Scratch built GT40 finally running

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Can be any sort of event. I have no illusions as to my skill level, so will likely be bent sprints, gymkhanas and hill climbs, or similar. It is the set of regulations that allows rally cars to be driven on NZ public roads

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And finally, legally on the road.

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XOcette said:

Just curious, did you have a choice with the MSNZ Authority Card requirement?

Not if I wanted to keep things fairly original. I could have opted for glass windows, non-open bias brake balance, three point retractable seat belts and mechanical handbrake, but opted to go with original design items as far as possible. We'll see if I regret that decision somewhere further down the line.

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First major trip (over 300 miles) to attend a track day. A few minor niggles (too much rear brake bias, an exhaust manifold leak, a tappet adjustment needed, leaks like a sieve in the rain), but generally happy with the way it went. Handles well, pulls like a train, and is surprisingly comfortable. Huge fun.

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Ha. No worries. There is just 4 inches of ground clearance as it is. 🙂

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shalmaneser said:

What is the driving position like? It does rather look like the pedals are quite heavily offset toward the centre of the car - is this the case?

God I want a GT40 so much!

It is surprisingly comfortable (not reclining too far) with two hour driving stints accomplished with no discomfort whatsoever. The pedals are not terribly far offset. In fact the clutch is not offset at all. Accelerator only by about an inch. This is, of course, a monocoque built to original dimensions. I know some of the space-frame kits do have pedals much more offset.

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Just had its 1000 mile/post running in check over. Now keeping good company at its first show.

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Been getting a reasonable amount of use. Coming up for 2000 miles now.

Dwarfed by Suzuki Swift in brother's garage.



Gave a young lad a whirl round the block. The grin says it all.

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Thanks for that. Yes, I try to give as many as possible a ride. Here is a screen grab from FB from an older woman I recently gave a ride to. By the way, your car is stunning. I've always had a soft spot for Panteras and Mangustas.

Edited by CR6ZZ on Saturday 7th December 22:38

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Feel a bit like a proud Dad. Car got its first award yesterday at a Best of British Motoring event, along with a 1900 Wolsley. Fastest and slowest maybe?

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Took part in a charity event a couple of weeks back where patients in palliative care were given the opportunity to go for a spin in a variety of exotic cars, vintage cars, trucks, race cares, motorcycles, and even a helicopter. Very rewarding day.

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|https://thumbsnap.com/AugEwH5d[/url]

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F1natic said:

Well deserved! This is a fantastic example of kiwi ingecunning at its finest. The prep work, research and part sourcing really paid off, very impressive assemblage. I too only just discovered this thread and enjoyed reading through in one go, makes it seem easy!

Thank you for the kind words F1natic. Much appreciated.

Tips? Decide on a route you want to pursue and stick to it (e.g. is originality important? If not, what compromises are you willing to make? What drive-train are you going with? What induction? and so on). Be prepared for things to take much longer than you anticipated and cost way more than you originally budgeted.

Get a really good and clued up vehicle certifier on-board as soon as possible.

I assume you are in NZ, so make yourself familiar with all the relevant LVVTA literature and supply the LVVTA Tech guys all possible drawings, photos, calculations, etc. that they could likely need. By doing the above my certification process was relatively painless and pretty much all sorted before the car was mobile. Then it was a reasonably quick timeframe (6 weeks) for actual checking by the certifier and LTNZ.

Other questions:

1) Fuel tanks are packed with foam. Still get a bit of surge however. If doing it again I would likely install a more effective baffle system. I don’t recall the gauge off the top of my head but it was reasonably heavy. The tanks are well strapped in and are separated from the sponson ribs by thin rubber membrane to avoid electrolytic reaction and provide a little cushioning. All inlets and outlets are by flexible rubber couplings, so hopefully fatigue will not be an issue.
2) The authority card covers 4-point harness, plastic side windows, adjustable brake bias, and hydraulic handbrake (I have gone the original route with this – i.e. the handbrake lever merely pulls the footbrake pedal down).
3) I sourced my windscreen from Dan White in the US. His pattern matches the original shape very closely. Other manufacturers do offer windscreens (Tornado, RCR etc.) but you need to check that they will fit your application. I believe an outfit in Australia does GT40 screens as well, and also Pilkington in the UK.

Hope that helps.

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Having resisted the temptation to take the 40 to the supermarket during lockdown I was keen to see if 7 weeks of inactivity had adversely affected the battery. Apparently not. After a few turns to get enough fuel through the system she was good to go.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdZaCcgNSuA