Pantera # 5357 - Rocky's 1973 L model

while glamour shots are nice, I can't wait to see the work in progress photo's.

Intersting, I had the 5th photo as a motivational poster!

The engine is a basic 351C, sonic tested, and bored .030 over. It is designed (hopefully) for reliability / durability, oil control, and additional power. I am working to make it "tractable" on the street. It is also intended to run on pump gas.

Significant effort went into achieving these goals.

It will be normally aspirated with a 735 CFM Holley (modified for "4 corner idle") and an Edelbrock Performer dual plane manifold.

Oil control scheme includes lifter bore bushings (Wydendorf Tooling and Oilite bushings, T. Meyer restrictive cam bearing set, appropriate plugs in oiling passage to cam, and a drilled "oil squirter" on the gallery plug by the distributor gear). The squirter directs a stream of oil onto the cam / distributor gear interface. Additionally, the oil pump and passages into the main engine feed were ported to reduce restriction in the pickup and feed circuit.

Heads were ported to improve flow. Bench flow data is showing 288 CFM / 190 CFM at .600 lift.

I plan to run a standard Duraspark II electronic ignition, with an eCoil. Most of the electrics will be close to stock with the remote solenoid, and external voltage regulator.

Wade fabbed up a bracket for the AC compressor and alternator. This supports a future "flat bulkhead conversion".

We will be running a Sanden AC compressor inboard, and the Ford alternator outboard. Idlers / tensioner modifications were needed.

Part Number / Statistics
Block - DOAE-L Casting (2 Bolt Mains)
4V Heads (Open Chamber)

TRW Domed High Compression Pistons - L2348 .030 Over
Coated Performance Rings
T. Meyer Oil Control Cam Bearings
Crank - Oil Holes Chamfered, Bearings .010 Under

Pioneer Harmonic Balancer
Rollmaster CS3091 Timing Chain
ARP 154-3604 - ARP Cylinder Head Bolt Kits

Bullet Cam - Hydraulic Roller (See GP Hydraulic Cam in "Sticky #3)
Matching Hydraulic Roller Lifters; Morel
SS Single Piece Valves
Matching Valve Springs
10° Steel Retainers
Teflon Seals
Comp Cams Ultra Pro Magnum™ Roller Rocker Arms: Ford; 7/16" Stud, 1.73 Ratio (1830-16)
Guide Plates, 351C
5/16" Heavy Wall Pushrods
Rocker Studs, 7/16"

Melling 84A Oil Pump

FelPro Gasket Set - 31781 (Head Gasket 8347 PT-1)
ROM Turkey Pan Intake Manifold Gasket

New Steel Flywheel
Centerforce Pantera Clutch and Pressure Plate
McLeod Pantera Throw-out Bearing

Avaid 10 Quart Oil Pan
New Pantera Motor mounts

Robertshaw 333 Thermostat
Stewart Racing EMP-16143 Water Pump
IPSCO Tensioner

Carter M6882 Fuel Pump

Spark Plugs Modified for Extra Sparkage

Ford Gen 1 Alternator Updated for 80 A Output
Sanden Rotary AC Compressor


I'll post more pictures once I get them organized.

Rocky

Engine Build Pix....

Original "New to Me" Block:



Cleaned Up:



Lifter Bore Bushing Install:







Rotating Assembly Integrated:



Heads Prepped:





Oil Pump Work:



Engine Home from Build - Ready to Just "Plunk In":





Ready to pull out the old one!

All the detail work on the lifter bores, heads and oil pump was performed by 4280/Mark IV in his shop. I was merely the scrub-nurse.

Rocky

Engine Bay Cleanup and Nightmare....

Did you ever see things that you knew were wrong, but hoped that "your eyes were deceiving you", or "maybe it's supposed to be like that"?

I saw a crazy coating / filling on the bottom of my swirl tank. It looked really funky, but I thought (hoped) it was "supposed to be like that".

I also saw small area of corrosion coming through on the passenger upright. "Maybe it wasn't a big deal", I thought.

Once I pulled the motor - It was apparently obvious. The swirl tank had leaked early in the car's life, and the first owner had the swirl tank patched / soldered / epoxied / etc. The tanks were a mess.

My belief is that fluid was dripping down into the passenger side upright, and corrosion had occurred. It looks like this had happened a long time ago, but the damage had been done. There were no other areas like this - it seemed to be limited to the passenger side upright. This exact situation was described recently in a Bosswrench post.

I tried to deny it to myself, but once the motor was out, I couldn't. The structure (upright) had to be fixed.

Prior to the engine pull I had been working on scraping the stock undercoating. I struggled with the options of using a truck bedliner (like the Banzai Pantera), or paint. I finally decided on Ford Grabber Yellow.

Again - I didn't realize the amount of work that was entailed in an engine bay prep. In fact, with regard to bodywork, there is never a point in which you can say..... "It's 100% done". You can always do more, scuff more, clean more, etc. I have to say, we did a good job of prep, and I believe I have a good foundation for the future.

I did not try and make the bay 100% pristine. Dimples / imperfections from the factory build remain. If someone wants to take it back to stock with the factory bedliner, they can have at it. I think my engine will look good inside the new, cleaned up engine bay.

Stand by for more pictures once I get them organized.

OBTW: Did I mention that my buddy 4820 / Mark IV has the mad skillz needed to execute such a repair project? Thank Gawd!

Pictures of Bay Scrapage and Area Needing Work....

Bay with Engine Removed....





See That In There? Gotta be Fixed!

Upright Repair.......

Really super work by Wade - he worked both the inside and outside of the uprights. I am cutting back on the pix, as this is harder to post up than I thought, but it came out really great.

Stand by for additional upgrades, including:

Valence Repair
Jacking Point / Structural Upgrade in Rear Cross Member
Engine Bay Brace Weld Cleanup
Bay Paint
- Inner Bay is Black
- Outer Bay is "Grabber Yellow"
Bulkhead Cover Opening Repair and Nut Plate Alignment
Flat Bulkhead Modification
Stainless Steel Bulkhead Covers and Insulation
Reconstruct Rear Upright Bushings
Removable Bay Brace & E-Brake Bracket
Hardline from Radiator to Swirl Tank
New Swirl and Overflow Tanks with Improved Cooling Design

Lots of work was done while the "Big Cat" was in the shop. My goal was to get it in and out in record time. I believe the car spent about 3 weeks away from my house, and honestly, the volume of work accomplished during that time was eye-watering.

Stand by for more pictures...

Front Valence Repair:

The inside of the radiator cavity was in good shape, but the bottom of the valence had seen it's share of impacts over the life of the car.

