Reply to "Fall Pantera Run"

Thank you, everyone, for all the nice compliments.

In answer to your question, Steve, I live in Charlie Lake which is just north of Fort St. John. I expect I am vying with some of the guys in Sweden for the “northernmost Pantera” award. I have not attended Birch Bay because it is a 2,400 km round trip from here. Send me an e-mail at phavlik@awink.com so we can perhaps get together for a coffee next time I’m in Vancouver on business.

As requested by Mark, here is a photo of the engine (I tried putting up a photo album but can’t get past a weird error message). It is a PI Motorsports 427 that Jerry Sackett told me produces about 540 hp. Jerry sent me a dyno print-out that showed the same engine putting out 434 hp at 5500 rpm and 465 ft. lbs. at 4,000 rpm, both at the rear wheels in a GT-40 application (i.e. with the same ZF transaxle). The motor features H-beam rods, CNC ported Avenger stage 2 cylinder heads, stainless steel valves with chromoly retainers, full ARP bolt kit, custom hydraulic roller lifters and cam, 28 oz. steel balancer, forged crank, lightened aluminum flywheel, high torque starter, aluminum high volume water pump and so on.

I am particularly pleased with the way my exhaust turned out. I did a lot of research on the best exhaust system for this engine, and found that every expert had a different story. I did not find anybody very convincing until I spoke with Fred Matsumoto. He pointed out that all the 2 ½” or less exhausts being marketed by the various vendors were not designed for a stroker with this kind of horsepower. It turns out that one of the best known “low restriction” exhausts may even cause you to lose power over the stock system! Fred advised me to go to a full 3” system.

Now, without exception, every vendor I talked to, and everything I read on this BB or on the e-mail forum, said that it would not be possible to fit a 3” pipe between the A-arms and the half-shafts. Many dire consequences were predicted, and there was a good deal of sniffing that I was impudent for questioning the established wisdom. Fred’s reply was to simply flip the half shafts, because they are about ½” smaller in diameter on one side than the other. Ingenious! And it worked perfectly. The next problem was with the collector on the PI Motorsports headers, which tapered to a 2 ½” flange. Again, after I was told that nothing could or should be done about it, Fred simply suggested cutting the collector back until the opening was big enough to weld on a full 3” collector. No problem!

By good fortune, Fred just happened to have four original Mind-Train mufflers left, which he sent me along with some resonators and a sample tip. He also instructed me on how to have a crossover fabricated for enhanced performance and noise reduction. I think the installation and fabrication turned out well, but I am still going to have it adjusted so that the mufflers tuck in and up more, and so that the tips end evenly with the bumpers as with the original ANSA tips.

So now I have the only Pantera I know of with 90 degree headers and a full 3” exhaust with crossover. And, let me tell you, it sounds so good that it sends shivers up your spine when you fire the motor up. It is loud enough to make your teeth chatter, and cause women to clutch their children to their breast.

The car is going to Calgary in a month or two for a day-long dyno tuning session. Then it goes back to the body shop for a final wet sand and polish. I have a list of over 40 issues to sort out by spring and in time for the next exotic car tour. Then it will be interesting to find out how it holds up against the other cars on all those Alberta and British Columbia mountain roads. There will be a Saleen S7, an Enzo, some Murcielagos and Diablos, and at least one F-40 coming along, so we shall see (said the blind man).

Now, as for David’s question regarding the mirrors, I’m glad for the opportunity to vent. They are stock, and they are the bane of my existence. At lower speeds they vibrate so much that you can’t see anything, and at higher speeds (anything over 180 km/hr) they droop. I tried tightening them until I was sure the bolts would strip, the shop tried drilling and tapping set screws, I have tried pleading, threatening and crying like a baby. It’s just no good. They will have to be removed and thrown on that increasingly high pile of discarded original parts that I am saving just in case I ever go off my medications and decide to return the car to stock.