GT5-S crash rebuild

Another view from the left side. She was bent pretty bad.

Here it is just arriving.

Another view from the rear after most of the quarter panel was removed.

Check out that trans case---what a mess. The entire engine compartment was several inches narrower than original and pushed left all most 2 inches.

Freshly removed transaxle. You can see how far the right side was pushed in. I relocated the MSD box to the firewall during reconstruction.

OOOOPS

On the way to be pulled a bit. Most of the structure was removed but I needed to have the platform checked to make sure it was totally straight from front to rear before the internal reconstruction was started.

Other side

A better view of the right damage. The first shop torched off the upper control arm---OK---

A better shot of the inside wheel well damage.

The B pillar was a mess and on late model car the latch is only mounted to the skin and not to the inner post. In this case it was a blessing or it would have destroyed the door latch also.

Same side inner wheel well with the undercoat stripped and the metal just starting to be cut---I was attempting to salvage the original pieces from the car to build correct patterns so the rebuild could be as factory exact as possible.

Last view before the frame machine work. I saved the left quarter, taillight panel and deck lid with lots of patients, hammering, and shrink disking.

Did have to rebuild the left side a bit do to rust. The late model cars do have the same issues as the early cars---this GT5-S will not have any rust issues again. You will see the repairs in future pictures.

This is the right side rebuilt---I'll show the construction later. Just wanted to show the structure drain holes in the bottom---the left side rust repairs matched the openings in this picture---just can't find a shot of it tonight.

This is a picture of the lower frame rail outer skins with both of the inner structures drilled off. I rebuilt the suspension mount sleeves using 1" washers on both sides welded to the sleeve. This will prevent the sleeve welds from fracturing off the skins which all late model cars are prone to.

The structures are now welded to the outer skins. The rods keep the structure parallel so the suspension mounts correctly. The platform is mounted to my fixture which holds all of the mounting positions in there correct location.

You can see how this mount sleve area was starting to fail before we removed the structure.

here is what was savable from the inner wheel well---not much to start with.

Another view from the outside. You can see the taillight panel has been mostly straightened by this point. Still had to straighten the taillight mounting pocket and re-install it back on the rear panel.

I will post more later on this week.

Thought I would post a shot of the finished car just before the transport picked it up. The rebuild shots can be a bit boring but critical to proving the car was rebuilt with the proper care and detail.

Hi Kirk.

Looks like you did a great job bringing this GT5-S back. Look forward to more pictures of the rebuild.

great ! and thanks for the repair story...

not inquiring on who or what .. but can you give us a idea of that rebuild cost ? Just wondering, was that a total loss ?

This one was close to a total for sure.

This next picture is a better view of the removed damage showing the right rear wheel well fixture mounted to the car. I have a fixture system that bolts to a heavy frame spit platform that locates every stud or nut welded to the body. Using our fixture we can replace all of the damage assuring a correct part position. Using the fixture system, AmeriSport could build a Pantera from scratch if all the original metal parts were still available. It has proven to be invaluable when we're rebuilding sever crashes or bad rust damage.

Here is a shot of the first skin freshly plug welded to the new fabricated inner structure where the upper control arm and coil over mount.

Sanded and primed.

Inside view of the rebuild.

Here is a view of the just fabricated wheel well skin using the frame fixture. It is held in space ready for welding.

The next section fabricated and ready to weld. Matching the material to the original was difficult---there was many many measurements from side to side. It was a chore.

Little better perspective.

New rear lower cross member and trans mounts being welded in.

A view from the down under. We matched the welding as close to factory as humanly possible---stitching and spotting where required.

Another view from the other side. This shows the early repairs on the left quarter and taillight panel. The frame fixture was original built in 1980 to install new Ford replacement wheel wells. Over the years I've added every other bolt point to the jigging.

That is pretty friggin impressive Kirk!!! I hope I never need your services, but it is nice to know that almost anything can be rebuilt with the right tools and skills...

Here is a shot of another car that had rust damage. This is a view of the door fixture mounted to the car and rotator assembly---just a reference picture. The mounting spit platform and attachments are not pretty but they work very well.

another view

I was able to get a right side factory draw panel to replace the damaged quarter. They are not finished but gave me more than I needed to get-er-dun.

A shot of the side gill opening sheet metal work. The panel did not have any reference for the opening---fortunately I had another S car in the shop at this time and was able to use it as a position guide.

Freshly mounted quarter panel and deck lid. The deck was mashed badly on the right side where the impact originated. I had to remove the inner structure to straighten the skin and then re-weld the inner frame-work. The deck came out quite well considering the extent of damage.

