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06001 Restoration

robborrusorobborrusoMember
OK...so it's time to start contributing some content again... Big Grin

Summer is over...toys are put away...kids are back in school...time to get on a project. This winter I'm going to jump 6001 into the line up, as I'm getting a bit bummed I don't have a Pantera to actually drive. Since 4042 is quite a way away from driving condition, and 6001 is ugly...but very drive-able.....I'm going to do her body work and put her in black primer/sealer. I'll drive her with the flat black look until I finish 4042. Then...I'll put 6001 back into the shop for a proper restoration. So, this will ... I guess..be chapter 1 of 6001 restoration.

She's a solid car, with a stout motor, decent interior, nice set of wheels (though quite weathered and needing love), but the paint is quite bad. She was in grey primer when I purchased her as shown here.









My minion and I have spent a few hours scraping paint off, and have found some interesting prep and paint work along the way..... The prep work was unbelievably terrible. There were areas we were able to separate the paint and primer and peel it off in big sections.









Found a section on the passenger door that had primer which was about an 1/8" thick. I didn't know it was possible to spray it so thick...???


Found one area where there was gloss paint under some body filler... Sweet


I think I've done as much scraping as is feasible at this point. Will start with the DA sander in the morning.
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jfb05177jfb05177Member
Thanks for posting...
I never knew one could use a putty knife to scrap paint off a body!

with the layers of bondo and extreme thick primer that defined the shape. are you going to do the body metal work back to desired finish during this "new paint only"

as for the nice but weathered wheels, I thought I saw three different types, a 10 and a 5 spoke, plus a stamped steel
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Well...actually...I didn't either. I had a local sand blast guy at the hose checking out 4042 last summer when I had the surface rust on it. While he was here I asked his opinion about having 6001 soda blasted. He told me I was welcome to bring it to his shop...but he would just scrape it, not blast it. I said "huh"..... and he proceeded to use one of my razor scrapers to demonstrate. I was amazed. As many cars as I have restored..and I never considered this method. I then bought a box of heavy duty single edge blades on Ebay and a heavy duty scraper handle and got to work. I have effectively stripped the car in about ~3 hours of collective time. There are still areas that I will have to go back and do with the sander...but this was way faster and I didn't have to run my compressor for 2 days to make it happen.

Yes, it appears I have uncovered some panel deformations (based on the bondo), and I will address those areas during this chapter of the restoration. Hopefully mostly with a hammer and dolly Wink rather than body filler.

I also have the front wheels. They came with it. I removed them to help with the turning radius moving it around the shop, as the tires are too large and they rub. For ease of getting her on the road for the spring 2016 target, I may just pop the Cobra Rs on her from 4042 (which are now on the fronts).
garth66garth66"When speed is the only thing that counts"
quote:
and he proceeded to use one of my razor scrapers to demonstrate. I was amazed. As many cars as I have restored..and I never considered this method.

Years ago a good friend asked my opinion on stripping his 58 Vette. After looking at the car and the orange paint job that had been brushed on in the early 70's, I asked him for a razor blade and proceeded to show him how easily it would scrape off. 2 hours later, 99% of the faded chalky flaky orange paint was off, revealing some prior accident damage and poor repair work.
panteradougpanteradougMember
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Borruso:
Found a section on the passenger door that had primer which was about an 1/8" thick. I didn't know it was possible to spray it so thick...???


It MIGHT be "featherfil". That or a generic is what you need to use on fiberglass to get a smooth surface to work with.

It gets used with a hardener and is a mixture of epoxy primer and very fine body filler. Fine enough to spray it on.

This actually looks like body filler to me though?

Some body fender guys like to think of themselves as sculptors and skim coat almost everything.

Don't stand too close in the shop without moving. They might get you also. Wink
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hi Bob,
I host my photos on a godaddy storage site, and use the insert photo button above the text box in the message window (button between the envelope and the film strip). You can line up as many as you like... (or ..at least I haven't hit a limit yet.. Wink ) After I insert the first with the menu bar tool, I actually then copy/paste the text, and just update the photo number to save time.

Yes... I think I shed about 10lbs off of her already. The paint on the hood alone was probably 1/16" thick. The hood actually feels lighter now when I open it. It was so hard that I had to use an angle grinder to get it off. Unlike the scraping process...the hood took me half of Sunday....