There had been some work previously done to make it look OK, but close inspection revealed that it was really a mess. Once we got into it, you could see that the metal had been pulled back out with a slide hammer ("the bane of artists in sheet metal"), and a lot of body filler had been used to repair the damage.

Wade fabricated a bottom panel, and reworked the existing metal to rebuild the "chin", like a surgeon resculpting the chin of a 42 year old Kardashian.

I think the results are spectacular.















While we were up front, we did a bunch of minor work to the radiator, reseal, clean, paint, and tie off the wiring.

We also added a hardline from the front to the rear of the car, that will provide an automatic air bleed to prevent air from being trapped in the radiator.

Rear Jack Point / Structure Reinforcement:

This one is in honor of Rob B. My rear cross member had taken a couple of hits back in the day, so we decided to open up the original box and straighten it out. This allowed us to add some improved structure in there.

You can see in the picture that the frame is sound. A 1/4" thick steel extrusion fit into the space like a glove, and is unnoticeable in the final product.

This gives me a robust jack point for the rear of the car.

Did I mention all this fabrication work was done by Wade (4280 / Mark IV)?

Thanks for sharing and the effort to post.
nice work on the front valance.

Thanks, JFB -

The front valence is 100% Wade (4280 / Mark IV).

More pix to come, but I have to go out and work on my car now!

Rocky

Looking great! Can't wait to see it. You coming to the Concorso Italiano in August in Monterey?

Nice work, Rocky!

Great job Rocky. What looked great now really IS great. Thanks for sharing.

Mark

Thanks, guys, appreciate the compliments. This has been a long journey, and I'm happy to show off the results. Garth, not sure I will make it out that far this year, but who knows! I've gotta get it running, first!

Painting of the Bay....

Shot the bay with three colors / textures. Yellow for the main bay area, black inside the motor compartment, and a bedliner type substance on the outside of the frame, and inside the wheel wells.

It came out very nice.







Also powdercoated the rear suspension, and some of the accessory pieces (Electrical panels, tank holders, pulley).

Flat Bulkhead Pix....

Another of Wade's masterpieces in metal.









I need to add a shot from inside the cockpit.

That's it for this morning!

Stainless Steel Firewall Covers....

We sprayed Bedliner, then I installed the original firewall insulation, then an additional layer of foil-backed fibrous insulation.

Finally, installed the stainless Steel Bulkhead Panels. "Nut-Serts" were set into the original firewall. The machine screws on the corners press the steel against the insulation to avoid any potential for vibration.

Nutserts in the steel also hold the tank cover on. More nutserts and P-clamps will be used to secure the engine bay wiring harness (which is just now reaching completion).









I'll get a picture soon with the tank cover on.

Rocky

question;
were there "bulkhead panels" originally?
I don't recall finding anything like them

I don't believe so. Mine just had a fiber insulation glued onto the bulkhead.

It seemed like the top (outside) layer had a hard coating on the top.

I think the same material is used inside the passenger compartment, as well (behind the upholstered firewall cover).

Did I mention who cut out, and formed the SS panels? I am proud to say I did cut out the cardboard template that was used in their design. They really fit great. Thanks Wade!

Rocky

Another Unexpected Setback... Overcome

When I bought my car, the PO had told me about the rear bearing replacement in the uprights, and went to great lengths to describe the custom socket fabricated to do the job.

Prior to disassembly of the suspension I did a "wheel wiggle" test, and found some play in one side of the car.

Upon further investigation, it turned out the play was not in the wheel bearing, but in the bushings in the bottom of the lower upright. Here's a good thread with additional information on the bushing design:

Stubborn Suspension Bushing

We were in a rush to get the suspension reassembled, so Wade (always up for a challenge) suggested that he fabricate the bronze bushings. The bushings are standard metric size - the id/od/length are mm dimensions 24 x 27 x 29 long.


Here's a set of pictures. In the first, you can see (sort of) one of the offending bushings - it had to be cut to removed. The rest is the fabrication and assembly. Lest you be concerned, all bushings were reconstructed and replaced.

I had purchased (on a whim) two upright shafts (from Mayberry Pantera), and a complete bushing / ball joint kit (Maseratisource). All new parts were used in the reassembly.













Another major project successfully completed!

Rocky

Note that some of the sequence is starting to get out of order.

I am just trying to document the major projects.

Rocky

no problem with the sequence, the information provided is what I enjoy.

any chance you recorded the dimensions for the upright shaft bushings?

JF -

The bushings are standard metric size - the id/od/length are mm dimensions 24 x 27 x 29 long.

If you have more time to procure them, they are probably available from a vendor or two, as well.

Rocky

Next project -- Removable Chassis Brace and E-Brake Bracket

This one was of smaller scope.

While we were in there prepping the bay, and cutting on sheet metal, we decided it would be smart to make the bay obstructions removable.

A Sawz-All cut the bay brace, and a drill and chisel cut the e-brake bracket loose.

The Main Bay Brace required precision measurement and fabrication. These slip right in, and the brace is retained by the two forward suspension bolts.

While the e-brake bracket was of a slightly lighter construction, it required a stringer across the bay to give it more structure.

Steel Nutserts were put into the frame channel on both sides to retain things. It's plenty strong.

We chose to use the original ebrake bracket to reduce the amount of detail fabrication. All it really needed was a little more structure to hold it in vs. the force that will be applied by the lever and cable mechanism....

See for yourself. Sorry, the bay is still a little messy.

Bay Brace:





Emergency Brake

Did someone say "Cooling Tanks"?

This was more of a challenge. My tanks were shot. The swirl tank had failed in the early days of the car, and had been repaired. Cutting it open and looking inside showed it to be unserviceable. The same situation was found on the overflow tank. It was held together inside only by the big chunks of rust.

I half-heartedly looked for some used ones (which of course needed to be in pristine condition). None could be found.

In consult with a master mechanic and fabricator, we decided on an approach that would cause the system to actively draw air from the radiator and the swirl tank into the overflow, by running it at a vacuum. It looks pretty slick. I believe the design was described in one of Carroll Smith's (manager of the Shelby Racing Team) engineering designs.

Here's the pictures. The two fittings on the tall overflow tank are the inputs (one from the top of the swirl tank, and one from the radiatior via hardline). The lower fitting is suction from the waterpump.

The overflow tank is under suction from the water pump, and will actively draw any air from the upper corner of the radiator.

The rest of the cooling system is standard, except the pressure cap has been moved to the overflow tank.

Here's what the tanks look like:









Getting tired of this yet?

More to come!

quote:

Originally posted by Rocky:..Getting tired of this yet?

More to come!

NO, don't stop...this is now my morning "FIX".

