Restoring ’71 Pre-L

This is the before and after of the engine bay;

My first order of business was rebuilding the suspension. I removed, blasted, and reinstalled all four corner’s suspension arms. I put new bushings all around and repainted the front A-arms (the previous owner chromed the rears, so I left ‘em that way).

Once this was done, I moved on to the brakes. The originals were, for the most part, frozen. The car drove, but stopped quite well on its own during the one or two miles I’ve driven it. I purchased SACC’s Wilwood six piston setup, along with the tandem master cylinder and adapter. This was my first foray into a full brake job on my own, but the guys at SACC were very patient and helpful over the phone.

Next was the front end. The radiator support, chin valence, and front frame supports were all crushed and rusted. Likely from repeatedly hitting curbs, and then sitting in the elements for Lord knows how long.

After watching many on line videos and Motortrend restoration shows to build up my confidence, I cut all these rusted pieces out ...fully. What I could find already fabbed up online (rad support, valance, etc) I purchased, and what I couldn’t I started experimenting in my woodshop to create myself.

granted, my home grown welding skills leave much to be desired ...but I’m getting better, and these pieces are solidly in place.

A few more front end pics ...

As I moved my way down the passenger side, I found an archeologist’s dream in the different layers of bondo, paint, and even spray-in foam filling panel and rocker panel defects/rot.
I cut out the rocker to find a mouse nest, lots of droppings, and even a few peanut shells tucked into the internal panel slots  

Again, I cut out all the rust I could, treated what was left (surface rust), and fabbed up my own A and B pillar bases to splice in.

...welding skills coming along.

Finally installed new rocker (purchased over EBay from Antonio4227 in Phoenix, AZ).  

Ok, now we’re real time. All that I’ve posted so far has taken me almost exactly a year (four kids and a regular job).

Great work, and thanks for posting!

Rocky

Wow, that's all I can say is WOW! Fantastic work! It takes patience, diligence, & fortitude, you possess them all. Many many guys just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. The job is coming out perfect! We have a few waiting in line for such work, you're hired! Report to Pantera Miami 8 a.m. Monday! Your'e hired! lol.

Great job and more importantly the guts to do it on your own.  My hat's off to you.  I wished I possessed the skills and the guts to do it.

Wow, indeed. Thanks for sharing. It looks both daunting and a lot of fun. I've always wanted to learn how to weld, but I don't think I'd be brave enough to learn on a Pantera, haha. When did you buy the car? Just curious if I ever saw it down there at PIM. Are you in SoCal?

No, I’m actually in Jacksonville, FL.  I bought the car in October of 2019.  The engine/drivetrain work took until about February of last year, at which point the car was shipped to me here on the East Coast.  My wife (who grew up in a car family) bought me the welder (Harbor Freight) about three years ago as a Christmas present.  It sat for over a year before I had the guts to try little stuff.  I find the biggest challenge is controlling burn through on the thin steel, but I’m getting better ...I think.

I've thought about doing that too -- buy a cheap one at HF, get some metal pieces and just start practicing. Can't wait to see it when it's all done.

Off from work today, so while the kids were at school I got busy with body work on the rear side panel and installing the front lower passenger side panel.   Initially bought a manual panel flanging tool ...not worth it.  Did not provide enough torque to create a useful flange.  The Malco tool, however, worked great.  

I used a piece of 3/4 inch plywood to help shape the lower panel.  It was purchased from the same fabricator on EBay, but ultimately arrived about 1/2 inch too long (front to back) for the space/wheel well.  After it’s blocked, I’ll prime the side and move on to the other side.  

WELDING TIP -

A time proven trick when welding thin sheet metal is to back up the area with a sufficiently sized piece of copper.

this can be something as simple as a piece of flattened copper pipe or a fitting.

devise a method to hold it behind your welding area, perhaps attach a long rod handle, hold it in place with magnets, tack weld a thin piece of steel on the backside to hold the copper temporarily in place.

A quick Google or YouTube search will find more information.

Larry

Are you using gas with the mig welder or using fluxcore?

Flux core, 0.03in.

gas with a solid wire will work much better.  If your welder is capable I would convert it.

