Wheelhouse Dents

Whoops! Wrong picture. Here is right side.

Left side.

Definitely not supposed to be there. Someone has pounded the edge back for some reason or another. Typically this is for cylinder head clearance when something other than a 351C is installed.

I've seen a number of Panteras with similar clearancing in this area to clear headers or make installation a bit easier.

Garth,
Do you think the clearancing you have seen on other panteras was done at the factory? My car is a 72 pre-L if that means anything and was really stock when I bought it, including the engine. The person I bought it from owned it for 15 years and this is how it was when he bought it. That's as far back as I know the history of the car. Prior to that I guess anything is possible.
Dennis

DW,
Mine was rolled like that to clear the shifter linkage. I cleaned it up when I did the engine bay but it looked like it was beat out with a sludge hammer.

That's a factory mod. You'll find that on all panteras (that I've seen), i.e., if it hasn't been fixed by a previous owner. Usually it's only in the passenger side. It helps access to the spark plug.

Ive seen it before but not a factory mod as far as I know. Both my cars don't have it.
Will

mine is 'clearanced 'on both sides. without it on the passenger side the header pipe would have 1/8 '' clearance.....i straightened this one then when doing a trial fit found it to be needed!

Thank you all for your replys. I can only conclude that all Panteras were not created equal! Trying to avoid a situation similar to Wades, I will assume that this was done on my car at the factory by a skilled hammer mechanic to provide clearance for the shifter rod on the driver side and for engine clearance on the passenger side.
Dennis

I have them too. I can't say at the moment that they are the same size as yours but they have to do with clearances for the exhaust system.

I only saw them when I had the engine out.

Don't know if they were done at the factory or not?

Mine didn't have 'em on either side....

See the pictures about 1/2 way down...

#5357 Bay Mods

Aren't both Wade and Doug running the 180 Deg. Headers?

Rocky

quote:

Originally posted by Rocky:
Mine didn't have 'em on either side....

See the pictures about 1/2 way down...

#5357 Bay Mods

Aren't both Wade and Doug running the 180 Deg. Headers?

Rocky

What does that have to do with it? Ding, ding, ding, ding. Too much cowbell...again?

When I got my car it just had a new set of GTS headers installed on it. It may be that you need to ding the flange on that sheetmetal to clear the #4 and #8 primary tubes?

quote:

Mine didn't have 'em on either side....

Chuck,

Looking at the second pic (and the third from the end of the last group) that you referenced, on the right side, that lip appears to be rolled from the swirl tank bracket down to about (horizontally in line with) the top of the opening that is just below the camber brace mount.

Looking at the first pic (and the last pic from the last group) that you referenced, on the left side, the lip appears to be rolled from about that same opening (on the left side) to just above the frame rail.

My '71, as delivered new, came with the lip rolled similar to your pic of the left side, and the right side of mine had a very small (short height / length) roll (bend) to facilitate the removal of the last header bolt (right side).

John

I'll have to check 'em more carefully.

They didn't seem to be bent in the magnitude of the OP's car.......

Thanks -