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Starting to work on Race car

rapidrapidMember
I had brought this car to the POCA Fun Rally but it was not running in fact it did not have the drive train in the car. It sat out in my barn for quite a while, with the economy I just did not have the money. This year we have been working on the car and the motor is getting built right now. So I thought I would share some photos.

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rapidrapidMember
Yes it does have a group 5 look to it. As I understand it the car was a stock bodied car running at riverside and slammed in to the wall. after that it definitely had some hideous Butchery going on.(Yes I saw the thread. I love the stock bodied cars, but I also love many of the other looks also) So now you know why the fiberglass on the front and rear.
rapidrapidMember
Les had found a 351 Cleveland for sale and we bought it for $300. Supposedly had been rebuilt and came as extra motor with the guys Pantera. We pulled a valve cover and it looked rebuilt and still had assembly lube showing. Took it apart and found out it was a Boss 351, 4-bolt main, Boss Crank, boss rods,but with milder pistons and 4V heads. Standard bore! We pulled it apart and went through it and had it checked out, cleaned and gone through. Block is ready!

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D davekMember
Kevin,

Car looks great! I recall running alongside your car at Riverside in 1989. The body had already been modified at that point so the conversion was done sometime before that.

The removable front/rear body clips are nice. My own GT-5 has a similar arrangement, and it really simplifies access:



If you ever want to change to a GT-5 style body, I have all the molds and can have more clips made. Or you can have an assortment and change them as the mood dictates :-)

Hope to see you on the track soon!

Dave
panteradougpanteradougMember
quote:
Originally posted by Rapid:
I think this has calipers and rotors from an older lincoln


67 Big Ford/Tbird/Lincoln. For all intents and purposes the same front brakes as the 67 Shelby Trans-Am Mustangs, the coupes.

The rotor bolts up to the Pantera hub. The only issue I see with them is that they have a US 5"-ish bolt to bolt spacing and the Girlings are 3" as most Euro brakes are. (3.3" -ish)

The Rear of the Pantera is strange. 2.4"ish. The 65-7 Mustang front calipers will fit with elongating the mounting holes. You can use the stock Pantera rear rotor or change it to the vented 65 Mustang front rotor, if you can find some? Those have been discontinued.

They are a massive setup. It would be great if they were available in aluminum (but aren't). Similar in weight to the big iron Girlings the Gp3 & 4 cars had installed on the race Panteras.

So you need to make adapters for them. Not a big deal at all.

If you aren't going to use them,
do you want to sell me would you consider selling me the adapters? Please? Smiler



I have these on my Shelby. I'm thinking this would not be a bad solution for my Pantera?

Would you happen to know if an 8"x 15" Campi will fit over that assembly?



Really nice shocks. I'm envious. Big Grin
Last edited by panteradoug
panteradougpanteradougMember
quote:
Originally posted by Rapid:
Hi Doug, not for sure what I am going to use or get rid of but I will let you know


Thank you. Appreciated. Whenever you get to it. I understand the "being caught in a revolving door" feeling. I experience it myself a lot. Especially when I AM stuck in the door? Big Grin

Those JFZ's are cool and MAYBE are the best way to go with brakes on the Pantera? (man am I going to get flamed?)

Good way to go I think?
George PGeorge PAdmin.
Holy gosh Kevin

It is good to hear from you. I hope all is well. I hope your business is doing well. The world has been whizzing by us. I'm getting so damn old. In the mean time I've been here, holding down the internet fort. I truly hope to see you again some day my dear friend. Send Wendy my thoughts and love.

If you have no other track car, then get that Pantera on the track! You love to race. But, I'll cut you some slack ... my car is not back on the road either ... and I love the road.

-G
rapidrapidMember
Hi George,
Sorry I know it has been a while. Hope you are doing well! Business is fine, Just not as profitable as years before. You have to work twice as hard to make half as much. The race car has been moving pretty slow. When I have the time I do not have the money. I guess most of us are in that boat. My goal is to have it running by end of year.
joulesjoules"Racing is Life, anything before or after is just waiting" - Steve McQueen
quote:
Originally posted by tajon:
So he cut the bottom part of the spring? Can't really cut the top I suppose


Depends how you look at them I guess, for the lowest unsprung weight you'd hang the shock bodies from the chassis.

I'm surprised he cut them though, different length springs are readily available and normally springs are a tighter coil at the seat, so cutting that off would impact seating.

I will say it's great to see you back here Kevin and I look forward to seeing that Pantera out on track.

Julian
panteradougpanteradougMember
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Borruso:
Man Kevin...I need to check in on your posts more frequently.. I got a bit behind.. Big Grin

Boy, it's a whole lot easier to work on the front suspension when you can take the fenders off...lol Wink


He's turning this into a "flip top" like the GT40's isn't he? The nose and tail just flip up to gain access to the underpinnings and drive-train? Wink
rapidrapidMember
It is definitely easier to work on!! You can reach everything without having it way up in the air. I took the radiator in today and it was in pretty bad shape. So Les and I ran out to Ron Davis radiators and left the old one with them to make the new one in aluminum. The radiator is a little smaller than stock and does not need the dual fan with shroud. Just a single fan to use while sitting at grid or in the pits.
panteradougpanteradougMember
quote:
Originally posted by Rapid:
Probably more like a flip off. I have the front and back off now to begin work on the rear end


This just makes so much sense for a serious race car.

Can you give us a shot of what the roll bar in the cabin looks like and how the rear braces bolt up to it through the window?

I suppose it is easier to route the header tubes around the rear braces rather than route them around the header tubes?
panteradougpanteradougMember
quote:
Originally posted by Rapid:
with a center bar welded at the top rear bar and going down to the passenger leg well and bolted down there


I knew someone that had these sidebars made with a hinge and held with a clevis pin. Made getting in and out easier.

I can always get in but have to crawl head first over the bar out. That never wears well on my psyche.


Thanks for posting the pics. I always find roll cages interesting since everyone seems to make them a little differently.

I never thought about using a metal plate under the brace through the window?

It was my understanding that the tech people would not allow plexiglass as a substitute for the glass window?

My head is still in a rubber grommet around the bar going through the glass. I have a mental block on that subject?
rapidrapidMember

I have not had time to post anything for a long time, so i thought I would add some more info about the car. We rebuilt the front suspension including having the a-arms re coated, new ball joints, tie rods, new aluminum Hubs from Dennis Quella, along with his Aluminum Koni's which I had talked about earlier. Had the steering rack rebuilt, all new bushings, bearings etc.. Also increased the size of rotors010

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rapidrapidMember

Also had a fuel cell custom made to fit in front trunk. There was an old style bladder type fuel cell in car when I got the car in the same location, but not legal to use any more. So I ordered a new one from Fuel Safe. When I received it it looked great but the filler spout was to tall so had that switched out for this flush mount style.007008009

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