Good morning! You know, we spend a lot of time on here looking at practical daily drivers; they’re the bread-and-butter of the cheap car market. And there’s a good reason: if you’re shopping for a cheap car, chances are you just need something to get around, with as little fuss as possible. But since it’s Friday, when I sometimes throw the rulebook out the window, I thought we’d flip the script and look at two cars that would be among the worst choices for daily commuters.
Either one of yesterday’s choices would handle daily-driver duties just fine, but it seems you preferred the Chevy S-10 by a pretty wide margin. I agree. I always liked these S-10s. The 4.3 will get crappy mileage, but it will give more power than you need in return. And I guess I was just hanging out with the wrong crowd for a while, because I did hear these things get bad-mouthed quite a lot. Probably disgruntled Tacoma owners, upset at trucks with rusted-out frames still being priced at seven grand.
Oh, and since it came up, you can absolutely drive 2WD trucks in the snow, especially with a manual. Snow tires help, as does a little weight in the rear. One of those tubes of sand behind each wheel hump usually does the trick. You want to know what car is bad in the snow? A second-gen Firebird with bald tires. Especially with my old co-worker Keith driving. I’m lucky to be here.
We’ve all tried to do jobs with the wrong tool before. Admit it; you’ve loosened nuts with Vise-Grips or pounded a nail into the wall with the butt of a screwdriver or something. Sometimes it’s for lack of a proper tool, some specialized thingamajig that you have to special-order and can’t wait for, and sometimes it’s just plain stubbornness and not wanting to go back out to the garage to get the right tool. But there are times when something is just the worst possible choice to use for the task at hand. I started perusing Craigslist with no real idea of what I was looking for, and laughed when I saw one of today’s cars and imagined trying to drive it in rush-hour traffic. So I went looking for another equally bad choice, and the internet did not disappoint. Think of these two as the anti-Corollas, in more ways than one.
1972 De Tomaso Pantera – $106,000
Engine/drivetrain: 393 cubic inch overhead valve V8, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Boise, ID
Odometer reading: 60,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
What’s cooler than a mid-engined Italian sports car? (That’s a rhetorical question; there is nothing cooler than a mid-engined Italian sports car.) Nearly all of us ’70s and ’80s kids grew up with posters of Ferraris and Lamborghinis on our walls, watching Tom Selleck and Don Johnson drive them on TV, and seeing beautiful women thumbing their noses at authority in them. But those were fragile, high-strung machines; only those of us who paid attention knew there was another way to go, a car with the sexy looks of an Italian supercar but a red-blooded American V8 providing the power: the De Tomaso Pantera.
Believe it or not, for a couple of years, you could walk into a Lincoln-Mercury dealership and buy one of these. Can you imagine this thing sitting in a showroom next to Comets and Montegos? But it made sense; De Tomaso had partnered with Ford for engines for many years, and Ford actually owned a majority of the Italian automaker at the time. The Pantera was equipped with Ford’s 351 cubic inch Cleveland V8, mounted behind the seats and powering the rear wheels through a five-speed transaxle. If you’re thinking this is no longer a stock Pantera, you’d be right – it’s now rocking more than five hundred horsepower, with suspension and brake modifications to match. The seller provides a handy list of the car’s modifications, if you want to peruse it.
I can’t say I’m a fan of the carbon-fiber and the awful Momo steering wheel, but with the extra power on board, I have a feeling the racing harnesses and roll cage are a good idea. And I love the fact that Pantera owners are willing to modify their cars in ways that would give Ferrari owners nightmares. This particular car has a bit of a story to tell; it has a rebuilt title. The previous owner had a massive heart attack behind the wheel (but lived – don’t worry) and ran it into a tree. This has got to be the most expensive rebuilt-title car I’ve ever seen.
Cars that have a long production life like the Pantera tend to get uglier as time goes on; it’s nearly always the first-generation design with no adornments that looks the best. By the end, the Pantera looked like a cheap kit car version of itself, with fender flares and wings and all sorts of crap. I appreciate the fact that the owner of this one refrained from adding a wing to this one. I’d rather see almost any other color wheels besides black on it, though.
1976 Land Rover 101 Forward Control – $40,000
Engine/drivetrain: Diesel inline 4 of unknown displacement, four-speed manual, 4WD
Location: “Vehicle is located in Hawaii but can be shipped to LA”
Odometer reading: 103,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Ex-military vehicles hold a lot of appeal for certain buyers. They’re built to survive unbelivably harsh conditions, and they’re often equipped in ways that were never offered to the general public. But why limit yourself to just our military surplus? This truck, the Land Rover 101 FC, was designed specifically for the British Army, but now is in private hands, in Hawaii.
