Comment on Pantera Prices

Dear Dave, I was wondering if you could email me with more details on what one would do if they are considering selling there car. Also if I did sell my car I would want all the spares and paraphenalia that goes with it. Like shop manuals and books, posters and such.
Please email me a detomaso72@yahoo.com.

Thanks DeTom. These are the methods I have some experience with in selling a Pantera. I thought I would post them and let other BB users supplement or comment on the list.
1) Determine the value of your car. Consider any time factors you may have. Do you need an immediate sale or are you willing to wait for weeks or months.
2) In determining the value, ask the experts. Have your car looked at to verify originality, rust, mechanical issues, paint quality and ZF condition among other factors. Beware of pulpit bullys who dictate prices without considering the specifics of your car.
3) Marshall all your paperwork. If you can show a prospective buyer the paper trail and also have pictures taken during restoration or when repairs were made, this will greatly enhance the ease of selling your car and may entitle your car to a premium.
4) Consider your location. If you live in Moscow, Idaho, chances are you will not have a lot of visitors. This may impact the value.
5) Security concerns. Your car is an attractive nuisance in a way. We run into all kinds of lovely folks that are unqualified to buy a kiddy car to drive in a Shriner's parade much less purchase a 50K Pantera. They basically want a fast drive for entertainment. Sadly, these same "prospects" could also pose a threat to your safety if they car jack your car or case your joint for later "house cleaning". Do you really want your precious wife to show your Pantera to an unknown buyer when you are away from home?
6) Financials. Does your customer have any money? This may be something you would want to verify before you take them for a 4 second 0-60 blast. Can you help a prospect obtain financing or are you willing to finance your car? How do you qualify somebody without hurting their feelings?
7) Detailing. Few owners really take the time and effort to highly detail their cars. I am talking about a major detail that may cost $1,000.00 and include color sanding, etc. Since most purchasers are "impulse buyers" like I was, a shiney, highly detailed car will have more eye appeal and will get grown men reaching for their check books quicker than a frumpy half-dirty car.
8) Advertising. I will list the options:

eBay! We have auctioned dozens of cars on eBay and seldom does a car reach the reserve. However, the exposure on eBay can lead to an interested customer. It is inexpensive but be ready to answer lots of emails. Take great pictures to present on eBay.

Hemmings Motor News. HMN used to be the absolute best resource for selling a car. They have slipped greatly and I notice only a handful of cars in the latest issue. In the internet age, waiting for a magazine to come out may take too long, although HMN does list your ad on their website. It is worth a try.

This Bulletin Board. It doesn't cost anything and it is immediate. I have sold cars on this BB and I have seen other people succeed.

AutoTrader, local papers, Penny Saver. Not good experiences for us. No pictures or a dinkey picture won't get the job done. AutoTrader ads have worked in the past but local papers are doomed for failure and expensive for what you get.

Pantera International Cars for Sale Page. About half the cars sell within 30-90 days. Especially good for unusual cars and for owners seeking top dollar on their own.

Collector Car Trader Online. Have had some luck with this in the past but not lately. It does have high traffic but the display area on the page is small and this is not cheap.

Concours and car shows. A great place to show your car for sale. Probably can get top dollar at high end shows like the Concorso Italiano. Fun to do and the right kind of people go to these shows.

Consignment at PI Motorsports, Inc. The cost is 8% of the gross sales price and there is a storage fee of $125.00 per month while the car is on our showroom. Virtually no hassle. The seller doesn't have to deal with the general public, tire kickers, fast talkers and dreamers. We have qualified buyers waiting for special cars and PIM has a established presence. Comparing 6-12 Panteras side by side is of value to a buyer. Financing, up to 96 months and 100% is available. All paperwork is handled correctly. PIM has a track record of obtainning the best possible prices for our sellers. The sellers set the prices for their cars. We offer our opinions on market trends. The majority of cars are sold to Europe and overseas destinations. We have 10 years of experience and are the leaders in Pantera sales.

If you are thinking of selling your car, I cannot think of a better time to do so. We can arrange transportation for you.
Thanks for your question and I hope I have answered it. Cordially, Dave Adler

Thanks for the reply Dave. I printed it our so my wife and I could talk about it. We are kind of leaning to posting it on your site and seeing what happens. We will talk about it more this weekend. You gave us lots to consider.

No problem DeTom! If you can email me some photos, maybe I can spread them around a bit too. Cordially, Dave

Thanks Dave. Better still, I am going to write a story today after I scan in all th ephotos and will post it here on the site.
Dave I posted recent pictures here...
http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums?a=albumtopic&T...0011904&f=3350045562

The subject of Panty pricing is alway a contentious issue with Panty owners. Some like the fact that they are cheap because that's all they could afford. Others just like bargains - cheap is always good in their book. Others buy Pantys because they have a love affair with the car, appreciate it for what it is, and buy it because of that. Then there is always the gold chain crowd.

In support of Dave's note, I believe that rising prices benefit all owners, regardless of what category you are in above. Rising prices mean that more people will maintain their Pantys properly. Why? Because you won't feel like you are throwing your money away everytime you properly maintain or improve the car. You can partially justify spending the money because the car is worth more money. As a result, more cars will be properly maintained. And with more people properly maintaining and improving their cars, the vendors will be profitable and will continue to support the Panty. And with more people properly maintaining their cars, Pantys will develop a better reputation as a collectable car. (collectable for driving pleasure, racing, shows, or whatever you choose.)

(I know a lot of you maintain your cars well out of love of the car, but I think you are the exception. In fact, the simple fact that you are reading this probably means you are in that category. But hear me out.)

There is a flip side to this. Since Panty prices have languished for so long, many owners have not properly maintained their cars and/or used the cheapest repairs(sometimes unethical) they could get by with when something did go wrong. Why should they spend money on something that is going down in value. A lot of cars just sit in garages unused and deteriorating because the owner doesn't see any potential in the car.

So what has this done for the Panty's reputation? A lot of folks have bought cars that had all sorts of hidden problems, lousy rebuilds, hidden rust under flashy new paint jobs, cheap or inappropriate modifications, etc. In my part of the country (I'm president of the local Dallas/Fort Worth POCA chapter) every car that has been bought in the last several years turned out to have some sort of significant problems; problems that caused the new owner to have to spend a lot of money repairing the car so it was safe and drivable. And they were all surprised that this happened. It's no wonder Pantys have a bad reputation in some quarters.

Now, if prices had been going up, some of those cars would have been properly maintained. The owners could see a return from keeping their cars properly maintained. The owners might have even been more interested in the cars because they were becoming more collectable.

So where does this lead us. I believe that there are two Panty markets developing. There are the cheap, problem riddled, $20,000 cars that are risky and or expensive to correct after you buy the car. And there is the market for good Panteras that seems to be getting better all the time. $35,000+ is the low end for these cars and its nothing to see much higher prices.

As owners, we need to stress that there are two markets so when people ask what's a Panty worth, we say there are two markets and one of them is very risky. Support the higher prices; it's in everybody's best interest.

Jeff (Panty obsession)
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