Ford GT40 request.
Discussion
This is a request for information about GT40s.
I have lately become very interested in these cars but I can’t find much information on their construction even though my YouTube feed is saturated with videos about them.
I’d like to build one. There are a couple ( I think ) of kit suppliers here in Australia, but I don’t really want a kit.
I don’t know what I want because I don’t know what the original cars were - fibreglass or aluminium body?
I think, but am not sure, that they were aluminium monocoque chassis. If that’s right are there plans ?
I am aware they started out based on a Lola, but what after that?
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
I have lately become very interested in these cars but I can’t find much information on their construction even though my YouTube feed is saturated with videos about them.
I’d like to build one. There are a couple ( I think ) of kit suppliers here in Australia, but I don’t really want a kit.
I don’t know what I want because I don’t know what the original cars were - fibreglass or aluminium body?
I think, but am not sure, that they were aluminium monocoque chassis. If that’s right are there plans ?
I am aware they started out based on a Lola, but what after that?
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Edited by Garry McDonald on Wednesday 13th October 23:05
Edited by Garry McDonald on Wednesday 13th October 23:06
Turbobanana said:
I'm not sure you've looked very hard because there's so much literature about these out there.
The seminal book is by Ronnie Spain, I believe - you could start there.
Indeed, its really not hard to find out anything about the GT40.The seminal book is by Ronnie Spain, I believe - you could start there.
As said, Ronnie Spain's book is almost the bible on the GT40.
As for building one......if your pockets are deep enough.....
https://buildingandracingalegend.com/chassis/
However, unless you are a multi-millionaire, then one of the 'kits' are by far the best option, although I'm aware there might not be an Aussie rules compliant one available, if you are intending wanting it road legal out there?
Garry McDonald said:
...but I can’t find much information on their construction even though my YouTube feed is saturated with videos about them.
Might help to get off Youtube and try some books/websites - although entertaining, Youtube can be an absolute Gold mine of conflicting views and misinformation.No Aus, but NZ - here is probably as good a place as any to start....
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Thanks for the replies.
My research so far has been to search google, and I must say it isn’t very enlightening.
That’s why I started a thread on here. I thought it might be a source of info without the dross.
I was unaware that the Ronnie Spain book was the bible, but it is pretty much unavailable anyway. ( I won’t deal with amazon because I can’t stand the owner )
The building and racing a legend website has some pretty pictures and not much else that I could find.
The monocoque looks to be aluminium, but I can’t confirm that.
Wikipedia seems unsure of bodywork, aluminium or glass.
The thread Scratch Built (https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1171519&p=1)
obviously has a different understanding of the term “scratch built” to me. He appears to have bought a chassis and a body. Which is a valid way of doing it, but it’s hardly scratch built.
So I would have to disagree that there’s lots of useful information out there. There’s a lot of stuff, not much of it useful.
If anyone has links to chassis details or plans, or just good info on the original cars, it would be appreciated if you could post them.
My research so far has been to search google, and I must say it isn’t very enlightening.
That’s why I started a thread on here. I thought it might be a source of info without the dross.
I was unaware that the Ronnie Spain book was the bible, but it is pretty much unavailable anyway. ( I won’t deal with amazon because I can’t stand the owner )
The building and racing a legend website has some pretty pictures and not much else that I could find.
The monocoque looks to be aluminium, but I can’t confirm that.
Wikipedia seems unsure of bodywork, aluminium or glass.
The thread Scratch Built (https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1171519&p=1)
obviously has a different understanding of the term “scratch built” to me. He appears to have bought a chassis and a body. Which is a valid way of doing it, but it’s hardly scratch built.
So I would have to disagree that there’s lots of useful information out there. There’s a lot of stuff, not much of it useful.
If anyone has links to chassis details or plans, or just good info on the original cars, it would be appreciated if you could post them.
Garry McDonald said:
Thanks for the replies.