The original engine in the 101 was a Buick/Rover 3.5 liter V8, but thanks to absolutely ridiculous fuel consumption, quite a number of them were converted to diesel engines. This one is powered by a four-cylinder Perkins diesel, but the seller didn’t specify which one. It drives two solid axles through a four-speed manual gearbox and a two-speed transfer case. It’s equipped with a winch at both ends, and I have a feeling that they’re operated from a PTO on the transfer case, which should make them plenty strong. It runs and drives well, and the seller says it is street-legal in Hawaii. California smog testing might present a problem, however, with the engine swap and all.
The 101 is a one-ton truck, so it’s no surprise that it’s all beefy underneath. The seller says it has new brakes, but a disc-brake conversion kit for the front is also included, in case you want more stopping power. Not a terrible idea with a truck this size and weight, actually. It also includes service manuals, and what looks like a stack of receipts. I do have to say, however, that I can’t get on board with mounting white letter tires letter-side-in. This thing would have looked so much cooler with the white letters out.
The diesel engine isn’t the only modification this Landy has received in its retirement. It has a full custom exoskeleton roll cage, and a fresh paint job in Porsche Lava Orange. It looks ready for anything – anything, of course, except rush hour, and maybe the Trader Joe’s parking lot.
Both of these vehicles are completely ridiculous and over-the-top, and I love them both for it. Especially because they’re not the same expensive things you see everywhere. Take either one of these to a car gathering, park it next to some trust-fund baby’s Lamborghini, and watch them fume while everyone ignores their influencer-mobile. And yeah, I know, they’re not what you’d call “shitboxes.” We’ll get back on track next week. I just felt like looking at some silly stuff today. So live a little, and make a ridiculous choice.
I’m not paying $100k to have to de-rice something.
I remember when Panteras went for $20k.
I mean it’s all fake internet monies right? I’ll plonk i100K on the Pantera.
The rebuilt title killed the DeTomaso for me. Which is a shame, these cars are and should be unhinged in homage to Mr. DeTomaso himself and his automotive empire.
That FC Land Rover, it’s going to be a hit anywhere you drive it. It can’t really be hurt any worse than it is already dinged and scraped, and that should basically drive anywhere at any time in any weather.
Pantera.
It’s not on my bucket list, but I’d go for that one, then run it at the Silver State Classic Challenge and off into the endless horizon as the last thing I ever do in this mortal realm.
**Cowboys from Hell intensifies**
That Pantera looks like Disorderly Conduct on wheels. There’s midlife purchase, and then there’s end of life purchases. And this is the latter. Cold start this thing with-in five miles of residential neighborhood, and you’re losing friendship. whomever, buys this car, like a cursed sword, will forever be known as the person who owns it. You could own this thing for a week, and half the conversation at your funeral will be “Remember that time he owned that car?”. That fact this functional moving violation has apparently only been abruptly stopped via forest just once, is kind of a miracle. You’d buy this thing, and they’ll probably open a Tire Warehouse in your garage. As the only way you’re staying below 55 is by doing a sick burnout everywhere. It’s totally legal though, you could take this thing and whip donuts on The National Mall and DC police will ask for ride along. So, put the constitutionality of the Rule of Cool to the test. Buy the Pantera. Sure, after you conclude transferring into your name the DMV will have you fill out your divorce papers. But how often do you get to be your friends and families conversation topic?
Man, you understand life.
“ESBMW’s mind is a storm!” – Elon Musk, CPAC, 2/20/25
This is probably my favourite thing I’ve read on this site.
PSA: That Pantera demands canary yellow wheels.
When I was a teen, Panteras were associated with the greasiest of greaseball wanna-bes because that’s who we most often saw driving them. I swear, these cars must’ve included Italian horn necklaces, giant lapel rayon shirts, polyester Sansabelt slacks, vinyl jackets, patent leather shoes, and chest hair rugs as accessories. You just knew the insides reeked of burnt Luckys, Brut and Binaca.
I opt for the cab-over Land Rover and I’d be willing to move to Hawaii for it.
I’ll take the Land Rover. I ride a motorcycle daily, so I only need the truck on days its rainy or otherwise slick. That beast will be perfect for those conditions!
No question – the overbuilt sports car over the overbuilt truck. If we’re going with real life here, they’re both priced well beyond what I’d pay. I have no use for a truck like that (I barely had any use for yesterday’s S10), so $46K is way too much to pay. And of course, $106K is too much for a rebuilt Pantera. This is not real life, though, so being as Mark has forced me at gunpoint (OK, maybe “wordpoint”) to make a choice, I’ll take paying too much for something I’d love and drive vs. something that I wouldn’t love and wouldn’t want to drive.
