Well, I hate to do it, but I guess it's time ....

you may have heard this before

"one is None, two is one"

maybe a temperary driver while you are restroing is what you need

Yes Three times as much, three times as long...

I just got a lil MGA so I hope that will keep me satisfied while my car is being done...

I don't think 6018 will ever be restored, I'll just service the stuff I know thats needing replacement/servicing. But I sure would like to do a repaint. I admire you for driving your cat daily, and for taking the big "step". Think you could start a thread for step by step progress (with pics) when you begin?

Of course I will be happy to document the process for posterity If it happens...

There's kinda' a problem....

My wife thinks we should just do a rolling resto' and freshen up the car as you described George, and the mecum numbers in the other thread kinda' support that option.
I have the same wheels as the Leno car and I would paint it blue also, I even like the side marker lights on the Leno car so my car would turn out very similar w/a rotisserie resto or a rolling repaint.

The older I get the more scatter brained I become...

Well, if you guys are reading this please chime in and vote...

If your car was a good running daily driver car would you refresh or would do a full resto with the up market in mind ??....

The mecum car sold at 54K all in... I could probably get 40K for my car as is ??...

The painter is very, very good, he has done some amazing cars, 69' ZL1, superbirds, hemi cars, they haul cars from Texas to his shop. He's my friend and neighbor and stopped by here to ask about my car...

I have until the first of the year to decide.

I don't want to be the "kill joy", but you have brought up comparision with the implication of market values;

do you have an estimated budget to compare the full restoration versus a rolling refresh and then the resulting expected market values.

I am not asking this to depress you, but since I am at the "need to make a commitment" stage I can compare your estimates to mine

while I must go with the full restroation due to my earlier attempt to do so, my expected budget versus expected market value do not make the effort finicailly justifiable.

However, you did make a statement in your first post of;
"I love this car and will miss her, but she really has been good to me and she deserves it... "
which trumps all and any financial logic.

Yeah the market aspect is secondary by a large margin. Paint work is gonna' hover around 15K, consider loading on the rottisery, hauling to the media blaster, metal work,build primer, blocking to 600, base coat primer/sealer, base coat, clear coat, wet sanding, buffing and delivery back to my shop, with about 3K just for paint and primer...

You ad in a new windsor motor and we are quickly approaching 30K.

You ad in brakes on all four corners, soft glove leather int, all the bright work ??... Where do we stop ?

I really am struggling w/this...

The car, is a good car. It has a few bumps and bruises which liberates me...

Like all of us, I constantly think about improving the car. And when one of the best painters in the southeast knocks on your door and ask's if you want to paint the car, that will get your wheels turning...

Two years ??... 40K ??...

PLT1, I dont know what you have paid for this Pantera when you bought it ?
But when you are a long time owner maybe you buy it cheap.
Also restoring a car is a part of your life and a experience , and than you know more from the car than you learn about books or forum story's
Good luck.
regards
Simon

Restoring or refreshing is often a tough call. I have considered both approaches for one of my Panteras and in the end I will do a refresh — in part because I've done everything else except the paint. For me, doing a full bare-metal strip-down and rebuild would be a many-years proposition. Also, the cost would be more than I could afford without having to sell a car to fund it, so in my case the choice is easy.

If you are planning to sell the car in the end, my advice is put it on the market as-is. One rarely hears about people getting back what they put in after a full restoration. If you have always had a burning desire for a "perfect" Pantera, then go nuts. If you just want to have the car looking great and get back to enjoying her as soon as possible, do the refresh. Just my opinion, of course. Oh, and I am 100% in support of the dark blue color choice (of course).

Good luck!

Mark

DO the refresh and keep enjoying it. If you make it very nice, you become concerned about weather and parking.

I'd only consider the restore if you were doing it as a project that you would find fun doing yourself. Otherwise, I'd suggest that you keep the joy of driving the car.

Needless to say, there could be books written on the financial drama and stress of auto restorations. I believe the maxim goes, estimate what you think it will cost and triple the figure if it is outsourced.

I had a similar dilemma when I was looking to buy a Panera. All the nice cars I looked at the time were in the $30-$40k range. They were all nice but not gorgeous. All needed paint and engine compartment freshening and the stock interiors were ok but not great. The cars I looked at were too nice to perform a total restoration but nice enough for me to day I will leave it alone. I 3164 in need of total restoration for half the price. It took us almost 2 years but now I have exactly what I want / like for approximately the same cost. Keep in mind I'm not counting our labor that went into it.