2548's Restoration

Now let's take a closer look -



Look closely between the lens and bumper



Not Good



I think there is some bondo here. Actually, the paint just recently came off; it did not look nearly this bad till now.



Not Good



Bad



Really Bad



Ugh



More Ugh



Seriously Bad



The other side is almost as bad



I had to show this one; this is the only dent I have made since I bought the car in '96. Backed into a fire plug hidden in weeds.

It doesn't look so bad. Just pack a bag, pick up some Xmas gifts for the girls and drive over to Rob's. He should have this all done by next week.

UFO-LOW, I liked the blurry from-a-distance pictures better...
Well, fixing rust is fun, it's just damn time consuming, so if you pay somebody to do it, it's $$$. My first car was very rusty, I did the math, bought a welder and started learning...

Looks like you're set up in a nice roomy shop.

Is it yours to occupy through the duration of the work?

David, Rob and I have already been in touch. All was set until MY daughter uncovered the plot, and the gig was up. I did buy a few pieces from him though.

Mikael, I am sure you know the warning - never buy a rusty Pantera. That is unless you can weld and have a lot of time - or money. I can weld.

Larry, yes, that's my shop and I built it with this project in mind. The chassis is on a rotisserie now, and all the parts are in boxes. Lots of boxes.

UFO.... "all apart" ... "in boxes" ... what the..???? Where's all the pics man? Let's see what you've got going on man....

OK - I've been officially busted. Dang. I was going to post a flurry of activity here and have you all believe I'm some kind of restoration super guru. More like the Wizard of Oz. Oh well - the show must go on.

I started with the deck lid, as it seemed pretty straight. I had an annoying pimple dent to deal with.



Hard to see in a picture, but obvious in person.

I also want to square up the left rear corner:



Compare it to the right side:



Notice how the left side has kind of a wedge shaped gap. The infamous paint chipping problem is obvious, but a new latch striker and chassis stiffening should fix that.

As for the latch striker, the early cars had a really weak affair with no lateral support; I don't have a pic of it handy. Here is where it goes:



I also have one broken strut mount support:

I'll start with the strut mount. The broken bracket puts all the load on to the bolt cantilevered, and I can see it is bent. To see how much, I put a long straight steel rod through the hinge pin holes to use as a reference. Laying a straight edge across them shows me how much.





Compared to the other side:





First to cut off the remains of the bracket:



And clean up the area:



Next I put an allen head cap screw in the mount nut, and found a jack handle that fit snugly over the head. Applying some O-A torch heat to a dull red, I carefully straightened the mount nut:



See - good as new:





Next I'll measure the strut eyelet, and set the position of the new bracket:









Now to make a paper template. The metal is curved, so I had to find a way to match it. A large plastic can lid did the trick:





Here I mark the size of the bracket and the location of the bolt hole:







Now the screw head is bigger than the hole I need for the shank, so I need to find the center:







Also I want the bracket just a bit bigger than the eyelet, so I mark the radius and finish the template:











Transferring the template to 16 gauge steel, drilling and reaming the hole for a nice snug fit, and finishing the bracket:















Finally, to weld the bracket in place, I used washers to space it out, and had to use a different screw because the allen head was in the way of my welder:







Same for the other side, and done.

Not another one of these threads where the journeymen detail their incredible skills in the art of metalworking for the apprentices!

(j/k - keep up the good work!)

It is nice to see how you guys do this stuff. I wish I had half your skills / tools / patience!


Thanks for posting!

Rocky

Next task - fit a new latch striker. The one that came with my car, not sure if it was a factory item, but it was useless. Next time I see it, I'll take a picture of it before I throw it in the garbage.

Here is the mounting area:



I bought a new one from Panteras East, but the later models mount differently. I had to adapt my deck lid to accept the later style striker. To do this, I reinstalled the deck lid and the latch mechanism. I set the striker in place, and marked the new bolt locations.



How did I get this photo? Remove the A/C condenser and grille, and there is enough room to look up inside.

I drilled the holes, and found these nifty "T - nuts" in 8 x 1.25 mm (IIRC):





Remember to grind off the plating from the area where you intend to weld, or it will not weld well at all. The original studs were buggered up, and no longer needed, so I cut them off.



Here is how it looks, awaiting only some primer and a bit of cosmetic touch up:

Here are a few pics of squaring up the corner. I felt it was a bit too much to just slap some filler on. It would be too fragile, and might chip off if bumped later on. I decided to put some metal behind it.





