The generational differences of Pantera buyers.

Generally speaking I would agree with that observation.

Having been born in '66 I was conscious enough to remember the originals (but young enough not to know whether it was a Detomaso Pantera or a Pantera Detomaso) but didn't hit my car fanatic stage till the early '80's.

I like the narrow bodies because like you said that's what I saw first but I like the wide bodies too (as long as they don't look like a ricer). A well done wide body just takes it to the next level in terms of brute visuals but then a well done narrow body just proves that more is not better.

So I guess I'll just have to have one of each

quote:

A smart vendor wanting to capitalize on this trend would offer "package deals" for the conversion. Install the fiberglass bodywork, provide the wheels and tires and repaint the car for a discount price. The delta wing would be an option. As time goes on this will be more in demand. The vendors who want their businesses to prosper must change to meet the needs of the new owners.

Sounds like a Hall Super Pantera. Except for the fiberglass and discounted prices.

I agree with you George, the younger generation is into wide bodies, except on women....

Great idea, and as you know I am opening an automotive/speed shop here in Arizona in the very near future. Looking for a location now for it.

With the local network of people, modification & custom shops and painters I have relationships with, putting together a package deal would not be all that hard to do

George,
I'm turning 65 this December and I am a narrow body kind of guy. That's true for women and cars alike. The wide bodied Panteras are a great look, I'm just old school.

Coz,
why didn't you look for a shop around here? You know I'd be a constant customer.

Glenn

George I have to agree with that statement ...but being born in 1965 I'm the first year of the so called GEN X and I;m so confused ... I guess that why I like the GROUP 4 cars ..1/2 and 1/2 if you know what I mean ??? LOL

Ron

Narrow body, wide body? Where is that picture of Sophia Loren when you need it?
That's what I call being wide and narrow in all the right places.
I'm going to call my car Sophia now I think.

My car has 2 names ... it depends on where and when ???? LOL

I am an equal opportunity Pantera enthusiast. I refuse to discriminate, as long as the car and / or the woman is well put together and built for speed, I’ll ride or drive the crap out of it,,, its all good !

I think I’ll buy a Group 4 and start dating a wide body chic, that way I can experience both


Crap.... I think I am becoming a dirty old man...

Red Fox once said that the only good thing about living long enough to be old is being a dirty old man.

I really like the original Panteras for the clean sleek crisp look. There have been afew that I have seen that just stand out and have to be admired. Being born in 1972 I guess I have to admit George's observations are correct. The wide body car just looks absolutely brutal and visceral, exactly why I like it!!!

I am sorry, I am 53 years old and have never meet a Pantera I didn't like. I like them all. I like group 5 the best though. Dave Adlers car gives me wood.

I think it is great to see younger owners like myself involved with our Panteras. What I’m not so enthused about is the “ricer” mindset that some of the younger owners bring with them.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by DeTom:
I am sorry, I am 53 years old and have never meet a Pantera I didn't like. I like them all. I like group 5 the best though. Dave Adlers car gives me wood.

DeTom, at 53 ANYTHING that gives you wood is a good thing!

For me (late 40's), the narrow cars are classic perfection and the later cars are modern supercar perfect. For me, it's either an early car (pre L), or a Group 4 like Glenn Kramer's of Laslo's.

Ideally, I'd have both!

George, you're right on the money with me - born in 1962 - I'm definitely a narrow body guy. My first Pantera experience was when my dentist bought a yellow "L" model. Since I can't afford a real GT-40 Mk IV, I'm currently in the market for a nice narrow body car to fill the empty space in my garage where I just sold my 289 FIA Cobra replica.

I think George is right...

I'm 38, which means I turned 16 in 1984 (doesn't it?).

That is the year I got my driver's license and thought about getting my first car. It is also the year my older step-brother put a poster of a widebody Pantera on his wall. I've wanted one ever since, and this year I bought a fire-breathing, 500hp GT5 (conversion, of course).

I also came to the Pantera family after leaving the import tuner ranks. I was either buying a widebody NSX or Pantera...I'm glad now that I stumbled on the Pantera at just the right time.

I hope younger generations discover the Pantera, and I think the widebodies have the best chance of exciting them. I love that kids wave at me out the back window of their parents cars...it makes me realize how timeless these cars are.

