Hoonigan's GT40 Build
Discussion
Blimey it’s been busy in here...
Thanks everyone for your kind words, truth be told I’m still a bit in disbelief whenever I walk in to the garage (which I do rather a lot) that I’ve finally made it to the end of the build, or near enough.
Problem I have now us too bloody scared to touch it
Did make a bit of progress today though in as much as the rear screen was installed in the car, used a local company called Afordable Motor Glass in Portsmouth, not used them before but the guys did a fantastic job of what turned out to be a bit of a tricky installation and I truly can’t recommend them enough.
Next on the list is the rear “Le Mans” grills/vents, the rear ARB and reinstalling the washer and wiper which I removed prior to paint, then bar giving it a massive detail session it’s pretty much done and good to go
The only issue I have is it doesn’t feel right driving it at the moment, technically of course I can in my way to exercise or by food but I think I may wait a little longer before heading out as it’s a bit in you’re face, first world problems eh...
I’ll pop a few more photos up when the grills are fitted and it looks a little more complete but for now I’ll go back to sitting in the garage drinking beer and looking at it
Thanks everyone for your kind words, truth be told I’m still a bit in disbelief whenever I walk in to the garage (which I do rather a lot) that I’ve finally made it to the end of the build, or near enough.
Problem I have now us too bloody scared to touch it
Did make a bit of progress today though in as much as the rear screen was installed in the car, used a local company called Afordable Motor Glass in Portsmouth, not used them before but the guys did a fantastic job of what turned out to be a bit of a tricky installation and I truly can’t recommend them enough.
Next on the list is the rear “Le Mans” grills/vents, the rear ARB and reinstalling the washer and wiper which I removed prior to paint, then bar giving it a massive detail session it’s pretty much done and good to go
The only issue I have is it doesn’t feel right driving it at the moment, technically of course I can in my way to exercise or by food but I think I may wait a little longer before heading out as it’s a bit in you’re face, first world problems eh...I’ll pop a few more photos up when the grills are fitted and it looks a little more complete but for now I’ll go back to sitting in the garage drinking beer and looking at it
It’s been a while so time for a small update.
I’ve finally got round to adding a bit of livery to the car, I think it finishes it off quite nicely.
Also ceramic coated it last week to give it a little protection, just need to clean and coat wheels, fit the spinners (hopefully this week) and I think I’m almost there...
Still only 1250 miles on the clock but I’ve loved every bloody one of them...
I’ve finally got round to adding a bit of livery to the car, I think it finishes it off quite nicely.
Also ceramic coated it last week to give it a little protection, just need to clean and coat wheels, fit the spinners (hopefully this week) and I think I’m almost there...
Still only 1250 miles on the clock but I’ve loved every bloody one of them...
antipodes40 said:
Brilliant Paul. Impressed that you have 1250 miles on it already. Any issues that have manifested themselves? I'm still fiddling with mine after 4300 miles, although they are generally minor niggles.
Much appreciated Brian.To be honest it’s been pretty good and very reliable, had a few CV issues when first in the road but fitted some spacers and caps and that is now sorted, also popped a bottom hose at the Goodwood drive in of Ford vs Ferrari, luckily managed to refit the hose and refill it before the film started though so apart from looking like a bit of a plum I was good to go again. So apart from those it’s been relatively smooth running and loads of fun.
Avenicus said:
Lost my login so re-registered...
Hi Paul,
Congratulations on finishing what has been a challenging project - it looks fantastic and I know it sounds amazing as well as I can see my Mum's little blue Mazda directly across the road in some of the pictures
Rich (grey Golf GTi pp)
Much appreciated Rich, I've pinged you an email...Hi Paul,
Congratulations on finishing what has been a challenging project - it looks fantastic and I know it sounds amazing as well as I can see my Mum's little blue Mazda directly across the road in some of the pictures
Rich (grey Golf GTi pp)
Ben Lowden said:
V6 Pushfit said:
Is that it in one of the garages at Le Mans?
I'm sure Paul wishes it was No photos or video will ever do this car justice, seeing and hearing it in the flesh yesterday was incredible and Paul has done an amazing job on this build.We've done our best on the video front though, so watch this space. I've wanted to bring Readers' Cars to life in video format for years and we're finally doing it. As one of my favourite builds on PH, we had to start with this one. Here's another photo for now...
Really can’t wait (if not dreading listening to myself) to see the end result.
Prob time for a bit of a long overdue update…
The car has been on the road and I’ve have done nearly 2000 miles in it which considering lockdown etc is not too bad.
