Pantera parts ! (Page 49/75)
opm2000 FEB 07, 08:59 PM
Warhammer, It's really hard to show good pics right now, the entire car is disassembled for final detail items. Hopefully some of the following will help

Mr.PBody, good eye, and by all means get with us at a Bluegrass Fieros meet. Email or pm Ron aka Blackrams. The LT1 is using stock headers, which feed 2 1/4" pipes that feen into a 3" pipe in their stock form. So, I used 2 1/4" aluminized pipe to fabricate the exhaust system you see.

It has "true duals", that is each side feeds into a totally seperate exhaust system. I used Mandrel Bending Solutions in PA ( I think) as a source, and purchased a few of their multiple angle bend pieces. You get a chunk of pipe with a 45 bend, a 180 bend and various straight pieces....great for parting a system together.

I route all of the exhaust so that it does not run underneath the engine or cradle, and so I had to come up with the extreme reversal which you saw. In almost all cases, I was able to use the mandrel bent curves, so exhaust flow was not a concern. When I got to that particular area though, I was able to increase the cross section of the pipe, hopefully enough to not create a significant backpressure.

Both pipes ran to a 2 1/4" in/out dual chambered glasspack muffler from MBS. This was to reproduce the Pantera style of exhaust, as far as looks go. Turns out that those are really sweet glasspacs. They have a real mellow sound, not at all like your average Cherry Bomb. Both Blackrams and Scrabblegod have heard it, and both remarked on the mellow note.



Also, I plan to eventually replace the glasspacks with Supertrapps, but for now we're in the "let's see" stage



Also, the entire exhaust system is situated so that the rear clip can pivot back, with no interfearance. Works out real neat with the electric actuators. And again, many thanks to the forum members who helped me understand the relay circuts that control the actuators. You've really got to see these things, they are a hoot!



BTW, that's a tarp on the Pantero. We've had some wild a$$ed winds around here of late.

As I mentioned, the choptop Pantera is undergoing final details. The exhaust will be finished this weekend. Here you see the system. 2" pipes feed off the manifolds, stock crossover pipe. Both sides run as true duals untill they come together in the 2 1/2" pipe that crosses the backside of the cradle. The turnouts are where the Supertrapps attach.



I started out by attaching the Supertrapps where they needed to be on the body, and fabricated the 2 1/2" pipe, mostly to set and keep the proper angle of the Supertrapps. I had planned to then cut the pipe in half and run two seperate true dual exhausts. But it occured to me to do it as you see here, letting the 2 1/2" pipe also act as a balance tube. We will see.

In the above pic you may have noticed the wheels



These are Axis Widebody rims. 18x8 front and 18x9 rear both et20. I have mounted 55 series rubber, because I wanted to maintain the "retro" look as much as I could, plus I'm just not a big fan of 35 or 40 series tires.

235/55 front and 285/55 rear. I'm really pleased with these rims, they fit the wheel flares perfectly. Back when I sculpted and molded the flares, I didn't have wheels to work out to....I just took a shot in the dark. Lucky I guess, these are off the shelf rims and quite affordable. They have a cool spoke design and a nice deep lip that gives them a deep dish look. Just right for a Pantera.

These pics jsut don't do the rims justice. The front will recieve the lowering springs from the Fierostore, this weekend, and they should look just right. The rears are up on stock suspension, and look great.



Rjblaze, kits are available at those same prices, nothing has changed. If your at Carlisle or the 25 Show in Detroit this summer, you are welcome to check 'em out.

David Breeze
Mr.PBody FEB 07, 11:35 PM
I was tempted to say the wheels on the choptop didn't look right... but no need now. Those will be bad ass. I figured the Pantero exhuast was function over form and performance but I decided to ask anyways. Lemme get a car running and lets get these damn winds to stop (I swear my dog flew across the yard today) and I'll get with ron about the next meeting. I still get you guy's emails so I am sort of in the loop.
War Hammer MAR 15, 12:54 AM
Any updates?
motoracer838 MAR 15, 02:54 PM

quote
Originally posted by opm2000:


These are Axis Widebody rims. 18x8 front and 18x9 rear both et20. I have mounted 55 series rubber, because I wanted to maintain the "retro" look as much as I could, plus I'm just not a big fan of 35 or 40 series tires.