Since you are so nice about it, here's a picture of my degreed flywheel.

Note that it has timing marks for the 1/6, 2/8, 7/4, 3/5 Cylinder Pairs.

This allows you to verify timing from the rear of the car, using any spark plug wire.

Pretty Cool!

While there is a lot more work to display, such as:

Safety Wired ZF
Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch
AC / Alternator Offset Mount

I completed with my interior bay wiring.

I had a little scare when I found that I only had 100 Ohms to ground on my alternator "main feed" with the alternator disconnected, but after some troubleshooting and test, first with low voltage, then with standard 12V, it appears that all is well.

My car has had very little electrical issues (up to now, keep fingers crossed).

I spent a lot of time dressing the harnesses. My sheathing didn't always fit as good as I would like, and I probably need a little more service loops in some area, but everything is secure.

Let me know what you think.

Looking good! What's the silver box in the lower right corner of your firewall engine bay electrical panel?

Thanks, Garth -

That's a Duraspark II ignition module.

That one is a "Eichlin" (NAPA) version, but they are all about the same - from outward appearances.

Engine should be going in shortly - possibly this weekend, but if not, but the end of the week, certainly.

Just to whet your appetite, here's a picture of the "outboarded" Compressor / Alternator setup that Wade (4280 / Mark IV) fabbed up.... Still needs a little adjustment work on the Alternator Tensioning system (minor challenge).


Rocky

Minor Setback..

My cool Stewart Stage 1 351C Water Pump Impeller was jacked up (Rubbing on Timing Chain Cover) - straight out of the box!

You can see where it was touching the timing chain cover in the picture above.

Summit Racing is shipping a replacement Monday... Good customer service by them, I must say.

Rocky

Looks great Rocky! I've got a question: you've got some moulding around the oval A/C hose opening next to the duraspark box. Looks like it is there to prevent chafing. What is that called and where do you get it? Rodney

Rocky;
Presently in the restoration of mine and noticed a toggle switch and relay with the electronics. Curious to know what the two items are controlling?

You guys are very observant! The relay is the one that George recommends in his Duraspark II schematic, to reduce the current load through the ignition. Search on Duraspark II and you will find the schematic.

There is also a 15A blade fuse in there as well.

The switch is my secret ignition disable.

Don't tell anyone!

Rocky

glad others asked those questions as I was stumped about the items! (sort of guess though)

as for the "kill" switch, that is pretty well hiden as one would need a wrench set to remove firewall bump to access. I recall having a similar switch there, but it was something about setting the dual points dwell.

From the regulator, can I assume you are running the original design altenator, or is a regulator needed with updated altenators also?

And is the shown arrangement of belt driven accesories for the reduce bump firewall?

With regard to the Voltage Regulator - I am still using my Ford 1G (3 Wire) alternator. I took it to one of the local shops (Luna Industries 520.792.3080) in Tucson, and had it rebuilt. It tested at 78A output after the rebuild. The rebuild, which put better "guts" in the stock case cost $92. They replaced bearings, brushes, rotor, rectifier and field coils.

I saw no advantage (really) to converting to a 1 wire alternator, due to the inconvenience of figuring out how to rewire things. I can't remember now, but there was another issue with going to a single wire alternator - maybe it had something to do with the charge / discharge light?

The belt driven accessories are set up like that for the flat firewall cover, and the (future) flatter bulkhead. It won't be 100% flat, but enough to give my wife about 3 more inches of seat adjustment.

Rocky

You may have seen my previous thread about poking around inside of my ZF... Things inside there were worse than I thought, but it seems that I caught the problem just in time....

Am I the Luckiest Guy in the World?

Anyway -

Here are the remainder of the pictures of the ZF Safety Wire project. Actually, once the ZF differential case was opened up, it was pretty straightforward. We didn't get into the gear sets.

One thing that is hard to find in one place are all the torque values. Here's a good resource - but it doesn't have them all. When you do this, you can give Lloyd, Les, Ron, or Dennis a call - they know all this stuff off the top of their heads...

Auger Resources - Pantera Information (ZF Transaxle Page)

Thanks again to Wade who gave me 1) a hand, and 2) confidence.... and I quote: "I've fixed Volkswagen Transaxles before.. Can't be all that much different than those things!"

Here's the pictures:

Nicely Painted Spicer Half-Shaft:



Axle Housings & Axles:



Carrier and Differential:



Note Install Date on Ring Gear: 22.12.1972



Pinion and ID Data:



Wired Up Ring Gear. Note my poor "Low Impact Hammer" in the back...



Transaxle Installed:



Close-Up of Degreed Flywheel:



Another MAJOR project behind me.

Rocky

PS. Today I called my previous owner and gave him the "status update" on the car.

He is as pumped up about the build as I am.

It was a nice conversation. I got a great car from him, and am happy to be able to keep the project moving forward.

Rocky

Couple of Misc. Photos to get caught up...

Still waiting on my water pump replacement from Summit. Engine is still sitting on the floor of the garage, but is almost ready to drop in.

Gas Tank - Cleaned and Painted



ZF - I can't stop looking at it!





Clutch Install:



Powdercoated Electrical Panel:

Coil Bracket came from a "generic" Ford Car and was cut to fit the panel (by Wade, of course!).



Pioneer Balancer & Powdercoated Pulley:



AC & Alternator Mount Adapter on Stock Bracket:



Rear View of Compressor & Alternator:



Rocky

As I build this thread, I realize how much I owe to my mentor and friend, Wade (4280 / Mark IV).

From the start of my Pantera experience, he has been happy to give me a hand, first with carburetor and distributor advice, and improvement, and then with spectacular fabrication work on both the body and the engine.

Wade has really upgraded this car in one sweeping pass. Some improvements have been required (rust in the upright, ZF Safety Wire), many are to maximize performance (Ported Heads and Manifold, Carburetor work), and others are just for fun (engine build, bay paint).

I feel that in this build, the whole will be far bigger than the sum of the parts.

I am really looking forward to getting the car back on the road, and I owe Wade (4280 / Mark IV) a big "Thank You"! (And maybe a scotch or two!)

Rocky

PS: Best wishes to all as you head to the Fun Rally - I wish I was going!

Can't wait to see it back on the road!

Joe

Answer's to JFB and Rodney (UFO-LOW).

The edging material is from Elliot Electronics in Tucson (but we both suspect it can be obtained at any well stocked electronics supply store - maybe even Radio Shack), it is designed for irregular holes to prevent chaffing.

JFB - with regards to the bushings, they are a standard metric size - the id/od/length are mm dimensions 24 x 27 x 29 long.

You may be able to pick them up at a standard bushing house....

