Hi Joe, ...............well it's time to take Ms Patty down to 'ol Cabo San Lucas and do the Cabo Wabo. We depart Monday morning, 0 dark thirty.
After a week of that we return, and I am promised a few days to rearrange the shop & get it back into production shape.
Then it's up to you & Ron, as to who will produce the first roadster Pantera. Should be interesting. BTW, whoever is first, I have a rear clip ready, laid up with iso-grade resin, at a very reduced price
The rest of that week is split between helping #1 Son learn how to trailer, unload, load, run, etc the 18' Wellcraft we are partners in. It gets reupholstered & repainted this winter.
I just turned down another offer to sell the yellow Pantera. This guy bicycles by every weekend ( I live out in the countryside where folks go biking) and he has flat fallen in love with it. I offered to sell him a kit or build one for him. But one short ride has convinced him he wants this one. After selling the first Baby Ace I built, I know I would dearly regret selling the yellow Pantera, and it just ain't going to happen.
Wish I was a-workin' on the choptop Pantera right now.
David Breeze
[This message has been edited by opm2000 (edited 06-25-2010).]
OK, the race is on! It'll be like two turtles mud racing backwards I fear.
Ron
It might be more like a couple dinosaurs in the tar pits!!!
The fact that I can't seem to sell my last Countach body to save my life, (the last ebay listing had over 400 page views and 13 watchers, and it still didn't sell at $2,000) isn't helping.
Cheers Beers n Gearz. Joe
[This message has been edited by motoracer838 (edited 08-01-2010).]
Hello to Dave and all the other followers of this thread!
yes, I still have not got round to posting the pix of Fantera/Pantero #003 as she appeared at the Dells Run show back in june -
however, I have now solved the nagging problem of How to make a 1972 DeTomaso Pantera Speedometer work in a 1985 Fiero GT -
and actually have it read accurately ! ! ! For all of the gory details, please read my thread in tech discussion & questions titled Speedo-drive ratio Info Needed !!!
Great, just great. It seems that we've gone from better home & gardens to american pilot without much Fiero in between (and I thought I was bad at getting sidetracked)
Well, I did some welding on Ron's Pantera project. Honestly, he & FieroGuru have done some outstanding work. They need to share.
David Breeze
And splendid demonstration of welding he did.
Eventually, there will be a build thread but, it will be when the "project" is nearer to completion. Though, I do agree, Paul, Fieroguru did an outstanding job on his part of the project.
Well Guys, Seems there are only so many hours in a day...The Bellanca is almost airworthy, and the kitchen renovation is begining.
None the less, the undercover roadster project is ready to begin body work. I just have to create space in the shop.
For your consideration, I'm trying to convince the owner to follow these guidelines to build a roadster
The overhead pic shows the later body style, and my molds are obviously of the earlier body styles. But, it's the way the body was modified to create an open top that I like. Essentially the roof portion has been removed. What I particularly like is that the rear "strakes" are left in place. To me they represent a large part of the Pantera design signature. The also would lend themselves to the posability of building in a rollbar protection system. It looks like it might be easy to fabricate a removable roof and a removable rear window if the strakes are intact.
Here are a few more close ups of the same car:
David Breeze
------------------ Pantera Rebody Kits
[This message has been edited by opm2000 (edited 01-09-2011).]
You just need a good side profile picture of the Yellow or Gray Panteros and then have it photoshopped both ways. Then you can see how each would work before the fiberglass work begins.
Or... do the first one Dave's way and if you do not like it, give it to me and do the 2nd one your way.
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 01-10-2011).]
I've been away for years, so could someone update on the Fantera without me reading hundreda of posts. I was interested in one years ago, but the kit never came? What ever happened? Hasn't it been 10 or 15 years now?
[This message has been edited by boxter (edited 01-30-2011).]
Well, I may not have all the details correct, but here is my understanding of how it went down. The fellow out West who started the whole Fantera kit got tired of it, and Put the whole shebang up for sale, including the prototype car. OPM2000 purchased the package and had it braught back east. He has re-worked all of the original molds to near perfection. Now he is making additional molds, for parts that were not offered with the original kit, to give us even more options! He is also prototyping a 'chop-top' version which has the roof line lowered by several inches. He is also experimenting with various engine swaps, while debating the merits of a roadster version of the car. ( all while working a day job, and performing the duties of husband and father ! ) If you are thinking of getting a kit, you should use the PM feature to contact him to find out current lead times and prices. I am not sure if he is "Officially" in production mode yet, so be prepared to be patient. Hope this helps ! ! !