A few tiny spot welds on the wire give it the strength and stability I need:



After grinding them smooth (no pic of that), I filled in with JB Weld.



After the JB weld set up, I sanded to the desired shape.

Damn, you have lots of patience. Maybe consider rubber grommits on the side, because I understand there will always be some side movement:


Custom decklid bumpers by WIKD Cars & Such, on Flickr

UFO-LOW, this is a trick photo! Nobody can work on cars and have so clean fingers!

Here is another way to keep the corners from scraping.
http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/...010020734#2010020734

Mikael - no tricks - I wear gloves.
When my hands are really dirty, I try to keep them out of the picture. Also not good to handle a camera with greasy fingers.

Thanks for reminding me about those decklid securing tricks, I remember seeing them both.

These pics show how useless the original bumpers were:

Finishing up the deck lid metal work:



Finally getting all the old paint off reveals a very clean original piece.



The "Power by Ford" emblem mount holes



And a couple more on the left rear upper surface



Funny, there were no similar holes on the right side; like someone started to mount a wing and gave up. Strange. All these I welded shut.

These recesses are a bear to get paint out of:



You can't sand blast in there - it just blasts right back out at you. Too small for a power tool. Just paint stripper and scraping by hand; sometimes using a mirror to see what I am doing. Lots more work that it's really worth.

Finally ready for the first coat of primer, and my first OOPS:



Do NOT mix epoxy paint in a plastic cup.

OOPS #2 - same day:



Do NOT drop the trouble light into freshly applied paint deep in one of the least accessible places on the car. (see above).
I reached in with a needle nose pliers to get the big pieces, and put double sided sticky tape on the end of a ruler to get smaller bits. After the paint was dry, I scraped out everything I could, and applied another coat of paint to cover anything I might have missed. UGH - several hours of extra work.

I brush painted in the really hard to reach areas, then sprayed the first over all coat:



My make - shift paint booth did not work very well. It came out OK, but was a pain to set up and tear down. The deck lid is the only piece I did this way. I came up with a much better method later.

This bad boy is heavy, here it goes back on for some test fitting:



I sanded off most of that first coat; you can see little patches of it in this photo:



Thought I had a pic of it all done - but maybe not. I'll take one next time I get it down.
Rodney

Excellent Rodney...excellent. Great to see you diving in Keep the pics coming....

On to the front trunk lid. First to survey the damage, find what needs fixing, decide how to repair it, and in what order. Working on anything you have bought used is a bit of a mystery. It takes some detective work, looking for clues, to uncover the hidden faults.

This piece is going to be harder, that is for sure. It seems to be sprung - bent - on the right side. It does not sit level with the fender. Only 1/4 inch, it does not show up in photos much, but easy to see in person.

Rust on the lip; more so on the right side:



Here is a clue that the problems are more serious than they first appear; first the left hinge:



and the right:



Bent.

After stripping the paint, more problems are seen:



Dents in the frame near the right hinge mount.





Rust pitting along the lip inside and out.

And the last clue - dent puller holes:



On the right front. Hmmmm - a pattern is emerging.

First I want to try to straighten it out. I think if it is bent, the frame and skin were bent at the same time and by the same amount, and I should try to straighten them together.

To find the damage, I decided I should measure the trunk lid carefully.



Here I've put it up on my 4' x 4' table. The tape along each edge is marked every inch from the back to the front. It is just over 51 inches long. I put cabinet shims at the corners to get them an equal height up from the table surface.



Here I am measuring, at each inch mark, the height from the table to the surface of the metal. Each measurement, and the mark at which it was taken, is written down; over 100 data points in all. Now a table of numbers is not very easy to see the trends, so I put the data in a spread sheet, and printed a graph. Now it is obvious where the damage is:



The horizontal axis is inches, with 0 at the back (near the windshield), and 50 at the front of the car. The vertical axis is in 1/1,000 of an inch, so "500" means 0.500 inch, "1000" is 1.000 inch, and so on. Clearly the right is bent up almost 1/2 inch compared to the left.

Now, being an engineer, I wanted to use a precise method to straighten the trunk lid. So ... I got up on the table, put my foot on the high spot, and stood my weight on it until I felt it "give". I was really afraid that I had made matters worse, but I shimmed the corners and took the measurements again:



Wow. Got it perfect on the first try. I actually put the trunk lid back on the car just to prove I wasn't fooling myself. Fit great! Declare victory and move on!

quote:

Originally posted by UFO-LOW:..I decided I should measure....Declare victory and move on!

