Group Purchase of GT40 Drawings for Public Use

[Tornado USA]

Of course, anyone who paid a substantial amount for them years earlier would want them kept "secret".

The funny part is that at the end of the day, it is a design that has its roots in 1930's aircraft construction tech.

In other words, its obsolete.

The shape of the body though, is timeless.

I believe some day soon, the plans will be posted for all to see online, for free.

Its inevitable with todays technology.

[Ron Earp]

The drawings are clearly available to those with “the right intentions”, “correct mindset”, and so on. I don’t know exactly what those terms mean, but I have seen numerous posts over the years from many individuals with “access to the drawings”, “in possession of drawings”, and so on. I’ve also seen posts and threads eluding to the drawings changing hands, being for sale to the “right” person, “one more car will be built from these drawings and no more”, and various other such terms. Whether or not these things are true I haven’t a clue.

But the logic of the situation is fairly simplistic. The drawings exist. If someone doesn’t want others to have them it simply boils down to their own personal desires to be the sole steward of the property in question. Why would they desire this? I don’t know. It could be as simple as control. Or an investment. Or hundreds of other reasons. The bottom line is there are a finite number of these sets in existence and if you cannot procure them, or copies of them, it is because the owner doesn’t want you to.

I suspect that this group effort to bring the drawings to light will be stonewalled on numerous fronts.

[Ron R.]

Perhaps we'll have to buy an original car and commission our own drawings.

I'm in for another $100 to make it happen!!!

[Tornado USA]

TOO FUNNY!

Thats the way to do it though, group buy a SPF or other "Original", and take it apart and copy it.

Mission accomplished.

[Charlie M]

I'm also interested in making a cash contribution to this effort. It sounds like this particular deal is for only about 10% of the drawings, if there are enough contributors involved perhaps we can coax some or all of the remaining drawings out of hiding.

If the drawings do become available, I would also be willing to donate some time converting them to 3D CAD.

Charlie

[Jim Rosenthal]

I hope we press on with this. I should mention that it's also possible that making ten percent of the drawings in the public domain will make the remaining ninety percent more valuable; who knows? I can tell you this; if I had a set, I'd post them regardless of what they cost me. I'd accept donations, too; I'm not THAT altruistic. But I'd post them.

[Steve26]

I would be happy with a set of chassis drawings, the rest could be reverse engineered easy enough. Are the flat patterns and assembly drawings included in the 250 sheets you are looking at buying?

Steve26

[Jac Mac]

Steve, in post #21 of this thread Jimmy Mac attached a list of drawings from the CD, assuming this is relevant to the CD that 'was' on offer it would appear to cover most if not all the 'flat' metal parts reqd to build the basic 'tub'. Remember many parts are duplicated or mirror imaged from L to R etc, The 2500/2600 drawings often refered to will likely include chassis,body profiles, suspension, wiring, etc etc, think about it, each wishbone for example probably has individual dwgs for each individual piece of tube or machined end fitting prior to fitting in the jig to weld up the assy, perhaps as many as 25 dwgs for those alone--- to some of us those would be essential.. to others no big drama to work around... and for many just to have a plan set to chuck in the PC and waste a couple of hours looking at them is the end goal..

[Dave Peterman]

Count me in for $100.00

Dave

[Jay Cushman]

Let me help clear up a few things about this topic. I too bought this set as there were a some I did not have. There is never a duplicate drawing for two mirror image parts on a GT40. There is over 2500 blueprints to the car. There are seperate drawings to seperate parts of the same componet. The prints in the set discussed have many missing sheetmetal parts including roof, rear firewall, dash area, inner rocker panels, outer rocker panels. A-pillars, B-pillars and alaot more. Another thing to keep in mind is that any early drawing will be useless as the later parts will not fit together with it. There were 100s and maybe closer to 1000 updates to the drawings and if your set has random drawings like these from Lola cars to MK3 street cars most will never work together. I can tell you this pile has many MK3 street car items as well as early lola and even MKV drawings as shown by the 1990 date on a couple. The prints with XL are Mk3 and do not interchange with MK1 or Mk2 or would not have a XL part number. With that said it is an interesting pile but not of much use to anybody on here as far as I can see.

Now as far as buying a SPF or original car and cutting it up to reverse engineer the prints; don't bother with the SPF and good luck on finding that 1.5m to buy an original.

