Is a PTP Solid 12 (Lenco) worthy of a $5k cartridge

Better to say exactly what parts you bought and tell something about the vendor. You can’t source parts from Peter Reinders direct? What makes you question Fixpart?

X-axis, not y-axis.
my bad

Dodge, I bought my L75 NOS only about 10 years ago for $300.  You can still buy a mint L75 for $500 or less.  The motor will run forever, and if it doesn't, there's a huge source of information on how to rebuild them on Lenco Lovers website.  Every other part of the turntable is either easily restored or has been reproduced.  I spent about $500 to have my slate plinth made and about $300 on the PTP top plate.  Even with the overkill bearing (I think I wrote $800, but now I recall it was more like $600), I have about $1900 in the whole thing, less the tonearm.  $2500 buys you a generic belt drive with MDF plinth, platter of either glass, alu, or MDF, and a tiny weak motor with a rubber belt.

K4star, I strongly disagree with your assessment of the importance of the turntable.  Music has tones played in strict time.  When you play an LP, the turntable alone is responsible for the y-axis, time.  Without precise timing, music loses its foundation.

I have no further comments. You’d have to do the listening yourself, since quietness and transparency are never measured by those who use those terms when discussing turntables.

Pani, Contrary to your statement that a souped up Lenco would fall short of a top flight BD, I’d say it’s on par with any BD below $25K. Above $25K, the Lenco would be equal to or superior to many; you’d have to make case by case comparisons. Also, keep in mind, that each of us Lenco lovers is talking about his or her own version of a Lenco. Almost no two of our turntables are the same. Yet we all like them very much. This means to me that Lenco had a great idea that is worthy of the expensive modifications.

Hard to describe precisely the improvement with Phoenix stuff, because I went from the Walker Audio Motor Controller, which is already pretty good but has no feedback mechanism to control or monitor speed, to Phoenix.  I'd say it improves SQ to some degree over the Walker.  Not mind-blowing.  The Walker was way superior to nothing.

 I own five turntables. Among them are direct drives that are considered the top of the vintage Japanese turntables including an SP 10 mark 3 and a Kenwood L07D. I also own a highly modified version of the Lenco. It is not the PTP direct product, but it uses the steel top plate made by Peter Reinders  originally. This is mounted on a 70 pound slate plinth. I also have an aftermarket $800 bearing on my Lenco, replacing the original bearing. The platter has been painted with a special damping material. And it is further damped by the use of heavy duty O-rings around the circumference. The motor is controlled by a phoenix engineering eagle power supply with a phoenix engineering road runner tachometer. So I can document that the speed is precisely 33.33 RPM. I would put this rig up against any of my other rigs. It certainly is worthy of the ancillary equipment that you mention. I don’t know what else to say.