Kallista Project, MOT'd and Handed Over

[tommotech]

Colected this on Friday, lack of collection photo's as it was on a trailer and it was raining hard.

 

Any educated guesses;

 

[Cavcraft]

Burlington Arrow?

[tommotech]

Nope

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Panther Kallista

[HMC]

Re engined mercedes 540K

[Noel Tidybeard]

spartan

[tommotech]

Panther Kallista, 1983 Y plate and has stood since the last MOT in 1994. Here are some more pics, well done Mr_Bo11ox!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Managed to get this for just over a grand, it needs welding and door repairs (lower hinges have fractured). Engine has not started yet but i plan to drop some diesel down the bores before attempting to start it.

 

Full history file, including original build docs and bill-of-sale. Looking forward to getting stuck into this one!

[HMC]

Looks great! Having just done the cambelt in my CVH escort the north south installation in the panther looks a lot easier to get around.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

£1000 is a fuppin MEGABARG for one of these, you should be quids in. Think they look like a Lima but are completely different under the skin, are they a tubular steel chassis? The Limas had a Vauxhall Viva floorpan I think.

[tommotech]

Chassis is steel-box space frame type, with tub and outer panels attached. Ford running gear and many other recognisable parts. Front doors are stretched Midget as is the screen frame.

I'd never really taken much notice of these, but this was too good to turn down. Lima used Vauxhall 2.3 engine i believe, not sure about the floorpan. 

[fred]

Blimey proper bargain - need to grow your chest hair and start wearing Brut!

[trigger]

That CVH looks totally wrong in that! Proper bargain though. Seeing the photos reminds me that i worked on a white one many years ago, I think i may have even driven it on the road, It must be something I've tried to block out of my memory.

[Bren]

I had a PE teacher at school that had one of these with the V6 in it.

[PiperCub]

Would throw a new cambelt in it before trying to fire it up as it's been dormant for so long. The CVH is one of the easiest to do especially as it's mounted conventionally. 

[tommotech]

A cambelt definitely and I'm expecting to strip the carb too, that 20 year old fuel tends to turn to powder and block things up. 

[dave21478]

Nice.

 

I would be wanting to change those wheels for something that stick out a bit further.

I would also want to be dressed up as Cruella DeVille every time I drove it.

[tommotech]

Work on this project has progressed at varying rates recently and I apologise for neglecting this thread, lacking updates. The chassis has been welded, door skins repaired (two MG Midget panels per door) and a nice paint job added in Ford Panther Black metallic.

 

The photos are self explanatory,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Engine is in pieces now and in the washer at work, pics of that to follow.

 

As you were......

[panhard65]

Haven't seen one of these in ages, they were quite popular for a Panther and were built in Harlow I think as I went for a job there back in the 80's when I left college.

[320touring]

Superb chap- paint finish looks ace.

 

What is happening engine wise? Are you keeping it standard?

[dollywobbler]

How did I miss this first time around? I love Kallistas. I'm going to say it - the ONLY attractive Panther ever built. Also, Jim Bowen used to own one.

[Jim Bell]

Sex panther.

[Guest Hooli]

Somewhere I've got the tool for doing the valve stem seals without removing the head.

 

Tip if you don't know - use the RST stem seals, they are one piece with the washer under the spring so don't ride up & leak.

[tommotech]

Superb chap- paint finish looks ace.

What is happening engine wise? Are you keeping it standard?

It has the XR3 CVH 1.6 with a DFT Weber. Head will be ported, polished on the exhausts and matched to the manifolds for optimum flow. A fast road cam and vernier pulley will also be fitted with a branch manifold.

I've overhauled the carb and polished the barrels, again improving air flow.

 

I will get the pistons out this week, bores look ok but I'm thinking boring out a couple of sizes will help. It won't set the world on fire but it should be good for an additional 20hp.

[Guest Hooli]

Those are a much better engine that everyone seems to remember. Trouble was they were one of the first to use modern thin oils & everyone just stuck thick stuff in. That made the hydraulic tappets collapse & then you had a rattly engine with no power.

 

I had a 1.6 onion with the early XR3 square carb, which was bigger than the round webers used later. It was as quick as a 1.6i once I swapped to the injection exhaust which had a better manifold.

[garethj]

As DW says, how did I miss this first time around?  If I was in the position of having more money but didn't need to actually get anywhere I'd have a Panther Solo like a shot.

 

The Lima and Kallista must have sold quite well for Bob Jankel to afford the development of his other stuff

[320touring]

It has the XR3 CVH 1.6 with a DFT Weber. Head will be ported, polished on the exhausts and matched to the manifolds for optimum flow. A fast road cam and vernier pulley will also be fitted with a branch manifold.

I've overhauled the carb and polished the barrels, again improving air flow.

 

I will get the pistons out this week, bores look ok but I'm thinking boring out a couple of sizes will help. It won't set the world on fire but it should be good for an additional 20hp.

That sounds like a peppy, revvy raspy delight:)

[nigel bickle]

I've a spare set of original alloys for one of those.

 

Lord knows why.....

[inconsistant]

Also missed this first time around.  There's some quality threads bubbling up to the surface on here at the moment. 

[tommotech]

I've a spare set of original alloys for one of those.

Lord knows why.....

Are they of the type fitted to this car or the later type, 13" I assume.

[nigel bickle]

Same as yours,from memory. I can ask one of the kids to take a pic,if it helps?