DeTomaso Mailing List: June 99, Message #206

>>Nishant wrote:  I have a 1974 Pantera GTS (#6260).  I found out 
>>while doing some routine maintenance that there is some 
>>significant rusting in the inner wheel house, both left and right sides.

As it turns out, not an uncommon malady for Pantera's!  Our '72 was a 
Southern California, 100% garage kept car, but I discovered rust on both 
wheel houses on our car when I pulled the motor back a while.  I talked with 
several shops and several folks that had recently had rust repairs done.  
Longer story short, I went to a shop here in the San Diego area that had done 
several Pantera's over the years and had the repairs done.  It turned out 
that only the driver's side needed repairing and they removed the necessary 
structure and had a nearby sheet metal house duplicate the piece they 
removed, rather than buy the patch panels sold by the Pantera shops (Which 
ofttimes don't fit anyway!).  After it was welded back in, it looked like it 
had never been messed with.

Not sure where you live, but I would talk to body shops in your area that do 
some custom stuff - street rods, race cars, etc. - and see if you can't find 
a shop that you feel comfortable with.  If you happen to live in Southern 
California, and would be interested in the name of the shop I used, let me 
know.

Good luck!!

Bob