I wish more Panteras were on the road so the brand could get more exposure.

R.

I grew up in Livonia Michigan outside of Detroit. I graduated high school in 1973. By the local ice rink was a parking lot where hundreds of Panteras were parked by Ford. They were there to have several items installed for use in the US. I would hang on the fence and dream of owning one. Now I do. They are all great.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mark Charlton:

DeTom, at 53 ANYTHING that gives you wood is a good thing!



Mark when you are 50 something getting a woodie isn't necessarily the problem. The problem is finding someone else who's interested in it.

Right on George. Your view is pretty accurate, but your idea that a vendor should jump on is right on the money. A nice "package" would reduce many of the half-baked wide body conversions we see that simply don't do the car justice.

I was born in the 40s. Yes, folks, I am now 60 years old. The rear view of a Pantera still gives me wood and my wife (born at least ten years after me) is happy to share it with me. She sometimes sends me to garage first when she's in the mood.

I am an old school Detroit Iron kind of guy. And even though I had a '73 for many years before I got my 82 - and then kept both cars for almost 20 years - it was the wide body cars that exaggerated all that made the Pantera so amazing to look at in the first place.

When I had to give one up it was no contest. The headroom, the legroom, the engine bay, the interior, the suspension and the handling had a lot more to do with my decision. But that big fat behind is still an incredible sight.

George is right...again!

I was born in '68. I too prefer the wide-body cars. I think it all started with the Porsche 930 turbo....wide flares and a whale tail...gotta love it!

John

George is right.

I was born in 1961, and prefer the narrow cars and the GT4.

The yellow Pantera was "glued to my mind" when i saw the movie "Cannonball" with David Carradie back in the 70.

I was born in '70, but I am leaning narrow body. Growing up in the 80's, the Countach was the car everyone lusted for. I found it kind of garrish and prefered the simpler 308 and the Bora/Merak. I really didn't pay any attention to the Panteras as they were fewer and farther between and maybe just a little over the top. The first three Panteras I saw in person were at a car dealership in Anniston, AL in the early nineties. They were all narrow bodies. Those cars struck a chord.

Coming from the Mustang world, its still kind of hard to conceive that I can do whatever I wish with the car (as long as its tasteful) and not hurt the value. Being that I have the car completely stripped and given the level of bodywork, it would be easy to go widebody. In fact, I might extract more value. But, I really think I prefer the narrow body. I guess I am an exception.

I am with Joe and another exception - a GenX'er (by a year) and prefer the narrow bodies - thx, stephen

I'm a tad surprised by this observation as to me it seems every delta spoiler is on the car of an older gentleman.
But, I guess I fit in as I'm 44 and prefer narrow body cars. Don't really like GT5/S.

I was born in 1958 and I like both versions. Depending on the day, I think the wide body cars can look alot like a kit car at first glance. On other days I think they are an agressive looking car that really makes a statement.
Putting my money where my mouth is.. I plan on leaving my narrow body car a narrow body car and as to what popsrcr said my biggest issue is "should I put a delta wing on it or not??"

I like George's analysis and think he might be right on the money. It comes down to what the owner likes and wants to do with his car. Fortunately there are alot of vendors with parts and alot of dedicated owners on this forum willing to help out no matter what you want to do with your car.

I haven't met a Pantera I didn't like!

Another observation: Most people responding to thid thread were born in the 60's ('67 myself, still 39 though).

Having owned both body styles, I have an opinion on both. I was born and raised in NYC, and negotiating rush hour traffic in Manhattan is a sick enough thing to do in itself, but doing it in a 450hp bumperless narrow body was sheer bliss! It's like being a lean and in-shape prize fighter in the midst of a riot of fools! Everybody is racing, but I was the only one in a race car. I could wend that Pantera in and out of the tightest spots! The car needed paint too, which added to the bravado. I was probably the only one there who was thoroughly enjoying himself! I swear I should've painted that Pantera taxi cab yellow and picked up passengers (only the pretty ladies, of course!). I would've made a small fortune zipping up and down Manhattan.

