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Thought I’d share some pics of the current progress that I have had with my 9yo son.

A big thanks to Corey Price for helping me on multiple levels with the build. Pantera Performance has been helpful as well providing CV joints (soon) and a wealth of knowledge; Quellas are so nice to talk to regarding specifics.

Been waiting on a Holley HP tuner for 2+mths… hoping for end of this month🤞🏼

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The engine looks good in your Pantera.  Getting me to think about an Coyote engine swap for my Pantera.  Can you share what motor mounts and all other hardware you needed to use for the swap and all of the obstacles you had with the engine swap or was it straight forward LOL.  Do you have to go with a cable shift linkage or keep the standard.  THanks,

There is a lot to it. On the list of difficulty, I’d rate it very high. Multiple changes need to be made, and multiple components purchased. It is a phone conversation vs a forum tutorial. I did consider doing a YouTube on it and may still, but I’m waiting on parts (one of the difficulties) and not complete. You can go with cable shift or CV’s. Either will work. I say Skip the cable shift bc the gate is awesome and is part of the personality of the car. U-joints vs CV’s don’t make much difference in my mind….arguably an improvement without taking personality away

Last edited by USCDOC13

I love the Borla intake with the TB's at an angle. The system works great too. The last time I was at Autotrend EFI in Diamond Springs, CA they had that exact setup on a Coyote in a 1950's Ford pickup street rod. The TB's were Cerakoted black and the manifold was gray. I should have taken pictures. Looked deadly and ran even better.

Last edited by davidnunn

Thought I’d give an update. Just mounted the new and improved Bosch 044 (sku 0580464200)  in the rear left wheel well of the car. I’ll be placing a “rubbish guard” over it. I don’t ever plan on driving in the rain, but you never know.
One of the most difficult parts of this is getting the accessory belts to clear the shift rod. Many hours spent on adjustments. I do think that the accessory belt on the Ford F150 is more horizontal than the mustang coyote, so it presents a little bit of a challenge on multiple levels, which I welcomed.  This is a gen 2 F150 motor for lots of reasons. Primarily I knew I could get a used one and feel good about the lifetime of the motor bc it’s rare you see farmers doing burnouts in their F150(leave that to me now😂). Secondarily, I knew I could play with it and if I lost steam on the build I wouldn’t feel so badly about spending $15k for just the motor….oh… and I limited myself to 400-450 hp bc we all know it’s easy get whisky throttle and I have kids I should watch graduate high school…and 3rd it has the same firing order as the 351C so I hope I can emulate that awesome Pantera sound with a modern(more reliable and lighter) platform.

I can thankfully now say it’s on the downhill.(I’m waiting for a computer from Holley still).

looking forward to hearing it run soon!

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That worked! No leaks! Recently purchased the coil covers and a vinyl kit to inset flat black letters… took 2.5 hours to inset the letters😫. There has to be an easier way, but looks so good. Covers came originally black and then I painted them to match match the block. Happy Labor Day! Here are some car porn pics . So sexy…  I have to determine what I’m going to do with the rear deck lid. I have about an inch I would have to cut out of it to get the rear of the stack to clear.  It just seems painful because it is a beautiful deck lid. Maybe I  should get a fiberglass one? Thoughts?71530850441__A340A53E-FA0E-4B87-970C-864A74863283IMG_0894

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Last edited by USCDOC13

Please strongly consider modifying a fiberglass decklid instead of a nearly irreplaceable steel decklid.

instead of just cutting notches for the stacks, a much cleaner look can be accomplished by trimming the entire edge a sufficient amount to clear the stacks.

The first time I saw this, I was scratching my head, wondering how he had managed to move the engine that far forward until I realized the stealth manner he had clearanced the decklid.

if you do cut the steel decklid, save the removed pieces in a clearly labeled and identified bag or box and do your best to see they are kept with the car for a future owner

Larry

No first-hand knowledge, so no recommendations or certainty on who carries what.

P.I.M. motorsports, Jerry

Panteras by Wilkinson, Steve

pantera parts connection, Larry Stock.

there have been some small production, true carbon fiber panels being made for our cars, a search in these archives might provide some contact information.