Generally it’s been pretty good with only minor issues to tweak, Howe unfortunately I recently heard a knocking and though a process of elimination came to the worst possible conclusion that the gearbox was at fault! As it turns out the output shafts on the gearbox were a little bit wobbly, f
k, fk, fk….
Typically the gearbox is the only bit of the car I didn’t sort myself
and it turns out the chap who rebuilt the box for me did a less than perfect job, he had by the looks of things not set the preload of the differential correctly hence all the movement. It always leaked a bit of oil too so only one thing for it, getting balls deep in gearbox rebuilding 
Stripping it down was fault straight forward, it came apart easily which was definitely assisted by the fact it was put together with bathroom sealant which didn’t bond to the casting at all.
In for a penny in for a pound I say… we’ll actually quite a few pounds (of course less than if £50 Mrs Hoonigan asks). While the box is out it makes sense to shove an LSD in it, mad not too right? I had of course always wanted one but during the build every time I added a bigger ticket item it just delayed the finish date so this along with an 8 Stack EFI were the things that didn’t make the final cut, so at least one of them is getting remedied now.
I am now the owner of a shiny new Quaife LSD (ATB to be precise)
So with a few bits swapped over (that was a bd of a job) the diff was ready to install but this time I set the preload correctly (I hope) using a fishing scale, the the correct tool and the Lotus rebuild manual borrowed from a very kind chap who works at Lotus.
It’s now all back together and ready to reinstall.
And Tadaaaa it’s all back together, fresh oil and all seems good.
Now it’s all back together and I’ve had chance to use it I’m very pleasantly surprised how much of a difference the ATB has made to the drive, without doubt worth every penny spent. It makes the car feel so much better to drive and has really boosted my confidence in it.
I’ve also been upgrading a few other bits on the car. Firstly I replaced the the rear bulkhead glass that was previously sausage shaped with a more original shape one that perfectly fills the rear clam shape, so it not only looks the nuts it also improves the rear visibility loads.
I was very fortunate that a friend who is Bulding the same car made this for me as he was making one for himself, it’s one of my favourite bits on the car now.
Finally as this is going on far too long the latest thing that I have done is to upgrade the expansion tank to one that is a more suitable size, the old one was just not big enough and meant I had to run the water level very low to avoid issues, it also looked st so changing it was win win.
I’ve now got a (albeit slightly scaled down) original shape one that looks great and works soo much better.
And what it replaced (the only photo I can find)
That’s it for now but more things planned so I’ll keep updating if and when I do them…
The car has been on the road and I’ve have done nearly 2000 miles in it which considering lockdown etc is not too bad.
Generally it’s been pretty good with only minor issues to tweak, Howe unfortunately I recently heard a knocking and though a process of elimination came to the worst possible conclusion that the gearbox was at fault! As it turns out the output shafts on the gearbox were a little bit wobbly, f
k, fk, fk…. Typically the gearbox is the only bit of the car I didn’t sort myself
and it turns out the chap who rebuilt the box for me did a less than perfect job, he had by the looks of things not set the preload of the differential correctly hence all the movement. It always leaked a bit of oil too so only one thing for it, getting balls deep in gearbox rebuilding Stripping it down was fault straight forward, it came apart easily which was definitely assisted by the fact it was put together with bathroom sealant which didn’t bond to the casting at all.
In for a penny in for a pound I say… we’ll actually quite a few pounds (of course less than if £50 Mrs Hoonigan asks). While the box is out it makes sense to shove an LSD in it, mad not too right? I had of course always wanted one but during the build every time I added a bigger ticket item it just delayed the finish date so this along with an 8 Stack EFI were the things that didn’t make the final cut, so at least one of them is getting remedied now.
I am now the owner of a shiny new Quaife LSD (ATB to be precise)
So with a few bits swapped over (that was a b
d of a job) the diff was ready to install but this time I set the preload correctly (I hope) using a fishing scale, the the correct tool and the Lotus rebuild manual borrowed from a very kind chap who works at Lotus.It’s now all back together and ready to reinstall.
And Tadaaaa it’s all back together, fresh oil and all seems good.
Now it’s all back together and I’ve had chance to use it I’m very pleasantly surprised how much of a difference the ATB has made to the drive, without doubt worth every penny spent. It makes the car feel so much better to drive and has really boosted my confidence in it.
I’ve also been upgrading a few other bits on the car. Firstly I replaced the the rear bulkhead glass that was previously sausage shaped with a more original shape one that perfectly fills the rear clam shape, so it not only looks the nuts it also improves the rear visibility loads.
I was very fortunate that a friend who is Bulding the same car made this for me as he was making one for himself, it’s one of my favourite bits on the car now.