I think you will appreciate my buisness motto signiture line as it is very appropeate for your work

“when you can measure what
you are speaking about, …
you know something about it;
but when you cannot measure it, …
your knowledge is of a meagre
and unsatisfactory kind…” Lord Kelvin 1883

Very scientific. Awesome job - congrats on the good results.

You would have been sick if the green curve had dropped down below the blue curve.....

Rocky

You betcha - I was certainly aware that it was possible I could do some expensive damage. Like when I repaired the pimple dent on the deck lid, I put the O/A torch to it, and that deck lid skin bowed up about 2 inches; that got my attention. Thankfully, it returned to shape when it cooled.

Anyway, on to the next task, fixing the rust and damage at the front. This required some more measuring; to calculate the radius of curve. I measured the piece before taking it apart so I could make the repair pieces to fit.

This is just a stiff, straight piece of aluminum channel, held with some screws in the outer most hinge bolt holes. The only purpose is for a reference to measure from:



Now to take a measurement at the outer edge:



and one in the middle:



Now I won't bore you with the math, but if anyone is interested I can give you a link to find the formula on the 'net. Mine worked out to be 123.5 inches of radius (just over 10 feet).

This is a pic of how I improvised cutting such a radius with my saber saw. I am cutting wood here, not metal. Two pieces were cut to use as a guide for cutting the metal, and as a buck for bending it.



As I am looking at this, I see I can use the frame to hide the repair from the inside, so I don't have to do any cosmetic work there. Not having X-ray vision, however, I have to locate it on the outside. Here some masking tape is laid in and marked:



With help of the reference marks I made earlier, I marked the frame on the outside.



I moved the cut line about 1 1/2 inches forward of this, to be sure it would be hidden by the frame, and cut the metal with the die grinder:



Having never seen inside, I had no idea what was just behind the skin, so that is why I did not use the plasma cutter for this.

I can see now that the leading edge of the frame will need to be replaced too. This is a complex piece, more so than the outer skin. I did not think I could create the stamped contours, so I decided to leave as much of it as possible intact.

Here I've cut off the rusty lip, leaving about 2 inches at each end (just out of view in this pic):



The remaining metal is cleaned up and treated with ospho, but it is still rust pitted, so I do not think I can weld to it. I decide to put on the repair piece with panel bond epoxy and a few pop rivets.

Now to start on the repair pieces. I've learned to use a wood guide with the plasma cutter; it holds the tip just the right distance off the metal, and gives a smooth fast cut.



Here is the soot from annealing the metal before shaping it:



Clamping the new metal between the wooden bucks I made earlier, I bend the lip on the frame repair piece:



One more pass with the plasma cutter, and I have the frame lip repair piece in rough form:



I have to shorten it, and use the shrinker to form the compound curve to match the remaining frame material. Here it is being bonded in place:



I also added some pop rivets, and hammered the leading edge lip over some more, as it has more than a 90 degree bend, but I could not have got it into the shrinker jaws had I done that first; so I had to do it after installation.

Here I use the same wooden bucks to bend the lip of the skin repair piece:





Notice I left more material, as this has to crimp over the lip of the frame I just installed. Also notice how the metal buckles some when bent over. No problem; the shrinker will fix this when I put the proper crown on the piece.

I made a wooden fence to match the cut on the skin, and used it to guide the plasma cutter:



I cut off some of the excess width, and shrank the lip to put in the necessary crown curve. Now it is starting to take shape:



Here I'm just about ready to put the patch on. You can see how the frame repair came out, and I put in a couple of small drain holes. It is all cleaned up and epoxy primed on the inside. The overlap is flanged and drilled for sheet metal screws that will hold it together for welding:



Here it is screwed in place, and I am starting to bend the edge flanges over:



Here is a series of details of bending and crimping the edge flanges:























After finishing the edges, I spot welded along the joining line, removed the screws, and welded the holes shut:



The depth of the flange crimp my tool makes is not exactly the same as the metal thickness, so there is a very small step. I filled this and some of the weld divots with epoxy:



WHEW!

Neat work!

Gotta be a labor of love! This kind of craftsmanship is all but dead nowadays. Bravo!

Hi

Nice work!

I want the math link!

can you measure the bend/radius of the front cross-member (there the hinges to the front hood is mounted)?
can you also measure how much the hinges are immersed in the cross-member?

I would be grateful, my cross-member is too crashed to see how it should look...

how to determine the radius given the chord and middle hight

Yes, JFB has it.

