New Pantera owner here!

Congrats on the new car. Join us at the POCA Lone Star Fun Rally for a real immersion into the Marque. Tom Tjaarda will be present.

JT

The car has the dealer installed chrome driver side mirror. I have to decide whether to find a matching mirror to add to the passenger side for which I'd have to drill some holes in the top of the door, or get one of the window mount kits with modern molded mirrors. I would then have to come up with a way to plug the holes on the driver side. Hmm decisions.

Here is my first photo taken in my driveway.

Cheers!
Dennis[/QUOTE]
Congrats whit your new ride, the chrome mirrors are 1968 Mustang and easy to find , the mounting screws are mostly whit the mirrors ,but the plugs you must buy apart.
Mounting those mirrors is easy ,only drill 2 holes put the plugs into the holes and screw the mirrors on the door.
Please dont go the modern window glue on mirror way , it's not the style from the car.
(thats what I think)
Simon

quote:

Originally posted by JTpantera:
Congrats on the new car. Join us at the POCA Lone Star Fun Rally for a real immersion into the Marque. Tom Tjaarda will be present.

JT

Thanks JT!

Do you think there are still rooms available a the resort? I'll have to do some convincing with the wife as we are going to Montreal early June for a week at the Canadian GP.

Dennis

quote:

Congrats whit your new ride, the chrome mirrors are 1968 Mustang and easy to find , the mounting screws are mostly whit the mirrors ,but the plugs you must buy apart.
Mounting those mirrors is easy ,only drill 2 holes put the plugs into the holes and screw the mirrors on the door.
Please dont go the modern window glue on mirror way , it's not the style from the car.
(thats what I think)
Simon

Thanks for that tid bit of information on the mirror Simon!

I figured it was from the Mercury parts bin or something. I may have found one on e-bay... will find out tomorrow. I also ordered some window mount mirrors from one of the vendors, I'll look at them both and decide if I want to send them back.

Very nice looking car.

Congrats on the purchase. Looks like you have a good one!


Rocky

quote:

Originally posted by Rocky:
Very nice looking car.

Congrats on the purchase. Looks like you have a good one!


Rocky

Thanks Rocky!
My current plan is to keep it original as much as possible, maintain the heck out of it and do my best to fix things as they pop up...I'll be learning as I go.

Dennis

Congrats on your "new" Pantera Dennis! Where in Northern California are you located? Anywhere near San Jose? If so, join us for the monthly PCNC meeting on the last Thursday of each month at Coco's in Sunnyvale. Meeting is at 8:00pm, but folks start arriving around 7:00 for dinner before the meeting.

Anyway, here's a list of the best fixes for under $20 to do to your car:
http://www.banzairunnerpantera...chinfo_bestfixes.htm

And as for the passenger side mirror, I'd say stick with the chrome Mustang mirror that matches the driver's side. You can get one for $45-$55 from any Mustang vendor or on Ebay.

I did the same to my car and was going to send you a link, but found that I never documented it on my website. Measure carefully when you drill the holes so the mirror placement is correct. Also, one tip someone else recommended to me when I did mine was to put some JB-Weld on the face of the nuts that go inside the door so if you ever have to remove the mirror, the nuts will say glued to the inside of the door simplifying re-installation.

quote:

Originally posted by garth66:
Congrats on your "new" Pantera Dennis! Where in Northern California are you located? Anywhere near San Jose? If so, join us for the monthly PCNC meeting on the last Thursday of each month at Coco's in Sunnyvale. Meeting is at 8:00pm, but folks start arriving around 7:00 for dinner before the meeting.
V
Anyway, here's a list of the best fixes for under $20 to do to your car:
http://www.banzairunnerpantera...chinfo_bestfixes.htm

And as for the passenger side mirror, I'd say stick with the chrome Mustang mirror that matches the driver's side. You can get one for $45-$55 from any Mustang vendor or on Ebay.

I did the same to my car and was going to send you a link, but found that I never documented it on my website. Measure carefully when you drill the holes so the mirror placement is correct. Also, one tip someone else recommended to me when I did mine was to put some JB-Weld on the face of the nuts that go inside the door so if you ever have to remove the mirror, the nuts will say glued to the inside of the door simplifying re-installation.

Thanks Garth! I'm in San Jose near Evergreen College and my wife and I have been to a couple of PCNC meetings so far. Great group of folks! In fact, you gave me a ride in your car at my first meeting. Thanks for setting the hook man! BTW I hope the Bonzai Runner is on the road again soon!

Yes, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to go with the Mustang mirror if I can find one. It seems from Simon's post, the screws go into inserts so you don't have to take apart the door. If they go on with bolts then I'll have to get inside the door and glue the nuts as you suggest.

Cheers
Dennis

quote:

Thanks Garth! I'm in San Jose near Evergreen College and my wife and I have been to a couple of PCNC meetings so far. Great group of folks! In fact, you gave me a ride in your car at my first meeting. Thanks for setting the hook man!

CONGRATS!!! I was wondering if that was you. Can't wait to see your car in person at the next meeting. As for my car, it's not on the road yet. I need to pull the heads to make sure there is no further damage - either to the head, piston, or rod and bearings, so will likely pull the whole engine to make it easier to inspect and thoroughly clean it. Better safe than sorry I guess!

quote:

The first thing I want to do is get a passenger side mirror. It's a little spooky changing lanes on the freeway without it.