Left side view with all of the panels in position. The quarter and taillight panel still needed some straitening but the deck gap fit was correct and ready to be detailed.

Right panel in DP90 epoxy primer ready for Rust Defender primer, lots of blocking and color.

Kirk – that's pure automotive sculpture, you are indeed a sheet metal artist – well rescued, it shows what can be done, if you have the talent!

Your an Artist Kirk

Absolutely incredible ! What talent and skill ! Thanks for documenting and sharing Kirk.

OK...gotta jump on the band wagon.
Very impressive resurrection Kirk! Really fantastic metal work...!

BTW....don't think for a minute the process steps are boring. They eye candy is great, but the steps/details are the critical process to get there.

quote:

Thought I would post a shot of the finished car just before the transport picked it up. The rebuild shots can be a bit boring but critical to proving the car was rebuilt with the proper care and detail.

I agree with Rob.
I am one of those that LOVES to see ALL of the build pictures.

Very impreeive job Kirk.

Speechless, as I would have thought that car was a goner!!

I'm sure I'm like most people on the board when I say I didn't know you could do this Kirk!!! It's great to see what is possible when it really looked like the car was gone. Bravo indeed!!!!

Mark

It really came out fantastic. It is somewhat comforting to know that all things are not necessarily lost.

Personally though from previous experience I am always concerned about the new longevity of the sheetmetal on cars like this.

I personally have seen very short life cycles on the sheetmetal that has been heated, shrunk and pounded out?

That metal doesn't seem to have great longevity once put back into service?

I noticed the primer that was mentioned and it definitely will be on my list for next time. Sure hope it does the trick?

Thank you for the photographic journey. I really enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you all for the kind words and support.

quote:

Originally posted by PanteraDoug:
I personally have seen very short life cycles on the sheetmetal that has been heated, shrunk and pounded out?

That metal doesn't seem to have great longevity once put back into service?

I noticed the primer that was mentioned and it definitely will be on my list for next time. Sure hope it does the trick?

Working bent sheet metal properly takes patients and a light hand with the hammer. Also if you are shrinking with what I call "big heat" or a torch, that will suck the life right out of the tin. I use a shrink disk which heats the top surface on the sheet metal to pull it back. It's a slow process. Second when you are growing a low area or dent, the metal grows to the hammer so you start dolling around the outside of the low spot and hammer O-SO-LIGHTLY working you way into the center. This takes time and often a re-shrink using the disk. If you follow this method, the metal will be fine and have a long the happy new life cycle until the next crash.

Here is a view of the shell being moved to my paint booth area. It's in Rust Defender polyester primer and is ready to be blocked. I layer the car with 2 colors of material so you can clearly see the surface changes during blocking. Sometimes I use tint to change the layer colors and sometimes I use an actual color change---beige to gray---so on. This was a layer color change. Polyester is much harder to sand than urethane primer but it will not shrink in time and holds the top coat polish from shrinking much better---from what I have seen over many years of painting.

I painted my first full vehicle in high school---1974---it was a van in lacquer with multy-colored custom paint including my first attempt at mural painting---a vision to some---nightmare to others.

A view from the back. Worked hard to equalize the deck gaps by refitting the damaged panels to the new right draw quarter panel. Took my time.

Another view shows our modular caster wheel system. All of the cross bars slip into sleeves that lock down using simple 3/8 nuts welded to the sleeves and bolts tightened onto the crass bar. The caster lock on the same way I have many sizes of casters---some for a rough surface (pictured), smooth caster for the floor, and large wheel/tire combo for the rear if you need to move the entire frame fixture to another location.

The body has also been guide coated which is the darker shades you see on the top beige color primer.

Kirk,

Pure artistic genius. Before and after photos alone always raise questions as to how a car was fixed, but your details of the steps involved demonstrate a true passion for perfection.

Julian

WOW. Great to know what can be done and who can do it.

You Kirk can do it. Well done and thanks for the insight.

Great job Kirk! Every time you show us photos of your work the attention to detail always stands out! Thanks for sharing and please keep posting photos!

Thank you all once again for your kind words. There are many very talented hobbyist and professionals on the forum and I'm happy to among such a great group.

Next shot is the car blocked. I start with 180 dry---re-guide coat with 500% thinned color and wet block with 320---re-guide coat and finish wet sand with 500. The 180/240 dry block cut the surface straight but you have to be very careful on the next 2 steps making sure all of the dry sanded surface get re-sanded with the finer paper or your color will print scratches.

I have spent a lot of time in the booth---way back in my very early days the local dealerships would bring me their hard to match metallics for color blending---helped pay for my first Pantera.