Finally as this is going on far too long the latest thing that I have done is to upgrade the expansion tank to one that is a more suitable size, the old one was just not big enough and meant I had to run the water level very low to avoid issues, it also looked s
t so changing it was win win.I’ve now got a (albeit slightly scaled down) original shape one that looks great and works soo much better.
And what it replaced (the only photo I can find)
That’s it for now but more things planned so I’ll keep updating if and when I do them…
Edited by Hoonigan on Tuesday 14th September 22:24
lockhart flawse said:
Fantastic car - well done. What level of spannering, welding, metalwork etc etc expertise did you have when you started? I have recently changed a headlight bulb on my Griffith and I am thinking that this sort of project probably isnt for me?
To be honest not a huge amount, just basic home garage skills and a willingness to learn. It’s not a huge job just lots of little ones 
Squidward said:
Does it get boring being told how incredible this build is?
Firstly a big thank you for providing a few hours of wonderful distraction from my otherwise dull Wednesday morning at work
and yes, secondly, a huge congratulations on a simply incredible build. I couldn't stop myself reading it from start to finish - I was desperately hoping not to get to the end and find the car hadn't finished!
My parents live down in Havant, and am fairly regularly at Goodwood for trackdays and events - I will be keeping my eyes peeled for this from now on.
Massive kudos for the choice on paint/livery - I'll whisper it for fear of offending the die-hards, but I was secretly hoping it wouldn't be finished in the normal gulf-livery as so many replicas tend to be, but that final choice has blown me away- it really suits the lines of the car perfectly.
Congrats, wish I had the time, perseverance and skill you've had - I'm struggling to fit in trackdays around one 8month old at the moment!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the read. Firstly a big thank you for providing a few hours of wonderful distraction from my otherwise dull Wednesday morning at work
and yes, secondly, a huge congratulations on a simply incredible build. I couldn't stop myself reading it from start to finish - I was desperately hoping not to get to the end and find the car hadn't finished!
My parents live down in Havant, and am fairly regularly at Goodwood for trackdays and events - I will be keeping my eyes peeled for this from now on.
Massive kudos for the choice on paint/livery - I'll whisper it for fear of offending the die-hards, but I was secretly hoping it wouldn't be finished in the normal gulf-livery as so many replicas tend to be, but that final choice has blown me away- it really suits the lines of the car perfectly.
Congrats, wish I had the time, perseverance and skill you've had - I'm struggling to fit in trackdays around one 8month old at the moment!
Give me a shout when you’re at Goodwood as I’m only a mile or so away….
Blimey, thank you everyone for your kind words, really glad you enjoyed the video, even if I still physically cringe every time I watch it 
I just want to say a huge thank you to Ben and Harry who put all this together and did such a great job producing it even though they had me as the presenter
I really do hope this is just the beginning of a great new series for PH and all of us. My vote for the next one is for Lexspace…
I just want to say a huge thank you to Ben and Harry who put all this together and did such a great job producing it even though they had me as the presenter
I really do hope this is just the beginning of a great new series for PH and all of us. My vote for the next one is for Lexspace…
Edited by Hoonigan on Tuesday 21st September 21:13
Fastdruid said:
Woody said:
Such an amazing car you've built - kudos!
Quick question though - how do the twin fuel tanks work?
Are they linked or do you have to swap between them?
The originals had a switch like this. Quick question though - how do the twin fuel tanks work?
Are they linked or do you have to swap between them?
Bit of a mix with the replicas between linked tanks, changeover valves and switched pumps.
Can't remember what was used here though!
FWIW I'm using a pair of changeover valves (one for the feed, one from the return from the swirl tank where the EFI Fuel pump lives).
Edited by Hoonigan on Saturday 2nd October 21:19
Woody said:
Such an amazing car you've built - kudos!
Quick question though - how do the twin fuel tanks work?
Are they linked or do you have to swap between them?
Thank you, much appreciated.Quick question though - how do the twin fuel tanks work?
Are they linked or do you have to swap between them?
I have kept the tanks separate, just have a simple toggle switch to switch between them, nice and easy.
This is easier for me as I don’t run EFI, if I did then it get a bit more complicated as you need to return excess fuel to the correct tank. All achievable though and I’ve put the plumbing in place so I can upgrade if (when) I want to a shiny 8 Stack system.
V6 Pushfit said:
I was planning to do a C Type replica a few years ago, and went as far as a donor MK2 Jag with a 4.2 engine. However getting into the real costs with VAT I was looking at an £85K build cost, way out of budget at the time so shelved the idea and sold the Jag. Southern GT seem to come in around £50k plus VAT and excluding paint and engine. Would I be right in saying by using a few alternative suppliers as well and doing some deals with Southern that the out turn cost could be circa £60k all in?
