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Topic starter
07/02/2025 5:52 pm
Chris' post about never driving a Rolls Royce got me thinking. What uber-expensive cars have I actually driven that I have a model of in 1:18 scale? These are the ones that come to mind. Missing in my 1:18 scale collection would be a Porsche 928 and a Lotus Espirit.
07/02/2025 7:14 pm
I witnessed a professional restoration of a De Tomaso Pantera but never rode in one. Prior to seeing that particular car, almost 40 years ago, I had never heard of one. I've never known anyone with an XKE, but have heard countless, negative stories about their reliability - including from celebrities w/deep pockets. 😬 😬
- Nice selection of "reds" .... I mean "rides." 😏 😏
07/02/2025 8:27 pm
They are beautiful and detailed replicas and in great colors. You just might want to have a qualified mechanic on retainer if you purchase a real 1:1 of these automobiles ! 
08/02/2025 12:35 pm
Nah, the Pantera's not so expensive to keep up. And if my memory serves me correctly they were just about 10K when they were released for sale and what was it 1971 or 72 ? In my heart and soul I lusted for one. I'd rather have had that Pantera when I was in high school then the most beautiful homecoming queen. Lol, I guess I was a true car guy. I just can't believe that when I got my job with the post office and was making some fairly decent money I didn't try to buy one when they were still fairly priced. Oh well... What did Doris Day used to sing.. que Sera Sera what will be will be. I've probably said it here before and I'll say it again .. give me a blank check and I will go out looking for one of the most beautiful Panteras that are still in existence. Forget everything else. I don't care about a McLaren I don't care about a Ferrari I don't care about a Lamborghini, the Pantera still floats my boat.
08/02/2025 3:23 pm
Nah, the Pantera's not so expensive to keep up.
- No, no Steve.......... I said that Jaguar XKEs were mechanically trouble prone; none of them - or so it seems - run quite right. 😳 😩
- Panteras were EZ-peezy.... basically, a Ford big block on wheels. 😎 😎
- You should've bought one back then. What were you thinking! 🤪 😵
08/02/2025 4:02 pm
Nah, the Pantera's not so expensive to keep up.
- No, no Steve.......... I said that Jaguar XKEs were mechanically trouble prone; none of them - or so it seems - run quite right. 😳 😩
- Panteras were EZ-peezy.... basically, a Ford big block on wheels. 😎 😎
- You should've bought one back then. What were you thinking! 🤪 😵
Oh yeah, I know about keeping up the Pantera. Michael kind of made a comment that saying you better keep a mechanic on hand to take care of the cars that were pictured in Marty's post. A buddy of mine had a jaguar and yeah they can be expensive. As a matter of fact he bought himself a used Mercedes 430s from the salvation army donation yard here in Anaheim. He got a very good price the sticker was still in there I guess it cost 80 grand new but now he's having trouble finding parts for it and the parts he finds are very expensive. Sorry that my talk-to-text feature isn't working very well and then again I'm just very lazy this morning. 😔
08/02/2025 4:05 pm
Chris I obviously wasn't thinking very well because I had a gentleman on my route and he had a Pantera. I was lucky enough on most Saturdays when he was home that he'd be in the garage fiddling around with it.
He knew I loved it but he never mentioned that he was selling it. Next thing I know, it was gone. And this was in the late '80s early '90s. I'm not sure what price they were going for.
Topic starter
08/02/2025 6:28 pm
In 1973, I was 22 years old and worked as a Quality Control Analyst at Ford Motor Company. As a salaried (Not union) employee, I had the benefit of purchasing slightly used Ford products from an entity known as the Ford “B” lot. Ford product cars were sold there and, originally, as a perk, were given to company executives to drive or were used in various engineering departments. They would almost always be low-mileage cars (usually under 1,000 miles) and still in their warranty period. The best part is that they could be purchased at a very deep discount. During my Ford employment, I bought three Ford product cars from the “B” lot. Those being a 1970 Maverick ($900), less than 700 miles, 1971 Mach 1 Mustang ($3,100), approx. 600 miles, and a 1973 Thunderbird ($4,100), approx. 1,000 miles.
The Pantera eventually made it to the “B” lot as well. In 1973, the brand new Panteras cost approximately $10,000. In 1973, my average annual salary was $12,000, which was a lot of money! However, as a single person with no family, my Ford income of approximately $12k enabled me to afford some very nice Ford cars purchased from the “B” lot. The Pantera sold for around $6,000.
I test-drove several Panteras that were on the lot. Ford “B” lot restricted us to only test drive on the lot and could not be street test driven. I found a car I really liked and went home to crunch the numbers. One of the significant considerations against the Pantera was its woeful reliability. Electrical problems were widespread, but the rest of the car didn’t have a sparkling reputation for reliability or build quality.
If I really s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d my available cashflow income, I could marginally afford the Pantera. And without a doubt, owning one would make me the talk of my social circle. But that was less an issue than how I, a 22-year-old, would feel owning a mid-engine supercar powered by a Ford 351 Cleveland engine! After all of the calculations and careful consideration, in an extremely rare show of maturity, I elected against getting the Pantera. It just didn’t make any practical sense, and frankly, even discounted to $6,000 was still too expensive for me. I didn’t buy the car, but I never lost my affinity for the Pantera. Today, when I see one on the road, my love for the vehicle is renewed again!
08/02/2025 6:47 pm
Fascinating insight into those some-what glory days of the Ford Motor Company - when they were still a very solid #2 in the world. Yes indeed, you were liv'n large (or close to it ) as a single person back then. I simply can't imagine buying a virtually new car for $900
Topic starter
08/02/2025 8:29 pm
@chris - 6 cylinders with three on the tree! AM radio, full wheel covers, and white wall tires! I painted the grill black so it had the "Grabber" look. The car looked like this...
08/02/2025 9:10 pm
I was jokingly referring to the Jaguar XKE, which was known to be a bit difficult to keep in tune.
09/02/2025 1:44 pm
09/02/2025 1:48 pm
Seen at a show in Huntington Beach, CA
10/02/2025 8:36 am
In 1973 we lived next door to folks who had a 17 year old daughter who was dating a boy who had a Pantera. Every time he would pick her up for a date, I would make it a point to be outside to hear it take off up the street. I can still hear and see that car in my mind as clear as if it was yesterday. I've heard that the biggest problem with Panteras was rust.
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