Pantera hood wanted

I have a solid steel hood in black ..I was considering going carbon fiber on mine .. but its for a 73 .. do you want measurements to see if it will work.

Ron

Yes.I would .
Thanks,
Ron

here is an ad from the collector car trader:

http://exotic.autotraderclassics.com/details.php?adId=90122205

Thanks. Crazy price though!

Ron,

Yea that price is way out of line .. oh and I took the measurments in the shop but forgot the pad .. I will get them for you tomorrow.

Ron

Ron,

The hood is 38 1/2 at the rear, 31 1/4 at the front and 50 1/4 long following the top arc of the hood.

Ron

Ron,

Thanks for the measurements!
I am getting the same side to side but the front to back is 50 5/8" .That's a pretty big difference...
Very strange.

Ron

Checked it again tonight .. looks very close to 50 1/4 and 50 & 5/8 is too long ?

Let me know Other wise Ilm going to cut it and add a vent for the radiator ?

Ron

Ron,

You still looking for a hood ?

Ron

Yes. I am.

Ron

Still looking for hood? have fiberglass one cheap needs work.

Yes I am. How bad is it? can you send pictures to rfmccall@comcast.net???

Thanks,
Ron

Ron, how much for the hood? Email me at richard@hitecheng.on.ca or call me at home 519-847-5392.
Richard

Still looking for a hood.

Ron

" I am getting the same side to side but the front to back is 50 5/8" "

Ron

Just curious if that measurment was down the side or the center ? Because I was TRY fiting a CF hood Mel gave me and my 2 cars and Richards are all the same size.... but Mels was shorter as am earlier car.

I have a fiberglass hood coming from a manufacturer to TRY fit ..then he is going to make me a CF hood with honeycomb backing ... he says he can make them to any dimensions.

Ron

Ron,
I get 50 5/8" if I measure directly down the center (even with the windshield washer sprayer)
Thanks,
Ron

Thats the dimension down the center 50 5/8" sorry sold it to Richard ??? but I do have a CF hood a 1/16 smaller.

Ron

quote:

Originally posted by accobra:
Thats the dimension down the center 50 5/8" sorry sold it to Richard ??? but I do have a CF hood a 1/16 smaller.

Ron

Well....That really F***ing sucks!

Still looking if anyone has one for sale,please let me know...
Richard,why did you replace your original hood? What are you planning to do with it?

Ron

As a reference, my 71 hood measures 50 3/4" down the center. It is not for sale.

Build one from scratch?:

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars/panttransam/1905/hood/hood2.jpg

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars/panttransam/1905/hood/hood5.jpg

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars/panttransam/1905/hood/g1.jpg

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars/panttransam/1905/hood/hfbase1.jpg

You should build me one wothout the rivets and with Pantera SI vents!!!

Ron

I welded it all up and pulled the rivets; then welded up the rivet holes an smoothed it out but yes...it has a big damn ugly hole in the center but that is why I did not want to mess up the original.

Would you concider making another hood with no hole?

Ron

Ron I wish I could. To be frank this hood tapped the limits of my abilities with aluminum; which was good but it took a long time. I didn't think I could pull it off when I started but I am not quite ready to try it again.

I am a bit surprised you are unable to find one though. Can you not find a fiberglass through PMI or anyone else? I got a deck lid. It doesn't fit well and will need a lot of fiberglass work to get it right but I thought they were available.

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:

I am a bit surprised you are unable to find one though. Can you not find a fiberglass through PMI or anyone else? I got a deck lid. It doesn't fit well and will need a lot of fiberglass work to get it right but I thought they were available.

I have a poor quality 'glass hood on my car now .I was trying to find something nicer.I can't seem to even find someone to give me a report on any of the aftermarket hoods.I have seen plenty of Panteras with aftermarket hoods on them but I would like to know how much work it takes to get them to fit correctly and not "bow up" on the corners.

Ron

Did you by any chance call Hall at Hall Pantera?