Couple of Updates...

Motor goes in tomorrow (that's the plan, anyway).

Here's the fuel system (pump & lines)....



Newly ported Edelbrock Performer Intake Manifold.

There was a lot of material in there that was removed. The porting was done to match the outline of the gasket, which had been previously verified to be highly representative of the port size and shape.

Don't want my heads to be restricted by the manifold that feeds it!




OK - Back to work!

Rocky

hope you had a productive day!

Engine Install Day! One giant leap forward for my project!

What a feeling of progress!

Wade came by and we knocked out a big chunk of the "endgame" work. We got the motor checked out, and installed. Lots of little items that had been on hold were accomplished. Here's some highlights....

Motor Mounts and Formed Heater Hoses...

There is a shielded sleeve for my heater control valve. This valve will be operating in the engine bay, vs. in the cockpit. The formed hoses are the shizzle for the Pantera application.

The brown wire will mount to the oil temp sender in the front of my Avaid 10 Qt oil pan. The plan is to wire it through the "spare" switch on the dash, so I can check oil or water temp with the flip of a switch.





Oil Pressure Verification - SUCCESS!

A broken distributor and a drill makes a cool oil pump driver. A spare oil pressure gauge tells the tale. At idle speed (actually, well below it) the motor was registering 25-30 psi. At slightly higher rpm, the oil pressure relief was opening at 75-80 psi. Just as we had planned.



An Old Racer's Trick - Right Steve?

These petcocks on both sides of the block let you drain down the coolant when needed. This allows you to make much less of a huge mess.

I would venture to say that these petcocks add about 5-6% more cowbell to my engine build (each!).



In She Goes...

Not much more to say here...



In The Bay!

Still have to do electrical checks, ZF Fill, coolant fill, and some work is still needed on the exhaust, Bulkhead Cover (alternator clearance) and lots of other little stuff. But the day will soon arrive for the break-in and then... the sky is the limit.



Rocky

Cool Trick - When You Drop a Nut inside a Non-Ferrous surface... (Like in the Motor Mount)


A magnet ball inside a baggie can get in where your fingers can not.

I am sure this would work in a magnetic area as well, you just have to figure out a way to get the magnet into the area where the missing hardware is located.

I didn't understand about the heater control valve. did you take a photo of its installed position?

It's not in quite yet...

I'll try and post up a picture of the valve style....

Rocky,

Nice job on the petcocks! Now I I could just remember where I saw that before.

Remote heater valve is the way to go. I did an electronic one but still good idea to get it out of the cabin. I'm looking forward to hearing you got it out on a shakedown cruise.

Steve.

quote:

Originally posted by T.Solo:
I did an electronic one but still good idea to get it out of the cabin.

Steve.

Steve, How did you control the coolant flow through the valve or is it simply full open or fully closed?

Doug M

* * UPDATE * * Cable Controlled Heater Valve

I found the cable controlled heater valve that recirculates to the pump when the valve is in the closed position. This valve cost about $18 at the local parts store.

This valve will be going in the engine bay, and will eliminate flow into the cockpit when shut off. I am using a cable system from the original heater lever. We will have to fab up a little bracket / cable clamp to mount the cable, and to position the bracket in the engine bay area.


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I am removing the original valve in the front - it is VERY stiff, and just replacing it with a 90 Deg. brass elbow.

* * * Another Update - Electronic Heater Valve! * *

This is an electronic version of the one that Wade and I are working on.

Electronic Remote Heater Valve

Dave (2811) has one of these babies, as you can see in his picture (Post #2 of this thread)

Dave 2811 Remote Heater Valve


Rocky

The old valve I posted will be going back onto eBay when I get some time. It's not really what I was looking for.

quote:

Steve, How did you control the coolant flow through the valve or is it simply full open or fully closed?

Doug M

Doug, I will send you a PM. Don't want to steal Rocky's post.

Headers -

So my car came with a set of "Big Bore" headers (at least that's what I think they are). Looking at them, they were coated, and in good shape, but when looking in the collectors, we noted significant restrictions to flow. Since we were optimizing flow in this engine build with porting of the intake manifold, intake ports in the heads, and the heads themselves, it didn't make any sense to have restriction in the exhaust.



Rocky

PS. This is another example of master craftsmanship by Mark IV / 4280 - thanks, Wade for the help.

Here is why I have been out of touch - 3 weeks in the mysterious Orient (Turkey) with the family.

Are there any Pantera owners over there?

Istanbul



Herikaya



Cappadocia:



Fetiye:



You would not have believed the roads. We drove 3850 km (about 2400 Miles in 3 weeks).
In all that time, I only saw one cop actually enforcing speed limits. Since we lived there 16 years before, the country has developed an amazing network of roads. I wished I had my car with me. I am not kidding, it really would have been a BLAST to do 2500 miles in a Pantera over there!



Rocky

just from the few photos, those three weeks must have been great!

JF - We had a blast. It was an unbelievable adventure.

Rocky

Compressor Bracketry - Fitment & Install

So I have finally got my compressor / alternator bracketry installed. It took a couple of "ins and outs", primarily because of the additional thickness of the extra insulation and the Stainless Steel covers on the rear firewall.

It is the same basic design as the "David Nunn" setup - his is on a Fontana Block, mine is the stock 351 Ford. Here's a link to David's Awesome motor...

Fontana block a/c compressor bracket

My setup is in the car now, and I expect it will stay in there. Things are very tight - I need to be careful of my grounding wires, my heater hoses rubbing on the idler pulley, and the alternator fan rubbing on the SS panel, but it looks like we have solved the major fitment issues, thanks to my buddy Wade (Mark IV / 4280).

Oil Temp Sender

The oil temp sender is in the front of the Avaid 10 Qt pan. It is the standard water temp sender that Neil (my PO) won at a POCA Fun Rally raffle about 6 years ago. It will be wired through the spare switch so I can check oil or water temp on the same gauge.



Bracketry Install

Here's some pictures.

question about your belt drive axuilarries. I can't recall how the original fit and the reason for the offset bump in the bulkhead cover.

so, to be able to reduce the bump to just over engine center line, the belt drives are places low. Is it the slope in the fire wall that allows the pulley/belt not to protrude into the passenger compartment?

JF -

Check out the pictures on page 3 of this thread. You can see the little lip that clearances the belt.

But you are right, the slope of the firewall also provides some clearance.

