Reply to "keep rivits or weld??"

That is part number 18A058 and you can see a picture of it here http://www.panteraplace.com/Pantera%20Pics/pantera%20front%20area.jpg It is called Reinforcement – Front Shock Mounting. The combination of 16055 parts that work with it, were different depending on the serial number. This shock reinforcement, 16C167 next to it in the picture and the unmarked plate on the bottom of the image were factory mods. My 71 car number 1887 has all the factory mods. I’m not sure why the factory stopped installing the mods on the latter production cars because all of the cars needed them. I’m aware of later production cars having suspension mount failures because the factory mods were not in place, e.g the lower front A arm back mount tearing loose from the body. I think it is somewhat of a myth that the later production cars were better because they were improved assemblies. It would be interesting to know why the factory stopped adding the body and suspension enforcement mods on the later cars, but I guess we will never know.

Mike