Reply to "Pantera #7206 - GTS"

Michael's car is worth well over $100k. It's starting price should be $150k. It's the real deal. One of a just a handful of an original supercar.

What PI was referring to re the $80k top price, was the selling price of a "customized" car. There is no "collector" value and no "pedigree" for a typical '72 Pantera turned into a Group4 or GT5.

Every Pantera owner who can afford to do what he desires will spend money getting his car as close as financially feasible to his personal opinion of what perfection is. That could be stock, L, late model, GT4, GT5, GT5S or anything else. But that has nothing to do with cars, value or selling price.

$80k for that Black car from PI was a real deal. A very nice car. I saw it in Monterey. But such cars are not everyone's taste. I would have preferred to have bought someone else's work rather than spend twice as much doing it myself. Then again, I wouldn't know every nut and bolt as I do now.

Which is why I suggested originally that you really need to figure out why you want a Pantera and how you will use it. The options, usually fall somewhere along these lines:

1 - You will smile every time you walk by it in the garage. Dust it now and again. And take it around the block every month or to the odd event within a few miles from home.

2 - Polish it, get decent tires, safety check key components, change the fluids regularly and drive it on nice, dry, sunny, cool Sundays when there isn't much traffic - about 10 times a year.

3 - Meet other Pantera owners and find out what improvements to make first. Learn the vendors and where to get parts, then make the necessary reliability mods. Without fear of breakdowns you can now enjoy driving it more often each season.

4 - Decide that this is the only car for you and plan to make it a lifetime project. As you can afford the time and money to do so, over the years you improve it from front to back or usually from back to front. Along the way drive the living shit out of it every chance you get. You also appreciate it's true Grand Touring sports car abilities and relish heading out on extended road trips, looking for Fcars, Lambos and other such Euro trash to leave in the dust and make their owners feel like the wimps they are. (Ok, that's just my personality coming out...)

Does 200 has cars that are also first class - works of art. Also worth well over the $100k asking price.

If I had a million I'd buy Michael's car, a couple of Jan's cars and Lazlo's black car. Then I'd buy a rough '74 and build the killer cat I always wanted.