I love Panteras and I love green cars, but I don’t love THIS green Pantera, especially not with a branded title.
And I would love to see the looks on people’s faces as I drive the Landie down DuSable Lake Shore Drive to work. We’ll take the LR, and I’ll start shopping for a pith helmet.
Well then you should know you can’t drive the Landie down LSD without risking a ticket.
Dude, there was a whole-ass MOVING TRUCK on DLSD yesterday during my commute. I would take my chances. Also, I’d love to get pulled over, just to watch Officer Grobnik get confused when he walks up to the left side of the car.
If I had a DeTomaso Pantera, I’d daily that shit without hesitation!
I’m loving the recent Friday showdowns!
Land rover all day every day. The Pantera is overpriced by 2x.
Have you ever heard a Pantera with 180° headers? There is no debate here, cost be damned.
Gonna have to disagree with you on this one, Mark. I like the flared-fender 80’s version of the Pantera. But the one with the smooth, integrated flares, not the tacked flares. Especially in white with white wheels, like this one.
In any case, as others have said, $100K+ for a rebuilt title is not something I’m going for. I need a truck and rolling into the H-D or Lowes with an FC Landy would be epic. Might need a second engine swap, though, to hit highway speeds.
Aren’t De Tomaso’s considered Argentinian? Regardless, thats the way I went today, the Argentinian built, Italian Designed, Ford Powered work of art.
Alejandro De Tomaso is Argentinian, but pretty sure the factory was in Italy. And while it was an Italian design house, it was an American designer who penned the Pantera.
Indeed, ADT never built anything in Argentina. His factory was in Italy. Wasn’t Tom Tjarda the designer of the Pantera?
Yes, Tom was the designer and he was born and raised in Detroit, but his parents were Dutch. He worked for Ghia in Turin when he penned the Pantera. It’s all in the wiki link in my previous comment.
Ah, damn me, didn’t see it. Thanks, MaximillianMeen!
That Pantera is a lot of money for a rebuilt car with a “resto-mod” treatment that I don’t find all that appealing. In December a nearly stock, not rebuilt model went for $83k on BaT. I’ll take that one.
So truck it is here by default. I’ll take that bad boy to Home Depot and park it next to a F-350.
OMG – nest of snakes FTW.
I went with the Land Rover! It is perfect for driving over Cybertrucks! 😉
I’m going with the Land Rover. Big trucks are cool. I’m going to take issue with one statement:
“It looks ready for anything – anything, of course, except rush hour, and maybe the Trader Joe’s parking lot”
Unless the specs I’m seeing on the interwebs are wrong, this thing is about the same width as my F250, and my truck is several feet longer. It’s dimensions seem downright practical compared to a modern 3/4 ton pickup. I don’t have a problem driving my F250 in rush hour traffic or parking in a typical parking lot, so I doubt the Land Rover would be a problem in either situation. The Land Rover is too tall for most parking garages, but then again, my truck is too tall for about half of the garages I come across so that is basically a wash. I’m sure it is slower and less comfortable than my F250, but I’m willing to make some sacrifices in the name of awesomeness.
Have you ever been to a Trader Joe’s? Home of the world’s best food and world’s worst drivers! The parking lot is always an adventure. Whole Foods is a distant second. I tend to park on the outer perimeter (or next plaza) to avoid the worst carnage.
Madness reigns. The first challenge your soul must endure is the parking lot. You wait with your vehicle half blocking traffic, creating a perfect circular vortex of anger that encompasses the street and the entrance to the store. Once you attain access to the lot, you discover that this is a false achievement; other motorists stop and start with no apparent thought or plan— turns once begun are quickly abandoned, the drivers seemingly immune to geometry. At last a space opens up, but the price is having to enter the store. Inside, human beings scramble like beetles whose rock has been upended. Though the aisles are wide it is impossible to avoid physical contact with your fellow shoppers. It is a grotesque parody of the bazaar at Marrakech, as if dumb animals had been granted only the amount of sentience required to mock humanity. The aisles are not labeled. You must search for every item. The constant walking up and down causes a numbness that borders on profound despair. Your conscious mind registers merely annoyance, impatience. But on a cellular level, your body cries out in weariness. The fatigue you feel is a warning: millions of years of evolution trying to save you from becoming mired in the tar, from sinking into the warm blackness and ultimately being reclaimed by the earth itself.
Be sure to get the dark chocolate peanut butter cups, they are right by the register.
5 stars.
