Pantera parts ! (Page 68/75)
infinitewill SEP 04, 05:45 PM
.

[This message has been edited by infinitewill (edited 01-05-2016).]

Fastfocusguy SEP 06, 07:19 PM
Next I decided that the rear clip ( body clamshell ) needed a little more support and stiffening !
The first photos show the angle brackets in primer -
The other three show them bolted into the car -
They connect the steel tubing of the rear clip to the unibody structure of the Fiero,
using existing tapped holes in the Fiero unibody.
Also note the color-coordinated Zippy-Ties holding the electrical plugs that connect the taillight
assemblies to to Fiero wiring harness - so I can literally unplug them if I need to remove the rear clip !





passengers side - - -



drivers side - - -



both ! ! !

[This message has been edited by Fastfocusguy (edited 09-06-2012).]

Fastfocusguy SEP 06, 07:34 PM
somehow I managed to post the same reply twice, so I am editing this one down to minimize clutter -
apologies for the wasted post - :S

[This message has been edited by Fastfocusguy (edited 09-06-2012).]

Fastfocusguy SEP 06, 07:36 PM
And, while I was shooting paint, I figured it was time the front hood hinges
got a decent coat of paint on them ( finally )
The hood hinges are Vintage, and came from a bonfide ( real ) DeTomaso Pantera !
And of course they fit the openings in the OPM2000 kit perfectly,
as well as fitting the front hood/trunk Lid perfectly ! Yay !







And here they are bolted into the car again ! ! !

[This message has been edited by Fastfocusguy (edited 09-06-2012).]

Fastfocusguy SEP 06, 08:05 PM
So, now I need to make those OEM Pantera headlight pods open and close !
And I would prefer to use the original Fiero lift motors/gear boxes for this mission.
So the first step was to make some prototype actuator levers from cardboard,
to get the geometry correct - - -



Once my cardboard mockup was really close, I transferred it to masonite
( high density 'hardboard' ) for further evaluation and testing - - -



then bolted this to the pantera pod pivot bracket with stainless steel bolts.
Once perfected, the masonite part will be traced onto plate steel, in case you are wondering ! ! !



Next I made up a new pushrod, using the dimensions gleaned from testing the cardboard parts -
stock fiero pushrod is shown below the plywood mockup for comparison -
Fastfocusguy SEP 06, 08:11 PM
So, once the plywood parts and the pod are installed into the car, it is time for a test !

Here we see the pod in the closed position - - -



and after switching on the lights ( and the lift motor going through its gymnastic routine )
we see the pod in the raised ( night - driving ) position ! ! !



Whee ! Now all I have to do is make the parts from metal ! ! ! :O
Fastfocusguy SEP 18, 03:59 PM
More exciting news! I finally found Wiper Arms which match the DeTomaso Pantera Arms !
DeTomaso installed the wiper system "backwards" from conventional systems, making life a challenge for us Pantero Builders!
After trying numerous alternatives, I have stumbled across a Fiat wiper arm which is 'backwards' !
The Rear Hatchback Window Wiper arm from a 79-81 Fiat Strada fits Perfectly ! ! !
As you can see, I have managed to scavenge a second arm ! Matching Pair !
Now I need to modify a fiat wiper drive mech to make them move ! :O
I can try the mech from an X-1/9 and - or from a Strada -
The trick will be to make them 'park' in the proper place !



355Fiero SEP 19, 05:42 PM
fastfocusguy;

I would recommend using your Fiero windshield wiper motor. You can take the arm off the wiper motor easily and put it to the position you need for locking at stop. I did a similar operation where I moved my wiper motor to the other side of the front trunk and used the Fiero wiper transmissions and pushed them from the opposite side for my extended windshield application. For your installation, you can use the Fiero transmissions or the Fiat transmissions and work the wiper arm accordingly.

Not hard to do at all.

Good luck. The car is looking good.
Don
Fastfocusguy SEP 21, 08:13 PM
Don,
Thank you for your thoughts!
I like your idea of keeping the Fiero motor and gearbox ( already wired in, fused, etc. )
and linking it to the Fiat 'posts' -
I measured the spacing on the Strada posts, as they are installed in the strada,
and then compared that to the spacing on the Pantero - - -

The centers are within a quarter inch of being identical ! :O

So it seems that making them work in the Pantero will be pretty straight forward -

only one custom link to make, from the fiat part over to the Fiero part !

Best Regards,
David
Fastfocusguy SEP 23, 11:42 PM
more progress on the wipers project !

First, I removed the pivots from the Fiat Strada -



Then I unbolted the Pantero front clip and shifted it forward about 18 inches -



Next I used the air cut-off wheel to trim some annoying Pontiac sheet metal !





This allowed easy access to the fiero wiper mech, which I removed .
Then I bolted the Fiat pivots into the holes I drilled in the Pantero nose clip,
using photos from various books and internet souces to position them correctly.



I also trimmed off some of the Fiero connecting / driving linkage,
which I can weld to my new cobbled linkage, to drive the Fiat pivots -



Then the fun of getting the nose clip back into its normal position,
and re bolting it . The removed sheet metal seen earlier lets the Fiat
system fit down into the Fiero 'canyon' when the clip is lowered into position -



then I positioned and attached the Fiat wiper arms with blades !



Now all that remains is to fabricate the new link to go from
Fiero motor to Fiat pivots, prime & paint, and then install !