I endorse the use of gas with your MIG.

Like you I am self taught on my unit, a Lincoln SP 100 with tank that I purchased off Craig’s List from a homeowner - he was upgrading. It was like new.

A couple of times I have forgotten to turn on the gas and it takes me a while to realize why my welds are so difficult. Really makes a difference.

Larry

I’m sure there are plenty of things I’m doing in this resto that would make purists cringe.  With the last few pieces (the rocker and the front lower fender panel) I also applied E6000 panel glue to the seams.  I don’t have the greatest faith in these spot welds and skim coats to keep moisture out, so I figure it can’t hurt.  

The other thing I dread is using too much Bondo.  I’ve been trying very hard to minimize thickness of the layers by making my pieces fit as precise as I can.  But I’m sure anyone looking can tell that this lower front panel I just put on is relatively “flat” in comparison to the curve or bulge native to the lower half of the door and rear panels.  I’m concerned I’m going to have to heap on filler to make up this shape.  In retrospect, I probably should have put the passenger door back on prior to welding in the panel to see if I could have shaped it by hand a bit first.

Im learning to weld myself thats why I asked.
I commend your enthusiasm and confidence. I do not have either when it comes to bodywork. 😆

I was doing much as you are a few years ago.  To contour panels, make flanges and lips, you should anneal the metal in the bend area first; makes things much easier. See you tube for numerous tips and techniques.  Also, an English wheel will come in really handy if you have much more to do.  The HFT unit is sufficient for light use.  See my thread "2548's restoration" if you haven't already.  PS - I'm in Florida too.

This build has a bit of its own agenda. I have a list of items I want to get to, but it seems like I never get to many of them as all other unknowns surface as I go. I’m currently upgrading the suspension. I’ve replaced the rear coil overs with the Ridetechs recommended by SACC. I’ve also purchased the Shockwave HQ 2-valve system for the fronts.  Has anyone installed this system yet?

New suspension installed (coil overs in the rear, Ridetech air ride in the front). However, I still have to finish plumbing. Below is the before and after stances;

The wheel gap in the front is perfect!!  Had a great stance.
whats going on with that chin spoiler?  I must have missed something.

keep at it. I’m enthusiastically waiting for updates!

It’s been a while since I updated this string, though I have been working.  I’ve installed the Kindig flush door handle on both the driver’s side as well as the passenger side.  This was not without frustrations, through the learning curve was steep making the second side much easier.  

The next task is body stiffening.  There’s several kits out there which I guess are geared at adding rigidity to the frame when you are unable to remove your interior or don’t want to mess with the existing body/paint work.  However, since I’m restoring this car down to its bones, I’ve chosen a different route.  The weak spots on the Pantera, as I’m told and as I’ve read, are not the ladder shaped frame, but rather the cross members fore and aft of the cockpit as well as the poorly sealed seams in the body work as done by Ghia.  I owned a prior Pantera (also a 1971) which cracked (the paint/body work) at the top of the C-pillar after some spirited driving.  Turns out, this is one of the weak body seams where Ghia simply spot welded the roof to the body structure and then filled in the gap with lead/flux.  

So, I set off to strip the body work down and melt off the lead (while wearing a resp. mask) and strengthen the seams.  After removing the lead w/a butane flame (it melts away like candle wax and becomes brittle) I welded the seam(s) up as best I could.  

You can see the depth of the lead.  This particular spot is the C-pillar on the driver’s side.  

Next I sourced a design from this site/chat for the “best” brace.  I cut my own from some 20g steel and spot welded them in.  Did the same over the base of the A-pillars.  

I also spoke at length with Jerry Sackett, owner of Pantera International Motorsports in SoCal (he rebuilt my engine/trans/cooling system.  He pointed out that the stress ultimately finds itself along the inner aspects of the rocker panels, thus allowing for the twisting in the body.  Soooo …I followed his advice and had supports built.  

I made paper patterns of the inner rockers, then cut cardboard pieces to outline the contour of each side.  I could a local Metal/machine shop here in Jax, FL to manufacture the braces for me at a cost of $150 each.