Epoxy white sealer shot before the color and clear coats

Color and clear applied---lots of sanding and buffing to come. I paper the car to the floor which keeps the overspray off the underside---a pain in the @$$ but keeps things cleaner inside and out.

Just a mostly hidden detail after the finish sanding and buffing was completed. We step sand the clear starting with 500 to 600, moving on to 1200 and finishing with 2000. If some of the coarser scratches get missed, the area is re-sanded with 2500 during the final buff---lots of work.

A close-up of the new quarter panel sanded and buffed---no glazing at this point so there are still swirls in the finish.

Next step was to re-finish the undercarriage with paintable undercoat and black semi black epoxy. This view show a bit of the passenger rebuild and the inside of the repaired left quarter panel in the gas-tank area. I was a chore to blend the textures that remained on the car into the smother new fabricated wheel well materials in an effort to make them match and not appear to have been re-done. I often had to make the undercoat rougher than the equipment would spray the material by using a dabber brush for applying wall paper glue---what a mess but it worked quite well. Kida like antiquing the underside---happens naturally with age but that's another issue.

Here is a detail we do on all of the Pantera's quarter panels. The rod in the picture stabilizes the lower panel at the exhaust opening and helps protect the taillight panel corners from cracking do to vibration---a simple but effective fix.

Fantastic work and dedication to quality Kirk.

As the southern evangelist might say, "brothers and sisters I feel your pain".

I had quite a misplaced youth myself. I worked hard on as much stuff as I could missing virtually ALL of the sex, drugs and rock & roll of the times. Now I know too much and no one will give me work because they think I deserve to work only for top dollar! That makes me unimployable now.

Maybe the Devil is right? Anyone know a hot looking drunken rock n'roll slut? This is too much work for me for bottom dollar?


I sure appreciate your work and sharing the pictures.

Now I know I can send the car to you when they bring it to me and want it fixed and it looks impossible to do at any price.

Posted my thank you to Wayne on the wrong header---sorry for pulling his old thread up. I am showing my lack of computer suaveness along side the obvious poor typing and proof reading skills after reading some of my own posting. I'll try proofing a bit closer.

The wing project was interesting. The original wing was so poorly constructed and already had multiple repairs that were poorly done, I decided to build him a new one.

This is an exact replica of the original shape including the trailing edge which is always much thicker on every alternative wing available. The AmeriSport replica is much lighter than the original unit, uses composite end caps that are the correct shape and thickness, and is manufactured in one piece rather than bonded dry which add weight and make the wing much weaker. The picture shows the freshly mounted center section less end caps.

Here's a shot of the un-finished trailing edge with 1/8 tape on it and in the hand. The edge was actually thinner that the tape and matched the folded aluminum original exact. It was difficult to find a way to produce an edge this thin with the necessary strength needed to hold up but we found a solution.

This view of the wing's end shape (before the cap was installed) is where you often find a massive amount of bonding mud which has no strength and adds a lot of unnecessary weight.

Here is a shot of the finished wing installed a bit closer. Not the best picture, sorry.

Here is a view of the original front trunk. The carpet was a mess from previously leaking break fluid. The owner decided to have the trunk re-finished.

A view of the new liner material installed.

A little better perspective of the freshened trunk area.

The lid inserts match the material installed on the trunk area---the two together make a nice looking combo with the hood open.

Last detail for the night---dinner over---back to work now.

Quit showing off, would you?



Just kidding - keep the pictures coming.. This is very amazing stuff, and an encouragement to everyone.

Rocky

How do you rust proof inside of the channels that you had to make and weld into place? Shouldn't those have been pre-coated with something? Maybe galvanized?

Bloody hell! Amazing work Kirk. I Love the fixture too. Thanks for sharing, I know it takes ages sorting through all the pictures and adding words but it's always worth it.

Johnny

quote:

Originally posted by PanteraDoug:
How do you rust proof inside of the channels that you had to make and weld into place? Shouldn't those have been pre-coated with something? Maybe galvanized?

Most of the pre-made fitted parts that were plug welded were first internally coated. When we do a full body reconstruction car, I have them E-coated when possible. Besides these option, I've made several different internal spray tips on flex hoses that spray 360 degrees. Also all of the seams are sealed from the outside before undercoating, painting, or texturing. If you looked at the wheel-well leg rebuild shots, you can see the pre-coated internal areas and box sections are removed, the car is positioned up-side-down to spray inside the opened cavities if the access is large enough. I have used galvanized in the past but the zinc make the welds difficult unless your running very precise spot-welding equipment. Hope this helps enplane the protection questions. I do not have pictures of the process but next time we internally seal, I'll get some shots to show everyone. Thanks for the questions---they help with getting better info for all to utilize if a similar situation come up on other cars under restoration.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny Woods:
Bloody hell! Amazing work Kirk. I Love the fixture too. Thanks for sharing, I know it takes ages sorting through all the pictures and adding words but it's always worth it.

