Funny how time and place alter the appeal of different aircraft. "When I were a young lad..." the British skies were full of Hunters, Lightnings, Scimitars and Sea Vixens, with the exciting prospect of Harriers, Buccaneers, TSR2s and P1154's in the offing. Like most people I was in thrall to the Lightning as a sexy, uncompromising hot-rod of an aircraft, and a worthy successor to the SE5a and Spitfire. Somehow, the F4 never quite had the same emotional appeal to me although - as you say - it clearly meant business, and was operationally rather more useful. Robert Prest makes it clear that the Phantom was the aircraft he always lusted after as a boy, so nothing was going to stop him flying one!
Better stop there before the thread gets moved to the 'Nostalgia' section