79 Panther Lima Series 2 turbocharged

[BillD]

I've just acquired a '79 Panther Lima Series 2 turbocharged beauty. It has 14,000 on the clock and has spent most of its life in storage. It starts and run well but has exhaust issues (there is a broken pipe -- not rusted through looks like a mover used the pipe as an anchor point-- that will be easily welded) and the brakes feel spongy but still function smoothly. The finish is oxidized but it should respond well to some standard TLC. I've had a big Healey (100-6) and two bug-eyed Sprites (still have the 1960 BE) and have gotten very spoiled with availability of parts and manuals. I'm looking for help in finding information and parts sources fort this beautiful survivor as I take it to the roads of Georgia from its current storage mode. Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated. I'm especially interested in MC replacement, rebuild or substitution options for the brake issues - especially sourcing on this side of the pond.

Thanks in advance,
Bill D.

 

[PAUL161]

Never heard of one! Beauty?? Kinda ugly in my book! Sorry. Assuming it's all fiberglass, was it a kit, a home built? What components are in it, such as engine make, transmission, rear differential etc? I've been around a long time and this is a first for me. PJ

 

[BillD]

It is a very weird British beast but its design, even the strange color scheme, grew on me. Definitely not a kit. A Google Search will give you detailed information but about 900 of the Lima model were produced and 200 of the series II, even fewer with the turbo option. The body is high-end fiberglass on a purpose built frame using Vauxhall components. The cockpit is cramped (duh) but nicely appointed in leather and walnut. There were some Lotus engineers involved with the development of the car and the handling is reputed to be excellent. The performance with the turbo charged 2.3L slant four gave it a reported top end of 125mph and an impressive 0-60 time of 5.9 seconds. It should be fun.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Definitely a "cult" car. Does look like fun - good luck with it!

 

[HealeyRick]

With that MG Midget center section you could probably put this thread in the Spridget section, too.

 

[PAUL161]

I know nothing about the car, but if it has a Vauxhall slant 4 engine, they were of heavy castings and very tough. a racing version has the ability to be modified to produce well over 225 hp! Quite an engine to say the least. PJ

 

[BillD]

I know nothing about the car, but if it has a Vauxhall slant 4 engine, they were of heavy castings and very tough. a racing version has the ability to be modified to produce well over 225 hp! Quite an engine to say the least. PJ

It uses the Vauxhall slant 4 (2.3L) engine. With the AirResearch turbocharger, the factory claimed 150hp. The body is about the same size and weight as a Mark I Sprite, so this made for a pretty interesting ride. I special Lotus head was available that increased the frisky factor by a significant amount.

There is a very active club in England but "cult" may be a better term.
BillDl

 

[JPSmit]

As the owner of the only other slant four on the forum, try the droop snoot group for engine info https://droopsnootgroup.yuku.com there is also a Vauxhall Viva Club with a good parts scheme. You are correct that you will require shipping from the UK but stuff is available. Congrats by the way!

 

[BillD]

As the owner of the only other slant four on the forum, try the droop snoot group for engine info https://droopsnootgroup.yuku.com there is also a Vauxhall Viva Club with a good parts scheme. You are correct that you will require shipping from the UK but stuff is available. Congrats by the way!

Thanks for the information. Once I feel around the car a bit, I'll definitely get involved with these groups. Just a couple of quick questions about the initial refreshing: Oil filter - It looks like a either a FRAM PH966B or a WIX 51374 will work on this engine - is that correct? Spark plugs - It looks like NGK 2623-BPR6FS or Champion RV9YC with a 0.8mm gap will work - Correct?

Thanks in advance,
BILL D

 

[waltesefalcon]

Cool little car! Looks wise the only thing I think is less then nice are those bumpers, they look like an after thought. I'm willing to bet it goes like snot.

 

[JPSmit]

Thanks for the information. Once I feel around the car a bit, I'll definitely get involved with these groups. Just a couple of quick questions about the initial refreshing: Oil filter - It looks like a either a FRAM PH966B or a WIX 51374 will work on this engine - is that correct? Spark plugs - It looks like NGK 2623-BPR6FS or Champion RV9YC with a 0.8mm gap will work - Correct?

Thanks in advance,
BILL D

Bill I am out of town till Thursday will check when I get home. Though in the interest of full disclosure, mine is a 2.0 not a 2.3.

