quote:He said these cars are hard to drive, hard to work on, hard to find parts for, hard to insure, and don't even think of getting a GT5-S in a car accident because the body was hand molded and it would cost a fortune to repair.
One word, "IGNORANCE!"
The cars are a joy to drive! Imagine muscle car acceleration (but better!), go-kart handling, and true GT highway cruising capability. My Pantera never ceases to amaze me. When I bought my Pantera, I found it was so much fun to drive that I drove it to work EVERY DAY the sun shone for 2-1/2 years.
The cars are easy to work on too! Have you ever changed plugs on a Ford or Chevy from the 60's? That's how hard it is to work on a Pantera. Yeah, maybe you can't do it all leaning over a fender - you might have to reach a couple plugs from the underside, but it's not hard at all! And we regularly have tech sessions where owners get together and wrench on each other's cars together. If you're uncomfortable tackling a project/repair yourself, you're surrounded with folks who've done it before and will show you how and help!
Hard to find parts for??? Let me ask you, who sponsors this board? PIM. They sell parts. So does Quella, Wilkenson, Precision ProFormance, Hall, PPC, Graham, Pat Mical, and others! Just check out the plethora of Pantera parts on ebay any day of the week. They're out there. Actually, we have surprisingly excellent parts availability; and that's just for the Pantera-specific parts! Engine related mechanical bits can all be purchased from your local Kragen/Checker/Shucks, Napa, Autozone, or any auto parts store.
As for insurance; piece of cake! I purchased my car and walked right into my SoCal AAA office and insured my car. They even handled the DMV paperwork for me so I didn't have to stand in line at the DMV. Interestingly, it cost LESS to insure my Pantera than it cost to insure my 89 Mustang GT because it's a somewhat rare collector car and there aren't a bunch of 18-22 year olds filling actuarial tables with accident statistics every month. Granted, that was a 'stated value' policy, and AAA wasn't willing to raise the insured amount later when the car appreciated, but it was EASY! Then I called Hagerty. Completed their application online and in a matter of minutes had 'Agreed Value' coverage (what you need for a Pantera) with no hassles, and cost a lot less than AAA. And most Pantera owners don't plan on getting into accidents - not a habit we want. But, sometimes idiots force us into that situation. That's what the insurance is for. And with an 'agreed value' policy, you're covered. Your car gets fixed (unless you total it), no issues! Just be sure to adequately insure your car.
A fellow club member had an accident. The car was insured for $60,000 and his repair estimate was in excess of $50,000. Initially, Hagerty wanted to 'total' the car because they're concerned the repair will run higher than the agreed value of the vehicle, but as my friend put it, his car properly repaired for a cost of $50,000+ would be a much better car than he could possibly buy for the $60,000 he would have received from the insurance company. His car was properly repaired and is now insured for $100,000, and it warrants it!
So, the Pantera is easy and fun to drive, easy and inexpensive to work on, parts are readily available, and it's easy and inexpensive to insure. Take the plunge. You won't regret it if you do your homework and buy the right car for you.