Pantera job

[jaybee]

I could sit and look at the reflections in the paint for a long time.

[chimp koose]

The owner must be pleased! Car looks like a million bucks compared to the deer smasher/waffle iron it was when it came in. I love those wheels on that car !

[rumrumm]

Too bad we don't get a view of it completed. Hopefully, the owner will drive by when it is on the road again so we can all see it.

[idrivejunk]

Never fear. Pantera man came to bs with us body guys for awhile and "be sure we're still gonna be friends"    and I as much as the rest of us insist on seeing it with the engine and bumper and all that good stuff. When? Who knows. I will probably be there and you will probably see. Next month I will complete my ninth year on the same piece of concrete. Every big job gets the included return trip for polishing after assembly as part of the deal. So keep your eyes peeled and look for it "down the road". Guaranteed to have a striking presence, and truthfully the appeal of the Pantera is to some degree universal.

I think the color choice is great! Totally Tony the Tiger and the big tall owner should get a costume and a Pontiac "GR-RRR" license plate. Is it too soon to say that?  

[idrivejunk]

L to R:

Guy who:

Fixed the throttle cable with TIG

Swung the deal

Built the doors back (see tattoo, behind car under hood)

Installed bedded glass

Drives it

(behind camera) fixed right fender and rusty rear rails-



Mudded and primed and fussed over



L: Fitted front bumper, painted / striped / buffed it

R: Fixed small rust

Not shown: Fixed tail panel at lamps, dug out brazing-



























Fascinating. :cool: He'd put 16 miles on the fresh build so far and it wasn't covered in panties yet somehow.:confused: It sounds great but I was unable to put up the video.

[kb426]

I see a quartet of webers with nitrous nozzles. I'm impressed by how quickly he has it assembled and driving. He appears to be motivated. I also like the fact that he drove it to show it off. It sure is striking. Good job, everybody.

[rumrumm]

Impressive final result.Well done!!

[sirstude]

a friend of mine has one of these, and his only complaint is there is no room for your feet at the pedals.

[chimp koose]

    slow clap

[jaybee]

That thing is a knockout! Thanks for sharing the journey.

[idrivejunk]

Thanks for the comments, gents!  

It has been driven hard since, and the paint already cracked. Windshield posts are a known weak point and the owner found out that to avoid cracking there, the usual procedure is to remove rockers, weld in big angle iron and put rockers back. Of course none of the Pantera internet people told him about it, he and I were not aware, and its too late now. Not a gigantic appearance problem but sucks. Don't know of plans to fix the paint nor do I feel responsible. Bracing the front compartment did come up, as I remember. Anyway, the car has been back and a brace was fabricated and installed and a photographer snapped these at a show last week.

[kb426]

The only thing missing in those pics is a good looking woman somewhere. Did the brace get installed from the bottom up towards the windshield post?

[idrivejunk]

The only thing missing in those pics is a good looking woman somewhere. Did the brace get installed from the bottom up towards the windshield post?

Do they still make those? Tattoos, piercings, bisexuality, and obesity are what they sell now if you ask for one. Around here. I never saw the brace. F1 cab is my Ford life now and I don't raise my head much to see what else is going on.

[jaybee]

Very interesting about the cracked paint. The stock body shell must be a real flexi flyer, not up to modern standards for a performance car.

[idrivejunk]

Well, yeah if anything with a smog 2V 351 can be called à performance car. When people design one, adequate structural integrity is barely achieved and is calculated / tested with only clean and recently manufactured metal throughout. Corrosion is a wild card. That being said, even the mud man who is not with us any longer plainly observed and commented that there is "nothing right there"... meaning an obvious oversight. If I had to venture a guess, blame or suspicion would be lack of precedent for including torque in a non-performance-oriented platform. They probably figured it was strong enough with no engine up front. Might have been, on that day. We all know now that front engine rear drive V8 with four venturis is the recipie for fun practicality and bang for the buck performance and it is true that this car is modified for increased power and pushing a half century old. According to the owner it is an inherent issue and is "done cracking".