Pantera parts ! (Page 31/75)
opm2000 JAN 26, 01:02 PM
http://www.panteracars.com/lasinto219.jpg

I like the above style of dash. I imagine Aus would like it even more

Yes, I do plan on an entire interior ( ie dash & center console ). But I really don't know if I'll have time to put it into this car, before Carslile Kitcar Show '06. My thoughts are to duplicate the overall shape, maybe relocate the vents, but use the existing rack for hvac & radio, and use the existing pod. It would be easy enough to scoot the pod back to flush mount with the rest of this type dash.

Right now, the cradle is not in the chassis, so it's pretty hard to roll it out for a good side or front view. We'll see what we can do this weekend.

On Blackram's advice, I'm in the middle of fitting the clamshell with it's internal steel tube reinforcing, and the hinge mechanism. This means the clamshell will be cut open sometime Sunday.

Back in the '80's & '90's when I was building airplanes, we avoided using bondo like the plague. I know that product has evolved a lot, since then. But shrinkage over time was the concern. I became pretty familiar with mixing the base resin with glass microballoons to make a creme or paste that is used just like bondo: shovel it on and sand most of it off

I've been real pleased with the Duratec high build sanding primer, which I've been using in the molds as a substitute for the gelcoat layer. I'm hoping to continue using the Duratec, after coarse filling with resin/micro, to achieve a guide-coated surface. Then a coata of PPG DP epoxy primer, and PPG Deltron basecoat/clearcoat. To be honest, I've never shot a basecoat/clearcoat. All of my experience is with one coat polyurethanes. But the repairability of a basecoat/clearcoat is hard to argue with.

David Breeze
88White3.4GT JAN 26, 01:47 PM
Great work! keep it up
bobm JAN 27, 09:11 PM
Dave,

I don't know if this was posted already and I missed it but, are you modifying the molds or producing new ones to make the lower profile available as well? And has documentation already been started to accompany the kits when available?

[This message has been edited by bobm (edited 01-27-2006).]

blackrams JAN 28, 02:04 AM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by bobm:
Dave,
I don't know if this was posted already and I missed it but, are you modifying the molds or producing new ones to make the lower profile available as well? And has documentation already been started to accompany the kits when available?

Not trying to speak for Dave, but I've spent virtually every weekend for the last year and a half with Dave working on this and the following is my personal opinnion.
The answer to the second question is yes, we have been documenting each step of the process and plan to have a CD that would accompany any kit for the diy'er. Your first question is harder to respond to. We have discussed building a new mold of the chop top, but I personally think that each chop is going to be slightly different and therefore building a fibergalss rear clip for a chasis that still needs to be lowered might be just asking for problems. There are simply too many variables and we're not sure that we wouldn't just be wasting our time, efforts and money. Dave's 88 has about 4 inches of chop, can we guarantee that every person doing his own chop is going to build it to the same dimemsions, doubtful. so then what we've been doing for the past few months will have to be redone all over again. My personal opinnion is that we need and have to offer a pretty standard kit that the DIY'er can modify to his/her own style. My project is destined to be a Pantero Roadster, so we're going to have to rework the orginal rear clip to suit my needs, will anyone else want a roadster style Pantero, hard to say but building a new set of molds would be pretty costly and time consuming for what is likely to be very few sold and would also offer one style only that the new owner might have problems fitting to his car unless he/she did the exact modification to his car that I did. I have to say that producing molds that would fit all the variables is almost impossible. About the ony way to do something like that would be for us, Dave and I, to produce a turn key and though that is a possibility, it's a time consuming process. Just my two cents worth, happy Fieroing.

Editted to add, after thinking about it I guess we could produce a jig or the deminsional drawings to build a jig that wouldfit the chop top we have already come up with, but I can see how not everyone will want the same thing so I guess that puts us back to square one.

------------------
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.