The bottom line is the original prints would not be much use to anybody who has not already found a way to get access to them. Its a great story and endless goal but what would anybody do with them anyways? Original spec monos are available from several sources cheaper than you can build your own.

And as far as the original monos being 30s technology, what would that make a spaceframe copy?

[Andy]

Jay,

I second you on what common sense you have brought to this topic.

Reverse engineer is a pipe dream.

I once saw a plan chest of the drawings, shown to me by a bloke who bought
2 original cars the same day !

Anyone who has the full set is not going to offer them up for free.
Why should he ???

Good luck all you hopers out there.

[Jon]

I think the main goal is to bring an end to the secrecy that surrounds these drawings. If you can get a tub cheaper than you can build one yourself, it just makes the secrecy even more nonsensical.

The chassis design has its routes in 1950's aircraft technology and was designed in the late 50's. Now, nearly 50 years later, why is there such secrecy that surrounds these drawings?

To be honest, you don't even need to buy a set of the drawings you just need access to them to scan them. Then they can be made public. Even then, if you built a car using the scanned drawings you wouldn't be able to pass it off as original as the vast majority of chassis numbers have been accounted for. Although isn't it strange how some "cough" original cars have only just come to light after everyone had thought they had been destroyed years previously.

[Olivier]

I think that nobody here is waiting for an altruistic guy to give the drawings for free...
If one is willing to sell them/sell the right to scan them (by the way, we have a big scanner here @ my job =) ), let's go!

As said Jon, if the dwgs are offered publicly, will it lesser the value of originals cars?
Will it really kill the little market of a few comapnies arround the world like Geox, Mirage... If someone can afford them, will he self build a car? Those who would go this way, aren't probably potentials customers... Just my thought
Will there be many new factories arround the world building replicas? Having the dwgs is a thing, having the crafstmanship (as shown by the mirage's guys here!) necessary is another thing. Even there, I would probably go through a well known company.

If somebody really wants to start this kind of business (and really have the money to) he could also try to find a bare tub, rent a good 3D scanner, a good engineer with a good computer, and could probably achieve a good 3D cad model in a few months. (OK, at least 25% of the car is well hiden under outer panels...)

Just to say that I really don't think that it wouldn't kill anybody's business...

Once again my 2 cents...

Olivier.

[Dave S]

I guess we are at the end of another GT40 plans rainbow......

[Curtis]

Well for what it worth ?
I do have some info that may help get this started ?
I bought these pages some years ago.
All though there are No prices, there are exploded views, and parts listed.
For each exploded view there is a page of the parts shown.
It may not show how to build each part,
but does show what it looks like, and where it go's !
There are between 50 and 60 total pages.
It has been some help in the past to myself and others,
maybe not for building identical part's, but for showing how certain systems work.

I all so have about 14 pages of spec's and some basic set up.

I have attached some scan's of a few pages.
As you can see, I will have to take the pages out of it's binding,
and get to a larger scanner to make good scan's.
I only have your basic home scanner to work with here.

I would like to keep my org. copy's of this info.
But,
I'm more than happy to donate Good scan's of it to the forum's new library !

Will this help ?

Cheer's

Curtis

[Dave Wood]

Originally Posted by jonnyb

Although isn't it strange how some "cough" original cars have only just come to light after everyone had thought they had been destroyed years previously.

You forgot to say "turn you head and..."

[Olivier]

Hi Curtis,

It seems to be the "Parts list"

Check here: GT40 Mk.1 Parts List - Front cover

The 14 others pages could be of help maybe.

Olivier.

[Kevin L]

Originally Posted by cushmancomp

Its a great story and endless goal but what would anybody do with them anyways? Original spec monos are available from several sources cheaper than you can build your own.

I don't know, maybe have them in a binder to store next to the (replica) car.. put them near pictures of Gt40's racing in LeMans.. enjoy studying them.. or just to say they have them?

I don't suspect that many folks will do much with them let alone build a car for themselves but I do believe they might enjoy them. It could be like vintage maps, they are no-good anymore but people still collect them.

To your point, what would anyone do with them, I must say I don't understand why they are so tightly controlled.

Kevin

[Curtis]

Yes,
That's what I have.
The other pages probably known general info that is know as well.
Was worth a shot !

Cheer's

Curtis

[Jay Cushman]

I was just wondering if any of you can supply me with a full set of blueprints to a Porsche 917 or a Ferrari P-3 or a new Ford GT or a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud or a ????????????. Surely they must all be available?