Hello

quote:

Originally posted by tajon:
? Is there an easy way to make a GT5-S replica? Or at least add the fender flares to another body?

My red 5S car has the factory 5S flares conversion. The factory flares are around $30K for the metal alone, then you have all the cutting, body work, paint, on and on. So depending on who you use, you could start around $20K or so for the labor, prep and paint.

Don't forget to add another 4-6 grand or more for new wheels and tires!

quote:

Originally posted by Cuvee:
Don't forget to add another 4-6 grand or more for new wheels and tires!

Ha ha, yea you got it...it is all up hill from there, as is with all the nice modified cars, cha-ching throw it in to the money pit! You can easily dump over $200K into a nicely done modified car now. If you are interested in a 5s build maybe check with Wilkinson who imports the factory stuff, but last I recall we were at close to $30K just for the factory metal 5s flares (if you can even find it anymore).

quote:

Originally posted by DOES 200:

quote:

Originally posted by Cuvee:
Don't forget to add another 4-6 grand or more for new wheels and tires!

Ha ha, yea you got it...it is all up hill from there, as is with all the nice modified cars, cha-ching throw it in to the money pit! You can easily dump over $200K into a nicely done modified car now. If you are interested in a 5s build maybe check with Wilkinson who imports the factory stuff, but last I recall we were at close to $30K just for the factory metal 5s flares (if you can even find it anymore).

Thats what I was wondering, and kinda thought.
That black pantera of yours is awesome! That paint job is probably the best one I've ever seen. Can you actually drive it and keep it that nice? Having a driver like that would be very impressive.

Thanks for the comments. When or if the conversion is done, are those fender flares one big piece or just flares that need to be attached and blended?

quote:

Originally posted by tajon:
Thanks for the comments. When or if the conversion is done, are those fender flares one big piece or just flares that need to be attached and blended?

Yes the 5s metal fenders are 4 big fender pieces and front air dam as well. If you can do some of the work yourself on any aspect of a build, then you can save some money (if you do it right). Watch some of the after market 5s fenders, as I know some that have bought them and from what I hear they don't fit very well and end up scraping them, or turning them into snow sleds. Check with a few of the vendors and get some estimates on your 5s build, and get your written estimate when you are ready (I have heard some pretty big surprises without written estimates). Cost all depends on the quality you are looking for, a respectible driver may cost lots less. If you are interested in doing a nice 5S car, then I would buy the best stock body car you can find with all the goodies included, and then have the flares and paint done the color you want. When I had my stock orange car, vendors were qouting about $20K just to dress up the engine bay with pulling the engine, scraping/painting the engine bay, etc. (not to mention any engine mods, fancy parts, etc., which would be extre). I know a guy doing a 5s with custom carbon fiber flares & lambo orange (maybe it is not called 5"s" then wiht carbon fiber). I was going to do a PI article on modified 5s cars with him, but he has disapeared off the planet at the moment, as I cant find him. It was a real money no object car, amazing aluminum block, etc. The carbon fiber guy he was using is a real expert in this area, and he says there would be no issues in the application/maintenance of the carbon fiber to metal the way he does it (I think he makes carbon fiber parts and applies to race cars). I saw the initial stages and took many photos, but don't know wa happened now. He is the one that had two sets of aftermarket 5s flares, and they were just so wrong that his metal worker could not even use them, so he decided to go custom carbon fiber. Maybe he ran into bad times, I will continue to check with him and see his progress and inquire if he is willing to sell if you may be interested.

On my black car I am still working on the paint, engine bay and engine, polishing it up some more...not done yet So I am just in the process of driving & polishing right now. But with recent back problems, I can't crunch myself in the engine bay too well.

Good luck with our search.

interesting. thanks for the input. Currently I'm just trying to sort things out and gather info. I haven't even started to look for a car yet, but the time will come eventually.

If the black car looks as good in person as it does on my laptop, you don't need to polish it any more. It looks amazing. I hope that mine will look as good someday.

btw, your black pantera is now my desktop pic!

