Reply to "Pantera Front Cut"

Your sheet metal work is fantastic. Love it.

I can't help but compare the addition chassis tubing to what Hall did with "Purple passion", the t-top car.

I suppose when it comes down to it, there are only a few places to put it though in the spaces that are available to the car?

One thought I had was that if the original sheet metal in the outer/inner rockers, i.e.,"pontoons" itself could have been made of a thicker steel, then it could eliminate the need for the tubing?

I thought about what you did also, BW, with the aluminum L's but shouldn't that have been steel?

All of this "investigation" is really just showing me the flexibility of the front of the "monococque".

The first time I saw the front of the GT40 chassis with the nose up, it scared the heck out of me.

It was essentially just made up of 1" square, 1/8" wall tubing with very suspicious looking welds.

I think much like the original Pantera, when you design it for 6-7" wide rims with 185 profile tires it doesn't bring out the weaknesses to the design.

When you start to squeeze 285-30 profile tires on 10" wide rims, all the monsters start coming out of the closets?

It just makes me think, why not just cut the entire front chassis off of the car and build a complete bird cage for it? Where does this stop?


Now if you are thinking to yourself I wish Doug really would stop this thinking business, you aren't the first one to come to that conclusion.

I had a Professor threaten to duct tape me shut and put me in the corner facing the wall.
Also, I debate things with myself as well so don't feel singled out. It gets really ungly when I grab myself by the throat and beat my head against the wall.

At least the pain from that keeps me from thinking for a while but the pain starts me moaning from the discomforts? Go figure?