Thanks Tim... appreciate it. Let's see....stay tuned Big Grin

Doug, I was thinking the same about the Featherfill. It's the only material I could think of to create such a material build. Who knows.... I do know however that it is not body filler. I thought for sure it had to be, so I carefully looked at the cross section. It's the same material all the way through. Crazy man...crazy... lol

Anyway, got the hood done. Unfortunately it took longer than it should, as my compressor couldn't keep up. Seems I need to rebuild it. Can't really complain I guess, it's given me 13yrs of hard labor. Rebuild kit on order, should be here for the weekend. Only real down side is I will have to spend valuable garage time working on equipment rather then 6001. Mad errrgh
robborrusorobborrusoMember
OK, so...compressor rebuilt and back to work. Boy...what a difference it makes to not have to keep stopping for air. With the slow performance degradation over the years, I had forgotten how well this thing worked when it was new...

Spent today taking off more layers of paint and quite a bit of body filler. One of the primer and paint layers had to have bee catalyzed primer and enamel.. I had to use the grinder again to get through them. I really don't like doing that on such this panels, but think I managed it w/o getting into the metal much. The really good news, no rust found yet! However, there is body damage on every panel. I can only speculate that there is no rust because whenever the owner wanted to drive it, he had to first call the body shop and see if it was ready to be picked up yet from the last time he drove it. Therefore...not getting very many miles over the years..

Anyway, I'll take dents over rust any day of the week. There was what seemed to be a lot of unnecessary body filler in many places, so between the 4 layers of paint and a gallon of body filler...she should be a bit lighter when I'm done too.

It appears the color change was done professionally and at the same time the bumpers were shaved. The work after that looks like local bump shop quality work. There was none of the original red found, so the color change guy sanded it clean, even in all the nooks and crannies. All the subsequent paint jobs were black.

I still have to do the lower panels. I want to put her up on the hoist for that to make the work a bit more comfortable on the old back. Next weekend's work...








panteradougpanteradougMember
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Borruso:
Hi Bob,
I host my photos on a godaddy storage site, and use the insert photo button above the text box in the message window (button between the envelope and the film strip). You can line up as many as you like... (or ..at least I haven't hit a limit yet.. Wink ) After I insert the first with the menu bar tool, I actually then copy/paste the text, and just update the photo number to save time.

Yes... I think I shed about 10lbs off of her already. The paint on the hood alone was probably 1/16" thick. The hood actually feels lighter now when I open it. It was so hard that I had to use an angle grinder to get it off. Unlike the scraping process...the hood took me half of Sunday....








Thanks Tim... appreciate it. Let's see....stay tuned Big Grin

Doug, I was thinking the same about the Featherfill. It's the only material I could think of to create such a material build. Who knows.... I do know however that it is not body filler. I thought for sure it had to be, so I carefully looked at the cross section. It's the same material all the way through. Crazy man...crazy... lol

Anyway, got the hood done. Unfortunately it took longer than it should, as my compressor couldn't keep up. Seems I need to rebuild it. Can't really complain I guess, it's given me 13yrs of hard labor. Rebuild kit on order, should be here for the weekend. Only real down side is I will have to spend valuable garage time working on equipment rather then 6001. Mad errrgh


I have never seen paint that thick. Ever.

I suspect that you are going to use a lot of primer/filler and have lots of blocking to do on it.

The point of that process is to take the little ripples out of the sheet metal. You use a lot of primer but most of it gets sanded off in the process.

Use as long of a sanding block as practical and use long strokes and lots of water.

Pay lots of attention to what you are doing and it will come out great.
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hi Speed,
Yes, it is a 69 Mach (no shaker thought). That one they will have to bury me in.. Big Grin You can see the full restoration here Link: 69 Mach build

Hi Doug,
I know...crazy...right. The funny thing was I had to grind out another 1/8" of body filler too. Unreal. I put a straight edge up to the door afterwards. I can see there is a low spot just ahead of the door handle...but don't get why they would have loaded it down the way it was done. I'll spend some time with hammer/dolly and see what I can achieve, but there really was no need for all the fill..??? Anyway, as mentioned, I'll take dents any day of the week over rust. All is good!
S speedunlimited (Guest)
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Borruso:
Hi Speed,
Yes, it is a 69 Mach (no shaker thought). That one they will have to bury me in.. Big Grin You can see the full restoration here Link: 69 Mach build

Hi Doug,
I know...crazy...right. The funny thing was I had to grind out another 1/8" of body filler too. Unreal. I put a straight edge up to the door afterwards. I can see there is a low spot just ahead of the door handle...but don't get why they would have loaded it down the way it was done. I'll spend some time with hammer/dolly and see what I can achieve, but there really was no need for all the fill..??? Anyway, as mentioned, I'll take dents any day of the week over rust. All is good!
Hello Rob; Always was a BIG fan of the 1969/70 Mach 1s with/without the shaker hood.

I was bidding on this example...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-F...rksid=p2047675.l2557

But the winning bid was well beyond what I thought the value was.