You sir, are a poet who knows the charm and madness of that place. We shop at one location, and one only, for precisely your reasons. The Spice Market in Istanbul is less chaotic.
While I would love to take credit for that piece of magnificence, it’s actually from Werner Herzog’s Yelp Review (not a real review, it waas written by Paul F Thompkins). It’s bloody brilliant, it’s on youtube and absolutely worth a watch/listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YW-5Flkiuw
And it is correct… BTW – I have been to the Istanbul Spice Market.
I park on a side street a block away from the TJ’s and walk over. Our particular TJ’s actually has a wooden model of the parking lot hanging up in the store with some sort of phrase ridiculing it. My guess is that it came from a customer and they couldn’t resist hanging it up.
We shop at an urban location next to the main bus line. There is an adjoining plaza that does not have insane parking patrons. We come in from the exburbs about one evening weekly – Joes. Whole Foods, Food CoOp. Usually pick up a quick meal in town.
I park my “bicycle”/microcar at the bike rack, so parking is always easy.
Here is a terrifying parking lot that has both. In an upscale suburb. This parking is wild my wife hates it and she has driven cars in Ghana, Togo, and Haiti. https://maps.app.goo.gl/kBHxdHScNmaHx8bf6
OMG – I live outside Pittsburgh and avoid this shopping plaza like the plague! I shop at the East Liberty locations which are at least separated.
Hey neighbor.
Sorry – we have a near identical plaza in suburban Pgh.
Wow…. people have shockingly strong opinions on Trader Joe’s parking lots.
I have been to Trader Joe’s only a few times, but I don’t recall the parking lot being worse than any other.
I think people are looking at this all wrong. If everyone is being truthful about the hellishness of a Trader Joe’s parking lot, I would ONLY go there with a vehicle like this.
The high sitting position allows you to see empty spots far away. The ground clearance allows you to go over curbs and small cars to get to said parking spots. The troop transport capabilities allow you to take a private army to “direct traffic” using any methods deemed necessary.
I would ordinarily recommend an MRAP to deal with a hostile parking situation, but in this case, the superior maneuverability of the Land Rover makes it the right tool for the job. When you really think about it, the Land Rover is the perfect vehicle for Trader Joe’s and rush hour.
Problem is this one is too nice… the Vietnam era Jeep from last week would be better.
Trader Joe’s is anything but a typical parking lot.
This is universal truth. And I do not know why??
It’s the typical clientele….they are more important than anyone else and you should get out of their damn way.
Not much better once you get inside. My wife has been hip checked because she evidently was in the way of some urbanite needing peanut butter real bad.
Occupy your space. Always be aware of your body geometry and keep to a fighter’s crouch. Step from guard to guard and try to read your opponent’s tells.
Good advice!
And people complain about people of Walmart!
If I had to guess it’s because they usually put up stores in higher density higher income areas, on smallish lots, so they maximize store space and minimize parking space. My local one has a garage which is way easier to use than the small above ground lot they have.
The Trader joes, whole food and and a few other stores in a well off suburb is one hell of a war zone of a parking lot. You are right.
I’ve never seen a Trader Joe’s anywhere but an upscale neighborhood.
The first one that came to Pittsburgh set up shop in a ready to gentrify neighborhood. They must have known something nobody else did. A big supermarket helped build a new shopping plaza but failed in the same timeframe. We were renting in the area, moved due to a kid about to enter kindergarten and my at the time long commute to a more rural area.
This one is Near an upscale neighborhood but not in one https://maps.app.goo.gl/AVEnu3ueLw1nEF5Q9
“I Am a Trader Joe’s Parking Lot and I Am Here to Destroy You” explains it best: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-am-a-trader-joes-parking-lot-and-i-am-here-to-destroy-you
MARK!!! Are you listening? How about some investigative journalism into why TJ’s has so many messed up parking lots? Sounds like a good story!
I went with the absurd troop transport here. I’m not scared of rebuilt titles but I’m not droping 6 figures on one. Insuring that thing will be a nightmare and if something were to go wrong getting insurance to cover repairs will be an even bigger one. I’m sure there’s some kind of collector car insurance carrier that would do it but I also assume you’ll be paying $$$ to get coverage.
It’s time to start prepping for the apocalypse, given what’s going on this our nation’s capitol. I’ll take the Landy, knowing it’ll get me to the back of beyond where I can start rebuilding society.
I’ll take the Land Rover. I love me a cabover, and then I can buy a Unimog to put next to it for the price of that Pantera.
I don’t really want either, but that exhaust on the Pantera is a work of art, so it got the vote from me!
Was called the nest of snakes on the GT40.