Rocky what you might want to do is inserting the long Bolt that holds the Alternator from the rear side. It will be a lot of work to get that thing out if you ever need to change it. Been there done that ;-) In fact the kit I got from Kirk had a welded Nut on the rear side which I drilled the Threads out off to slide the bolt in from that side and put a Nut on the front side.
Jan

quote:

Rocky what you might want to do is inserting the long Bolt that holds the Alternator from the rear side. It will be a lot of work to get that thing out if you ever need to change it. Been there done that ;-) In fact the kit I got from Kirk had a welded Nut on the rear side which I drilled the Threads out off to slide the bolt in from that side and put a Nut on the front side.

Great idea Jan! I'll have to be sure to do that when I reinstall my engine in a few weeks.

Hey Rocky, I see you had to use washers to shim your ac/alt bracket at the block. I had to do this as well when I installed my engine last year in order to get the proper belt alignment.

Here is Rocky having fun working on his Pantera.

here is a shot of the inside of the driverside header

Note that the picture in Post 106 is the collector BEFORE modifications to a 2 1/2" tube.

We were concerned about the flow restrictions based on the alignment of the collector. It looked pretty bad!

PS> Goodroc - I decided now is the time to make these kind of changes, so I pulled the assembly and will reverse the bolt. Thanks for the tip.

PSS> Garth - On mine, the alignment looked pretty good when I bolt the bracket right up against the engine block with the two 1/2" bolts. I just decided to fill the space in the back with washers so the bracket didn't deform when I tightened it down. But it makes sense that that spacing is there for pulley alignment. You learn something new with every post (and every time I put that bracket in and out!).

PSSS> Garth - good to hear you engine is going back in.. Did you do anything other than fix the bent pushrods/rockers?
Rocky

quote:

Originally posted by Rocky:


Motor Mounts and Formed Heater Hoses...

The formed hoses are the shizzle for the Pantera application.

[IMG]
http://i1298.photobucket.com/a...dium_zps82c04115.jpg [/url]
Rocky

Where did you buy the 90 degree hoses?

Anders - I just got them at a standard parts store. I just asked the guy behind the counter to find me a pair.

I don't know if you have O'Reilly Auto Parts in your neck of the woods. I have two different hoses (one is slightly shorter than the other). Either will work - it's just the length of the straight end that is different.

Part Numbers are DAYCO 80417 & DAYCO 80418.

Here's a link to one on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Dayco-80...t-Hose/dp/B000C0TE8W

More Exhaust Work

Here's my upgraded tailpipes. Moved up from 1-7/8" to 2-1/2". Hooked to my ANSAs.

Expect a little "fitment" action after we put them on the car, but I am getting closer to "First Light". I can't wait.

Rocky

Here's one mounted up. Note the Flange Clamp vs. the old style 3 bolt attachment tuber-deal.

More progress last night....

I've got my tanks (Swirl and Overflow) mocked / mounted up with only minor issues.

Here's some pictures - I may want to bend the tubes to bring the swirl tank down so the lip is on the clamp. Recommendations?

Another step forward!










Rocky

quote:

I may want to bend the tubes to bring the swirl tank down so the lip is on the clamp. Recommendations?

You could make a spacer.

What's with the fitting (tee with elbow) on top of what appears to be a PCV valve?

John

The little thing on top of the PCV valve is actually plugged (from the factory), but it allows you to remove the plug.

I am not sure why you might connect your PCV to two sources of vacuum, but that's what it seems to be.

It's nutty!

Thanks for the idea on the Spacer - I am just trying to make things look good, with minimal downtime. Now is the time to bend those tubes down before we fill them with coolant.

quote:

Garth - good to hear you engine is going back in.. Did you do anything other than fix the bent pushrods/rockers?

Replaced all valve springs with new dual valve springs - remember, one of my fancy new beehive springs broke (turned out several were out of spec so much so that I suffered coil bind situation). Had to re-machine the heads, new teflon valve guides, new valve job and additional porting to clean of the newbie mistakes made by the shop that originally ported them, and replaced all the roller rockers (Scorpion warranty replacement) because I discovered that the pushrod was contacting the underside of the rocker body at full lift. I apparently received an OLD box of Scorpion roller rockers that must have sat on the shelf for years (they were silver instead of blue). According to the warranty tech, the old rocker body doesn't have as much clearance to support their advertised lift capacity. The new blue roller rockers have much more clearance.

my thoughts on the swirl tank...
even though "thinking" about how I want my coolant is very far down on my list, I am sure I am going to do similair to swirl tank with continous venting.

I'm thinking I want the swirl elevation as low as possible but with the top just above the top of the block elbow. this is where the top of the swirl will be the high point of the block and hopefully the level in the pressure (formerly overflow) tank will also be at the top of the swirl.

Great job. I'm enjoying the build.

JF -

The setup I am using, I believe was originally developed by Carroll Smith while working the GT-40 program with another famous Carroll.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_Smith

Anyway - the large (Overflow) tank is actually under suction from the water pump. The two inflows at the top are designed to remove air from the radiator and the top of the swirl tank.

Other than that (the Overflow tank plumbing) - it is similar to your drawing.

*** Update: Here is a nice diagram of my setup, taken from one of George's detailed threads. Scroll down to the cooling system part.

GP Sticky on Cooling System Configuration


Java - I am glad you are enjoying it - I am trying to make some progress daily - Hopefully soon we will be driving!

Rocky

Thanks for the referance to Carrol Smith. When I get a chance I'll get his books.

I greatly apprecaite your posts and photos

quote:

posted document 'May 25, 2014 06:21 PM'

I updated the Heater Valve Info (Page 6). I would have moved it, but there was other discussion there.

Thanks JF - I figured this is a good way to show off all the stuff we are doing - hopefully, most of it won't be obvious to the casual concourse judge!

Garth - looking forward to another video!


Rocky

quote:

Originally posted by Rocky:
Anders - I just got them at a standard parts store. I just asked the guy behind the counter to find me a pair.

I don't know if you have O'Reilly Auto Parts in your neck of the woods. I have two different hoses (one is slightly shorter than the other). Either will work - it's just the length of the straight end that is different.

Part Numbers are DAYCO 80417 & DAYCO 80418.

Here's a link to one on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Dayco-80...t-Hose/dp/B000C0TE8W

Thanks!!

Looks real nice, you want to come do my wiring? Lol last step on my list...

sorry for the dumb question, but I need to learn.

where are you plumbing the "overflow" tank for water pump suction?

does the heater supply and return connect to the water pump discharge and suction?

JF -

My water pump (a Stewart Racing EMP-16143) has two fittings on the pump body. One of these goes to the bottom of the surge/overflow tank. You can see it in the pictures of the tank a few pages back (on page 3).

The heater (heat source) goes to the discharge fitting on the block and the return goes to the second water pump suction fitting on the pump body.

