GT40 Restoration - Loads of Pix

That's just awesome. Love the pic of the engine on the dyno. Thanks for sharing!

Cheers
 
We've discussed this restoration before. This car will be at Pebble in the GT40 class along with my car. Once again while this is an impressive bit of work it has nothing to do with how these cars EVER looked. This is IMHO simply GROSS OVERRESTORATION.
But as they say everyone see's it differently.
It will be very interesting to see what the judges say...
 
Yes, I agree, there can be over restoration.

But, (why is there always a 'but') there comes a time when replacing old with new is the only way to go. You can't weld rust.

I love originality and get picky about changing even a bolt to new non-standard. So I appreciate that it is nice to have a truly original vehicle with the metal and plastic that the factory produced. Though comes a time when a hard used and possibly abused vehicle of some historic significance that may crumble away deserves some chequebook assisted attention.

You've got to admit though from an engineering perspective they do some excellent work - and lets face it as a business if there is a demand.

Regards, Alex /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Ron Earp

Admin
Really nice resto job, I'd like to know how much such a thing cost. Seems the cost would be more than the car would be worth. Do they give a P number for the car? They do indicate that the pictures should not be associated with the same car, but are instead pictures of various GT40s undergoing work.

Ron
 
The cost of such a restoration can easily exceed the value of the vehicle. (200K-1000K) Unless it's done very carefully it can obliterate the history and make the car less valuable esp a car with racing history. As Sports Car Market often says: "Buy the car get the restoration for free."
 
Kind of bugs me that they put a disclaimer alienating the replica world.

"Due to time and material constraints, we are not available to supply parts & services to other shops for restoration, or for replica construction."

That's OK, though. We have J6 to show off. (It's my possessiveness in an admiration sort of way. Please don't take offense.)
 

Jim Rosenthal

Supporter
After some inquiries, I believe that the photos on that site may show the work of Robert Ash and Co at FAV in Norcross, Georgia. No one would argue that FAV do not do very good work; no one would argue that they undercharge for what they do. Personally I think that their cars ARE overrestored and that what they may gain in durability and gloss they lose in authenticity- not the authenticity of having everything replaced with parts identical to those originally fitted, but the authenticity in having all the bruises of motorsport competition removed. Those various dents and scrapes were honorably earned, and many of the people who campaigned those cars and made those dents and scrapes paid for their love of motorsports with their lives. It seems unfair somehow to in any way erase the marks of their passages. Making a car safe for racing is one thing. Making it look 'new' and knowing it is not is quite another.
At the risk of sounding 'non-PC', it is sort of like this: a beautiful woman in her thirties or older who has had some experiences in life is a lot more interesting to me than a 'babe' in her teens or twenties who takes all attention for granted and has little to talk about. And a woman in her thirties, or older, who is trying to look like she's in her teens or twenties...well, forget it.
I also take issue with the idea that you can take a competition car and 'restore' it to new. These cars were constantly changed and modified to suit the demands of various courses, drivers, availability of parts, etc etc. To arbitrarily decide that one frame of a long film is better than any other is not valid, to my mind.
 
Jim

I think I read in the Grand Sport section where they admit that race cars are always changing, and the decision as to what "time frame" to restore a car to can be subjective.
I can't find fault in the decision they made, understanding
that others may have preferred the car be done differently.

MikeD
 
Is it my eyesight or are the pictures of the engine ( the one that keeps flipping ) different from the one on the dyno????? Those headers are nowhere close to the same. Might be some other differences, but it keeps changing too fast.
Bill
 
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