Pantera were never a band to do things by halves, and befitting their larger-than-life status, drummer Vinnie Paul took great pride in his iconic white 1997 Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine.
Having been gifted the vehicle by the late drummer’s estate, US radio host Jose Mangin is now appealing to Pantera fans, and lovers of classic cars, to help restore the car to peak condition. And he and his friend, photographer Sonny Guillen, have launched a GoFundMe to help cover the considerable expense this will entail.
Mangin explains all on the website:
“I recently inherited Vinnie Paul’s 1997 Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine. WTF?! I know right.
That’s exactly what went through my head when I got the call telling me that Vinnie’s estate decided that I would be the honorable recipient to take on this legendary vehicle. They knew that I would love it, care for it, respect it as a “Pantera museum on wheels,” and bring it roaring back to life.
So many celebrities, family, friends, strippers, politicians and more have been inside this limo. Marilyn Manson famously did donuts outside Vinnie’s “Clubhouse” one time. Vinnie used to drive it to go shopping, drive-through restaurants, and of course to party ALL THE TIME.
I had the honor of partying in it back in 2008 in Dallas, and Vinnie played me some HELLYEAH demos out of his monstrous sound system. I remember my insides were vibrating so hard from the intense volume and kick from those speakers, goddamn!?
Now all these years later, I find myself in a very extraordinary situation, one that I would never imagine. Being the proud new owner of Vinnie Paul’s limousine?!
Vinnie wanted to restore this limo while he was alive, but it cost way too much. He even contacted a known TV show to help him pimp it out, but they wanted a ton of money to fix it up. It needs a SHIT TON of work.
Getting the limo to California from Vegas has burned a hole through my wallet, along with other expenses that barely got this beast rolling. It’s gonna take a lot to get this on the road again.
I need to pay for engine work, body work, paint, transmission, power window/trunk motors, stereo/visual equipment (super important!), tires, wheels, brakes, lights, interior seats/carpet, vinyl roofing, front windshield, sun roof, detailing, registration, insurance, storage, and more costs that I have no idea that will undoubtedly happen.
I need your help please. Here’s where YOU come in.
Every dollar donated will go to complete the restoration of the limo that I inherited from my idol Vinnie Paul.
If you donate $33 or up you’ll get your name engraved on the inside of the trunk. It could be your name, your band name, your organization, your company, your pet’s name, or anything you want. Whatever it is, it’ll be forever immortalized on this iconic piece of rock history.”
Launched just 24 hours ago, the appeal has so far raised just short of $14,000. Over to you, folks…