Be aware, most of what you find being described as carbon fiber will just be a carbon fiber overlay on fiberglass pieces

Larry

A word of advice. Get some kind of guarantee as to the fit of the fiberglass deck lid. If PIM won’t give you one, cancel the order. I know of one Pantera owner that spent thousands of dollars in body shop time, just getting a fiberglass deck lid to fit. You’re probably assuming you could just paint it and bolt in on but I doubt it’s that simple.

Last edited by davidnunn

With a much lighter fiberglas deck lid, you'll need far softer decklid shocks to open it. Stock strength shocks might warp the thing over time. With some aftermarket decks, one shock (mounted on either side) will open the lid just fine. Also helps to clean up more engine bay clutter. The swap loos fine from the back- how does it drive?

The computer is on the way! I was starting to think I’d never get it😬. Ordered in March. Some other updates. I had the rear firewall reupholstered. It’s worth noting that some time should be spent evaluating how the piece should be fabricated to close the firewall. I’m now on my 3rd version of the piece and made this one out of aircraft aluminum at the plane shop. The issue that I have now, is the upper water hose needs to be shortened a little and I can’t use the super sweet t-bolt clamps there bc they hit. It’s still going to be tight, but I’m going to run it like that until I get a wear spot, and then emboss with some cool tools. Hoping I can leave the upholstered part flat without a bulge.

Hindsight, I would have re-fiberglassed the top of the panel that hooks to the firewall PRIOR to reupholstery, but I didn’t even think about it, so had to work backwards a little bit to avoid redoing upholstery. If anyone wants a nice custom firewall piece, my old one will work for someone who just edits the top of the fiberglass prior to upholstery(the ideal way to do it)IMG_1695IMG_1696IMG_1697IMG_1698

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Last edited by USCDOC13

Coyote is all wired up and idles! Decided to Go with HP computer to be able to have L&M cams and 8 stack tunable.
I placed I wired the fuel pump and Tach adapter from Pantera electronics through the computer.
big thanks to Jon Haas at Pantera electronics for helping me through this. Tact adapter is perfect, and was super easy to install.

We are going to tune it this week, hopefully.

The fiberglass deck lid from PIM wasn’t a slam dunk. I had to remove the weatherstripping and adjust the rain gutter rails, where the hinge mounts to get it to slide forward and latch. We have spent hours trying to get a good alignment with chims and wrap our brains around how to not grind on the car pinch welds in order to get it to fit. The idea was to use this deck lid and be able to place the other deck light on if I get rid of the 8 stack. Haven’t adjusted/cut/ground the lid at all bc might have to return it😥 and cut the flawless stock one.
Does anybody have any experience/ideas how to get the “wing part”/rounded forward corner as it turns into the roof line higher without bodywork? Both sides are sub 1/4 inch. See pics. Thanks!

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I had a feeling you'd run into these issues with the fiberglass decklid. They are fine for a race car, where weight is the primary concern and fit is secondary. It is always a ton of work to get them to fit like an OEM steel decklid. Just return it, if you can.

Cutting a notch in the original decklid isn't "the end of the world". Just make sure you save the piece you cut out. There are lots of good sheet metal fabricators out there, that could weld the notch back into the decklid, so no one could ever tell it had been cut out.

I'm surprised that you needed a tach adapter for the HP. My tach worked fine without an adapter, with my Holley Dominator ECU. I assume the tach output on the HP is the same. Oh well, as long as it works!

Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long for a posting that has a video attached to it, with sound! 

Call Larry Stock at PPC and ask him who he had build a 6061-sheet deck  for a guy racing in Europe a decade or two ago. As I remember, it was complicated but I never saw the thing.  The GR-4s had aluminum door skins crimped onto stock steel frames, but DeTomaso never went further with hood & deck, maybe because "other" race factories in Gr-4 lobbied a weight that didn't require more aluminum.  Allessandro never spent money he could save.... 

@davidnunn posted:

I had a feeling you'd run into these issues with the fiberglass decklid. They are fine for a race car, where weight is the primary concern and fit is secondary. It is always a ton of work to get them to fit like an OEM steel decklid. Just return it, if you can.

