Reply to "74 L Wanted"

If you're looking for a pristine "completely original" car, they are few and far between (if they exist), and as such, do command a premium and would be something that you might expect to end up not driven, but displayed in a collection. If you want a car to drive, then going for one that has been mildly upgraded is probably a better choice (improved cooling (fans/hoses), and suspension being important for driving pleasure & reliability). The challenge is you are asking for Original, but also for something you can Drive, since they don't make Arriva tires any more, your desires are mutually exclusive - you need to put new rubber on the car, so it won't be original the first time you go for a drive (You can find original Arriva tires occasionally, but they're only for show cars, the rubber is so old you couldn't drive on them for any distance before they disintegrate).

I'd suggest relaxing the degree of originality - I'm sure you could find a reasonably priced car in a stock color with a few mild, and largely invisible, upgrades that you could begin to enjoy immediately, and you won't be paying museum piece prices for something you'd need to change in order to drive.

There are lots of great Pantera Owner sites outlining what they've done with their cars, here's one from Mark Charlton who purchased his car with 14,000 miles on it and has done a very tasteful job of updating it while keeping it looking original (it's white now instead of lime green, has 17" instead of 15" wheels, the engine bay has been cleaned up beautifully, and it is lowered, but the majority of changes are otherwise invisible) - Mark's Pantera Pages