Yes I think so, and I’m in the ball park of that but I suspect you’ll need to use steel uprights etc, £50k excluding paint, engine and gearbox is about right, but the remaining bits can easily be another £20k if not significantly more.Unfortunately, you do need to bear in mind that costs are only going one way at the moment too…
Woody said:
Hoonigan said:
Woody said:
Such an amazing car you've built - kudos!
Quick question though - how do the twin fuel tanks work?
Are they linked or do you have to swap between them?
Thank you, much appreciated.Quick question though - how do the twin fuel tanks work?
Are they linked or do you have to swap between them?
I have kept the tanks separate, just have a simple toggle switch to switch between them, nice and easy.
This is easier for me as I don’t run EFI, if I did then it get a bit more complicated as you need to return excess fuel to the correct tank. All achievable though and I’ve put the plumbing in place so I can upgrade if (when) I want to a shiny 8 Stack system.
Is it just a toggle switch for the fuel pumps?
Small update from me…
Had an interesting last couple of months, I managed to breakdown down due to a clutch issue, for some reason I could not disengage the clutch which at the time I thought would be an easy fix, this however turned out not to be the case…
It would appear that when I refitted the gearbox last time I damaged the spigot bearing which by way of thanks decided to weld itself to the gearbox input shaft.
Two days later and with Mrs Hoonigan threatening divorce due to my (alleged) mood I finally managed to separate the box from the engine by undoing the pressure plate while still in the bell housing, all in all a sod of a job.
Thankfully all back together now and I also took the opportunity to give the rear end a spruce up as it’s amazing how crusty these cars get in a very short space of time.
Things are looking up though, only a couple of weeks after putting her all back together and exactly 3 years to the day she passed IVA, she has just passed her first MOT with flying colours.
To be honest the MOT crept up on me and it wasn’t until Monday I realised it was due on Saturday! Luckily I got it booked in ok and then spent every evening last week in the garage doing all the jobs I’ve had 3 years to to
I now have a rear fog light and a reverse light so no bad thing and nice to tick off a few of the final jobs that needed to be done.
In other new I also had a fan shroud made to aid the low speed/static cooling, it also allows me to fit slightly larger fans too which is no bad thing.
Looking forward to the Le Man Classic in July now which is the next big event for me and fingers crossed there’ll be no more surprises before then…
Had an interesting last couple of months, I managed to breakdown down due to a clutch issue, for some reason I could not disengage the clutch which at the time I thought would be an easy fix, this however turned out not to be the case…
It would appear that when I refitted the gearbox last time I damaged the spigot bearing which by way of thanks decided to weld itself to the gearbox input shaft.
Two days later and with Mrs Hoonigan threatening divorce due to my (alleged) mood I finally managed to separate the box from the engine by undoing the pressure plate while still in the bell housing, all in all a sod of a job.
Thankfully all back together now and I also took the opportunity to give the rear end a spruce up as it’s amazing how crusty these cars get in a very short space of time.
Things are looking up though, only a couple of weeks after putting her all back together and exactly 3 years to the day she passed IVA, she has just passed her first MOT with flying colours.
To be honest the MOT crept up on me and it wasn’t until Monday I realised it was due on Saturday! Luckily I got it booked in ok and then spent every evening last week in the garage doing all the jobs I’ve had 3 years to to
I now have a rear fog light and a reverse light so no bad thing and nice to tick off a few of the final jobs that needed to be done.
In other new I also had a fan shroud made to aid the low speed/static cooling, it also allows me to fit slightly larger fans too which is no bad thing.
Looking forward to the Le Man Classic in July now which is the next big event for me and fingers crossed there’ll be no more surprises before then…
Ben Lowden said:
Glad you got it sorted Paul! Where are you staying at Le Mans Classic? Will hopefully see you there.
Hey Ben,We’re staying off site , about 30 mins away in Malicorne-sur-Sarthe, Pays de la Loire.
We will be driving in each day though, be good to catch up for a cheeky beer mate.
I did look at adding flaps but in reality there was inch a small area that is not fan I decided not too, and to be honest I’ve fortunately not noticed any difference in cooling while driving at any sort of speed.
shalmaneser said:
Ben Lowden said:
Hoonigan said:
Hey Ben,
We’re staying off site , about 30 mins away in Malicorne-sur-Sarthe, Pays de la Loire.
We will be driving in each day though, be good to catch up for a cheeky beer mate.
Sounds good to me! If you're doing a parade lap and have an empty passenger seat... We’re staying off site , about 30 mins away in Malicorne-sur-Sarthe, Pays de la Loire.
We will be driving in each day though, be good to catch up for a cheeky beer mate.
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