at Circuito de Barcelona-Catalunya 2016. Converted to Gr 4 using the proper factory sourced Gr4 race parts. Utilizes a mechanical fuel injection system.
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Twin-Turbo Pantera, built by Lance Nist
Photo: Credit Needed (POCA Magazine)
Turns out flares are not required to fit "Group 5" sized wheels to a Pantera! Originally built by Lance Nist of Pantera Specialists and run at POCA and Ferrari track-day events this twin-turbo Pantera is now owned by Bart Lowrey. Pictured above at Laguna Seca.
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Gregg Esakoff Race Pantera
Based on a 1971 chassis, extensively updated by Coast Fabrication in Southern California. Pfaff Racing built engine utilizes Ford SVO aluminum bock and heads. Motec electronics control the Kinsler EFI and coil-per-plug ignition.
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Photos: Gregg Esakoff