I own a 1973 Mach 1 CJ, Q code, factory 4 speed, highly optioned that is "1" of "1" according to the Marti report.

Thanks for the link to the 69 Mach 1 rebuild, look forward to reading it in it's entirety!
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Yep...same minion UFO. She's become quite a useful shop helper. I'm a lucky guy..! Big Grin

OK, so the whole house came down with some kinda of wicked funk and we've been out of commission for the past two weekends. Finally feeling healthy enough to get back out in the shop. Decided to put her up on floor jacks on the dollies so she would be up higher and still be a little mobile. Cut some boards to lock into the dollies, then secured the stands to the wood. Seems to work OK, let's see how it goes. I will also appreciate painting it up in the air.





Spent the day under the nose stripping paint. Not much to share...a lot more of the same. Grinding...sanding...blah..blah.... Was nasty work, covered in dust..but got her done! Good news remains...more dents, very limited rust. No complaints!!


michael1424michael1424It takes energy not to get used to it!
It's coming along nicely Rob. Good news on low rust! The more I'm digging into mine the less I'm finding compared to what I was expecting.

You have to love having good minions. I do fire effects for a living and my 3 daughters LOVE getting amongst the flamey stuff when we get into testing mode. I think it's a good thing to have our kids getting hands on (boys or girls) experience - there's too much virtual / disposable world out there keeping them squeaky clean and quiet these days.

And, I think I have some serious garage space envy as well. I simply don't have the space at my place so 1424 is down at my (very awesome) mechanic's place getting things done. I'm in the process of acquiring space where I can build some serious garaging.
robborrusorobborrusoMember
The rollie jack stands worked out great today. Was able to move her around as needed to get access and lighting to the lower & rocker panels. Got them all stripped and cleaned up today. I really have to say how lucky I feel...the rockers are spotless clean. The drip holes look great. The car gods are treating my kindly.. Big Grin And to think...I almost sold this car last year. Eeker





Whomever did the bumper elimination, did a decent job. Too bad his hammer and dolly skills didn't match his welding skills. There was 1/4" thick body filler on the rear panels. Holy cow batman... I had to put on a fresh grinder disk to dig though it.... Sweet


This dent was filled in. Crazy...there is full access behind it...why..why..?
Hopefully I can get it hammered respectability straight before it's all said and done.








All in all..between the layers of paint and gallons of body filler...she's probably 20lbs lighter now. No joke!

Next step will be starting to straighten panels.....
robborrusorobborrusoMember
So...started the hammer work on the RF corner today. Got the corner to be pretty close. Had to reshape the wheel opening a bit also. However, forgot to take pics at that....will catch up on that next weekend. Once I got the corner a bit closer, I welded up all the holes from the accident repair I found under all the body filler. Then...spent a bit more time hammering. She's about 90% or so to where I want to get her. The area between the sharpie marks is about 1/16" low still. Next weekend.....










robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hi Michael,
I won't profess to be great at it! I'm just stubborn ...and don't like to accept my shortcomings Big Grin . So, I power through and keep at it until I'm happy with it. The Pantera body is thin metal, which sometimes makes it easier to work, however can create its own challenges too (stretching, welding). Patience is the key/and challenge for me.
S speedunlimited (Guest)
quote:
Originally posted by Rocky:
As a buddy of mine (MkIV/4280) once said....


"The slide hammer... The bane of all of us artists in sheet metal...."

(Of which I certainly am not one).

Very nice work. I am hoping those holes were from the PO, so you don't get mad at me for my comment....

Rocky
I was thinking the same thing Rocky in regards to the "sliding hammer" & posted suggesting this method/tool...

http://www.autobodytoolmart.co...us-4550-p-16146.aspx
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Thanks Rapid. Here are some more for ya... :-)

Ok, so took some vacation from work... So, got a bit hammered out today...

Started the day with the finish shaping of the RF wheel opening which I had done a lot of work to a couple weeks ago. I had the big dent out, but the outer profile of the curve is still quite flat.



I may revisit it later to try and get the ripple in the lip fully out, but I'm happy withe the contour now. The curved profile is now uniform. Getting the metal of the lip to shrink enough to get them out is kinda difficult. Got most out..but the really big ones are "smaller"...but not gone "yet" :-)


Then I moved to the passenger door. When I started there was about a 5mm deep dent. I tried to show it as best I could....a bit difficult... :-(


Spent a few hours banging a prying... getting close....


I hung a straight edge with tape and kept it on the roof, so I could quickly drop it down for status checks. The door got nailed pretty good. The skin was bent profiling the side intrusion bar inside the door. This created a horizontal line on the skin, which I found it quite a challenge to get out, as access behind the intrusion (crash) bar was a bit difficult.



