This 1972 DeTomaso Pantera is said to have been recently removed from barn storage and is now listed here on eBay with a Buy-it-Now of $65,000. More and more, these Italian-bodied, American-powered supercars are being offered with the promise of significant returns as the high watermark for sale prices continues to move upwards. This example is said to be a low-mileage, early car with only 13,500 original miles. Despite this, it was still repainted prior to going into storage so some originality has been lost. David recently wrote up a barn find DeTomaso discovered on craigslist and listed for $25K, which seems like a far better price for a car that isn’t known for its cheap maintenance or restoration costs. While I agree with the seller that these cars will continue to enjoy steady increases in value, $65K seems to put him ahead of the curve for a car that’s already been repainted once. What do you think – is this is a shrewd investment or a case of too much, too soon?
$65000 for a car with body damage, rust, needs interior restored and has been repainted. i think the seller will need to take an offer. interesting find
Awesome cars. Rare. Not worth 65K. 30K im in.
I love it, some sellers think they have Gold. If that could be a $150K car, then why doesn’t the seller restore it and sell for the $150K. Come on, a little detailing and freshing to make it a $150K car…….Dream On………$100K to put it where it needs to be is more like it !!!! Sorry, just had to Vent !!!!!!
My friend just sold his for $55k. It was a really nice, 2 owner car. I think we should start “Overpriced Mondays” and have folks submit the most ridiculous prices they can find.
I also see these go at auctions all day long for 35-55.
I agree! I think it would be very entertaining to have ” overpriced Mondays”
Yeah, the $65K Buy it Now is definitely a bit steep. As it sits it’s a $35,000-$37,000 car all day long. Pantera values have been increasing steadily; once Jay Leno bought his and let the cat out of the bag that these cars are the most misunderstood and undervalued supercars in history the prices started to climb. The days of the cheap Panteras are all but over.
Chip Foose is currently working on his personal 1971 Pantera; if it get’s showcased on TV or gets used in a movie like his 67 Shelby (Eleanor) did in Gone in 60 Seconds, good examples will hit 6 figures overnight.
seller must be suffering from a severe overdose of Barrett-Jackson.
While I know the backstory of the cars, I don’t have any firt-hand experience. Why is maintenance such an expense? Shouldn’t that be a benefit of a Ford powertrain? As compared to tracking down missing widgets for a Maserati straight-6, say.
Hllywdhills, The maintenance isn’t costly at all on them if you have a good one, but the cost of bringing a neglected one back to life can be a killer. The only Ford parts on them are the engine (and its accessories), side marker lights, side mirror, and steering wheel (same as the German Capri). That is it.
DeTomaso, like Ferrari, Maserati, and Lamborghini did back in the day, sourced their cars components from the best European components you could get. These parts were “pricey” back in the day and are especially so now. The ZF 5-speed transaxle, the same one used in the Ford GT40, DeTomaso Mangusta, Maserati Bora, BMW M1, is incredibly strong, but if you do need to get it rebuilt it runs around $4,500 if no gears or shafts need replacing; LOTS more if they do. Used Transaxles in good shape are $7,000, new ones are $12,000.
The Pantera’s 11+ inch 4-wheel disc brakes are by Girling; they are the exact same ones as on the Lamborghini Miura. Several Suspension/Steering components are shared with various Ferraris. The real Magnesium wheels are by Campagnolo. The Gauges are by Veglia Borletti.
The Pantera’s 1 piece Steel Monocoque body was produced by the craftsmen at Vignale. Vignale built the bodies for many Ferraris (the 250, 275, and 330 come to mind), Maseratis, and Alfa Romeos. The body is 1 piece; the only things that bolt onto it are the hinges for the doors and decklids. It makes for a strong, lightweight structure, but if any repairs need to be made it takes people with very special skills. Bubba Joe can’t just unbolt a fender off one and slap it on another car.
Thanks for the great background!
JR….
Thanks for the informative read….most helpful!!
13K miles driven in the South and it gets repainted after about 10 years?
Why?
“The only thing on this car that is not original is someone chromed the valve covers and the air filter base….”
Nope. You just said it was repainted, and a repaint is one of the biggest differences between ‘original’ and ‘not original’.
That, and the hard sell by an owner who knows all the latest sale prices of top Panteras from the big auctions, but is selling a non-original car that might or might not run and offers small, repetitive photos of the body but none of the underside or other important areas are enough to make me stay right away from this car…..even if it was fairly priced.
According to the ad, this vehicle is located very close to me. If anybody has the pockets deep enough for this and would like someone to take a look at it, let me know. I have a residence very close. If you desire my assistance, please leave your contact information here and I will make contact with you.
As for the vehicle, the pictures are not far from useless. What is the buyer to base the delirious pricing upon? Seller description? Anyone who would have the means to consider this vehicle, has much more common sense than to fall for that attempt at humor!
Still at the end of the day – they are a bad a$$ car! Would love to have one hour with one……………………
Just Offering….drop me a message at gt350wrench-at-yahoo-dot-com
please put Pantera in subject
Thanks