This is the backside of that section taken out of the uprights. You can see the W or UU shaped channels that run top to bottom thru the uprights. The hole in the right hand channel is where the shoulder strap bolts in.

This shows how 1/8" patches are used to rebuild the channels. And I used a piece of 1/4" with a nut tacked to the outside to replace the now removed seatbelt hole. Look closely and you can see the nut, just before it gets totally closed in.

The above also shows part of an L shaped 16 gauge patch which covers an inside cut on the upright, and laps onto the backwindow shelf for additional bracing.

It takes lots of clamps to hold the inner panel in while you weld it back. Strips of 16 gauge metal about 1" wide are inserted all along the edge, where the spotwelds were drilled out. The first pic above shows a strip, and a cardboard pattern used to fit a corner.

These strips inserted around the edge let you use the holes from the spotwelds as places to rosette weld the panel back in place. And in a few places along the outside edges, it gives you more "meat" to weld.

Once the bulk of the welding back is done, I tacked a few L brackets around the windshield perimeter, to locate the new windshield.

With these in place, I made an ink mark on each where the glass crosses. On the top & two sides, the glass will lay flush, but it's position has changed along the bottom. Glass guy should have no problems.

Then the windshield was removed. If you have to pull a windshield, use one of these. Best $20 I ever spent.

With the windshield out, the inside of the #1 cuts will easily be patched. Good chance to clean up the ol' VIN # plate too :>

How is the progress on the wide body and chopped versions of the Pantero coming along?

I found tht prices for new front windshields, installed at my shop, run between $150 and $350 . So, I've invested some time into finding out what the differences are. Since I'm neck deep in Homecoming preparation activities at the University, I've scheduled the new windshield for the second week of October.

I've been working on the door windows.....the bane of all choptops. If you look closely at
http://wildpantera.com/images/lagt4-02.jpg you may get an idea of what I'm building. I decided to try window frames, built into the door.

That's the way the Pantera door glass is contained, so what the heck? I cut & fit all the parts for the driver's door last weekend, and after Blackram's BBQ today, I'll be putting the door together tomorrow.

Don't know if anybody's interested, but the first step in doing this choptop was to lower the seat rails & perches. You gain almost a full inch in headroom by doing this, making a chop more feasable for those of us in the "tall guy" category.

David Breeze

Driver's side window frame installed. White thing is a plastic panel used during the fabrication. Entire frame is bolted in for easy removal, and will remain that way during the quest for glass or plexiglass. Bolt in bracing was made with final welding-in in mind. It is suprizingly stout as it is.

Rolled down to dew strip level...and it can go further. Original Fiero door seals were used and the frame fits tightly up against them. The front triangle window was made with a 1/2" inner lip to hold a stationary window pane. Although I did consider installing a typical vent window there, and I think the lip will work with that, if I ever change it.

Frame follows the upper cab contours and fits flush with all trim. Roll-up portion of frame contains typical felt channel which window rides in.

Keep it up.

Looks like my project will be in the garage one more winter getting cleaned up and finish detailed ready for paint and final assembly for the Spring.

So where are we with the Pantera ? The chassis got rolled inside the shop and the 4.9/Allante was test fitted. Everything fit like a glove. While I had it in, I tried several throttle cable ombinations, and I could really use your input, Bubbajoe. The '88 v6 throttle cable has enough travel to fully operate the throttlebody, stop to stop. But the cable housing isn't long enough to suit me. I'm referring to the cable sleeve length, going from the firewall to the mounting point at the end of the cable sleeve. There is a bracket on top of the Allante intake tubes, and the v6 housing will reach to there, but with a heck of a bend & stretch.

So I tried a 4 cyln throttle cable of unknown vintage. It has lots of extra sleeve length to fill the bill. However, it is a bit shy in actual travel of the cable, limiting the full stop to stop travel of the throttlebody. Any idea how to free up some extra travel length? I can hear something hitting and causing the stop, inside the cable housings, but I can't tell what or where.

here is a pic of the housing bracket I'm wanting to use:

Other news: I cut the dogbone bracket and the battery tray out of the engine compartment just to make some elbow room.

Then the engine/cradle was removed and the chassis rolled outside for a good degreasing and pressure washing. Then rolled back inside and leveled up. I got a good start on preping for the chassis paint, using a wire brush, etc anywhere I could reach. I found a product at the Carquest paint specialty shop. It is generic POR-15, just a lot less expensive. Seems the company owner used to work for POR.

Then I started fitting the front clip onto the chassis, with Blackram's help. We've been reverse engineering how to assemble one of these kits, and along the way trying to improve on things like mounting brackets, etc. I'm real happy with what we've come up with for the front. Simple to make from prints, and simple for me to jig and make a set for you, if that's what you want.

And along the way in this front end process, we were able to really nail how to relocate the headlight buckets. All pretty straightforward stuff, and based on chassis reference points.

I think I have redesigned the rear clip mount to be much simpler. The original was simplicity in itself, but I didn't like the big mouting bolts being visible along the bottom edge of the rear clip. I think I have eleminated those and developed another bracket that once again can be duplicated from prints, or easily jigged and fabricated by myself. The rear clip begins December 21st, when I have a couple of weeks off.

We've been working on a few molds for parts Blackrams has come up with for his ride. One of these would be very exciting for Don, or anyone contemplating a stretch. We think this will make a stretch easy, and the looks of it really flow. But that will have to wait for another day :>

After closely looking at Scrabblegod's 4.9 Fiero with Supertrapps, I measured and compared, and decided the Supertrapps would be a perfect fit on the Pantera. They are really too long for a Fiero rear clip, part sticks out and can burn you leg. But the Pantera rear clip is different, and they fit just fine. So I managed to pick up a set for next to nothing. I'll try to get a pic out in the next few days to show you.

David Breeze

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Ron
Freedom isn't Free, it's always earned.
My imagination is the only limiting factor to my Fiero. Well, there is that money issue.