Reply to "Need sugestions from Long time Pantera Owners ?"

Bracing the car for structural rigidity really requires seam-welding all the spot-welded body/chassis areas. In addition, there are some 'crow-foot' sheet doublers that can be added to the base of both windshield posts. The main flexi-spots are in & around the drip-channels in the decklid near the gas filler door and down the inner fender panels, plus under the taillight buckets. The rear crossmember under the engine should be made removeable for oil pan access. If you're starting with an early std Pantera, you already have a more rigid unibody that the real GT5-S based on the pictorial of rear frame cracking we saw recently. I suggest you contact Kirk Evans of Amerisport in Ohio as well. The GT5-S wide-body looks funny without wide wheels to fill in the larger space, and wide stock tires are non-existent today, so factor in about $4000 extra for 17" wheels and modern tires; see the new Tjaarda-designed wheels in the PI store. FYI- adding GT5-S flairs to a std body results in some 50 FEET of TIG-welding, so be sure you pick an experienced body shop in this mod, or your experience could be unpleasant as well as expensive. I suggest you contact Joe Fontana for details on his engine (310)538-2505 in CA