David Breeze



Dave, don't tease us like this. get those wheels and tires on the car and give us a nice shot of it, from that point I'm sure that somebody will photoshop it to completion.

BTW lookin' good.

When you turn on your car,
does it return the favor. Joe
DL10 MAR 15, 05:17 PM
Man that car is going to look great, can't wait to see it when your done.

------------------

DL10 MAR 15, 05:18 PM
sorry double post........or I was trying to edit my spelling in the above post and hit quote instead.................don't post when drinking

[This message has been edited by DL10 (edited 03-15-2008).]

opm2000 MAR 17, 09:16 PM
Warhammer,
About those updates...To be honest, the recent "climate" on this forum has made me hesitant to post. I've seen 'em come and seen 'em go in twenty years of Fiero ownership. The petty bickering is one thing (it will go). But some of the recent aditudes seen regarding the French kitbuilders, and replica builders in general...well.

On a positive note, a couple of Pantera owners have recently contacted me. Somehow they found this thread, and they have expressed a suprising level of enthusiasm and support. In light of the above, it's really good to be so well recieved by the Pantera community.

So, DL10, it's up to us to preserve the species, I guess. I appreciate your kudos, and look forward to seeing you in Detroit this year. I know what a super job you do with your cars, and I just hope I can raise to the bar.

Joe, about those wheels. The "meat" was such that I could only get a pinky finger between the tire and the stock spring. So:



These are 12" springs and 7" sleeves. The stock ride height seemed perfect with those 18"x285 tires. I just didn't want to accidently blow out a tire and ruin a rim. BTW, I didn't like the way the top of the spring was free to move, so I welded a sleeve to the underside of the top part. You can just get a peek in this pic:



One problem I encountered was finding the correct poly bushings for the rear swaybar. One kit I got had both a 7/8" and a 23mm bushing in the same kit. The 7/8" fit great, and I simply filed down an edge on the 23 till it had the same fit. When they are bolted up they fit fine.



I finally solved the windshield wiper situation. After moving the entire assembly over by 5 1/2", the driver's side post sat too low. I finally found this post in a Chevy truck. identical lever arm, but the two ball joints were situated upside down. I ground out the welds from the backside, center punched them out, repositioned and then welded back. Now we're in business.



Other than that, the entire chassis has now been scrubbed, wire brushed, and repainted. Right now I'm doing final fit and routing checks of the engine bay. Most of the firewalls got a layer of aluminized fiberglass cloth, and all of the hoses are getting a firesleeve.





David Breeze
rjblaze MAR 17, 09:29 PM
This thing is looking great. I have been a Pantera fan since I got to drive one when I was in college in the early 80's. Keep up the good work. If you don't mind me asking, what rate rear spring did you use? I would love to build one of these in the future!
opm2000 MAR 18, 04:53 AM
rjblaze, I know the feeling. The first time I saw a Pantera, I was a 15 year old kid, riding around one night with some pals on bicycles. We stopped into a gas station for a Coke, and these two Panteras pulled in for a fill up. We were all over those cars! It made a very lasting impression.

The above springs are 275#, and they came from Speedway. Obviously, they are working with a 4.9/Allante/4t60e conversion. And of course, I haven't had them out on the road yet

The coilovers on the yellow Pantera are 10" 300#. The entire coilover kit is a Held kit I got years ago. And, those springs are working with an LT1/thm325 conversion.....both a heavier and a tail-heavier conversion. I have had this set on the road, and it seems fine. To get what I considered the right stance or wheel well clearance, the adjusters are past the midway point on the sleeves, about the upper 2/3 position. That's why I went with 12" & 7" on the 4.9 set.

David Breeze
DL10 MAR 20, 08:51 PM

quote
Originally posted by opm2000:


So, DL10, it's up to us to preserve the species, I guess. I appreciate your kudos, and look forward to seeing you in Detroit this year. I know what a super job you do with your cars, and I just hope I can raise to the bar.

David Breeze



I think you will raise the bar several notches before you are done..

All I ever did was keep them clean. ……….I don’t have the skills it takes to build a car like yours. I haven’t done much with the Predator for several years. Priorities change. I’m not sure if I will be able to make it the 25th..