All finished. It will only need a skim coat of filler now.


Then moved to the rear and straightened out the rear valence.

Then to the LR to address the caved in rear quarter.












Another hour or so and I should have the LR buttoned up. I'll get on it again in the morning.
Last edited by robborruso
robborrusorobborrusoMember
I didn't know "likes" were a thing here Garth...??? LOL... But..I'll take it.. Yeah Baby!

Today I took on the LF fender. There were two areas of concern (aka derby damage ;-). The area where the Ghia badge mounts had been bent badly enough that the metal was stretched out. The previous repair guy simply popped the dent inward and filled it with a half gallon of body filler. The other area was the front side of the wheel arch was cave inward.

I tried to shrink the metal with a shrinking hammer, while it was much better, it didn't quite get there. It still oil canned badly and was still proud to the needed profile. So I used a quenching trick. I heated up the high spot, quickly hammered the area while dolly backing it, then quenched it with water. Only doing this once achieved the desired result. Then, I was able to hammer work it to the desired profile.

Again, I tried my best to show before/after shots...but it was difficult to capture the true essence of the issue. Hopefully it worked... The arrow shows the high/oil canning spot.















With that addressed, I moved to the wheel opening.









And that'll do it for today....
T timsMember
Thanks Rob for posting the pictures and step-by-step explanation of your progress. I find it all very interesting as I know nothing about body work and this is a great way for me to learn a little something about it Smiler

Plus it's fun to witness progress on a car I almost bought from you last year Wink - I'm happy the car remains in your hands for a proper restoration.

Cheers & Happy Holidays!
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Tim, glad you're finding the posts useful. And, especially glad I didn't sell her.. Big Grin

OK, so managed to get a couple days of work in over the holidays...

Found a good size dent under a bit of bondo on the front valence.....


I couldn't manage to swing a hammer inside the valance any way or in any direction I tried.. so ended up using a round tip air chisel to help massage the dent out from the inside.


Skim coat...sand...skim coat sand... Wow...I'm out of shape. Eeker






Fill coats/sanding done on all but the hood. I've lost 3 lbs and gained a bit of muscle tone back from years back Wink










With any luck, I'll have the hood knocked out next weekend. It has some ripples in it due to ...wait for it... accident damage (imagine that!). The filler won't be thick, but I'm going to have to put a skim over a good portion of the hood due to some waves/ripples. Such a large area is a challenge, so I can't rush it. I use a long firm board for sanding to ensure no ripples when done. If I can get it done, then I'll shoot the primer.
robborrusorobborrusoMember
so..getting the hood to my liking was admittedly a challenge. I think I put half a gallon a filler on the floor in the form of dust by the time it was all said and done. Very interested to see if I nailed it. Unfortunately, won't really know for sure until it has clear coat on it.

Prepped and ready...




Primer sealer applied...




Not sure if I will wet sand it or leave it as sprayed at the moment. Either way, the plan is for her to wear this "grunge" look until I do the full restoration. At that time, she'll go back to original red.
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hi Michael,
Thanks man.
To be totally honest... black was chosen so I could drive it like this. Big Grin
I've only seen this epoxy primer in gray or black. I had no interest in driving it in gray primer...so black it is. Plus, I used up the old stuff from 4042 before I cracked a new can. I do believe it will give a darker depth to the red once done, but I can't claim that was my primary reason.

Thinking of putting a red hash stripe on the LF fender, wheels in the same black. Going for the sinister look until it gets turned to arrest me red.
davidbdavidbMember
Thanks for the info and links Rob! That's perfect.

It'll be a while before we disassemble XXXX to actually finish and prep the body for paint. But I'll need to get her on the road for a while. I can't wait to see what she actually looks like in one color.

I'm assuming I can always go back and grind and fill more after this primer is on, right?
Last edited by George P
robborrusorobborrusoMember
My guy stated the same ..about the general concern for moisture. He stated however that this is dependent upon what type of filler you use. Some are more prone to concerns than others. So folks should be aware of what they are buying. Cheaper aint always better.... Since the stuff that I use does not have moisture/corrosion concern to metal, I have always chosen to apply directly to the metal. I have always been concerned about adhesion, and don't really like the "idea" of a layer of paint between the filler and the metal. Who knows which is really better. My guy tells me not to worry either way. I'm using good quality materials and will be fine which ever way I do it. ????
robborrusorobborrusoMember
OK, so knocked out the lighting today. Headlight doors and all lights on all corners are now functional. Found quite a bit of white corrosion in the fuse panel. Many of the gremlins may have been tackled simply by taking the panel out, giving it a good cleaning and using dielectric grease at all the contacts on re-assembly. I still have to figure out why the turn signals and hazards aren't working...



