Building a Pantera Roadster

No info for you Patrick but I do recall plenty of Chat on what Hall had to do to make the targa conversions at it was quite extensive. Perhaps Michael/aka Cyboman will weigh in.

Since you mentioned roadster, there was a Pantera on Craigs list some time back that had been converted to a roadster/convertible. Here's a link to a thread with some pictures of that poor thing.

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/...=580106554#580106554

Best,
K

CLICK LINK TO SEE ONE RECENTLY SOLD BY PIM
THPNLY01754

Tks for those info that I already knew.
I don't intend to start building another " poor thing" like the one for sale on Craig's list, and I want to try achieving something better ( if possible ) than the Concorso Italiano - PI car, but in terms of exterior look only. The interior is far more sophisticated than what I want to do ( and what I can afford )
On the other hand, the car's look will be based on the latest SI ( or S200 ) model, ( I took all body molds from the ADA car ) with ( possibly ) a BMW V10 507 HP naturally aspirated engine ( however you can find anything you want in terms of engine, from Aston V8 Vantage to Lambo Gallardo, Maserati Granturismo or Audi R10....)
Without sounding like an idiot, the engine is a secondary thing as long as it is very powerful, modern, " green" in terms of emissions, in my budget including maintenance( not being Bill Gates ), which is why the BMW v10 sounds like a wise choice . My main issue as for now is the handling : I want the roadster to feel like a small lightweight car ( like a Smart, that is my daily transportation ) BUT with a very rigid chassis ( NOT like a Smart, that is the worst chassis when it comes to rigidity, stiffness....), and that is as precise and responsive in terms of road handling as a Ferrari 458 Italia, Yes !!! That's what I want to achieve ( Beati Pauperes Spiritu.... for those who took Latin at school, a while ago)
Tks again for your info.
Pat

Both the craigslist roadster and the Hollaran roadster miss the mark in the styling department! The muscular haunches where they comes up to the doors need to be opened up into a nice big air intake, ala Ferrari F430, but larger and more vulgar to take up that big bulge/rise behind the doorline.

Ferrari F430 spyder


Ferrari F430

hi Garth
Yeap, I think we can modestly design something better if we put our neurones together :<))
That would be A PLEASURE !
Ferrari is a great inspirer, ( if not the greatest ) but there are many others, like the brand new Lotus series ( Elite, Esprit, Elan, Elise... .) Look at the brand new team who designed them, you'll be amazed !
Pat

quote:

Originally posted by Panterror:
No info for you Patrick but I do recall plenty of Chat on what Hall had to do to make the targa conversions at it was quite extensive. Perhaps Michael/aka Cyboman will weigh in.

Since you mentioned roadster, there was a Pantera on Craigs list some time back that had been converted to a roadster/convertible. Here's a link to a thread with some pictures of that poor thing.

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/...=580106554#580106554

Best,
K

Pat,

I had a '74L and currently have an '86 Targa 5-S. If I were to jack the '74 up from the frame just behind the front wheel, you could actually see the car twisting and hear it creaking. If I had to go up any kind of height, I would use 2 floor jacks, one behind each front wheel and alternate until I reached my desired height. I'm suprised the windshield never broke.

The first time I jacked up my Targa 5-S from the same location with one jack, the whole side of the car lifted and both the front and rear tires came off the ground! Pavesi did an excellent job of reinforcing the Pantera for the targa top, but the gusseting is extensive. There is a 1/4" length of steel about 4 inches tall that runs the entire rocker panel from wheel to wheel (see picture).

Under the rug for just about the entire perimeter of each side's floor pan, there are wide metal straps that tie the floor to each intersecting wall and corner. The windshield frame is also heavily reinforced although I don't know to what extent. As far as I know, there is no reinforcement in the engine bay, or beyond the footbox into the front area. There also doesn't appear to be any additional metal up and around the rear window.

The car is very tight and there isn't a squeak, rattle, or vibration anywhere. I love the way it handles; very direct, and very sure. Hall just about disassembled the entire car and installed an inner subframe with integral roll bar attached to the rear of it in the engine bay.

If you're going to remove the whole roof, I would suggest additional strength in the crossmember that goes across behind the top of the seats (roughly where the lower rear window crossmember would be).

Good luck with it. Do us proud!

Michael