Cutting a notch in the original decklid isn't "the end of the world". Just make sure you save the piece you cut out. There are lots of good sheet metal fabricators out there, that could weld the notch back into the decklid, so no one could ever tell it had been cut out.

I'm surprised that you needed a tach adapter for the HP. My tach worked fine without an adapter, with my Holley Dominator ECU. I assume the tach output on the HP is the same. Oh well, as long as it works!

Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long for a posting that has a video attached to it, with sound!

Thanks David! I tried again to get it to fit and no go for like the 10th attempt(spacers, adjustments of rain rail, latch, trim, etc. An exercise in futility, but needed to take a video of how far it was off for PIM so they could maybe help me get it to fit without bodywork. Good buddy is an aircraft mechanic who specializes in bodywork on aircraft(metal, fiberglass, composite etc). He said it's a no go again, and got a little irritated when I asked him to help me try again...haha. You're right, it's close, but I'd have to do a lot of grinding and add fiberglass to all the edges etc... They should over size these a little b/c much easier to cut down the edges than add. I'm going to have him cut out the notches in the deckled. He recommended following the contour of the 8 stack into the decklid.

Dave at Autotrend EFI will be remotely tuning it as so as I get my Synchrometer; should be here today! Video to come!

@USCDOC13 posted:

Time to button it up!
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With all the beautiful installation work and custom fabrication of the new firewall cover, I think you would want to get rid of the manual heater shutoff valves, which will require removing the interior panel and firewall cover to open or close, and replace them with an electric valve so you merely hit a switch on or under your dash.

Here's the Thermotion 354-69494 that someone else on this list installed: https://www.amazon.com/Thermot...69494/dp/B07119TY9Y/

Available for less at: https://www.truckac.com/heater...354-69494-t4037.html

And even LESS EXPENSIVE direct from Thermotion: https://www.thermotion.com/4-p...l-valve-pn-354-69694

I'm thinking of installing one of these myself.



Following are some other inexpensive electric heater bypass valves.  Note that I have NOT verified if the ports on the following valves are sized correctly for our heater hoses.

4-port valve from a Cadillac: https://www.1aauto.com/chevrol...hcx00004/535137/1997

Or a pair of these from a Ford F-350: https://www.amazon.com/KarPart...495AB/dp/B09HY2PBW9/

This looks like a generic version of the same thing: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Se...Valve/dp/B001TPSXDG/

Last edited by garth66

It’s likely too late in your “build” but you could delete the heater hoses from the front of the motor altogether. There are heater hose delete kits available for the Coyote. You would then need to have bungs installed in the main coolant tubing under the car; one in the tubing before the radiator and one in the tubing after the radiator. You would then install an electronic heater control valve between the heater core and the tubing after the radiator. For obvious reasons you would mount the valve outside of the passenger compartment. You wouldn’t need the shut-off valves anymore because none of the hoses inside the car are under pressure when the heater valve is closed. I’ve run this exact setup and found the heater worked just fine.

Last edited by davidnunn
@davidnunn posted:

It’s likely too late in your “build” but you could delete the heater hoses from the front of the motor altogether. There are heater hose delete kits available for the Coyote. You would then need to have bungs installed in the main coolant tubing under the car; one in the tubing before the radiator and one in the tubing after the radiator. You would then install an electronic heater control valve between the heater core and the tubing after the radiator. For obvious reasons you would mount the valve outside of the passenger compartment. You wouldn’t need the shut-off valves anymore because none of the hoses inside the car are under pressure when the heater valve is closed. I’ve run this exact setup and found the heater worked just fine.

Wow I like that idea. Not too late bc it’s winter time and I’ll be bored bc this thing is nearly complete. Just put the carpets and interior back together. Seats going in tomorrow, but it’s raining here so will have to wait for first drive until next weekend👍🏼

@lf-tp2511 posted:

I personally, after 20 years of ownership, uncounted, fun rallies, Monterey, and other events, have never seen a pantera with a vacuum pump.

last I knew I didn’t think your car was roadworthy. So what is motivating you to install a vacuum pump at this time?