Last edited by robborruso
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Thanks Tajon.

So...took a break from paint work due to it being bloody cold out. Venting the garage would be a bit painful. So, decided to go through the brakes. I guess I took a break for brakes... sorry..couldn't pass it up... Big Grin The pads/rotors look quite nice, but the calipers drag so badly that the car is almost impossible to roll around the shop (skates were somewhat mandatory ;-). Ran into a bit of a challenge, in that on both front calipers the small pistons were seized in position. I used the traditional air pressure trick, and managed to blow one of the two out on each. But, each still had one totally locked. In the past I have used the vehicle's hydraulic system to push a piston out, by reconnecting it to the brake hose and pumping it out. However, I had these fully disassembled and split. Didn't like the idea of backing up so much to put them back on the car. So, came up with the idea to mount a zerk fitting and use the grease gun. It worked..super smooth. Thought I'd share it..









Need to work a bit more on the bleeding, but brakes are almost off the list....
jfb05177jfb05177Member
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Borruso:... came up with the idea to mount a zerk fitting and use the grease gun. It worked..super smooth. Thought I'd share it...


I have a collection of differnt thread zerks I was using for "dust plugs" for my brake connections as I gather pieces up. Good to know it might be useful latter on
robborrusorobborrusoMember
So, with brake bleeding all done, I tackled painting some of the bits I overlooked doing when I was squirting the rest of the car... grills, wiper cover grills, rear quarter trim panels and the wheels. Man... I hate masking off wheels with tires on them... I've seem some paper masks..need to get some in inventory I think... Re-shot the hood and fender tops while I was at it, as I didn't like the finish. The head light tops had a different color/finish than the fenders after they were re-assembled to the car.



Anyway.. here's what I've got going on...
Painted the wheels.... (same paint as everything else)



Here's the look I'm going for...




And here is the next step.... I will paint a red pin stripe around the face of the wheel... Photo shopped version here...

Last edited by robborruso
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Thanks trstno1. Yep, from NC.

Doug...my first time trying it. Since this is only chapter 1 for this car, and it will ultimately go back to its original Red, I figured..might as well give it a try.

Spent most of today spinning knobs on the lathe. Realized on Sat that the rear wheels were contacting the lower control arms as well as the brake lines. So machined up some wheel spacers. I didn't like how the late model wheels didn't pilot on the hubs either...so another reason to do so...



As mentioned, I made the ID pilot to the factory hub, and the snout pilot the late model wheels. I spaced the wheel out by 0.215" to give the necessary clearance.






The orange arrow is the OE pilot, the black in my spacer's pilot, and the red is the wheel.


All clearances look good....




I think I'll make some up for the front too, just so they will be hub-centric.

Lastly, I glued some black "T" wheel centers onto the center caps.
They were a perfect fit..sometimes..things just work out...Sweet

Check out the air cleaner assembly I'm going to go with. It's a vintage Cal-Custom piece I found on Ebay. I will spin it around and use it backwards. I still need to figure out base spacing etc...to get it to sit at the right height. But...I think the angles work perfectly with the back of the Pantera. I'll make a replacement screen, so the scoop fits to a hole in it. Whatya think...? cool or fool?
jfb05177jfb05177Member
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Borruso:
Check out the air cleaner assembly I'm going to go with. It's a vintage Cal-Custom piece I found on Ebay. I will spin it around and use it backwards. I still need to figure out base spacing etc...to get it to sit at the right height. But...I think the angles work perfectly with the back of the Pantera. I'll make a replacement screen, so the scoop fits to a hole in it. Whatya think...? cool or fool?.


COOL! matter of fact, could you provide better photo and details as that is what I was thinking for the air cleaner. (I was actually looking at replica "shaker"
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Thanks for the confirmation boys.

JFB, the cleaner assembly is Cal Custom "competition air scoop". They are a bit hard to get your hands on. There is one on Ebay right now for $440. ebay link

Not sure how long that link will be relevant...but it works today.. Big Grin

If you really do want one, and are willing to put in a little elbow grease, I'd be willing to sell you the one in my post for $100 less than that ebay listing (I have two of them). Just needs some clean up and buffing. If interested, drop me a PM and I can mail you some pics.

Whoohoo Michael... I've never been down under. Yeah Baby!
Last edited by robborruso
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Over the weekend I spent quite a bit of time hunting down electrical gremlins. All items working with exception of the blower motor. It's fubared. It did not work at all. I spun it with my fingers while powering it...nothing. I then said WTF...and squirted WD-40 into the motor...spun it a few time with my fingers and put juice to it. Whatya know...it fired up. I've run it for about 15 mins now, but it is not sounding good. So, looks like I'll have to R&R the HVAC to swap out the motor. Anyone have a preferred source for those things?

