[DeTomaso] Fiberglass or carbon race Pantera roof ?

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

Two thoughts: check the class rules before going ahead with the roof mold. 
Most production racing classes require a car to retain at least one stock 
panel, and in many cases it's the roof. Other than that, the market for this 
panel will be limited to people like my friend who owns a car modified with a 
sunroof- which he hates. But the cost of a scrapped steel roof panel plus 
the work to weld one in has kept him from doing much about it -aside from a 
bead of silicone all the way around to keep the rain out!

To gain stiffness benefits from carbon fiber panels, one needs to invest 
about as much time in figuring out how the panel will attach as in making the 
part. Simply drilling holes for screws cuts through the fibers and weakens 
the panel. Molded-in holes, doublers, bonded inserts and custom bracketry are 
often used by aerospace companies. Not simple. FWIW- J Deryke