The valve allows circulation from the block back to the pump when the heater valve is closed. It's actually a pretty slick design.

Rocky

Detonator -

The wiring looks good because of all the new sheathing around it. Honestly, while I don't mind doing electrical work, it takes me a LONG time to do it, because I always get myself confused....

It takes me a lot longer than it should - maybe I don't do it enough!

Continuing to make progress, albeit slowly -

Both headers are on. All wiring and electrical checks complete. All plumbing on top of the engine is done.

E-Brake is hooked up (pretty cool, note the removable bracket again) - the E-Brake mechanism required some more jockeying of the water tubes.... Heading back out to do the final adjustment and to tie the cables up and out of the way....

Next the speedo cable....


Rocky

Hey Rocky...I just saw your post some pages ago about putting the timing marks on the flywheel at the access cover. Brilliant...I think I'll use that :-)

quote:

Brilliant...I think I'll use that :-)

Rob -

I wish I could claim credit for even some of these ideas and the execution on my car, but they are really Wade's (Mark IV / 4280). He is the "Leonardo da Vinci" on this project, while I am the apprentice.

But his ideas, recommendations and his execution has really been top notch. The main reason I wanted to do this thread is to showcase many of his ideas that we have implemented.

Wade has got a lot of experience with Fords, Mustangs, carburetors, and he has his own Pantera. I appreciate his suggestions of how to improve my car - everything we have done has been top-notch.

The last item to getting on the road is getting the headers and the tailpipes aligned and bolted up. Hopefully, we can start the car in less than a week.

Rocky

Heater Valve Installed!

I ran Aeroquip Teflon Hose (Stainless Steel Sheathed) from my heater control lever back into the engine bay. We ran some soft stainless steel wire from the existing Heater Lever to the engine bay mounted heater valve.

Wade fabbed up this cool heater control mechanism.

Here's pictures of the valve on the bench, and installed.





The hoses keep the assembly located, but I added a small tab to the valve cover bolt to add an extra layer of security.

I can't wait for winter!

Rocky

Wow, very nice work Rocky! Thanks for sharing.

quote:

Hey Rocky...I just saw your post some pages ago about putting the timing marks on the flywheel at the access cover. Brilliant...I think I'll use that :-)

Brilliant indeed. Pure genius. Why didn't I think of that?! It'll save me removing cover plate a few times. Thanks

Car to Wade's for Exhaust Work!

Here we go for the final phase.... (Hopefully)





Tailpipe Alignment....



Passenger Side Exhaust Tubing Fab.... (It's tight in there!)







Getting very close!

Rocky

looks good. I like the ansas with the 2.5 inch pipe.

Me too....

Note the (-1) configuration....

Exhaust Complete!

Wade hand-fabbed a set of ANSA (-1) Tailpipes to mate to my "Huge Bore" 2-1/2" header collectors, and to the stock ANSA Mufflers.

It was actually pretty tricky to get them to fit, because of the tight clearances between the halfshaft and the lower A-Arm. We cycled the suspension (a bunch) to verify clearance.

The only (minor) issue is the e-brake Cable, on the passenger side, it wants to lay on the tube. I believe we can solve that with a bit of cable adjustment.

Other upgrades that come with the (-1) ANSA tails include the flanges for band-clamps between the collectors and tails, and O2 sensor bungs installed about 4" forward of the mufflers.

Construction Details

Wade started with three "standard" 2-1/2" U-Bends (8" Center to center) - Here's a picture of (half of) one of them...



He carefully cut sections at the appropriate points in the bends to create the tails. Quick tack welds held the parts in place for fitting, and then it was gas-welded to complete.

I was very amazed that all except 1 joint were done with straight cuts (a chop saw) across the U-pipe. This caused all the sections to sit flush for welding.

I will let the pictures tell the tale. But first, a picture of the original ANSA tag on the stock tailpipe....









I wish I took a picture of the finished product after welding and painting... They look spectacular. And fit just as good as they look!

Rocky

This thread has some good pictures of my "Huge Bore" Headers - these are "Big Bore" headers modified for a 2-1/2" collectors, and a Band-clamp flange on the end of each of the collectors.

Note: "Huge Bore" headers are a trademark of W-Wadeco Header Corporation, of Tucson, AZ

I thought it would be good to link this into the thread.

If you have Hall Big Bores, and you have the opportunity to look inside of your collectors, check them out. At least in two examples, it looks like there could be some (a significant?) amount of restrictions to flow at the collector end.

Header Color Question Thread

Rocky

Where can I find a distrubutor/dealer for the W-Wadeco "Huge Bore" headers?

Are the O2 bungs for current setup or for future plans?

JF -

The O2 bungs are for the break-in, Wade has a dual sensor / monitor system we will be using for the initial run.

In the near term I will probably plug them, but my goal is to find a O2 Monitor system to run in my car.

Who knows what the future may hold for the fuel/air system - but it's always good to have options....

Rocky

Tailpipe comparison photo

Beautiful!

It's Alive...It's ALIVE!!!!

Wade, Spike and I fired up my car this afternoon. It was awesome. Now I have to figure out how to compress a 30 MByte IPhone video file to something I can post here...

Anyway - here's pictures of the new tails mounted up....





The beautiful engine bay...



... and of course... Safety First!!



We got through the initial startup, and the infant set up issues, including.....

Smoky Startup

Flooding / Stuck Floats on both bowls (was bad / old O-Rings in the Float Adjustment Mechanism)

Initial Timing Adjust

Scary Noise at higher RPM (was actually the AC Compressor running unexpectedly)

Top End Inspection

Minor Leaks in the Cooling System

Full Diagnostic Check and Idle Adjust

Timing Refinement Adjustment

Back-Patting on a job well done.

The car sounds awesome. I can't wait to drive it home!

Thanks, Wade!

Rocky

Let's Try This for A Video Link....

WOW!

(next- a burn out video)

WELL DONE!!



John

Thanks for the congratulations, all!

The car is home from Wade's shop, and peacefully resting in my garage.

No incidents on the ~7 mile trip home. The car ran great - Centerforce Clutch was smooth, steady temps, oil pressure good, and the engine sound was consistent.

The tuning of my new "4 Corner Idle" carb (List 4609 Holley, 735 CFM) seems almost dialed in. The car is very well mannered in the low speed driving I have done, even idled right up my steep driveway with no issues.

Lot's more to do, but I am back on the road!

Whoo Hoo!

Rocky

Congratulations Rocky..!!! Exciting times....

Thanks Joe, Rob, John, Garth et. al. -

I appreciate the appreciation and the views...

I took the car to the machine shop that did the engine. The intent was to get a quick assessment of the filter and the oil from the first 10 minutes of the break-in (but mostly to show off the car).