Needless to say, I wouldn't dare try that in my 5-S. That puppy is wider than my brother's full size pickup! The 5-S is a highway cruiser, not a boulevard bruiser. (Any pretty hitch-hikers out there?) It feels more stable, accurate, and responsive at high speeds than did my narrow body Pantera. It also stops better from high speeds.

This is just another perspective other than the 'looks' issue. I personally like the clean look and crisp lines of the original. Sometimes I wish my 5-S were a narrow body. But then I go out and look at it, and damn, it IS one sexy bitch! (I know I'm not alone in just staring at my Pantera for what seems like hours at a time!) I think the narrow bodies come across better in most pictures. They capture the timeless essence of what a Pantera is. When they are side by side in person with a 5-S, I think the wide body just has more presence. This opinion only came about after I bought my 5-S, I guess it grew on me!

Michael

out of curiousity - what is the inch difference in width (i guess rear flare to rear flare??) between the 2? - thanks, s

Michael E, so glad to see you around, hope all is well.

Damn am I the youngest guy in here?? just turned 35

LOL.....

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mark Charlton
DeTom, at 53 ANYTHING that gives you wood is a good thing!

It's a beauty Michael...
Hope asll is well with you and the family brother.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Cyboman:

I'm 33 and torn between the two. But am I alone in prefering the L to the Pre-L?
I also hate chrome, think delta wings are for wide bodies only, and think a narrow bodied car can look just as brutish as a wide one - with the right wheels.

I think it was Carquake that got me too!

Thanks for the well wishes George and Coz!

All IS well. The 2 little ones are taking all of my time, which is fine by me. I'm at the point now where I can participate more, and look forward to doing so.

Michael

Born in 64, and I too prefer the narrow body.

Seriously though, I do like some tastefully modified widebody Panteras, just can't stand those wanna-be Countach wings. Leave those off and the car rocks!

I've also noticed that the younger generation (in their 20's now) favors the flared, scooped and winged cars. But, I don't think it's a product of seeing Panteras like that when they were growing up. Rather, I believe it's a product of the Fast & Furious ricer generation - it doesn't matter what kind of car it is, the more scoops, flares and wings the better!

quote:

Another observation: Most people responding to thid thread were born in the 60's ('67 myself, still 39 though).

Having owned both body styles, I have an opinion on both. I was born and raised in NYC, and negotiating rush hour traffic in Manhattan is a sick enough thing to do in itself, but doing it in a 450hp bumperless narrow body was sheer bliss! It's like being a lean and in-shape prize fighter in the midst of a riot of fools! Everybody is racing, but I was the only one in a race car. I could wend that Pantera in and out of the tightest spots! The car needed paint too, which added to the bravado. I was probably the only one there who was thoroughly enjoying himself! I swear I should've painted that Pantera taxi cab yellow and picked up passengers (only the pretty ladies, of course!). I would've made a small fortune zipping up and down Manhattan.

Needless to say, I wouldn't dare try that in my 5-S. That puppy is wider than my brother's full size pickup! The 5-S is a highway cruiser, not a boulevard bruiser. (Any pretty hitch-hikers out there?) It feels more stable, accurate, and responsive at high speeds than did my narrow body Pantera. It also stops better from high speeds.

This is just another perspective other than the 'looks' issue. I personally like the clean look and crisp lines of the original. Sometimes I wish my 5-S were a narrow body. But then I go out and look at it, and damn, it IS one sexy bitch! (I know I'm not alone in just staring at my Pantera for what seems like hours at a time!) I think the narrow bodies come across better in most pictures. They capture the timeless essence of what a Pantera is. When they are side by side in person with a 5-S, I think the wide body just has more presence. This opinion only came about after I bought my 5-S, I guess it grew on me!

Michael

It's great seeing your car on this website again. Beautiful.

quote:

Originally posted by garth66:
Born in 64, and I too prefer the narrow body.

Seriously though, I do like some tastefully modified widebody Panteras, just can't stand those wanna-be Countach wings. Leave those off and the car rocks!

I've also noticed that the younger generation (in their 20's now) favors the flared, scooped and winged cars. But, I don't think it's a product of seeing Panteras like that when they were growing up. Rather, I believe it's a product of the Fast & Furious ricer generation - it doesn't matter what kind of car it is, the more scoops, flares and wings the better!

Hey now, I used to live near Paris, KY!!!!