Reply to "Push Button Panteras, more questions."

HD & Miles, the type of judging you gentlemen are thinking of is the type of judging that goes on within a marque, pitting one Mustang against another, or one Delorean against another. The judging is rigidly based on an agreed grocery list of what parts came with each model and trim level. As you have pointed out, its very, very anal. A car can lose points for having a non-oem screw. Or a casting that doesn't have the right casting flaws (i.e. "this valve cover is supposed to have an upside down 3 in the part number").

As Miles pointed out,it would be difficult to even decide upon what the standard parts are for a Pantera, and no matter what was decided, there would be many exceptions. Do Pantera guys really want this? I don't think Pantera guys are that anal.

The other type of concours judging is the type that occurs when the cars from one marque are judged against the cars from several others. As HD pointed out, its impossible for any judge to be an expert on all the anal details he would have to know for every car he may view at any given show. The criteria at such a show is not quite so anal, as it is with an isolated marque. Cars being judged this way are expected to maintain the "patina" of the original showroom versions. That is, they need to have the look and feel of the car when they were new, the parts, the finishes, the presentation must be "era corect".

An owner will be judged on his/her craftsmenship, knowledge of period correct parts and presentation, their ability to restore a car while maitaining that period correct patina, the owner's attention to detail, and how well the car was detailed.

The judges are sharp enough to know that a certain metallic color was not available in the sixties, or that a certain marque never offered laquer finishes. They're sharp enough to know that your Pantera had the cloth covered coolant hoses, not Gates Green Stripe hoses. They're sharp enough to know that your Ford engine was not equipped with a Holley carburetor, or with stainless steel allen head fasteners. They know your engine compartment was coated with that gooey tar, not smoothed and painted. They know your pre-L Pantera came equipped with Michelin XVR tires, not Dunlop Qualifiers. Or your interior was upholstered in vinyl, not leather, Ansa mufflers, not Hall big bores. They would not know the subtle differences between the various generations of Campagnolo wheel castings however, or the subtle differences between various pre-L bumpers.

I think this type of competition is more appealing, not nearly so anal, yet still very exacting. Instead of pitting one Pantera or Mangusta or Longchamp against another, its DeTomaso verses Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, etc.

Wouldn't each and every one of us be proud the first time a Pantera won such a competition, and beat the Ferrari guys at the game they do so well?! I sure would! It would be a big step up in the respectability of our marque as far as car shows go. Like I wrote previously, I am hoping some owners will take the challenge and have fun with it.

cowboy from hell