Wanted - side gas filler grill

If no one will sell you a '73-up left side gill assembly at a reasonable price and you're handy in the garage, it's possible to build your own of molded fiberglas and hole-saw a 3-1/2" opening in the new gill. Then the cut piece becomes the swinging cap. I did this 20 yrs ago for a custom right-side opening 'gill' to have radiator cap access for an altered swirl tank. You could also saw a hole in your rather expensive stock die-cast gill. For the hinge, it can be made of scrap metal; you'll likely need to borrow a late left gill to reproduce the necessary hinge parts. But that's only the external part of this conversion, I'm afraid.

 You'll also need the later gas tank spout & joining hose, and after sawing a big hole in the body, add the gas cap extension tube just behind the new swinging door. There's a late left-side top engine cover which has a swelling around the new style tank spout. A less satisfying alternative is to chop a clearance hole in your early right engine cover around the new tank spout, which will always be visible afterward. Flat-black paint hides a lot of ****....

All these parts bolt onto early Panteras, but the once-offered 'kit' was never cheap. The parts necessary for the conversion are shown in the black or orange Parts Manuals and one or two vendors may have all the pieces. Is there a Pantera club/chapter in your area, or do you have a good friend with a late model, non-running car?

Many thanks for reply. 

I purchased all the adapting filler necks etc, just need the exit through the sde grill. 

Car is a ground up restoration so no issues with access for cutting body, literally only need the side grill. 

Would prefer an OEM part but if I cannot source one I will have to make one as you have said. I do have a friend who is very local to me with one on his car so can use as template and look to replicate this. 

Thanks again - Tony

The fuel door piece is available on eBay, but the seller is very much attached to it! Mike Mayberry often has parts, I see he sold one complete gill recently for $475.

A fairly common upgrade is the aero style cap, which fits almost perfectly in the stock hole (hence why doors are available separately), if you cut your gill you might consider this approach. Search for aircraft filler on the forum and you'll get some old threads with photos.

Julian

Thanks Joules. 

You say one is available on ebay? Can you send link as cannot find. 

Many thanks - Tony

It's just the flap, not the full gill;

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DETOM...3:g:ELMAAOSw-HRcCvmC

Too expensive for just a flap. 

Another option is to explore having some manufactured, especially given the price/rarity of originals. 

Will continue my search for now.

I went through this in '85 or '86 when I first got my car. The parts THEN to convert the filler from under the deck to through the quarter roof were something like $480 to $500, THEN.

The door for $181 ain't a bad price. Plus this isn't some kind of a Chevy Chevette. These part sources are the same folks that make them for Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, etc. Detomaso's aren't some kind of jabonga Italian go-cart made out of linguini.

They cost, what they cost. Like BW says, you could make them yourself.

The "quick fill", no stock filler is a great option to go non stock but if you want factory parts, no one is going to sell you parts at a sub market level and have to buy them back for ten times that in the future.

Welcome to Italian super cars.

Just sayin'.

Hi Doug

Thanks for comments. 

A door on its own, whilst may be good value, is no good to me without the rest of the gill. 

Will have to tighten my belt and rob the piggy bank to buy one. Thats the kids not eating for another 3 months haha. 

If I could find a new one I would buy it.

There must be one out there somewhere?

I remember a second possibility: there's a real GT-4 racer whose owner hinged the entire die-cast gill on the top. So the whole casting pivots, exposing the quick-fill cap underneath. No reason to cut a hole and make a door unless you need the stock '73 look.

tonyh posted:

Hi Doug

Thanks for comments. 

A door on its own, whilst may be good value, is no good to me without the rest of the gill. 

Will have to tighten my belt and rob the piggy bank to buy one. Thats the kids not eating for another 3 months haha. 

If I could find a new one I would buy it.

There must be one out there somewhere?

They've got time to save for college. Panteras don't grow on trees.

BW, has the right idea. Actually the door and the gill is the easy part, you can modify the existing stock one. The difficult thing to make is the steel bucket that adapts the roof to the filler neck. That you'd need to talk to Johnny Woods in the UK about making for you.

I'll bet you a nickel that King has the complete set up new? He probably hasn't seen this post yet?

I actually thought about exactly what BW, did for the coolant tank. The Gp4 cars did that and put a Cobra type hinged pop-cap on it. Those are easy to get from the Cobra replica car makers.

Back when Contemporary Cobra was still in business I bought one from them and used it on my fuel filler/driver side. Stored the trap door gill set up. Eventually sold those two pieces for $400.

Hey. Listen. I grumble about the prices too. Just not much I can do about it either.

My kids are out of college and out of the house. I can sell some of their stuff now like the goalie pads and skates?

I was doing my annual new year email purge and had these photos; Two of a modified gill to hide the gas filler and a third of the Aero 300 filler that fits nicely in the later opening filler hole

Thanks everyone for replies, will update when I have made decisions.

Its holiday time and am in US for a few months - may be able to find a solution over here, we will see.

Thanks again - Tony

Tony

The original solution to the fuel tank filler dilemma was an extended filler neck sold by Hall Pantera. I don't know if they still sell them, but it would be worth checking into. I hate to see the kids go without eating,

If you just have to have the side filler, check with the folks (vendors) who have stocks of parts culled from cars destroyed by rust or collision, such as Larry Stock (Pantera Parts Connection) in Nevada.

The final stop would be the last vendors of factory parts; The first two being Wilkinson or Jaeckel, they may have new assemblies on the shelf. The forum member named King is another possible source. He was an original Lincoln Mercury dealer that sold Panteras 1971 - 1974, and has been selling restored Panteras ever since. Hall Pantera also had a significant stock in OEM parts at one time.