My research so far has been to search google, and I must say it isn’t very enlightening.
That’s why I started a thread on here. I thought it might be a source of info without the dross.
I was unaware that the Ronnie Spain book was the bible, but it is pretty much unavailable anyway. ( I won’t deal with amazon because I can’t stand the owner )
The building and racing a legend website has some pretty pictures and not much else that I could find.
The monocoque looks to be aluminium, but I can’t confirm that.
Wikipedia seems unsure of bodywork, aluminium or glass.
The thread Scratch Built (https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1171519&p=1)
obviously has a different understanding of the term “scratch built” to me. He appears to have bought a chassis and a body. Which is a valid way of doing it, but it’s hardly scratch built.
So I would have to disagree that there’s lots of useful information out there. There’s a lot of stuff, not much of it useful.
If anyone has links to chassis details or plans, or just good info on the original cars, it would be appreciated if you could post them.
You are not going to get hold of a set of original drawings.My research so far has been to search google, and I must say it isn’t very enlightening.
That’s why I started a thread on here. I thought it might be a source of info without the dross.
I was unaware that the Ronnie Spain book was the bible, but it is pretty much unavailable anyway. ( I won’t deal with amazon because I can’t stand the owner )
The building and racing a legend website has some pretty pictures and not much else that I could find.
The monocoque looks to be aluminium, but I can’t confirm that.
Wikipedia seems unsure of bodywork, aluminium or glass.
The thread Scratch Built (https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1171519&p=1)
obviously has a different understanding of the term “scratch built” to me. He appears to have bought a chassis and a body. Which is a valid way of doing it, but it’s hardly scratch built.
So I would have to disagree that there’s lots of useful information out there. There’s a lot of stuff, not much of it useful.
If anyone has links to chassis details or plans, or just good info on the original cars, it would be appreciated if you could post them.
The tooling required to build a GT40 tub and chassis is why people buy them........or if not wealthy buy a kit, that 'looks like' a GT40, but is very different and cheaper under the skin.
I just had a flick through the Haynes Ford GT40 "Workshop Manual" and it's a pretty good place to start, with plenty of component photographs. Obviously you can't build one based on this book.
Even if you "refuse" to deal with Amazon you should be able to pick one up for around 40/50 quid (it's out of print), there's a few on the Bay.
Even if you "refuse" to deal with Amazon you should be able to pick one up for around 40/50 quid (it's out of print), there's a few on the Bay.
generationx said:
Even if you "refuse" to deal with Amazon you should be able to pick one up for around 40/50 quid (it's out of print), there's a few on the Bay.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. I don't much like eBay's business ethics but I accept that I need it, and I don't believe my total investment in their stocks has amounted to more than 0.00000000000001% of the owner's wealth in the 19 years I've had an account.
Alternatively, congratulate yourself that you sent one billionth of William Shatner into space.
Chassis of all but the MKIV were pressed and folded sheet steel monocoques. The MKIV was aluminium honeycomb. Bodywork for all was GRP, I think.
Many of the cheaper kit cars use tubular steel chassis, as it's much easier to manufacture than a proper monocoque. Superformance and Gelscoe produce monocoque cars, but they may not be considered as cheap.
Many of the cheaper kit cars use tubular steel chassis, as it's much easier to manufacture than a proper monocoque. Superformance and Gelscoe produce monocoque cars, but they may not be considered as cheap.
My Chief Engineer and I (two man race team) bought a 'kit' off eBay.
It was a Polish knock-off of a KVA kitcar. No engine, no suspension, just a space-frame chassis and the GRP body shell.
Then he emigrated!
But now it's a rolling chassis, with the engine installed, just waiting fr a few ancillaries (!)
JOhn
It was a Polish knock-off of a KVA kitcar. No engine, no suspension, just a space-frame chassis and the GRP body shell.
Then he emigrated!
But now it's a rolling chassis, with the engine installed, just waiting fr a few ancillaries (!)
JOhn
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