Clean bill of health from the filter inspectors!

Here's a couple of little finish-out projects that were done:

Picture showing the perfect balance in the Overflow Tank (the fluid level in the plastic tank is about 3/4") - very soon the external overflow will be removed, and after a few little squirts, the cooling level has found it's equilibrium.





Here is my spectacularly bent ZF Vent Tube. That Wade - when he does anything, it's first class!



Finally, a quick picture of my "cockpit rubber hose eliminator". By moving the heater valve into the engine bay, and replacing the valve with a standard fitting, appropriate nipples and elbows, my car now uses the minimum amount of hose in the cockpit, and the short piece required is just a straight shot. Much cheaper than buying one of those preformed 90 deg. rubber elbows!

I know, I have a crack in my AC Drain Hose... Luckily for me, I don't have to worry about that for a while!



Rocky

quote:

PSSS> Garth - good to hear you engine is going back in.. Did you do anything other than fix the bent pushrods/rockers?

Hey Rocky,

Congrats on firing up your engine. Can't wait for your driving impressions and more video.

I had to do the following work to mine after suffering a broken valve spring:

• Ported heads, AGAIN - supplier shop did a very poor job
  
• Surfaced the heads to assure a flat surface to mate to the block
  
• Replaced valve springs with new dual springs - so long Beehive springs!
  
• Cleaned up and smoothed the valve witness marks from piston
  
• New 3-angle valve job
  
• New Scorpion roller rockers - replaced under warranty due to contact with purshrods
  
• New rings
  
• Re-honed block due to scuffing on a couple cylinders
  
• Polished crank because some metal bits from the breaking valve spring and subsequent rocker damage washed down into the pan and got picked up by the oil pump
  

I'll hopefully have the engine reassembled by the end of this week, then all that remains is to drop it back in!

Nice job Rocky.
Garth next time I am there I want to see the Runner not just the Stang.

Thanks, guys,,,

Garth, not to make light of a bad situation, but "The Second Time is the Charm"!

At least dropping your newly rebuilt engine into your clean, and freshened up engine bay should go really smoothly. You've had practice, and you should not encounter any surprises, that's what added a bunch of unexpected time to my build:

- Rust in the Upright
- Worn Bushing in the Upright Alignment Shaft
- Rotted Cooling Tanks

Engine Impressions:

I am still working on a off-idle "stumble" that I've been having, so I'm not really at the point to declare victory. I have changed the accelerator pump cam position (a white cam, 19 CC per squirt), but only made the problem worse when I went from Position 2 to Position 1.

Once I get the motor above 1500 RPM or so, it pulls well, I am happy with the performance in lower and mid range. I have not revved it above 3000 rpm yet, I am just taking things slowly.

I do have good vacuum (about 14") / good brakes (one of my key criteria) and a good idle quality - it's not too extreme.

More info to follow, but I have driven it every day, and it seems like we have put everything together right. That's a big relief!

See below for info on the Cam Data.

Rocky

It didn't sink-in until now, but you're driving the car?

OK ... dammit ... this is over-due ... congratulations!

You've done well.

I wanna see it someday.

Thanks, George!

I am sure you will - I look forward to a trip to the West Coast someday.

I wanted to post up my Cam Specs and Flow Data - I will post the theoretical (Dyno2000) HP & Torque.

The Cam came from one of George's recommendation (Sticky #3). I think the sticky that I pulled this recommendation from was modified (I can't find it anymore).

Custom Ground Hydraulic Roller Tappet Camshaft

Camshaft Spec:
Grinder: Bullet Racing Cams of Olive Branch, Mississippi
Telephone (662) 893-5670
Engine: Ford 351 Cleveland, 4V cylinder heads
Hydraulic roller tappet camshaft
----------------------------------
Intake Lobe: #HR275/3533 (CRA)
Intake lobe mathematic centerline = 112° ATDC
Exhaust Lobe: # HR287/353 (CRA)
Exhaust lobe mathematic centerline = 116° BTDC
114° lobe separation angle (camshaft degrees)
---------------------------------
Exhaust valve opening = 79.5° BBDC
Intake valve opening = 25.5° BTDC
53° overlap
Exhaust valve closing = 27.5° ATDC
Intake valve closing = 69.5° ABDC
---------------------------------
275° advertised intake lobe duration
220° intake lobe duration at 0.050"
Intake lobe hydraulic intensity = 55
0.611" theoretical intake valve lift (1.73 rocker ratio)
---------------------------------
287° advertised exhaust lobe duration
230° exhaust lobe duration at 0.050"
Exhaust lobe hydraulic intensity = 57
0.610" theoretical exhaust valve lift (1.73 rocker ratio)
---------------------------------

Here's my Flow Data - measured. My heads were ported by a 351C Master Builder.

Nice....

Detonator -

Thanks - I think your car looks great, and I like the color!

Here's the "THEORETICAL" Engine Performance based on the Cam Specs, and the Head Flow data.... Is it real? Hard for me to say at this point....

I liked the look of the torque curve....

More work this weekend -

Sanding on the decklid - the inside is ready for paint (satin black).



Insulation of the bulkhead cover....



The very cool new "hood support button" - custom machined from Delrin.... This update includes rebrazing of the support rod, and paint of the mounting point.



Finally - a picture of the car in front of the "Calle De Pantera" sign - I put about 125 mi on the car today..



Anyway - Wade spent much of his weekend working on my carburetor. We did a pretty extensive test session with my original 4150 series carb. While we made a big improvement in the "off-idle stumble", performance between 1500 - 3000 RPM was not what was expected.

So as a test program, Wade fabbed up the components (throttle linkage) to connect up his 700 CFM Holley / Braswell carb as a temporary evaluation system. This carb has 4-Corner Idle, and is a Double Pumper (Progressive Mechanical Secondaries).

The car ran great with the new carb. It significantly boosted the mid-range "oomph", yet maintained the reasonable idle operations.

More troubleshoot is needed on my existing carb, but it's really good to experience the potential in my engine.

This week should entail a lot of masking, and a quick couple of coats of paint to the inside of the decklid.

More pix and info to follow.

Rocky

More excitement...

Getting ready to put the decklid on... Got all the hardware painted and ready.

Check this out.... It hasn't been on the car for months...

Had a neat experience... A random car pulled up in front of my house, a kid got out... "Sir, Sir, can I see your car? Is that a Pantera? WOW!"

We had a nice visit, and he also knew of Wade's Brown and Orange Pantera (He told me there was another one in town). He plans to bring his Dad, and join us at the August Pantera Dinner this Sunday.