The interior is almost fully back together now. I have the new steering wheel mounted up as well. I was able to file down a wheel center cap to use for the hub. Still need to buy some small speakers to fill the door holes... The other big interior project will be seats. I'm not so crazy about the ones in the car now. Will be trying some vintage Mustang seats I think. We'll see....





Oh...btw..I need a nut for one of these babies...anyone got one they would want to sell?
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Thanks Tajon, no real need. I'm not much of a stereo guy in my cool cars. My daily driver is premium sound with sub and all, but the cool cars...the radio never get turned on. Big Grin I'd rather be listening to the music the right foot makes. So, I just need it functional.

Michael, the wheel is a Nardi Personal knock off, model was the Torino. Adapter hub base is also needed.
Here is the high rent version of it; Nardi wheel
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hey guys.... finally finished the wiring bits, dropped her on her feet and annoyed the shit outa the neighbors... Big Grin

To take the load off the OE wiring and Ignition switch, I set up relays and used the OE wiper and washer switches for ignition and starter. Check it out... LINK

Walk around: LINK

And...lastly a quick clip of sounds to annoy the neighbors... (unfortunately I made an oops and was in second, so had to down shift. Didn't want to push my luck with another take): LINK
Last edited by robborruso
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Yes Jon, as I recall...we suffer the same affliction.
Hi Robert, Thanks for that info... no wonder she runs so strong!

I machined up some spacers for the front hubs, so the wheels pilot to the hub and not the lugs. I didn't feel the need to space the wheel out any (like the rears)...so just made rings which are a snug fit to both mating pieces.



robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hey JFB, The fronts are 235-40-17, the rears are 285-40-17. I haven't measured the track width..sorry. I can do so if you need it.

Robert, I just recognized I missed a question... regarding the brakes and clutch going to the floor...I haven't done anything other than fill and bleed to be honest.

Started the day off doing some paint details. First I pin striped the wheels


Then I painted the stripe on the fender...



Then I spent the rest of the day/eve tackling the exhaust.



Sounds great..! The wife says the dishes rattle in the cabinets when I pull in the garage... PERFECT..! Big Grin
R robertpreviousownerMember
Rob,

The hydraulic fluid for the clutch disappears very slowly with no signs of a leak anywhere. It takes several months before it is low. The brakes had a puddle one day under the left rear and I never investigated. The exhaust looks awesome, it can't be as loud as before can it?
By the way we put in a new clutch when the motor was rebuilt. There are about 1,200 miles on it since the rebuild.
rockyrockyMember
But he said "Clutch".....

quote:
The hydraulic fluid for the clutch disappears very slowly with no signs of a leak anywhere



I agree that's what it sounds like, though... if it's brakes....

He was having clutch problems too...

quote:
When I sold the car the brakes and the clutch went to the floor, how did you fix those?
robborrusorobborrusoMember
I'm going with Aliens. Seems the most logical proposal.

Robert, Have not yet had to add brake fluid. A caliper leak is of course feasible...but I can't confirm, as I pulled the cals apart and cleaned em up. I haven't seen any evidence of leaks yet.

The clutch master was weeping when I picked her up. The trunk area under it was wet with brake fluid. I assumed I would have to rebuild the cylinder..but since I added fluid and bled the air...it hasn't leaked anymore.... magic. or...Aliens... whichever. Honestly, I have rebuilding the cylinder on the list of to dos...just to be certain.

Out in the sun... put about 5 miles on the odo doing laps around my neighborhood on Sunday. I think she's about ready for an extended run out on the roads... Let's see if I can do so w/o getting arrested. (Yep..that would be good.)

robborrusorobborrusoMember
JFB, I think with this exhaust, silent run is out of the question. But....what I didn't share with you guys is that I glued aluminum foil to the body before I painted it... she's invisible to radar!! Admittedly, I do like the water soluble paint idea though...hmmm... got me thinkin.

Garth, the one in the background is 4042. She's waiting patiently to get rolled back into the shop.
Oh..and thanks. I appreciate it. I love the "bad ass" look that's coming out.
rockyrockyMember
Rob -

I don't know if it's too late to change your stripe orientation, but I really like the orientation of a more diagonal one (behind the front wheel) that's on F.A.S.T.'s car.....

Check it out. Another option.

I like your stealth body color. That's cool.

