[TPR] 200 MPH

Sun Dec 5 10:35:28 PST 2021

As a friend I hope you do not attempt 200 mph in a Pantera.  If you must please hire a driver and get some damn good insurance on your wonderful car.  Years a go I saw a real GT40 hit a stone wall at Laguna Seca on what kind of is the straight but really isn't.  About the only thing intact was the vin plate, all wheels were exploded and the car was only about 18 inched tall.  I was staring at the pile of wonderful Ford parts and a gentleman came along which turned out to be the owner.  I asked him what happened and he said he had hired a driver.  I said OMG are you going to kill him if he is not dead and he calmly said as long as I still have the vin plate I will just rebuild it!!
I think I know why the driver crashed at well over 100 mph.  I was doing high speed parade laps same day (which turned out to be races and we would get black flagged but I was at about 105mph with my poor unmodified GT500KR except for a 427 center oiler with a dual guad medium riser factory 427 intake and proper carbs and linkage.  The other mod was an Adco rear sway bar and about a 1 inch lift in rear because those Sheby's always had a nose up factory ride.any way where that GT crashed is where there is a slight slight curve and a very small rise in the track.  It scared me to death every time I went there but I did not exceed 105mph any more.
Here is some more details.  I was staged third place behind my friend Dick's 1967 Shelby and a lead 67 Shelby who came to apologize before the "parade lap for us not to feel bad about not being able to keep his pace. He rattled off all his mods.   Short story Dick spun him out on the third lap with out getting black flagged and the a lap or so latter I spun Dick out.  He spun so hard his starter motor was slammed against the ring gear and destroyed.  No other damage.  I was so excited and wanted to impress myself I held that 427 to the floor after spinning him out to really put some space to who ever may have been there .  I think I was even considering to see if I could lap the field.  Keep in mind I settled on 3:00 gears for my car after trying 4:11 etc.   I did not realize I had was in 3rd because that 427 was pulling so hard so I tapped that stock ford shifter up to neutral and as the engine was screaming to God knows what rpm (solid lifer cam) I slapped the shifter back down to neutral.  The C6 input shaft tore the splines out of the torque converter and I was without a  connection to the wheels anymore.  I was going so fast I coasted up the track hill and then down the chute and into the pits.  A complete lap with no power.
Please note we drove our cars all the way to that Sothern California National Shelby meet and we went across the golden state bridge  abreast on all lanes!  We all drove home too.
Keep in mind I think our cars were what about 6 grand in value back then.

Best Regards, Lee Pedersen, Pres. Salem Motorsports Inc. 503-371-4200 3650 Portland Rd NE Salem, OR 97301    

    On Saturday, December 4, 2021, 08:28:21 PM PST, DENNIS ANTENUCCI <teampantera at yahoo.com> wrote:  

 I have the cage and a tank that passes for the fuel cell…like i said ALL the mods to get to 200 is well within reach but doing so in a narrow wheel based Pantera is really asking GOD for allot of help. Think after jumping out of airplanes, Nam, diving, working overseas, crossing a finish line engulfed in flames and even coming back to LA OR flying out to Guam at 73 may have ate up 8 lives already. 
Yea 115-120 will be fun next year😂😂

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On Dec 4, 2021, at 5:18 PM, Lee Pedersen <salemmotorsport at yahoo.com> wrote:

You may have to break new ground if you do the aero work but on the plus side you have the roll bar etc.
Best Regards, Lee Pedersen, Pres. Salem Motorsports Inc. 503-371-4200 3650 Portland Rd NE Salem, OR 97301    

    On Saturday, December 4, 2021, 05:13:16 PM PST, DENNIS ANTENUCCI <teampantera at yahoo.com> wrote:  

 For sure at 170 with the cow catcher the pantera is rock steady…even io to 180….beyond that it needs all the mods you mentioned.
Thinking about it is harder then thinking about a new Z06 or GT500
Dennis

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On Dec 4, 2021, at 5:05 PM, DENNIS ANTENUCCI via TPR <tpr at teampanteraracing.com> wrote:

Totally agree with you JB….enough people have confirmed ditching that cow catcher is key key…meaning getting air thru or past that bulkhead and a flatter bottom, diffuser, wing etc all necessary. Even mad dawg agrees
Dennis

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On Dec 4, 2021, at 4:55 PM, John Bentley via TPR <tpr at teampanteraracing.com> wrote:

My 2 cents is above 150 mph, you gotta spend time, money and effort to reduce drag. Velocity is a squared term in the drag equation so it would be cheaper and more efficient to reduce drag rather than increase HP.  The stock Pantera has plenty of drag due to the poor front end (too much air gets under the car, mine wants to fly above 150), the rough bottom, no diffuser, the list goes on. I doubt detomasso spent much time if any in a wind tunnel. Just because the car looks awesome sitting still, doesn’t mean it has a low drag coefficient. Blast shields up. JB 

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On Dec 4, 2021, at 11:18 AM, DENNIS ANTENUCCI via TPR <tpr at teampanteraracing.com> wrote:

Great report Lee…thank you. But can it do 200 at Silver state? Really? 🤨

As I think back my goal was never to do more then try and run a 150-160 Average in the Pantera which The Pantera never had trouble doing 170-175 at SS either even if Dennis did LOL ….but as we know and I trust the guys who have done 200 at elevation because 200 at elevation ON A OLD 2-lane crowned road aint the same as running at sea level on a good road…..just saying….it is just a little different but dennis has talked enough to junior and others to know even without the cow catcher on the front end of the pantera 500 Hp even at 7,000 is Not enough power? 
Are those guys right?
MD

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On Dec 4, 2021, at 10:59 AM, Lee Pedersen via TPR <tpr at teampanteraracing.com> wrote:

The ford GT had 550 HP and was a 206 mph car.  It weighs more than a Pantera and sits about the same height.  I had one for a few years and parked alongside my Pantera.  The cars a so similar who needs a GT?   Unlike me I sold it.   I was under the GT to see what made it so stable and it had a full belly really well fitted and the rear of the pan had huge channels to let the air escape.  I would tend to believe the 500 plus Pantera with over attention to air control will do it and purchasing the best air control would make me feel much more like I was going to stay on the ground in the right position.  When she goes she goes.  Stick your hand out the window at 65 mph and you will be reminded of the wall of air out there and it's power.  You can rotate your hand and find the best angle to cut the air.  Your hand will produce lift too.
Best Regards, Lee Pedersen, Pres. Salem Motorsports Inc. 503-371-4200 3650 Portland Rd NE Salem, OR 97301   _______________________________________________
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