Johnny

Thanks Johnny---miss you my friend---we need to get together. What are you working on now? To dam bad we are not closer---I would dearly love to build something with you. Please
stay in touch---let's talk this Spring.

Moving on the customer decided to have the suspension freshened up so we did the gray Imron finish and replaced or re-plated all of the hardware. Here's a shot of some finished suspension parts before assembly.

A sub assembly before installation.

Just instaled

The car ran cats instead of mufflers and the modifications were made using the original Pantera muffler pipes. The chrome on the tips was also cooked. Here's a shot of the pipes as they were removed.

I pulled down my old muffler making fixture from the 80s and made him some new 2.5" pipes that matched the GTS headers and welded them to his catalytic converters.

Made some new slip stainless tips for the cats.

Here's a shot of the cat installed. I had forgotten to fabricate the muffler mount for the right side---here it is freshly fabbed and test mounted before blasting, painting and being permanently installed a bit later.

This shot shows one of the items we installed on all of the AmeriSport assembled GT5-S cars to help protect the rubber motor mounts from radiant header heat. It's a simple piece of bent aluminum but was quite effective is saving the rubber from the excessive header heat.

Looking forward to any questions---I will go through the engine details later on.

always wondered how you tackled the cat issue. Simple and effective.

This guy is getting virtually a new car back from you. he's gotta' be a very happy camper.

The car is going to be better now than it ever was new.

Kirk,

A few questions:

1. Are there differences between the GT5-S bodied chassis and the Ford-era chassis? Can you use the same jig for both in other words?
2. Do you paint your motor mounts with a high temp paint?
3. Does the catalytic converter/muffler restrict the exhaust appreciably and/or does it quiet the car down at all?

I'm loving this thread!! Thanks for sharing Kirk.

Great Job Kirk!
I love that you saved the car from a total.

Hello Kirk,
I am highly impressed with your skills and attention to detail. Thanks for sharing.

Shah

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Slightlycrispy:
Kirk,

A few questions:

1. Are there differences between the GT5-S bodied chassis and the Ford-era chassis? Can you use the same jig for both in other words?

Yes there are many differences. The late model cars 9000 vin and up I think were hand built in a similar fashion to very early 71 cars. Frankly the full production version is stronger and stiffer. Reasons for this range from sheet metal that has been stressed stamped into a shape over hand broke flat stock to integrated internal structures to stiffen and spread load over off the shelf materials like tubing to build bolt sleeves into the frame for the rear A-arm mounts. The late model cars are fantastic for how they were built---just apples and oranges to use a cliché. I look at it this way---if you own a Pantera no mater what year, enjoy it---nothing else matters.

2. Do you paint your motor mounts with a high temp paint?

No need---never have had a problem with paint blistering from heat on the mounts---just the rubber decaying for heat.

3. Does the catalytic converter/muffler restrict the exhaust appreciably and/or does it quiet the car down at all?

I tested my original cat mufflers we made in-house and used on the GT5-S cars against all of the mufflers that were available at that time----6 or 7 years ago and the cats made the best HP out of every muffler. The back pressure at full throttle was just over 1 pound and sounded great. BUT can you use this type of muffler on a 750 Holley carbed 393 stroker with a massive roller cam, Parker funnel web--so-so-so NO! You will cook them quite fast. They work quite well when you keeping the air fuel ratio close to 14.7 or at least in the 14 range.

Off to see Lone Survivor

Engine was OK from the crash---well built from a builder on the east coast. During the engine clean-up, re-paint, assembly before testing, I discovered one of the 5/16 bolts on the intake was stripped so I had to do a cylinder head-on repair. Got-ta hate when that happens.

Tapped before the tread replacement insert.

Next minor hurdle was he plug wire looms. The right one was damaged in the crash and this particular style of loom is no longer available plus the wires were in poor condition ta boot.

The replacement looms were smaller, tighter ,and much better looking. Changed the wires too.

Here is the engine and transaxle right after the install. We re-plate the hardware in yellow for contrast or replace it with stainless. Kept the assembly basic and clean.

Built a remote munt for the swirl tank to keep it off the wheel well. This allows for an easer install of the engine/trans assembly and better access to the right side of the head if needed.

A better shot of the tank bracket.

A better view of the bracket installed. It's mounted with stainless rivits

A different view of the bracket. Also shown are 2 of the hidden wiring caps used to hold the AC hoses and wiring along the upper rail without positive loop hold downs---make's the hoses/wiring faster to install and/or remove later on.