Rocky

PS> And I am sure that whether the stripe orientation pleases me is one of the key criteria of this build?? Cool
jag13catjag13catMember
Rob; Been following your build since last Oct. when you brought it home. Somewhat curious about the bumpers and stainless trim. Appears all the stainless was "blacked out" from when you got it and the bumper holes filled. Was the stainless originally polished stainless and previous owner "blacked out" the stainless? Was the bumper holes filled with intent of going bumperless or converting to different set?
I do like the stealth look.
robborrusorobborrusoMember
JFB..glad I can be your porn source. I always wanted to be a porn producer.... I always thought that'd be a fun job. Big Grin

Doug, I like it man! Black suite, black helmet, mirrored visor, red stripe on LH bicep. cool.... Cool The paint actually.. isn't.... I used a epoxy primer/sealer (w/ activator). I'm at work as I type this and don't recall the exact details, but they were discussed a couple of pages back. Honestly, it was a challenge to spray it with a finish that I felt was acceptable to leave "as sprayed". Took a couple of shoots in some areas. I never worried about how it looked before, as I was just going to sand it before shooting color. So, had a bit of a learning curve to deal with. I'll drive it like this for a couple years before I fully disassemble for proper restoration, at which time she will go back to her OE red. But, for now...enjoying the opportunity to express my "artistic freedom".

Simon, the wheel is an aftermarket Nardi Personal. Hub is an ebay piece...nothing special. If desired, I can look up the specifics.

Jag, The trim was blacked out somewhere along the line. I simply re-did it. The stainless looks great under the paint, but I doubt I'll ever go the unpainted route on her. The bumper holes were welded closed when I got her. I am working on getting Euro style bumpers for the front. Wasn't thinking of using rear bumpers, but after installing the exhaust, I think they may be needed to finish the tail properly.

... I am totally digging the stealth look. I've never just done what I wanted with my restorations, always focusing on the most "sellable" approaches or keeping/putting back to stock. So, I'm going to enjoy the hell outa this while it lasts... Big Grin
panteradougpanteradougMember
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Borruso:
JFB..glad I can be your porn source. I always wanted to be a porn producer.... I always thought that'd be a fun job. Big Grin

Doug, I like it man! Black suite, black helmet, mirrored visor, red stripe on LH bicep. cool.... Cool The paint actually.. isn't.... I used a epoxy primer/sealer (w/ activator). I'm at work as I type this and don't recall the exact details, but they were discussed a couple of pages back. Honestly, it was a challenge to spray it with a finish that I felt was acceptable to leave "as sprayed". Took a couple of shoots in some areas. I never worried about how it looked before, as I was just going to sand it before shooting color. So, had a bit of a learning curve to deal with. I'll drive it like this for a couple years before I fully disassemble for proper restoration, at which time she will go back to her OE red. But, for now...enjoying the opportunity to express my "artistic freedom".

Simon, the wheel is an aftermarket Nardi Personal. Hub is an ebay piece...nothing special. If desired, I can look up the specifics.

Jag, The trim was blacked out somewhere along the line. I simply re-did it. The stainless looks great under the paint, but I doubt I'll ever go the unpainted route on her. The bumper holes were welded closed when I got her. I am working on getting Euro style bumpers for the front. Wasn't thinking of using rear bumpers, but after installing the exhaust, I think they may be needed to finish the tail properly.

... I am totally digging the stealth look. I've never just done what I wanted with my restorations, always focusing on the most "sellable" approaches or keeping/putting back to stock. So, I'm going to enjoy the hell outa this while it lasts... Big Grin


I just get this distinct impression that it is completely invisible to radar? I wonder why? Wink
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Update:
I've got about 100 miles on the car now. No real issues to speak of... I need to balance the front wheels, need to switch to a thinner or synthetic lube for the gearbox (get occasional crunches which I didn't get before putting in fresh 80/90 weight), replace factory oil sending unit.... nothing major. Really enjoying it. And...she's faster than stink.. Big Grin whole lotta fun..!! She'll step out sideways with only modest "go pedal" application, and w/o even playing the clutch. Too cool.

Hey, on the oil topic... I have a mechanical oil pressure gauge hooked up, and running 2k rpms down the road I have 30-40 psi, spikes up as anticipated on higher RPM, however...when at idle (hot) the pressure drops to ~10 psi. Not too crazy about this. The engine is clearly fresh and quite stout, so can't believe it's "just an old engine". Has anyone else experienced and solved such a situation. I'm considering dropping the pan and putting in a fresh HV/HP pump.

