PANTERA ROLL BAR CONSTRUCTION

The roll bar also functions as a chassis stiffener. As everyone knows the back end of the Pantera is a bit like a card board box with no lid. I wanted to use the roll bar to tie into the rear wells and the roof line to help improve the rigidity. Designs will change based on personal preference, goals and even rules for events one may chose to meet. This is how I did it.

A cardboard template to mark the outside of the roll bar. Essential to leave room for door panels, roof , door and firewall trim.	Checking fit.

Base plate built from heavy plate. One must WHOLAP the plate pretty good to get the right curve.	The plate is welded to the base of the roll bar.

When looking at my roll bar construction consider that I have removed air conditioning and that I can no longer run tubes or wired through the side channels.

Bolts straight through the body are not adequate. I welded in tubing for the bolts to run through. Tubing is welded both sides.	Clamps, and cardboard for measuring angles and marking cuts.

A generic pipe bender was used to bend the tubing and it worked better then I expected. The pipe is pretty heavy but the die wraps in tight keeping distortion at the corners to a minimum.	One issue I did have was the heavy loads on the pipe were cause dimples from the rollers. I cut a piece of scrap pipe and doubled up on the pipe at the rollers. This stopped the dents.

Clamped again for tack welding.	Finish TIG welded on table.

Side bar fit. Notice mounting ear on the back of the roll bar (right of welding clamp)	Be sure to check door fit bpanel.

Welding can distort the bar requiring just a little tweaking! Engine hoist worked good for moving bars!	Looking at bringing the bar back to the wheel well to help stiffen the "box".

Making sure the deck lid clears.	Bringing the roll bar to where the ladder bar mounts. See the section on ladder bar to see how this ties together.

I would have never installed the rear bars if I could not keep the whole thing removable.	Plates were welded on and ground for a smooth fit.

Pipe goes through both bars then the bolt goes through.	Bar is tied to the roof. Notice the space shimmed for the deck lid hinge.

Pipe slid over the joint to help reinforce junction.	I wanted to both beef up the structure and hide the forward cabin mounts so they are not protruding out the bottom.

Nuts welded on plates aligned with holes.	Inner brackets made which are in the shape of the inner channel. They are inserted and welded completely around the channel and then the nut plates welded back together.

Metal removed welded back in place.	Internally welded nut frames ready to use.

Cross bars welded in. Pretty much ready to paint and install.

	More photos to come after paint and instillation!