I;m working with a Co. in Calif that has hood and decklid molds. Presently he sent me both in fiberglass ... I;m going to try them on both my cars and adjust the fit. Then he is going to adjust the molds and produce them in Carbon Fiber with Honeycomb backing. Total wieght 12 lbs as compared to 28lbs.

The down side is bowing I feel the only way to stop it is to add aluminum supports or a Honeycomb backing for strength.

Ron

Ron I would love to see how you make the adjustments to your hood or decklid. I have a decklid from PIM but it is short by over an inch on both ends, the hinge mounts don't line up and the fit is not good. It will need a lot of work. I don't really think anyone could build a hood or decklid that will fit all the Panteras. I suspect there is a bit of variance in the coachwork.

quote:

I'm working with a Co. in Calif that has hood and decklid molds. Presently he sent me both in fiberglass ... I'm going to try them on both my cars and adjust the fit. Then he is going to adjust the molds and produce them in Carbon Fiber with Honeycomb backing. Total wieght 12 lbs as compared to 28lbs.

The down side is bowing I feel the only way to stop it is to add aluminum supports or a Honeycomb backing for strength.

I thought that most of the Fibergalss/CF products were actually made here in Reno. There's one guy here who lays up for PI, Wilkinson and PPC Reno. Funny thing is that each vendor has his own mold!

With the way these hoods/decklids are laid up they are only an aethestic CF overlay, not structural CF. Until someone makes a structural vacuum formed/autoclaved CF unit the bowing will always be an issue. It will be even more of an issue if your guy hand lays a 12lb CF unit that is air cured, personally I wouldn't touch that. I thought there was a guy in Europe (Sweden, Norway?) that was trying to go the autoclaved route?

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
Did you by any chance call Hall at Hall Pantera?

No thanks! Been there .Done that.
Ron

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
Ron I would love to see how you make the adjustments to your hood or decklid. I have a decklid from PIM but it is short by over an inch on both ends, the hinge mounts don't line up and the fit is not good. It will need a lot of work. I don't really think anyone could build a hood or decklid that will fit all the Panteras. I suspect there is a bit of variance in the coachwork.

Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for. Can you take a few measurements from the PI hood for me?
Thanks,
Ron

quote:

Originally posted by r mccall:

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
Ron I would love to see how you make the adjustments to your hood or decklid. I have a decklid from PIM but it is short by over an inch on both ends, the hinge mounts don't line up and the fit is not good. It will need a lot of work. I don't really think anyone could build a hood or decklid that will fit all the Panteras. I suspect there is a bit of variance in the coachwork.

Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for. Can you take a few measurements from the PI hood for me?
Thanks,
Ron

I sure can but it's the deck lid. Is that what you need or the hood?

Gary I;m sure as you say there is a variable in the coach work ... Mels hood he gave me is short 1/4 for the pre L cars ... but I have 3 cars ..my 2 Richards and possibly Ron M. that all measure the same.. so far only 20% are different ?

Joules I;m 100% sure not all the Carbon Fiber is made ONLY IN RENO ... Mel gave me his old unused CF hood made by this guy in Calif. This CF vendor makes CF for the TUNERS ... he has all the equipment necessary to make these structural formed/ in a autoclave...including the new technology of honeycomb backing.

Last week I recieved the fiberglass front hood I will fit it and send it back for adjustments and today the rear deck lid arrived made of 100% Carbon Fiber .. I will fit it and see where the issues are ...then I will adjust them and send it back to him ... he wants me to start selling them but I;m not interested .. but I am interested is sorting out a good fit and a good product.

My consultant is Mel .. lets just say he hass a little experience .. with plastics and carbon fiber ... so with any luck maybe a good product well sorted out with new technology may come out of this ... its on my dime and I will be the TEST DUMMY.

I'll get ya pics this weekend.

Ron

quote:

Joules I;m 100% sure not all the Carbon Fiber is made ONLY IN RENO

No not ALL, just I know many of the vendors use the same guy, but as I said they each have their own molds so it doesn't mean all the hoods/decklids will be the same dimensions thats all.

