[DeTomaso] Bill's Pantera - thanks John

[doug351c]

Dan,

If you ever want to track your car, don't forget to try wearing a helmet in
the car first to help decide if you want the roof dynamat.

Doug Braun
blue 73L #5505

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
[mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of Daniel C Jones
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 10:53 AM
To: detomaso at realbig.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Bill's Pantera - thanks John


> After two 600 mile trips to Santa Fe from OK sitting on the stock seats,
> I had to switch to the MUCH better Corvette seats. Long distance is no
> longer a problem.  I highly recommend them.

Last week I installed dropped floor pans in the white Pantera.  In the red
Pantera, I sprung for a set of Gary's Corvette seats when I did the dropped
pans.  Both Panteras have Kirk's 3" drop, full width, pans.  In the white,
I've kept the stock (1974) seats which maximize headroom.  Both seats are
original but are low mileage passenger side units with plenty of foam
cushion.
Last year, Mike McDougal and I drove our Panteras down to Springfield, MO.
When we stopped to get gas, as Mike got out of his '72 pre-L, he was clearly
in pain.  I checked the seat foam in his and it was practically
non-existent.
He was sitting on the steel framework of the seat, not the foam cushion.
He's since re-covered his seats and had the shop install new foam of various
densities and finds them much improved.

I just returned from an 800 mile round trip and find the stock seats
comfortable
but haven't done a back-to-back with the 'vette seats.  I no longer have to
slouch forward in the seat to clear the roof.  The headliner is out of the
car
and my hair just brushes the roof when I sit fully upright.  I'm still
debating
whether or not to install dynamat sound deadening in the roof when I install
the new headliner.  I'm 6' 5" with a 36" inseam and can now extend my left
leg
past the clutch pedal until it's straight.  On long trips, the least
comfortable
thing is having to keep the right leng bent to work the accelerator pedal.
A spacer plate on the pedal bracket would reduce the angle of the leg bend
but I think the car needs cruise control.  That would allow me to extend the
right leg, too.  Also, the seat needs a longer headrest brackets to put the
pad
behind my head.

The sills are sloped and the passenger side seat is offset towards the sill
so it can clear the parking brake.  With the dropped pans, the outside edge
of
the passenger seat rubs on the sill, even with no sound deadening or
carpeting.
I cut the spacers off both old pans and stacked them under the passenger
seat
rails to raise the seat and it still rubs.  I think some re-shaping of the
seat
is in order.  Swapping the seat rails so the adjustment lever is near
the console
may be worthwhile.  A bulkhead reduction kit would be nice, too.

Dan Jones