Thx
jtpanterajtpanteraMember
Rob, I suspect a problem. I had an engine that suffered similar low oil pressure. I rebuilt it several times replacing the very low mileage worn crank bearings before discovering the cast crankshaft was cracked and at higher RPMs flexing enough to wipe the bearings. It was a frustrating issue and difficult to resolve because the initial magnaflux of the crank after the first experience didn't show the crack.
ducatistaducatistaMember
Mr. Borruso,
You may want to bring your pantera to the Kalamazoo MI upcoming Ferrari and others meeting coming up at Gilmore in May! I will try to attend with my (not yet finished restoration) pushbutton. I just learned of the event today. Of course that goes to anyone else who wants to join.
Cheers,
Oreste.
#1329 PB


Michigan Ferrari Club Event
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Saturday, May 21st

EVENT AGENDA

10:30 AM -- Bill Parfet's Northwoods Private Car Collection Tour
6924 Sheffield Road, Hickory Corners, MI

NOTE: The Northwoods Collection, among other collector vehicles, currently has three Ferrari's including: Nicholas Cage's former 1967 275 GTB/4; 1973 365 GTB; & 1990 F-40

12:30 PM -- Gilmore Car Museum Ferrari Show and MuseumTour
6865 W Hickory Rd, Hickory Corners, MI
(Club members use main entrance for displaying vehicles in the Ferrari section)

6:30 PM -- Dinner at Bravo! Restaurant & Cafe
5402 Portage Road, Portage, MI (across from Kalamazoo Airport)

---------------------------------------------------------

Sign-up & event payment (no later than May 14th) to Ferrari Club of Michigan, 750 West Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302. Address questions to: Jim Pawlak at careermoves@hotmail.com or 248-705-5219
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hi Robert,
Thanks for chiming in with this. I too heard the odd noise, and you tip resulted in me putting up on the hoist and pushing on the bottom of the pan. Sure enough....the noise changes and I can feel the crank hitting the pan. It looks like someone tried to make clearance with a hammer...but wasn't exactly successful. Thanks again.

Anyone got an aftermarket deep pan they want to unload... Wink
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hi guys... been a while, need to get some updates posted.

I purchased an NOS Milodon pan and pick up (they are no longer available... so got lucky). It is fully gated. I like the design and quality. Nice piece. However, in doing the install (you all know what's coming next... ;-) I didn't want to pull the engine, so fabricated a removable cross member.









I still need to trim the long ends which hand down below the frame, but ran out of time on the day of the project. I'll take care of that when she comes apart for restoration.

Since then.... well....still working on wearing out the tires I have about 300 miles on her now (well...the odometer shows that, but don't forget about the previous sentence). Much of that was in drift...LOL. I really am enjoying her. She "tram lines" a bit on roads with heavy tire wells but think it has a lot to do with the existing wear on the front tires (don't forget..they are from 4042), I need to balance the front tires and will swap out the radiator for an aluminum one I have, to keep the temp on check..as she gets up around 230* in heavy traffic Eeker . Other than than..all is good. She runs like a beast jacked up on a triple espresso... I love it... Big Grin
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hi Rocky,
Nope, didn't change the pump. Took it apart, it looked good inside...brand new looking in fact. So, I put on the aftermarket pick up, new pan, 50w oil....and put it back together. All seems good so far, even at 230*. So, think it was a combination of the original p/u and pan.

Yep total blast, self control seems to go out the window though...so just need to keep from getting arrested... Thumbs Up!
robborrusorobborrusoMember
OK...so camping season is over...time to get crackin again...

I decided she needed bumpers...so got in touch with Mr. McCall and picked up some fiberglass pieces for the front.

1) Do any shaping necessary before installing mounting bolts, so you can fit to the body contour.
2) Welded some 1/4-20 carriage bolts to a metal strip to keep them parallel to each other and glassed them in.




3) Paint..install




Last edited by robborruso
robborrusorobborrusoMember
Hey Garth...
You are so right...!! I'm going crazy... Here's the back story. Last fall I decided to move out of a sub and onto acreage so I could have my dream barn/workshop. So...Q3/Q4 of 2017 was home improvement/prep for listing. Moved in Feb 2018.. wow!! Moving a shop of 17yrs of accumulated "sh_t" ...wow..! That was a task. So the cars are packed like sardines in a can. Have only managed to get 6001 out twice all season. Barn is almost done..should be wrapped up by end of Nov. Shop set up should be in Dec. Target is to be up and functional over Christmas break. Let's see how it goes....

Thanks for not forgetting about me man. Nice to feel the luv.. Thumbs Up!
markcharltonmarkcharltonOld enough to know better and still young enough not to care. My '71 Pantera
Congratulations Rob,

We moved to the country 8 years ago and I just finished my workshop/garage. Mine is 32x42 which seemed HUGE on paper (and when it was empty) but I still need the house garage to put a car plus the daily drivers. I look forward to seeing how yours turned out.

Mark

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