If these will be true CF structural units then dummy away; I'd be interested in a set if it all works out and depending on final cost.

quote:

Originally posted by Joules5:

quote:

I'm working with a Co. in Calif that has hood and decklid molds. Presently he sent me both in fiberglass ... I'm going to try them on both my cars and adjust the fit. Then he is going to adjust the molds and produce them in Carbon Fiber with Honeycomb backing. Total wieght 12 lbs as compared to 28lbs.

The down side is bowing I feel the only way to stop it is to add aluminum supports or a Honeycomb backing for strength.

I thought that most of the Fibergalss/CF products were actually made here in Reno. There's one guy here who lays up for PI, Wilkinson and PPC Reno. Funny thing is that each vendor has his own mold!

With the way these hoods/decklids are laid up they are only an aethestic CF overlay, not structural CF. Until someone makes a structural vacuum formed/autoclaved CF unit the bowing will always be an issue. It will be even more of an issue if your guy hand lays a 12lb CF unit that is air cured, personally I wouldn't touch that. I thought there was a guy in Europe (Sweden, Norway?) that was trying to go the autoclaved route?

Julian,

I do have to the only 100% CF hood in existance that I know of (weight is 8lbs). It was vacuum formed/air cured and not autoclaved.........the results were less than impressive and it still had the bow, even after throwing a couple of grand at it.

As for the fitment issues that seem to plague all aftermarket fiberglass hoods fitment will remain an issue until someone does some serious (read expensive) mold fabrication,let me explain.

I work in the investment casting field using the "Lost Wax" process to make aircraft engine parts. When ever we make a tool the shrink factor has to be calculated into the design, this is doe because wax, like fiberglass, is a liquid and will shrink and contract as it dries. We usually run a few patters and cast them to see how close we are to the actual required dimensions and profile. The vast majority of the time the tool is sent out to the tool and die shop for what we call tool tune.

Now back to the hoods. From what I have both seen and read there are at least three different molds being used out there. One being a mold made from a steel hood from the 71-74 Ford era cars, as prviously mentioned when this mold is used the fiberglass contracts and fitment is not as good as the steel hood.

Second, rumor has it that a second fiberglass mold was made from the first 71-74 ford era mold making the shrink/fitment issues even worse! (a mold made from a mold!)

Third, a mold was made from the post-Ford era cars. The steel hoods (as with many parts) were made from a seperate set of tooling than the Ford era cars and are dimensionally different than the Ford era cars. Trying to fit a post ford hood onto a ford era car is a nightmare!

My point being is that until someone takes a fiberglass hood and calculates the curvature and length shrink issues and then reworks the mold, we will be stuck with the "pretty close at best" fitment problem. If I had to do it over again I would use the kit offered by one of the vendors using the stock steel support structure and aluminum skin.

Ron I look forward to the photos.

Shrinkage doesn't explain it all; esp as to why the hinges are a couple inches off each side.

I have a 72' hood stock no vents super straight white in color no rust or bondo from what I can tell with a fridge magnet. The adhesive that holds the frame to the skin has begun to separate but I imagine you'll be painting this anyway. NO rust very solid latch assembly included. I can email good pics. I'm going to post it up for sale soon but since you may be looking...

Comp-2. remember that glass hoods are made in two parts (the skin and the 'support spider' are built separately), both of which may have their own post-cure shrinkage problems in mfg, then they are glued together; the glueing may create issues, too. Finally, my '80s Long & Newman glass hood has the spider filled with a rather dense foam. So it's hard to know which (or all) of the 4 chemical possiblities are causing the flattening. Using a 4 ft long pony-clamp across the windshield end of the hood, I'm able to produce the required bow for a good fit on our '72, but there's considerable force needed to correct this problem after-the-fact. As yet, I have no solution except replacement. Oh, and the wt savings over steel? 4 lbs with this one!