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Should I buy this Pantera?

panteradougpanteradougMember
There are several cars for sale now that are done already. They seem to be fresh as well.

The reality is that they can not be duplicated for what the are selling for.

A complete ground up retoration has got to cost over $50,000 today. Go to a GT4/5 configuration and add $20,000 to that.

The only point in buying a $17,000 Pantera now is that one can put money into as you get it and $17,000 is all you have now.

If someone is buying it for $17,000 because it is a steal is absolutely absurd. There is a lot of structural risk with this car.

Some people call restoring the car, filling the rust with bondo. You do that and when you are finished you probably have a $17,000 car.

It's a great buy IF it is solid and just needs paint.
D detom (Guest)
quote:
Originally posted by comp2:
quote:
Originally posted by PanteraDoug:

A complete ground up retoration has got to cost over $50,000 today. Go to a GT4/5 configuration and add $20,000 to that.


Those prices may be for a project where some one else is paid to do the work.

Gary


But Gary, you gotta remember, when most guys say project they are talking about buying a brake kit and bolting it on and buying a new bumper and bolting it on. You begin to talk about fabricating anything from scratch and over 90 percent of the "project" guys run the other way. You and Ron are one in a million that can do that kind of stuff. Maybe even one is ten million.
C comp2Member
quote:
Originally posted by DeTom:

But Gary, you gotta remember, when most guys say project they are talking about buying a brake kit and bolting it on and buying a new bumper and bolting it on. You begin to talk about fabricating anything from scratch and over 90 percent of the "project" guys run the other way. You and Ron are one in a million that can do that kind of stuff. Maybe even one is ten million.



But that's why I say it depends on the individual. No one else can make that call for him. There are a lot more guys who like the nut's and bolts then you think! My hope is by showing some of the stuff I have done, people realize it's something others can do if they so desire......Let me repeat that...If they so desire.
D detom (Guest)
quote:
If they so desire.

Uhm, no desire is too mild. More like burning passionate obssesion. That jsut tips the iceberg. You have to want it really friggin bad!! Just want, or kinda would like to, will not cut it. You have to be driven and ambitious and artistic and, you know, like you. :P
robertvegasrobertvegasMember
You can put me in the "not fabricating anything from scratch" camp. However, if I buy the car I will want the body repaired properly. A lifelong friend of my father's owns the body shop that will be doing the work, and if I ask for it to be done poorly I will have to endure the "didn't you learn anything working here all those summers?" speech.

I have been told the car is mechanically sound, and if that turns out to be true I will be buying it assuming there are no serious rust problems on the undercarriage.

I don't want to do a total resoration at first. I will do what it takes for it to be mechanically solid (go through the motor, brakes, new shocks, etc.) and then I will work on cosmetics (body and interior).

I want a GT4, and would never cut an original car. This is a GT4 that may be solid but ugly (we will know next week) and I would rather give it the care it needs than let it die in someone's backyard.

Robert
4nhotrod4nhotrodHe who dies with the most toys is dead
quote:
If you can buy a solid well known car without any suprises for only $10K more, point me at it! If Emery will sell his for $27-$30, I'll buy it! I have two friends who have been actively searching for a decent "driver" pantera with no success for almost a year now. Granted, the cars exist, but not for $30K or less. They can't be found for under $40K on the left coast.

Yeah, it's true you can buy a restored Pantera for less than the cost to restore one yourself. But most of the crap I've seen for $40K or less has not been "restored." Some have resale red paint jobs, but you still need to do the suspension, brakes, engine, and paint. Others in this price range advertise that they're restored, but you get there and find that the paint is 10-15 years old, cracked, chipped and needs to be redone anyway. Or, they have nice paint and interior, but the chassis suffers from the tin-worm. Still others have been "restored" to an owner's questionable taste and you'd spend more un-doing and correcting their "upgrades."

This car already has a lot of upgrades. The only real issue is RUST. Get it up on a rack with someone who's knowledgeable on Panteras, smack the hell out of the rear suspension vertical tubes and frame with a hammer and screwdriver. If it's solid and rust-free, BUY IT!

If it's rust free, it would be a solid platform to build the car of your dreams. And, you'd know everything that's been done to the car when you're done, versus the unknowns of buying someone elses completed "restoration" project.

Anyway, if you don't want it, send me the seller's name and phone number and I'll see that the car finds a good home very quickly.

Garth. I still say you can find a decent "driver" for $27k. This would be a car with stock everything but running well. I bought that car 4 yrs ago for $22k and I have since dumped a ton of money into it. Look at the pictures of that car. There are huge water stains everywhere. Engine bay, interior is trashed (cracked dash,twisted door panel, ripped seats), top of rad is covered with crap. I can just imagine what the lower parts are like. Look at the water stains on the top of the air cleaner. Leaves and filth in the interior. Did they leave the doors open for the 5 yrs it was out?
I wouldn't touch that car for anything other than parts. And that would be a gamble.
I hope I'm wrong though for the sake of whoever is buying the car.
Just my opinion.
Will
robertvegasrobertvegasMember
Thanks to everyone that took time to answer my questions...I don't think I have seen a topic with so much activity in a long time.

I now realize this car, over time, would be a $30K project. Some would say "at least."

I am still supposed to visit the seller when the car is running and it is on the lift. I'll bang it with a hammer, take some pictures, and post them.

I am still trying to find someone that lives in Vegas to look at the car with me, but my five or six PMs have gone unanswered, as has my "Vegas Help" topic in this forum. If anyone knows of an enthusiast in Vegas...please point me in their direction. :-)

Once again, thanks for the valuable feedback.

Robert
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