Larry

Car is road worthy👍🏼. Respectfully, have you seen a Pantera with a Gen 2 Coyote and an EFI Borla 8 stack in the last 20 years up close and personal? If you have and you recall whose it was, they may have some in-site. I have a port in the stack for the vacuum, but it may affect my performance/not be enough vacuum.

Car has been remotely tuned, interior back together, everything is ready to road test, but I’m told the Coyote’s with 8 stacks are notorious for lacking enough vacuum for the breaks… I’d rather be proactive about it.

things left.
1. Vacuum situation(I like power breaks)

2. cut decklid for cylinders 4/8 stacks so I can place airhorns back on

3. Modern wheels and tires

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I ran an electric vacuum pump and it worked fine. I used one that was designed for electric cars, to generate vacuum for a brake booster. I mounted it on a fabricated bracket just behind the driver's side headlamp. With the shield in place it was completely hidden. There's lots of room for one up there and you'll never hear it.

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Last edited by davidnunn
@davidnunn posted:

I ran an electric vacuum pump and it worked fine. I used one that was designed for electric cars, to generate vacuum for a brake booster. I mounted it on a fabricated bracket just behind the driver's side headlamp. With the shield in place it was completely hidden. There's lots of room for one up there and you'll never hear it.

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Hey thanks David. Do you remember the brand that you used? Seems like there are a lot of options for these things. I ordered one that had auto slow and maintain function, but it looks a little bit bigger than yours so I may have to return it and get one smaller like yours. I can almost read the brand in the pictures, but want to make sure I get the right one☺️

Last edited by USCDOC13

The reason for using an electric pump to supply vacuum for the brake booster in a fuel injected car is; the convenient source of engine generated vacuum also happens to be where the EFI's MAP sensor gets its signal from. Apparently, in some situations, the vacuum being supplied to the booster can interfere with the MAP sensor's readings. Many OEM's are using such electric vacuum pumps now, even with gasoline engines.

This is the pump I used: https://eveurope.eu/en/product...e2-vacuum-pump-used/  ;however, I couldn't find a current source of new ones. If I recall, it was just under $400. Companies like Hella and Bosch make similar units. Just buy one that's designed specifically for the application. Aftermarket EV parts suppliers all have them, as do Summit and Jeg's. Less expensive pumps simply run the entire time the engine is running whereas better ones have a vacuum switch that turns the pump on and off as needed.

Last edited by davidnunn

Put 40 miles on Pamela last Friday. The sound is next level cool. Had a few water leaks and lost 2nd gear bc of shifter linkage. Shifting resolved with some adjustments to the linkage and trunnion. Water leaks solved by removing the Hpipe and going to a single manual 4 way valve. I like the idea of the electronic valve, but will likely never need heat. IMG_3332IMG_3356IMG_3354

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@lf-tp2511 posted:

The previous mention of the electric, four port heater valve linked to sources for the valve, but without any method to control that valve.

there is a valve sold by old air products that includes the necessary controls. I previously used one of these units and it performed fine for me.

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Larry

FWIW, Thermotion sells a controller for the valve, but it costs another $69, so the Old Air Parts link Larry provided is a much better value.

https://www.thermotion.com/4-p...l-valve-pn-354-69694

240 miles on new build. It is next level fun. Got a tune revision and seemed to help a lot too. Added a custom grill to the back: I wanted a little exposure so you can see the emblem on the 8 stack with decklid down. Super happy. Got the grill from https://www.customcargrills.com they have lots of options. I’d like to replace the others around the car now to match(the frames are the hardest part bc they spot welded the mesh in everywhere. IMG_3593IMG_3590IMG_3588IMG_3583

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@jfb05177 posted:

could you post some pics of the engine cover off.   Did "custom grill" fab a bolt on or did you have to form the sheet mesh?

Love the look and the thought of the other grills matching is awsome.

I would like to do a similar.

The sheet metal comes already perforated and in multiple sizes that you have to cut. It is aluminum, so it is easy to bend, but it is easy to bend wrong. Very helpful to have a large brake and shear and some other tools. It only took about 2 1/2 hours, but I did make it in an aircraft mechanic shop  

@davidnunn posted:

Looks great. I assume it runs as good as it looks!  What was the outcome of the fibreglass decklid matter? Did PIM take it back?

