Two GTDs

norman falkiner · 06-06-04, 07:35 PM

A mate of mine bought two GTDs the other day at a very good price and sold one to a friend. One was a "factory lightweight". Spent last Thursday comparing the RF and the GTDs along side each other. The GTDs are in need of some TLC but will come up very well. I was surprised by the amount of difference between the two makes. Will try and get them to join the forum. Regards

Mark Worthington · 06-06-04, 09:28 PM

Norman, can you elaborate on the differences between the two? I have yet to see a GTD in person, but from the pictures it appears to use much larger chassis members (in the engine area anyway) with fewer triangulated members. I've also been told the GTD seating position doesn't leave much room in the footwells.

norman falkiner · 06-06-04, 10:18 PM

Hi Mark. The main things than I noticed (and I'm no mechanic) was the GTD was very narrow in the footwell area and we are trying to get my mate fitted in as he ain't small by cutting and rewelding the pedals and looking at a very thin seat. He has plenty of home grown padding so this should work!!! The RF would not have had this problem. Almost all the chassis appears different with the front remaining almost straight. The GTD has its upper wishbone inboard pick up points parallel
with the wheels whereas the RF has the front pickup well inboard. In fact I rang Robert and asked him why and he said its to do with ease of castor and camber adjustment. To be fair to these GTDs they are now over 15 years old and a lot has happened since they were built. These cars as mentioned will look good with work, as they had been pretty neglected. Regards

Robert Logan · 06-07-04, 01:27 AM

Norman et all,

The two cars were actually part of a set of FOUR cars that were purchased from their respective owners via Brian Pepper for two collector friends. The cars were purchased in England 1993 / 1994 and shipped to Australia and two reside here in Victoria and the other two resided in Adelaide until recently.

The two Adelaide cars are a red and white car which was built in the midlands of England and was a semi-racer and the second was the silver and yellow demo car of the GTD factory. The cars have been on display many times in Adelaide and the previous owner owned a bed and breakfast in the Adelaide hills and used to take his patrons for an afternoon drive.

I agree with Norman that the cars need a little TLC but they should clean up well and I hope to see them again very soon.

Best wishes,

Robert

norman falkiner · 03-07-06, 04:01 AM

My mate finally gave up on the GTD as he could only fit with no seat. The car was sold at the Melbourne Motor Show auction for Aus$67000. The car had some work done to tidy it up. http://www.shannons.com.au/pages/auc...C7A8EC0TAV1CHF

Tony Hunt · 03-07-06, 06:09 AM

Robert,
[ QUOTE ]
the second was the silver and yellow demo car of the GTD factory

[/ QUOTE ]
Does anyone have a pic of this car in its Aussie environment? It could be one which was bent at the Nurburgring in '94, I think it was, when out there on a demonstration tour.
I thought my car might be this one, but mine definitely isn't a lightweight and there's no evidence of chassis or clip damage.
Someone gave me this pic of what is thought to be the demonstator - is it the same car?

Tony Hunt · 03-07-06, 06:10 AM

And another.

I LOVE GT40- Paolo · 03-07-06, 08:52 AM

mamma mia che belle macchine Tony!!

Hope when will be my time to buy the 40 also someone will help me that way [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banana.gif[/img]

paolo

Simon · 03-07-06, 11:04 AM

[ QUOTE ]
A mate of mine bought two GTDs the other day

[/ QUOTE ]
Now that's just greedy [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Malcolm · 03-07-06, 11:23 AM

That silver and yellow car was the factory demo car (possibly the last factory demo car they had?) and that picture I think is in the car park of the B&B that we all stayed in at the Nurburgring. The GTD club is now remarketing its DVD from that trip which is quite fun. The trip was not a demostration tour but a club event that the factory came along for. Simon Osbourne the then MD drove the car there and back. He kept gloating how well his air con worked when the rest of us who had not fitted it suffered greatly due to the heat.

Of the nine 40's that went, no car got bent although Roy did manage a 720 spin on one lap! We went past one speed camera on the way out, all on full song. I think we ran that camera out of film as we all got flashed, but no tickets issued!

Tony I think your number plate is A 40 GEM, and that is a different car to the one above albeit same colour scheme? Am I right?

Tony Hunt · 03-07-06, 02:00 PM

Malcolm,
No, the car I pictured had a registration '*308 ELJ'.
A40 GEM hails from Leeds, but there is another car very similar to mine, also factory-built, living in N Wales.

norman falkiner · 03-07-06, 04:17 PM

Tony. I am pretty sure that the car pictured is the "other" car of the two. I will have a good look at it next time I am there. Regards

Pete McCluskey. · 03-07-06, 05:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
My mate finally gave up on the GTD as he could only fit with no seat. The car was sold at the Melbourne Motor Show auction for Aus$67000. The car had some work done to tidy it up. http://www.shannons.com.au/pages/auc...C7A8EC0TAV1CHF

[/ QUOTE ]
At $A67,000. Going by the pics, looks like someone got a bargain.

Bill Hara · 03-08-06, 02:23 AM

Pete

Saw this car up close during the motorshow, even took some snaps (they were all blurry!). In general, the car looked like it needed quite some work, a complete repaint, with cracking fibreglass and paint. The interior looked worn and could do with a refresh job. In all, I think $67k was about right, you get a car you can drive straight away and then during winter you strip it down, spend $20-30k and get it looking like a million bucks.

I thought about that car quite a bit on my way home, "could have been on the road by now with this car instead" type of thoughts, but came to the conclusion that I am still better off building my car, my way (although I haven't registered my car yet!).

sean viney · 07-03-09, 11:15 AM

Hi guys I noticed this old post while surfing the forum today. The red car is the one that I currently own, I was the one that purchased the car from the melbourne auction. After much modification the car was finally approved for transport full registration in tassie. I would get anyone who is thinking of registering a english built kit car in aus to think long and hard about it, especially if it was built after 1988. Now we have the hassles behind us we take her out for a good weekend drive whenever we can. This makes all the hassle worthwhile. Currently we are awaiting a new set of wheels in 17 inch brm style

. Just thought this may be of some interest to some of you guys out there.
cheers
Sean

S.McBride · 07-03-09, 01:21 PM

Hi, similarly I discovered this thread today, coincidentally after getting news that a GTD40 sold at Worldwide Auctioneers (USA) in their June 19/20 auction entitled Old Car Heaven. It sold for US $ 40,700. My interest is that I have a 2002 GTD - CAV hybrid, built by the firm in South Africa after they bought the rights, jigs, moulds (sp?) and technically "moved" the company.
Several buddies on this forum have cars one or two serial numbers either side of mine, and a couple of us are going to the 45th Road America reunion event in Wisconsin in a few weeks.
If anyone wants to photograph, sit in, or have a ride in my car, they are welcome. I didn't know if any of you lads from daaan ander were coming to the Road America event.
All the best,
Simon, CANADA

Bill Hara · 07-04-09, 07:42 AM

Congratulations Sean
Great to hear your troubles are behind you. It does make it all worthwhile once you're on the road. If you ever consider putting her on the ferry, let me know and we can organise a cruise.
Cheers
Bill