The kid was pumped up about seeing the car... He even took a video of the engine running.

Just when I was beginning to lose faith in the youth of today....

My car is whole... After 4 months and 5 days....

Great work and congrats!! Time for a party!!

John

congrats!

rock and roll!

To close out this thread -

I took some pictures today up on top of Mount Lemmon in Tucson, AZ (Elevation 7800'). I thought that the pictures turned out great!

Slideshow - Pantera #5357 on Mount Lemmon


(I know, I have to do something about those rear tires!!!)

Rocky

Beautiful! Great to have her back on the road. But you know you can't get safe speed rated rubber for your 10" Campys anymore, but I'm happy to help you out by taking those rear wheels off your hands so you can get some properly sized wheels and tires.

Enjoy!

Great job! I'm getting ready to put Zonkey back together and painting the ZF trans is one of my tasks. It looks like you painted yours. What paint and prep did you do? Any disassembly?

Garth -

I can't find tires for the back wheels AT ALL... Even so, I think I'll hold onto the wheels, maybe I'll turn then into Air Hose reels... Thanks for the offer, though!

Richard -

Thanks for the compliments. Here's what I did on my ZF, but I had my case bead blasted. I also did the safety wire thing (it was a good decision). Scroll down a post or two to see what I did....

5357 ZF Case Treatment.

This is not totally correct.
I think the Michelin TB5 are offered in a matching size and they are rated the right speed as they are W rated, means 270 km/h.
regards
Oliver

Darn it!



In regards to the email you sent stating:
------------------------------------------------

Dear Customer Care,

Please assist with finding a tire that matches my specification:

225/50-15 and 285/50-15 Michelin TB5

These are for a DeTomaso Pantera, '73 with the 10" wide rims in the back (Campagnalo Magnesium Rims)

Thanks,

-----------------------------------------------

We appreciate your request for Michelin tires. Unfortunately, we do not manufacture either size tires for your vehicle. Your request will be forwarded to the appropriate Marketing Group for future consideration.

We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin.

It is our goal to ensure that your issue has been resolved or your question answered to your satisfaction. If we can assist you further, please respond to this email or call us at 1-866-866-6605 (toll free) between 8:00AM and 8:00PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday or between 8:30AM and 4:30PM Eastern Time on Saturday.

Sincerely,

quote:

Michelin TB5

FWIW, this website shows the TB5 in a 285/50-15 size. Might be worth contacting them to see if they still have a set on the shelves.
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/...b5-tarmac-rally-tyre

And matching fronts are available in 225/50-15.

I think there is a typo on Demon-Tweeks's page and the available size is 285/40-15.

There is also 23/62-15 ( 270/45-15 ) that might be an option.

http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/michelin-tb5

That's what I said.
They may not have the excact size but they do also have a 295/40 r15 or a 270/45 r15 that may come close.
In any case better then a BF Goodrich 315/50 r15 fit on my car. Ok it makes people smile, but not because it looks good. ;-)

Michelin Classic Tyres

We had a car we restored in Scottsdale that had perfect looking Avon tires on 10 inch rims, look up 5298 in the registry to see how they look in the photos, they are,,,
Rear: 10 x 15 GTS wheels mounted to AVON CR6-zz 295/50R/15 (DOT approved tire) acquired from Roger Krause Racing in California, where I get all my Pantera tires.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

AZF1 - really sharp looking car!

Thanks -

Rocky

You guys and your 15" tires

You may not have heard about the terrible tragedy that "befell" me, when my fluorescent light fixture fell off my garage ceiling and whacked my car!

Some dumb-a$$ (me) only put the screws into the drywall - not the rafters. You can bet they are now anchored with 4" deck screws!

DAMMIT!

I guess I can say I was lucky because:

1) It did not fall right onto the center of my hood

and

2) Neither of the fluorescent bulbs broke!

Nevertheless....

OUCH!



Luckily, I know a great guy who has a body shop (and a Pantera) who could handle the job....

Rick P. - Duval Body and Paint - Green Valley, AZ

Anyway - those boys went after my car....









I just got some crappy cel phone pix, but it looks great....

More pictures to follow...







To Rick, Ricky and the boys at DB&P - THANKS!

Looks great! Now make sure those flourescent lights are secure so this doesn't happen again!

Man...my hearth skip a couple beats when I read the first few words. I had been thinking of you as I see the news about all the rain your way!
the new paint looks great

Chuck....you are very welcome. It was our pleasure.

Well...really sorry to hear. That sucks...but at least you've got a happy ending. She looks great.

This thread needed better pictures, after all the hard work on the car...







Slideshow

Slideshow - Post Body Work (Sept, 2014)

Looks nice! Was the right door previously repainted? It seems a few shades off from the rest.

No - not that I know of - I think (hope?) it's just a trick of the reflection off the bank behind the car... But now I have to look closer!

Rocky

Not too much new to report - I did replace my 100K mile Front Shock / Spring (a set of "Telecars") with a pair of "new to me" low mileage stock Aristons.

This allowed me to take a series of basic suspension measurements, and inspect the effort for my upcoming project - new shocks / springs (all four corners) and new wheels / tires (first priority).

I have a set of all the required suspension parts (rubber bushings, upper & lower ball joints and tie rod ends). Likely when I do this mod I will disassemble the suspension and get it all powdercoated (like the back).

Here's just a single picture.

quote:

This thread needed better pictures, after all the hard work on the car...

Such a great looking car.

Your car looks like a car I came very close to buying on ebay i 2009. I backed out of it though since I was an overseas buyer and could inspect it properly.

Thank You, Push, for the compliment. I agree with you (amazingly enough).

Working on a set of 8" Campi rims to replace the 7" ones in the front.

Toasting in the oven is complete. Stripment of the old paint is complete. Primer is complete. Hope to paint this weekend.

Also working on the rear view mirrors, they will soon match body color.

Wheel Prep - Illustrated

Wheel Toasting, and a Matching Italian Dinner...




Wheel In Zinc Phosphate Primer is Shown Above

Grinding Out Center Ring:



Low VOC (California) Wheel Paint



Authentic Stuff....





On the spinner....





They came out GREAT! Thanks Wade (MarkIV/4280)!

Looks good. But wear a proper mask when painting. Being able to pick ones nose after a paint job and get coloured nose pickings is not a good thing...

The wheels look great!

Rick -

They came out super! Thanks for the those babies!

Can't wait to see your car on the road!

Chuck

Just got these pictures -

What do you think?

I'm seconding Garth's sentiments on yellow cars, espoused here (See Page 2):

1971 Pantera Pre-L #1579 Yellow

Oops - Not Yellow! How's this?

Or this?