It runs like a stripe-tailed ape! I’m hoping I can throw wider tires on to control the power to the ground. Decklid was not close at all. PIM wouldn’t return emails and then when I did talk to them, Justin claimed my car was probably wrecked and repaired…not… my decklid is flawless with factory spotwelds and landmarks, and you can clearly see the measurements/dimensions are incorrect on the fiberglass decklid with a micrometer. It was not easy to return and they wanted to charge a restocking fee. Buyer beware, these don’t fit like stock like they have stated. PIM has been great in the past. Not sure why they were so poor at communicating this time and adamant their product was perfect.  Live and learn… but to leave on an positive(exhaust) note….Enjoy the sound!

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@USCDOC13 posted:

Decklid was not close at all. PIM wouldn’t return emails and then when I did talk to them, Justin claimed my car was probably wrecked and repaired…not… my decklid is flawless with factory spot welds and landmarks, and you can clearly see the measurements/dimensions are incorrect on the fiberglass decklid with a micrometer. It was not easy to return and they wanted to charge a restocking fee. Buyer beware, these don’t fit like stock like they have stated. PIM has been great in the past. Not sure why they were so poor at communicating this time and adamant their product was perfect.  Live and learn…

I've heard this again and again. They sell a defective item then refuse to take it back. Why should you be paying a restocking fee? They misrepresented the product. You were given assurances that it would fit like your stock deck lid. You based your decision to buy it, on this assurance and the fact they'd stand behind it. As per usual, they claim it's the customer's fault. I don't get it. Why do people deal with them? With Hall Pantera, Steve Wilkinson, Dennis Quella or Larry Stock, they'll take anything back if the product is defective, doesn't fit or it isn't up to your expectation in some way.

@davidnunn posted:

I've heard this again and again. They sell a defective item then refuse to take it back. Why should you be paying a restocking fee? They misrepresented the product. You were given assurances that it would fit like your stock deck lid. You based your decision to buy it, on this assurance and the fact they'd stand behind it. As per usual, they claim it's the customer's fault. I don't get it. Why do people deal with them? With Hall Pantera, Steve Wilkinson, Dennis Quella or Larry Stock, they'll take anything back if the product is defective, doesn't fit or it isn't up to your expectation in some way.

Well, my code of morals and ethics have to be very high in pediatrics. I don't have the luxury of misrepresenting anything... I just expect people to be true to their intention(and word). The major problem wasn't that Jeri said it would fit perfectly (which I won't assume was a lie based on his past experience...maybe it was just a bad batch), it was avoiding all my emails in hopes I'd just give up or fall outside of a window that I'd lose my recourse with my credit card company. I've had this happen before... deceptive business practices... then your faced with 1. a waist of time small claims court, or 2. toss the decklid in the garbage b/c it would cost more than a stock hood to modify it to fit or miss work b/c of court. Biggest loss wasn't the few hundred bucks in shipping and BS, it was my time and the fact that others will see this thread and question their next purchase with them.

I’ve shared this before but here goes again.

when a new owner asks me where they should buy their parts I tell them that if they talk to enough owners, they will hear horror stories about every vendor and if that’s reason to cross them off the list, you will have no one you can purchase anything from.

I then go on to tell them that whoever they deal with, they should confirm that the vendor actually has the part in their hands as they speak, and to ensure that delivery is not dependent on some other source first supplying it to the vendor from which you make the purchase  

I tell them after a number of purchases from different vendors they too, will have their list of who they prefer to do business with and who they prefer to avoid doing business with.

but the one “vendor” that most of us never have any troubles with is a fellow owner. Many of us have a ridiculous stash of parts gathering dust. It just takes someone to ask for them to get packaged and sent to their new home  

My 2¢

Larry

@coreyprice posted:

Levi,

Your car looks amazing. I'm glad it turned out well. I hope you drive or trailer it to Monterey this year so that I can see it!

Corey

Thanks! You’ve been an amazing help to me on the project🙏🏼. Making arrangements to trailer it there😎. Looking forward to a cold beverage with ya! Rims come April 14th!! Forgestar was unfortunately very accurate on the 8 week build time for custom orders.

Last edited by USCDOC13

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