Shock choices

Oh yes..I also forgot. Koni is quoting a 10 week turn around !!!! That probably means 12 weeks with is 3 months which is most of our good summer driving season here in Canada !!!!!

Contact Scott at SACC

I believe there is a QA1 setup detailed in a few threads you can look up. Seemed fairly affordable. Maybe someone who has done this option can pipe in.

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/...044/m/1261029056/p/2

The only reason for rebuilding the black Ariston shocks (made by Koni) or a set of red body Konis is to keep a Pantera as original as possible. In doing that you are giving up performance and adjustability. The Konis were great shocks for their day, but modern gas shocks (including Konis own modern gas shocks) are better.

The Koni/Ariston shocks are the only rebuildable shocks that mount the original springs in the original manner. The red body Konis can be painted black or blue to substitute the black oem Ariston shocks or the blue oem Telecar shocks. Likewise the black Ariston shocks can also be painted blue to substitute the oem Telecar shocks.

However if 100% originality is not your goal then by all means purchase a set of "quality" aftermarket shocks that feature adjustable spring preload.

Having adjustable spring pre-load is a first step in setting up the chassis. It can be used to set the car’s rear ride height to achieve one of two goals: (1) adjust the rear ride height so the half shafts are parallel to the ground for the slowest rate of u-joint and wheel bearing wear (2) or adjust the rear ride height so the lower rear control arms are parallel to the ground for best handling (a bit lower CG than the first setting).

Once the rear ride height is adjusted the front spring pre-load is adjusted to achieve 3° to 6° positive front caster (no less than 3°). Hopefully gaining the "stance" you prefer for the vehicle. If the "stance" or ground-clearance of the car is not what you like after you've achieved those settings the upper front control arms can be modified to allow for a greater amount of positive caster adjustment.

-G
.

GP. You forgot to mention that you can paint your shocks Chevy engine orange and put on Koni decals to make them look like Konis.

In my case about as far as I am going to go is lowering the car by taking out the US bumper height spacers.

As it is, as a result, the car is too low to get on a service lift. You have to jack it from the front and rear cross members.

Getting the lower controll arms parallel to the ground would probably mean you had better get used to emitting sparks from the car hitting those small bumps in the pavement.

Here even on new roads the cast iron manhole assemblies are often set too high. Even a stock Mangusta would have a nightmare driving on public roads here without a pretty significant skid plate.

I think of the ride height on my Pantera this way.

If I make a fist, if I hold it vertically it will not fit under the front cross member. If I turn if horizontally it will.

I can go lower but that would be insanity. There are still a lot of gas stations that the entrance to them, across a city sidewalk, is not pitched gently enough to get the car in without in scraping in the front.

Forget about those parking lot stoppers. You need an SUV to clear those.

If you are going to play around with ride height, spring rates and shocks, you had better know EXACTLY what you are doing on these cars.

You DO NOT want a race car suspension on them on the street. You are just in for a huge expensive heart ache if you do.

Johnnek, since Pat Mical at Futureauto in MA rebuilds Aristons (made by Koni), I'd call him and see what his turn-around time is.

Sacc. You won't be disappointed