Boss man,
I have been a "licensed" aircraft mechanic / inspector for almost 40 years. Licensed to me means nothing, zero, zip because a lot of the work I did was repairing repairs done by licensed mechanics who should not have been allowed to repair a golf cart. Over the years it only got worse as the FAA lowered the standards for getting and maintaing that license. A total joke.
Good and I mean good people that are truly skilled at what they do are few and most often expensive because they are so good. No matter the profession there is a rule I call the 60 20 20 . 60% being average at best , 20% should not be doing what they are doing and 20% are the masters of their craft / profession and are proud of the work they perform. Hard to find but out there and yes, expensive because of their expertise.
No attack meant here but this thread is a classic example of a dream becoming a night mare that probably could have been avoided. "Probably".
First, buyers and owners must realize that Panteras are machines approaching fifty (50) years of service. Many being older than their owners. You seldom see fifty year old machines unless you go to the junk yard. They were not designed or intended to last fifty years so one must approach a purchased with this in mind. In that fifty years all sorts of things can happen to that machine. I always wished they could talk because the stories they would tell would make for a good read. Corrosion (rust) is everywhere at that junkyard that is full of fifty year old machines. That's because once started it can move fast and be hard to detect since it can work from the inside and progress outward. It's also expensive to repair and many owners would rather spend money on a performance gizmo. If you see signs of corrosion then you best start looking because the smart money says that there is more elsewhere. Face it, a Pantera is a fifty year old hunk of steel. Last is the human dream thing. People tend to see, hear and believe what they want when dreaming. With aircraft most buyers will pay for a pre-purchase inspection. The cost of parts and repairs can quickly turn that dream into a nightmare if you let it. It can also kill you. I can not count how many times I did a pre-purchase inspection and did everything I could to wave off a dreaming buyer that was not going to listen to me. Some were so lost in their dream that they would argue with me if I allowed it. Because of this you have to approach the purchase of your fifty year old hunk of steel as a total skeptic . Bring along a trusted friend who can approach the buy with the ability to wake you up if you are dreaming. To me 1447 looked like a big red flag hunk of fifty year old steel that had been dipped in salt water. It's what dreams can do to you if you let them.
Despite all I feel for the guy that bought it. Being human is not at all easy.
A P.S. To this is that the 60-20-20 rule applies to a 50 year old hunk of steel so you can almost never look enough.