I had the same issue when I first got my car. When making a lane change to the right, you need to 'spot' an opening ahead of you and any vehicle next to you, accelerate ahead to the opening to the point at which you can see the car that was on your right in your rear view mirror, a quick glance to make sure no one moved into your spot from a lane on the other side, and make your lane change.

And once you get your new mirror mounted, be sure to adjust your side view mirrors to show your blind spots on the sides of the car. When properly adjusted, you should need to lean your head almost against the driver's side window to see the side of your car and behind your car from the driver's side-view mirror. And the same holds true for the passenger side-view mirror, except that you'll lean your head over the center console toward the passenger seat to get the same view along the side of your car and to the rear. That means when your in your normal driving position, the mirrors will show you if anyone is in that big blind spot at the rear quarter of the car on either side.

Another tip many here shared with me when I first got my Pantera... Be careful as you learn to drive it. The Pantera handles unlike any front engined car you've driven. It has go-kart like reflexes, and shares the same handling characteristics of the rear-engined Porsche 911. More than one new owner (and even a few seasoned owners) has gone off the road backwards into a guardrail because the got on it a little too enthusiastically in a turn, on a twisty road, or a freeway cloverleaf and had the rear-end step out on them; they instinctively let off the gas, which may be proper technique in a front engined car to recover a slide/spin, but in a mid-engined Pantera it merely shifts the weight distribution forward and unloads the rear suspension causing an instantaneous spin! You end up in the guard rail or wall or tree before you realize what happened.

Congratulations and welcome to Pantera land! Really excellent looking car you've got.

This forum was quite literally THE catalyst and source of most of my inspiration to getting a car that I still greatly enjoy, now 9 years later.

Fun to hear your enthusiasm.

Oh, and yes, I too would merely match the Mustang mirror. Not too difficult to find. Mine had some godawful CalCustom type thing way out on the fender when I got it, which is now only a distant (and suppressed) memory.

Have fun!

The resort still has rooms available. Info on the POCA website. I hope to meet you and others on this forum there. I really need to put a face to some of these names. Like, who is this Doug guy? :^)

If you want to see a wide variety of Panteras and discuss the mods various owners have made to their vehicles, it is the place. The track event will have some of the fastest Pantera drivers and cars in North America. I am talking about 180mph on the front straight! Really awesome. And not like at Pocono where it occurs 1/4 mile past you, rather about 100 yards away. If you got the coin, come build a memory.

Congrats! Car looks terrific

Congratulations!!
Kat looks very nice and Straight!
My vote is...go with the Chrome Original Dealer Mirror, no matter what the cost, You'll find one. Yes!, Send the plastic ones back.
I used 'Nut-Serts'(Thread 10-32NF See * Note Below)) when I did My 'California' Mirrors(All the work is done Outside/Top of the Door). Just be sure to get the Steel ones, NOT Aluminum! I used Stainless Steel 'Allen-Head' 'Machine Screws', they fit into the Counter-Bores like they were made for them.
Your doing it Right!! Keep driving Your Machine WHILE Your working on it!
Last, Thank You for Your Purchase, It's On its' Way!

Marlin

P.S. #7260 is pretty Late (New) on the 'List'. Like it could be a '75 ?? Compare it to My Number, a '74. Enjoy the Experience! MJ

*NOTE: Why a Fine Thread over a Course Thread?
Every Machinist will tell You, The FINE Thread Gives 40% More CLAMPING Force. THAT is just ONE of Many Advantages of going to Head Studs, Instead of Staying with the Original Design of Bolts. Your Clamping the Head with the Fine Threaded Nuts, and Not the Course Threads in the Block, for the Bolts; for the SAME Torque Reading. Not accounting for Measurements of 'Bolt Stretch'. Believe It!
Now I HAVE to add the One Advantage of Course Threads over Fine Threads. Look Close at Both, the Course Thread is 'Cut' or 'Rolled', DEEPER. Some Thread Diameters are Cut Twice as deep, as their Counterpart. Lending Fine threads to 'Strip-Out' Easier, taking Less torque. That is Why I specified STEEL NOT Aluminum!!

quote:

As for my car, it's not on the road yet. I need to pull the heads to make sure there is no further damage - either to the head, piston, or rod and bearings, so will likely pull the whole engine to make it easier to inspect and thoroughly clean it. Better safe than sorry I guess!

Garth, let me know if you need an extra set of hands. Pulling engines and heads is above my wage grade, but I can handle a wrench and not afraid to get dirty, and of course learn a thing or two!

Thanks everyone!

I did find a Mustang mirror from one of the Mustang vendors and went ahead and ordered. I'll end up sending the window mounts back. Thanks Marlin for advice on the mounting too!

Dennis

Dennis, Congratulations. I hope you saved some money for new tires (and maybe wheels)! Those very old Arivas are not fit for driving at almost any speed and the rubber is probably quite hard so stopping and cornering are compromised. Here's Larry Finch's take on the matter in 2005.

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/...940074823#7940074823

Richard

quote:

Originally posted by rbarkley671:
Dennis, Congratulations. I hope you saved some money for new tires (and maybe wheels)! Those very old Arivas are not fit for driving at almost any speed and the rubber is probably quite hard so stopping and cornering are compromised.

Thanks Richard!

Actually the car has 1 year old BFGoodrich Radials on it. The Arrivas are not mounted and yes I would NEVER drive on them. I guess they might be good to mount up on a set of campis just for display.

Dennis

Terrific car, congratulations!

Don't drill the door for that Mustang mirror!

LS

Thanks LS!

Hope to get a chance to meet at the Canadian GP! Have you been to the race before? Any tips?

Dennis