Panoz Factory Support

[JML68]

Hello Everyone,
I've talked to a few of you on the phone in the last couple of weeks but I thought I would go ahead and put some information on the forum now that it has some traffic. I'll skip the history lesson since Jason has just posted that! As we dig through our old notes, I'll try to post production numbers for each batch and the spec. changes between the builds. We are still building GTS cars here at the factory but it has been 8 years since we've done anything with the school cars so it's taking a little while to dig everything out of the recesses of our brains and the filing cabinets! We were also not necessarily in the loop on many of the changes that the individual schools made to the cars after delivery so don't be surprised if your car doesn't match your neighbors.

Parts

The GTRA's and GTWC's use a lot of the same part as the GTS cars so the factory can still supply many parts you may need.

• Radiator/crush box frames & shroud sheet metal
• Body Panels (plastic ones only)
• Axle housings
• Hubs
• Spindles
• Control Arms
• Trailing arms
• Watts links
• etc. etc. etc.
• Replacement chassis, front and rear clips
• Chassis repair
• Paint

Please be patient if the Parts dept. doesn't get immediately back to you, it's 1-1/2 people (one of them also has MRP duties). Our company is a lot smaller then people perceive but Josh Huskin ([email protected]) and Brandon Carver([email protected]) will try to take care of you via e-mail or phone @ 770-867-4796. Our primary business is our road cars, supplemented by our GTS program so the surge in GT-RA inquiries has caught us a little off gaurd. Our inventory forecasts didn't include all of these GT-RA's hitting the market so there may be some back ordered items initially, but we'll get it worked out. We may not have "operator's standing by" like Porsche Motorsports since all of the Panoz Automotive companies combined are still a fraction of the size of Porsche's Motorsports arm alone, but we'll do our best to help you.

Some things to watch our for that immediately spring to mind:

• Check your spindles for cracks!!!! They fatigue over time and the spindle pin can shear off. If your maintenance log doesn't indicate that they've been replaced then it would be real cheap insurance to do so!You should pull off and repack you bearings anyway which will give you the opportunity to inspect.
• Check the tightness of all of the important fasteners. There have been a lot of different hands on these cars over their 8-10 year life so don't assume anything.
• Putting racing slicks on could lead to some pretty significant failures. We had to add a lot of "bandaids" to the GTS chassis in the area of the front suspension and the rear trailing arm mounts as a result of the extra loads from the racing slicks.
• We are still trying to determine exactly when we made the switch to DOM tubing on the roll cages from the ERW. You could have problems if you try to run one of the earlier ERW batches with the SCCA.

Spec. Deviations

• Some of the transmissions were changed out from the stock T-45 to the heavy duty Tremec 3550.
• Some cars have aluminum front hubs and some have steel front hubs
• The cars originally had Visteon radiators (I think from the Cobra R) that ultimately became obsolete and the school changed to aftermarket aluminum ones. For the GTS cars we use a more cost effective Ford solution.
• GTWC's moved from 17" to 18" wheels
• Spring rates have all changed depending on the school it was used at
• It seems that several years into the program a decision was made to change to a different length upper control arm. Not all of the cars were changed and I don't have any reason or specifics on the change. At least double check and make sure you have the same length ones left and right!
• I'll outline the GTWC differences at another time since most of you appear to have GT-RAs and this post is getting way to long!

That's everything off the top of my head but I'll post more as we dig it up.
Have fun with the cars!!!!!!

John M. Leverett
Dir. of Engineering/R&D
Panoz Auto Development Company

[Gatorac]

Putting racing slicks on could lead to some pretty significant failures. We had to add a lot of "bandaids" to the GTS chassis in the area of the front suspension and the rear trailing arm mounts as a result of the extra loads from the racing slicks.

Thanks for posting. I'm sure I'll be talking to you as I fully intend to drive the car hard enough to break it.

Where and what the "bandaids" are would be some very helpful information. Are these bandaids shown in the chassis shots in the GTS manual? Could we use those pictures to find where we are lacking on the GT-RA cars?

I like to weld.

I'll second the comment about checking all fasteners and not assuming anything. I found the top 2 trans to bell housing bolts missing and one of the bottom ones only finger tight.

[Cobra4B]

Jim and I think alike... I'm dissapointed to read the part about the racing slicks. I intended to take this car ST2 racing w/ a few mods.

Can you clue us in on the "bandaids" so I don't have to worry about a catastrophic failure?

[Cobra4B]

I have the #35 sebring car... I'm assuming this has the updated tubing bast on the post from tubularfab?

EDIT: Was teh tubing swith only for the GTWC and GTS cars? Or did the school cars get the switch two. Based on the reading it looks like I have one of the later 2 batches as my car came from Sebring and has the Australian Falcon motor w/ the intake reversed.

[Blue Streak 21]

John;
Thanks for joining the forum. Your advice and engineering expertise will be very helpful in the coming weeks and months. I hope we don't abuse you too badly. I'm glad there's a supply of parts for us trouble makers. I've talked to Brandon a couple of times already, and he's knowledgable, most supportive and helpful. Thanks Brandon.
I too would like to know more about the "bandaids" applied to the series cars to counter running slicks. I too will be running slicks during HPDE events, and at some time in the not to distant future, would like to race the car as well. Can you tell us what the best fixes are, and how we can be proactive. I for one don't want suspension failure listed as the reason for an accident.