RF GT40 Build Update

[Ron Earp]

Well as some of you know I had the honor of having Hershal Byrd over at my house for a week to help me get things going on the Roaring Forties GT40. Man, Hershal is a great guy and even better - he can seriously build cars (and planes among other things)!

Having Hershal around for a week was an exceptional learning experience. He has a tremendous amount of experience building cars and it really shows with his depth of knowledge and craftsmanship. He knows what is right and won't quit until it is absolutely right - no corner cutting. Knowing his skill level and attention to detail I would bet that his GT40 is the best RF example in existence.

Plus, this is the third Roaring Forties GT40 he has worked on and he has invaluable insight on the construction of the car along with many improvements that can be performed while building the car. Having Hershal around is like having Roaring Forties in your garage, if you're building an RF I highly recommend you email him if you need some help. The RF manual is good, but there are a lot of things that are impossible to capture in a manual but are very useful to know. I just wish there was a way to get the info out to folks in a good fashion.

During the week we were able to get a lot done, mainly the fitting of the body. As many of you know GT40s are not easy to fit no matter what replica you build. Hershal commented that out of the three he has done mine had the best initial fit and glass quality but it still took many, many hours to get the basic fitting done. However, the net result is that we've got the body on, the doors hung (very time consuming), and I can now finish up all the mechanicals to get the car rolling and off the dolly.

Hershal, thanks for all the help! Julie, Sydney, and I enjoyed having you out and you are welcome anytime! This has really gotten me over a hump and given me re-newed enthusiasm for getting the car finished and on the road! The tips and improvements were invaluable and I hope that you guys doing RF cars will contact Hershal if you get stuck, I wish I would have sooner!

I'll get some "before and after" pictures up here in a day or two so check back!

Best,
Ron

[Mark Worthington]

That's great, Ron...sounds like some very significant progress was made. So what's Hershal's fee? It had to be high to lure him out of the warm desert in the midst of a bitterly cold winter even in North Carolina. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Hersh, you are the man. Having lived in Tucson for a few years, I know how miserably hot the Sonoran desert can get in the summer time. Accordingly, you have an open invitation to come spend some quality time with me and my RF in the lush, cool verdant environs of Massachusetts this summer. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Nice golf courses out here too, and I know you like to play golf. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Ron, I'll be looking forward to those pictures.

[Gordon Levy]

Ron, I'm glad the build is going will. Hersh is a very good guy to have aroubd when it comes to this stuff. I have had the privilage of driving his car around while he was in NC. My new car arrived on Thursday.
I have a gaggle of parts for you that I'll be shipping to you this week.

[ January 20, 2003: Message edited by: Gordon Levy ]

[Ron Earp]

Thanks Gordon!I'm gonna be in AZ at the end of the month and would like to meet you if possible. Hersh is gonna let me wail around in his car a bit, I look forward to it! I'm a tame driver so no problems there.

Ron

[John Schneider]

Good for you Ron. I'm glad everything worked out well. I know I've benefited greatly from Hershal. Even better I get 2 of you at the end of the month. Oh happy days.
John

[Hershal Byrd]

Ahh Shucks Ron, it was nothin'.
I was glad to help you out. I can see that you were on the right track and that little extra validation confirmed it. Now it will
go even faster.
Guys, Ron's panel work is perfection to
the degree of rediculis. I can't believe how
good they fit. the gaps are in thousandths. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Mark, when it warms up a little in that part of the world I would be happy to come
out and give you a hand. My fee is to get me there and a place to stay. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
You can bet I will bring sticks too, so I can play one of those great courses you have up there. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Hersh [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[snakeeyes]

It's nice to see the lengths some folks are willing to go to help somebody else realize a dream. I have been trying to finish my Beck Lister for some months now. I don't trust my mechanical abilities on some of the more crucial stuff, so I am bound by the schedules of a couple of friends who come out occasionally and put in a few hours to help. It's great but it really drags the build out when you can only get help every few weeks. I can't imagine being able to thrash on it for a week straight! It would have been done a long time ago. Hersh, you're good people--

[Redcat]

Hersh,

That is one of the nicest things I've heard, in a long time, that on person has done for another. Just coming out to some one's hous and volunteering you time to help some one else realize their dreams is philanthropy at it's best.

Yer a good good guy.

Doug

[Gordon Levy]

Bob, You can send the Lister over here. You would be happy to finish it for you.

[snakeeyes]

Gordon, believe me, after reading about how helpful you Arizona guys are, I wish I lived out there. Between your skills and Hersh's, not to mention people like Neal Jackson who build cars from scratch, the Lister probably would have been on the road an hour or two after I had it delivered--

[Ron Earp]

Hey,

Thought I'd put some pictures up of the progress on the car. Got a couple and one with Hershal and his new friend, Julie's and my cat Trillian smacking some food away from Hershal! Photos are large so I've hot linked them:

Cat and Hershal
Car and Hershal
Car from the Rear

Have a good one, Ron

Hi Ron

Good to see the car getting more advanced. I reckon you are further on than me as I seem only to take mine to peices at the moment. Yours looks good so keep up the work.

Malcolm [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[40 Bud]

Ron, it is nice to see you making progress. You must have a lot more room around the seats in the RF. I could never fit the a/c lines like yours. The GTD is pretty crowded in this area. I noticed you have a picture of my blue 40 on your bulliten board - I hope it enspires you!

[Ron Earp]

Yep, good catch!

You emailed it to me about 2 years ago! Thanks much, I hope to see the car sometime when I'm in CA!

The RF does have a well-laid out cabin and more room than any GT40 I've been in (ERA, CAV, GTD). Most of it is in the footwell area, but behind the seat is free too for electronics or routing of lines. And, the aluminum coolant pipes still go through the tunnel which I find to be a better setup than passing them down the sides of the car. To each his own.

Man, I hope I can get this thing on the road this year!!!!!

Ron

[MK -IV J6]

Looking Good!