I agree $20-30K can easily be spent on the conversion plus the initial cost of the donor car, by which time you've spent almost what it costs to buy a 5S and you still have a 'wannabe'.

Why wouldn't you keep your money in the bank until you can find a true 5S or even one someone else converted? I know a true 5S would be a better investment in the long term, (although personally I think the rarity of the GT5 is going to make it the best choice investment wise and not just because I have one ).

I looked at a '72 5S conversion here in Reno for a prospective buyer a couple months ago, it sold for $42K, not much more than it would have sold for stock! I would let someone else spend the money!

BTW, this '86 GT5-S is still for sale on San Francisco Craiglsit. SF Bay '86 GT5-S

Maybe a little overpriced from what I hear needing some TLC, but I'm sure there are others if you look. I'd consider it myself (and have mulled it over) but I'm pretty set on my next car being a Ford GT or GT40 replica, after all there's only so many Pantera's a guy can own.

Thats right, you should determine for yourself if you are looking for a stock car or a modified car. Only problem with the stock GT5S here in CA is that you have to smog them due to the real GT5S cars years being beyond 1974. So, if you want to put a hunkin almuinum block or other high performance engine in a true GT5S and have a smog check state, then you got problems. Hall built the FI aluminum engine Ultra GT5S cars for $250K, so the cost can get up there for a real nice show car. But you don't need to go crazy like that if you still want a pretty nice car. In the link below is a nice GT5S I flew out to see in PA a while back. It is well worth the money due to the high quality build and basically all high end new parts out of the catalogues, however it was difficult for me to like the blue/white vipa stripe set up...but to each his own. Nice thing about the modified cars is you can go nuts with all the fancy upgrades and high performance engine but then again that's lots of money. Interesting to see you using my black car as a screen saver. Email me at ciao4u2@aol.com and I can send you over a high resolution photo if you want to use that. Real nice 5S show cars don't come along very often, so just have the $ ready when one pops up, or have one built if you are wall street rich boy Gecko. Good luck searching (its half the fun).

http://autabuy.com/Vehicles/Details.cfm?VID=177973

D200 why does the hall pantera sit so much lower than the red one? I really like the stance of the black one, but I would mangle that chin spoiler. How much lower is the hall from the red one?

quote:

Originally posted by tajon:
D200 why does the hall pantera sit so much lower than the red one? I really like the stance of the black one, but I would mangle that chin spoiler. How much lower is the hall from the red one?

The black one is about 1" off the ground and the red one about 5". The black one has all aluminum hubs, suspension, and of course air shocks to get that low. Takes about 1 - 2 seconds to raise it up high...jumpa like da low rida (not). I usually ride the black one about 2" off the ground via a button on the dash and going lower I think is just too low, and it gets kind of stiff too. I may eventually change my red one to air shocks. It also has a height adjustment, seperate from the actual shocks. At speed the black car really glues to the pavement, maybe due to the car angle with air force sticking the front to the ground. Hall really out did himself making the few of these that he did, the ride and handling of the car is unbelievable.

It seems like Hall is the guy to talk to. When I'm ready thats what I'll have to do.

I just can't get enough of that car!

quote:

Originally posted by tajon:
It seems like Hall is the guy to talk to. When I'm ready thats what I'll have to do.

I just can't get enough of that car!

Hall doesn't do the Ultra GT5S anymore. He only did 18. However, I am sure you could talk to him to do a nice car, and check with other vendors too...and get that "written" estimate when ready. If you are ready, consider that blue/white GT5S I told you about if it is still for sale. It is a real nice car...I know the prior owner sold it for a pretty hefty penny. Good luck & have fun searching.

Tajon,

Looks like you wishes could be answered a set of
4 Original Pantera GT5S fenders painted in primer just got posted in the for sale section. Price: 3850Euro (~US$5665), which I imagine for original fenders is a pretty good price. None of the issues associated with the aftermarket ones that don't fit.