One of the biggest insults to a Pantera owner?

While backing into my parking space at a local run-of-the-mill car show, just a few feet away I heard one guy tell his buddy "That's one of those cars they used in the Back to the future movie". The following are the most popular "Is that a" questions in numerical order. 1) Kit car 2) Ferrari 3) Lotus 4) Lamborghini. But the DeLorean was a first!

But the topper of the year: I went to a car show, I sign up for the "Import" class. One of the organizers informed me that to be in the import class the car had to be at least 51% built overseas..........and everyone knows Pantera's were built in the USA. I spent 15 minutes re-educating this individual, my convincing proof was the engine bay body tag!

Ron

Yeah when I show pictures of my new 'baby' ! they sall say wow !
then... is it a kit car !, and yes i also take offense to that.
Then they don't believe they are steel body !

For my birthday, my wife and I took the Pantera to Albuquerque to have dinner. As we pull into a parking lot we went past a group of bikers getting ready to leave. A lady says to her hubby "WOW! What kind of car is that?" He glances up and says "It's just a Delorean." How can you confuse a Delorean for a Pantera?? You can HEAR a Pantera coming a mile away!!! My car is silver so I guess if you aren't a "car guy" you don't see the difference.

quote:

Originally posted by Speedzone:
Many times I have been asked if my Pantera is a "kit-car", or I have overheard someone telling somebody such. I find it very irritating! Has anyone else experienced this?

I used to get insulted but now I feel it a complement that I drive a car so rare, not many know what it is. It is that uncommon. A kit car? I wish I had the skill to build a kit car and have it turn out that good. That would only be a compliment to my skill. Which I don't have. Back when it made me angry I told the offender I had built the car by myself from scratch with just my sense of style andengineering knowledge as a guide. Then I felt guilty about being an ass to these, mostly innocent, but usualy impressed people. So now I have a pre-reheresed speel about what thecar actualy is andjust why it is soooo cool. If someone shows an interest in your car, it is because they are impressed. Most people assume the car costs well over $100,000 dollars and by putting it in that class of car, I feel like onewise individual. That is why Ferrari and Lambo guys hate our guts. They have spent ten times the money to get the same crowd reaction we do.
If we happen to drive a car that can actualy blow the doors off their ten times more expensive car, they get very, very PO'd. That actualy happened to Pantera legend Gary Hall.He relayed a story to me where he and his grand son were out for a ride in his Ultra Pantera. They happened to run across to F-40s diceing it uip on public roads. Gary promptly passed them both right when they were at their limits. He honked and waved as he passed. Latter on his way back he say both F-40s parked at a cafe. He walked in and looked for the tale tell penny loafers and prancing pony polo shirts. He walked up to their table and asked if that was their cars parked outside, and they replied in an affimative manner. He then asked " What was that car I saw pass you guys ealier today? To which they replied it was an american hot rod that was totaly custom made. Not a car anyone could actualy buy. He just grinned and nodded.
I just love Gary Hall. I like him better than Santa Clause.

Shortly after I got my Pantera I overheard someone say it was a kit car. At first I was a little insulted, then I thought about it for a minute and decieded if this person really thougt I could assemble a car and get it to look the way it does and run the way it does, it should be a real compliment.

Depending on the guys attitude and committment to the kit car idea, I don't think I would have a problem taking him down DeTom's road while casually showing him the "high qaulity of assembly".

You're not alone. Here are a few close encounters other Pantera owners have had with the "less informed."
http://www.banzairunnerpantera.com/history_quotes.htm

I just like talking about the car so I don't care what they call it. My favorite was when I took it for the annual inspection sticker, the kid who appeared to be the garage gopher/cleanup person just about pissed in his pants as I pulled it in and told everyone to just wait right there. He ran over to where his stuff was stashed and he came back with a big glossy book of unique/special cars. After thumbing through it for a moment he stopped on the page with the Pantera. It was a picture of the one that Elvis had owned and shot. The kid wanted me to show him the bullet hole.

quote:

Originally posted by sgarrett:
...The kid wanted me to show him the bullet hole...

LOL.........

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by sgarrett:
...The kid wanted me to show him the bullet hole...



LOL......... roll on floor

Hilarious!!! Thanks for sharing that one.

What Im most proud of is my 14 year old son saw the pictures of 1717 before we got it. From the front he was like is it a Lotus??? Then when he saw the side view pic he just paniced and said "THATS A PANTERA!!!< WE'RE GETTING A PANTERA"" I was impressed.
Also I got pulled in her last Friday by our towns Chief of Police. I was taking my daughter to the football game(she hates riding in it because everybody GAWKS) my brake lights had pooped out. After he called in everything and came back to the car he was like "This is a kit car right?" had to inform him of what she is, he just stood there reading the registration.
Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by Speedzone:
Many times I have been asked if my Pantera is a "kit-car", or I have overheard someone telling somebody such. I find it very irritating! Has anyone else experienced this?

When someone asks me if this is a "kit car"...I just say: "No, this is a real/original."
Since they seem to (mistakenly) think it could be a kit of a "real" car...when I tell them this is a REAL one...they seem MORE impressed. :-)