 

[BillD]

Thanks so much for your help. There is no rush for the requested information. I'd like to work up a list of alternative parts and maintenance items that are available without trans-Atlantic shipping. It is nice to know that the parts are available in England and the internet makes obtaining them possible, albeit slow and expensive. I guess what I really want is to discover that these parts are magically interchangeable with parts from a '79 Chevy or something and are all available at the local AutoZone.

Thanks,

 

[JPSmit]

Most aren't however, to at least tempt you, my rear seal is out of a '66 Chevelle

 

[BillD]

The turbo charged Lima is back on the road and running like a dream. A lot of the parts turned out to be cross-referenced to parts available on this side of the pond so putting it together wasn't the impossible task it seemed. Here's a short video of one of the first rides. I handles like a true sports car while being very comfortable and very, very British. I'm in love with this quirky machine!!

I love the exhaust note. When viewing the video, I strongly suggest turning up the sound and using a good sound system preferably one with a sub-woofer.

​https://youtu.be/TVs9-iYwFko​

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Congrats on getting it on the road!

If you get the chance, Springtime in the Smokies is a great show, held here in Townsend in May. Mark it on your calendar and bring that puppy up here! Tail of the Dragon is close by and I'll bet that would be a blast to run.

Mickey

 

[JPSmit]

The turbo charged Lima is back on the road and running like a dream. A lot of the parts turned out to be cross-referenced to parts available on this side of the pond so putting it together wasn't the impossible task it seemed. Here's a short video of one of the first rides. I handles like a true sports car while being very comfortable and very, very British. I'm in love with this quirky machine!!

I love the exhaust note. When viewing the video, I strongly suggest turning up the sound and using a good sound system preferably one with a sub-woofer.

​https://youtu.be/TVs9-iYwFko​

fantastic! Any chance of sharing that cross referenced list?

 

[BillD]

The big parts break was the discovery that a lot of the chassis components from Vauxhall were taken from Lotus and Jaguar components that were used in cars imported into the US. In addition, Ford was involved so the 1974 Mercury Capri imported from Germany used a lot of these same parts. While this didn't work perfectly, the matches were frequent and the misses were close enough so that they could be modified or the actual match could be located. The essential element in getting everything to work was a parts supplier who was intrigued by the "impossibility" of finding available parts for this delightfully quirky car. (For example the rear brake cylinders looked almost exactly like those from a Mercury Capri but the Capri used a slightly different external attachment point. The actual cylinder with correct mounting point seems to have come from a cross referenced Jaguar slave cylinder of the period -- just as available but slightly more expensive. The internals of the cylinders and therefore rebuild kits were identical. The hydraulic hoses are the exact dimensions of those on the Capri but the end fittings were threaded differently. The actual match were easily obtained from this information and the skill set of an experienced parts guru.) I'll be able to review my receipts and provide a cross referenced list for the brake parts that worked for me but I'm not sure if this will work for your Vauxhall, or even if it will work for other Panther Limas as the cars have a reputation for being very "individualized" during the assembly process especially during the shift from the 700 Series I cars which were based on a relatively stock Vauxhall Viva/Magnum chassis to the 200 Series II cars which used a purpose built frame and had much more input from Lotus engineers and parts bins.

 

[Juran]

I've just acquired a '79 Panther Lima Series 2 turbocharged beauty. It has 14,000 on the clock and has spent most of its life in storage. It starts and run well but has exhaust issues (there is a broken pipe -- not rusted through looks like a mover used the pipe as an anchor point-- that will be easily welded) and the brakes feel spongy but still function smoothly. The finish is oxidized but it should respond well to some standard TLC. I've had a big Healey (100-6) and two bug-eyed Sprites (still have the 1960 BE) and have gotten very spoiled with availability of parts and manuals. I'm looking for help in finding information and parts sources fort this beautiful survivor as I take it to the roads of Georgia from its current storage mode. Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated. I'm especially interested in MC replacement, rebuild or substitution options for the brake issues - especially sourcing on this side of the pond.

Thanks in advance,
Bill D.
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My 1979 Panther Lima Turbo in Lethbridge, Alberta Canada -The winter project is to replace the front and rear oil seals ant to repair the rad.

 

[AngliaGT]

There was another poster here who had one.
He brought it to our British car show in Eureka,CA.
I've got his contact info here,somewhere.

 

[AngliaGT]

Look up member "krswen",or do a search using "Panther"