Reply to "GT5 S"

The majority of the the differences is in the body. The GT5 is a stock bodied Pantera (71-74 Ford era (stamped?) sheetmetal) with flares added. The early GT5 cars had flares that were attached with a rivet type system and later cars had them attached with a molded look. The GT5 and GT5S cars also share a different squared off wheelhouse shape. However, I have seen early, (prototype?)cars with this shape. I believe the frame rails may have differed a bit also, but I haven't measured them side by side to confirm this. Essentially, the GT5 and GT5S were sometimes built side by side during the eighties as I have seen late model GT5 cars ('85 and up)in both the US and Europe. Minor wiring improvments were made as some of the cars were built. Unfortunately, I am informed that no wiring diagram is available for the GT5S cars. There is a GT5S car, built in 1989 in Europe that was manufactured by the factory with an L Pantera front per a customers order. Unusual.

The GT5S fenders/body work is all hand formed steel, presumably made on a English wheel. Craftsmen individually formed the mutifaceted curves that produced the final shape. I am informed that the GT5S had some of the most, if not the most expensive expensive sheetmetal work of any modern car. Source Pat Michal. If you look carefully at the fenders you will see curves and lines at differing angles on the same piece of metal. While some of the GT5S kit sheetmetal is very attractive, when you view the fender shapes next to a correct factory GT5S, there is a very large difference. The kit fenders are not as full, nor, do they correctly replicate the production work. But yes, very nice just the same. The kits also have a problem with the front hood. The GT5S fenders move straight across to the hood opening, while the kit sheetmetal has to stop at the older style dropped hood lines.