The Pantera Restoration Roadmap: Teardown to Final Paint
The order you do things in decides whether a restoration takes two years or ten. A phase-by-phase plan for bringing a Pantera back.
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Most stalled restorations don't fail because of skill — they fail because of sequence. Parts get painted before the metalwork is finished, the engine gets rebuilt and then sits for five years, or the budget runs out halfway through the body. Here's a roadmap that keeps a Pantera project moving.
Phase 1 — Assess and plan
Decide what kind of car you're building: concours-correct, a driver, or a restomod. Inspect the body thoroughly (see our rust inspection checklist), make a parts list and set a realistic budget with a 20–30% contingency.
Phase 2 — Document and tear down
Photograph every assembly before and during removal. Bag and label every fastener. A label maker and a stack of storage bins will save you weeks later. Label makers · parts bins
Phase 3 — Strip the body
Media blasting or chemical dipping reveals the real condition of the shell. Expect surprises — check out the dip video in our video library to see how much a Pantera can hide.
Phase 4 — Metalwork
Structural repairs first, then outer panels. This is where new replacement panels save the most time. Get every panel welded, every gap set and every door, hood and lid aligned before any filler goes on.
Phase 5 — Mechanical in parallel
While the body is at the shop, rebuild suspension, brakes, cooling and the drivetrain. The Pantera's long coolant runs between the front radiator and the mid-mounted V8 deserve particular attention.
Phase 6 — Bodywork and paint
Epoxy primer, minimal filler, high-build primer, block sanding — then colour. Good metalwork means thin filler, and thin filler is what keeps paint looking right for decades.
Phase 7 — Reassembly and shakedown
Install wiring, glass, interior and trim, then drive the car gently for a few hundred miles and fix what shows up. Then enjoy it.
Planning your front-end metalwork? Add your car to our production list so we can plan the run around real cars.
