Reply to "Wanna buy a Pantera?"

Ever bought wheels for a GT5 that needed 2" spacers when they arrived?
Yeah. It was a matter of taste. The spacers cost $100 and the vendor sent the rest of the stuff at his expense along with all the installation hardware and tools.

Ever bought glass that didn't fit?
Right on that one… but I was so immersed in bigger problems I forgot all about it and forgot to return the glass to them for the full credit. Stupid me.

Ever sent your car to the other side of the US, spent thousands on upgrades only to receive it to have many things not working?
Yep. After many trips to oversee the extensive work being done, I totally messed up and didn’t take the last trip for a final check before putting it on the trailer. My mistake and one I won’t make again.

Honestly, I have seen it all in the past almost 30 years of Pantera ownership. I got my ’73 Pantera in 1983 and my ’82 GT5 in 1987. I have been dealing with vendors ever since.

And so I have learned how to prepare for the least amount of problems and don’t rely on “…oh, don’t worry it will fit” and ignore the “leave it to me, you’ll love it” comments.

When I buy parts I call the vendor and ask them to take a pic of it placed against a tape measure in specific ways. If need be, I send them a pic of exactly how I want them to show me the part measurements in their pics. That way I know the exact dimensions and where all the holes and brackets are. Most vendors are happy to help. Those that aren’t don’t get the order.

If a part is a big ticket item, I check with others who bought this item and have a local Pantera owner visit the vendor and give me more input.

As for returns, I sent a box with a new alternator, starter motor and steering rack from Montreal to CA for $70. No FedEx next day delivery is required for returns. Many times I have gotten parts that I decided I didn’t need and was credited before I even returned them. Small parts I often get for free, tossed into a friend’s order. If retuning a cheap part is a hassle, the vendors often just tell me to hold on to it and still give me the credit.

When I ask I always get invoices (faxed, or emailed in advance) so that I can prepare proper or phoney customs docs when needed. When in the US I can ship parts I acquire as personal goods for next to nothing.

If you want me to name names, here’s what I have from 30 years of experience. After breaking down constantly and fed up with the maniac local speed shops and exotic wheeler dealers, I sent both my cars to CA.

PI sold my ’73 for a great price and I got back more than I had in it. Hall fixed my GT5 for less than we had agreed and I showed up, got in it and drove it 1,000 miles across the dessert. It has not broken down since and although I have made many mods since then I have not had to replace any of those original upgrades except for the odd part that wore out.

Tommy at Extreme did a bunch more upgrades for ½ what I expected it would cost, while on my way to Monterey. Years later, when my AC shut down in 120 degree heat in the Rockies, I called Tommy and he quickly walked me thru how to find the AC pressure switch and fix the problem – which was just a blown fan fuse that caused an overheated AC and the pressure switch had shut it down, doing it’s job perfectly.

Once the car was perfect, mechanically, I went to CA and cruised back and forth from Wilkinson, to PI, to Extreme, and Hall. I picked everyone’s brains and spent a lot of time before making my decisions.

Steve was awesome and sold me just what I needed. He always took the time to discuss anything I was considering. PI gave me some fantastic ideas and saved me a fortune on all the work I did. Jerry and Dave sent me to their suppliers, where I was able to save a bundle getting the custom interior that I had designed. And none of them had any problems with me working with the other.

Through all of this, I can attribute most of the problems I have encountered during Pantera ownership to my own technical shortcomings or communication breakdowns. I could have avoided most of them by taking more time to be sure of what I wanted, spending more time doing the proper research and giving the vendors better direction.

And here’s another thing to think about. Why should buying parts online from Pantera vendors be any different from other online purchasing? I buy stuff online all the time. The shit is never what it is supposed to be. Their billing and shipping is as bad as the (lack of) customer service they purport to offer. Amazon? Ebay? PayPal? Forget it!

I don’t see any of us going out and investing huge $ to stock all the stuff that we might need some time in the future. And why is that? Because it can’t be a very fulfilling or profitable business, unless you’re already sitting on a vast inventory. We’re lucky to have the resources we do. And thanks to all the new vendors popping up with cool components.

Anyhow, after years and years of aggravation and Pantera headaches what am getting into? I am building another one. How crazy am I after all these years? Crazy! The rest of my life should be as challenging, interesting and rewarding.

Is this glass half full? Or half empty?