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 01-28-2006).]

blackrams JAN 28, 02:05 AM
Oooooooo, making some progress this weekend, Dave's is gonna have to post some pics.

------------------
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.

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 01-28-2006).]

opm2000 JAN 30, 06:47 AM
Bob,
I think Blackrams pretty well answered where we are on creating a mold for a chopped rear clip. It could be done, but the builder would have to assure his chop was to the same rear window height as ours, within a certian range. Since there is some adjustability of the rear clip available, reguarding the rear roof of the Fiero matching up to the roof of the rear clip, it could be done. But I have to ask myself: for the time and money invested in sucsh a mold, how many chopped rear clips would I sell?

I certianly don't have a problem modifying a rear clip for a builder, but complete instructions on doing this for yourself will be a part of the instructions we are working on. Chester, another PFF'r has offered to shoot a DVD of the basic assembly process. That, the many pics we've been taking, and supportive text should provide enough to allow even the first timer to build a Pantera.

This weekend we managed to get the rear clip bracing and hinge mechanism fabricated and installed. We wanted a hidden hinge, that would allow the decklid to open up and away from the chassis. Many hinges make the leading edge turn down into the body at some point, or they have a hinge roll visible, or just look bad when closed.

So these hinges are made using 2 1/2" steel hinges and 2" dia. steel pipe. The strap rests on top of the Fiero chassis roof, under the fiberglass of the rear clip and the SMC of the Fiero, and will be welded in place later on.

The hinges are welded to a framework of 1/2" square steel tubing, which nestles up inside the strakes and crosses the front and rear. The corners are gusseted for additional strength.

BTW, whenever steel is bonded to our fiberglass, we wipe it down real well with Acetone to remove oils and contaminants. And we also spirally wrap steel tubing with a strip of BID fiberglass cloth, before laying the tubing in place. This extra skin of glass around the tubing gives the attaching matt fiberglass a better hold.

Here you can see the tubing glassed in place with three layers of 2oz matt. We cut 5" wide strips and tore them into handy 12" lengths for placing. We wet the strips out on the cardboard, using a 3" chip brush, and then we can easily pick them up and place them. For this type work, we usually mix 12 oz batches of resin.

We decided to let this layup cure untill Tuesday evening, when we will then reassemble the rear clip to the chassis and cut out the clamshell. Sunday afternoon I got a lot of work done on relocating the windshield wipers, but we'll get into that later on.

David Breeze
355Fiero FEB 21, 12:05 PM
David and Ron;

I am very curious as to how the back end looks with the clam shell cut away and functional. I bet it looks awesome.

I had an opportunity to get into the garage and get closer to having the convertible top prototype designed and built Ron. I'll send pics for you when I have the front section in and folding correctly.

I need to replace my alternator on my daily driver today though. An aweful racket it is making back there.....

regards
Don

blackrams FEB 21, 06:52 PM
Don, I'm very interested in seeing your progress on the Vert. I want one and some day I'll have one. I just gotta quit taking on all these other projects. Going to an auction this weekend, found out about an IRS auction that has Five 53 foot car haulers on the block. I'm thinking this is something worth going to, just maybe I'll drag one home.
The clam shell does look great, though I get to see it up close, Dave is gonna have to post the pics.

------------------
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.

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 02-21-2006).]

motoracer838 FEB 21, 07:03 PM
Dave and Ron; This is really looking good, I can't wait to see the finished product. Are you going to the Fiero factory swap meet? Cheers Beers n Gears. Joe
blackrams FEB 21, 08:05 PM

quote
Originally posted by motoracer838:
Dave and Ron; This is really looking good, I can't wait to see the finished product. Are you going to the Fiero factory swap meet? Cheers Beers n Gears. Joe

I sincerely doubt we'll be ready to show off our efforts by then, we're shooting to have it ready for Carlysle later this year. But, I and several of the Bluegrass Fiero Group will be there. The orginal Pantero plug car may come along, we'll just have to see how things move along.

------------------
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.