Can be reduced to

r = (c squared / 8m) + (m / 2)

Anders, I think from over head view, the radius of the front cross member should be the same as the front of the lid, or it would not look correct. From front view, I think it is flat.
I will take some measurements and pictures tomorrow for you. Rodney

Damn Rodney.... you're a man on a mission. Very impressive. Great documentation of your work....

Here is an example of one of those dinky little jobs that turns into a real time eater. I wanted a new stainless steel latch pin for the trunk lid.

The original was worn and rust pitted;



I did not take a picture until I had already started to remove the old one. Now if you give a quick look, the pin is welded to a sub-bracket, which is welded to the trunk lid frame. It appears that the pin is spot welded to the sub-bracket at the ends, which it is, and grinding those welds off will free the pin. No, it won't. The pin is welded to the sub-bracket on the inside too. I had to slice through the sub-bracket along the length of the pin to remove it;





Next I tacked in a strip of metal to fill the piece I had to cut out;





This left the ends pretty butchered up;





Two small stainless flat washers were fitted to the ends and welded in place;





A few more spot welds to strengthen the whole affair, and the new pin can be welded in place;





After primer, it looks OK, not great;



It may have occurred to you, as it surely has to me, it might have been easier to cut the old sub-bracket off, pin and all, and make a whole new one. Had I known that the pin was welded on the inside, I probably would have done that.

quote:

Now, being an engineer, I wanted to use a precise method to straighten the trunk lid. So ... I got up on the table, put my foot on the high spot, and stood my weight on it until I felt it "give". I was really afraid that I had made matters worse, but I shimmed the corners and took the measurements again

Brilliant! Love it!

Alright - back to work. To finish (for now) the trunk lid with primer and base body work.

Here is the piece just after the first coat of primer:



Next a thin all-over layer of body filler:



The first sand off reveals the low areas. Marker shows me where to go easier on the sanding to achieve a little build up:



More filler in the serious spots, and some glaze putty for minor smoothing:



The next round of sanding gets it closer. Funny how you can clearly see where the frame is, even though it does not touch the skin in most places.



Here I found a "nick" in the edge. Too late to be welding on it, and too big for just filler. I put a dab of JB Weld in it, and put a piece of tape around it to hold it while it set up:



Remove the tape:



and sand smooth:



Here is my new painting solution. I've set up a temporary support frame on my trailer. I hang the piece with wires, and roll the trailer outside. Then I can spray all around the piece without moving or touching it. When finished, I clean up the spray gear, and push the trailer back inside out of the weather.



Before:



and after:

Lookin good UFO... good to see you back at it.

True confessions ... these pics are kinda old. The good news is that I'm quite a bit further along now. The bad news is that my shop time is precious, as I'm sure you can relate, so I spend most of my time doing and not so much documenting.

Here is a tip I think others may find useful. I've heard it said that the pantera's glass is easy to remove, yet I've also heard many reports of breaking glass while removing it. The issue I found was the gaskets, having not moved for 44 years, are quite stiff.

I used some 1/4 inch plastic poly water line, and tucked it under the lip of the gasket on the inside of the glass. Here I'm doing a rear quarter window:



Tuck the plastic line in all around the window, except the corners. This flexes the gasket out a bit, and gives it a ramp like surface to slide on. Spray WD40 or similar in there too:



Then pry the glass, trim, and gasket out all together. Use as wide a tool as you can, and get under the gasket. Do not pry on the trim, it will bend easily.



Do NOT try to remove the trim alone. You will see why when you get it apart. The trim has a retention flange on the back, which fits into a groove in the gasket. The gasket traps the flange when installed in the car.

Nice tip UFO. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you're getting some shop time in.

Here is the same method on the cockpit back glass, with a new trick.

Pry up the lip of the gasket and tuck the plastic tube under. Spray lube in here also:





These handles with suction cups are meant for use in the shower, to avoid slip and fall accidents. They work good on glass, and cost less than the pro auto body tool:



Apply inside the cockpit:



View from the engine bay:



Finally, use some cargo straps to apply even pull force:



At the end, this is a two person job. Remember to wear gloves and eye protection in case something goes wrong.

another good idea from UFO...!
Dude...I've pulled countless windows, and have never thought to use ratchet straps to apply tension. Brilliant. If I had done this, I probably wouldn't have broken 4042's windshield. I love it and will try it for sure on my next glass pull.

Thanks, Rob. I suppose this would work on windshields too. You might need 3 or 4 suction handles, and something to hook the straps on; a rafter maybe.

I used cabinet shims. Wedged them behind the windshield gasket in several places. Just kept adding them until it came out. Rod.

great work...I wish I had this skill set