Well, I may not have all the details correct, but here is my understanding of how it went down. The fellow out West who started the whole Fantera kit got tired of it, and Put the whole shebang up for sale, including the prototype car. OPM2000 purchased the package and had it braught back east. He has re-worked all of the original molds to near perfection. Now he is making additional molds, for parts that were not offered with the original kit, to give us even more options! He is also prototyping a 'chop-top' version which has the roof line lowered by several inches. He is also experimenting with various engine swaps, while debating the merits of a roadster version of the car. ( all while working a day job, and performing the duties of husband and father ! ) If you are thinking of getting a kit, you should use the PM feature to contact him to find out current lead times and prices. I am not sure if he is "Officially" in production mode yet, so be prepared to be patient. Hope this helps ! ! !
Pretty much correct and good information but, let me make a few very slight corrections. First, the Fantera name is not being applied to the Pantera/Pantero body but, I guess if you buy one, you can call it what you want. Secondly, Dave and I loaded up in my truck/trailer and hauled our asses out to CA where Dave bought the car and the molds. We then hauled our asses and the goods back to KY. This was done in about 4.25 days. (If you'll note, check out the trip from Versailles, KY to San Diego, CA or there abouts. Yes, we did haul ass.) Some of the molds have be reworked or refined.
Now to the most important part, Dave was never, ever even remotely interested in a Roadster version until I decided that was how my Pantero would be finished. He has found the version (red car) and suggested that mine should be similar to the one pictured. Although the one pictured is beautiful, it still is not the idea or vision I have in my head. Dave believes certain things about the Pantera body are untouchable and I don't. I don't want to go into what my version is, it will come out eventually. Heck, I wasn't even going to tell anyone that mine was to be a Roadster but somehow the word leaked out. Oh well, it is what it is.
Dave has completed a couple of engine installs but, I'll let him discuss them. My Pantero will be a Roadster, we're hoping a roadster with a removeable hard top but, that depends on some other creative changes that are being made. My Pantero (R) will be powered by a 4.9 coupled to a five speed. The engine swap has been completed and is unique to what most 4.9 are. Fieroguru did the swap for me. I like what he did.
According to our plan, my Pantero (R) will go into the shop for the body this Spring. Of course, everything is flexible on that but, our hope is to have at least two Panteros in Indy for the 30th Celebration.
I think I have the pefect drivetrain for a Pantero Chop Top sitting on my cradle fixture...
I happen to agree with that. Now, you just need to convince Dave to produce one. I'll be happy to help but, Dave is the key to making body components pop out of those molds.
i have been a fan of these kind of cars since i first seen them. if i had the chance [ and the money] i would like to make my fiero look something like it. the pic below is the one that i think would be nice to use [its from a game but it is still based off the real car]
Hell, if you haven't heard form him lately, what chance do you think we have???
Joe
Joe, Actually, I have seen and spoken with the chosen one. He is alive and doing well. He just has some other things going on that he is addressing. My post was really meant to spur him on to get done what he needs to do and let's get back to building Panteros
i have been a fan of these kind of cars since i first seen them. if i had the chance [ and the money] i would like to make my fiero look something like it. the pic below is the one that i think would be nice to use [its from a game but it is still based off the real car]
Al, The opportunity is here. I won't talk money but, Dave has the molds and can build you one. Just check with him. You can get the next one, right after mine pops out of the molds.
Joe, Actually, I have seen and spoken with the chosen one. He is alive and doing well. He just has some other things going on that he is addressing. My post was really meant to spur him on to get done what he needs to do and let's get back to building Panteros
That was meant to be joke. ( I gotta remember to add some )
Hopefully OPM2000 is busy planning his maiden flight in the now re-engined Bellanca up to the frozen tundra west of lake michigan !! ?? !! ??
I spoke with Dave about this just the other day. They are just waiting for a little warmer day to wrap up the small stuff, have a ferry pilot take the plane over to renew it's annual and then Dave will be getting some hours with a CFI to get back to where he was. After that, I would assume he will be back to building Panteros and most likely fishing. Currently, he's got his hands full with other stuff.
It looks like it'll be a slow race!!!
Trying to use public opinion to stifle my creative thought process. 
What's the world coming to. 
