A little "OOPS", a MK II replica bites the dust

Rick Muck- Mark IV · 17th July 2012, 07:00 PM

Looks like a Superformance MK II to me. Hope all is well.

Ford GT40 Crashes On Rainy Tennessee Road

Mike · 17th July 2012, 08:58 PM

Phfffttt! That will buff out.
Hopefully nobody was hurt.

Mike

The Baron · 17th July 2012, 09:12 PM

Gone in backwards and forwards. No tyre marks so must have been scarily wet. No-one hurt.

Question: A bit nit picky, but technically isn't the car correctly known as a "Ford GT MKII" rather than a "Ford GT40?"

A write off? Somebody may buy it dirt cheap and "go racin'"

Alan Watkins · 17th July 2012, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark IV

Looks like a Superformance MK II to me. Hope all is well.

Ford GT40 Crashes On Rainy Tennessee Road

Anyone know the owner? Is it one of us?

Rick Muck- Mark IV · 18th July 2012, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awatkins

Anyone know the owner? Is it one of us?

Don't know. I have made a call but no answer yet.

Rick Muck- Mark IV · 18th July 2012, 08:06 AM

Grady,

Dennis told me what happened but I didn't fell free to post until you showed up.

He says it is all cosmetic and I am glad it was not worse.

Yes, I know that feeling of "just being a passenger" with no control....not a good feeling.

Helicopter- a loose collection of parts flying in close formation trying to kill the pilot from the moment they leave the factory!

The Baron · 18th July 2012, 10:09 AM

Glad you're OK. Aquaplaning at 20 mph? Wow. I think the road surface in the US is somehow a "more oily mix" than we use in the UK perhaps to combat extreme high & low temperatures. They have started to put a road surface down in the UK now that has almost zero spray, ultimate draining properties and no tyre noise, but it's extremely expensive.

I would put that as much down to the road surface as standing water having had experience of same in Alabama and Tennessee.

It's not relevant to this but i run really aggressive Cooper STT on my 4x4 and aquaplaning is a thing of the past - not really suitable for your average GT, but they do sing well at 60mph!

Mike · 18th July 2012, 10:19 AM

Oh no buddy! Glad you are okay! Glad the car is not too heavily damaged. I have had similar experiences in the wet and it's a panicky feeling when you lose contact with the pavement. (Not in the 40) Looking forward to seeing what all you do during the rebuild process.

Alan Watkins · 18th July 2012, 10:20 AM

What a relief. Can we change the thread title to "a Mk II replica saved by helicopter pilot?"

Let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

Jim G · 18th July 2012, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TA152

Me....After attending a car show at Borla in Johnson City, I crested a hill on I-26 in the wet after a cloud burst and found a what looked like a river fording running across the banked road. I had slowed a few minutes before in the rain. I have driven the car many times in the rain without any indication of hydroplaning. Tire tread was deep. I was running 45-50 when the front wheels lost traction three times. The final time, all 4 wheels lost traction and the car started toward the the guard rail ...drivers side. The impact wasn't anything, but the fiberglass gave. It was nothing of a hit. Not a scratch or bruise. Just that sick feeling....I restarted the car and moved into the guard rail as I didn't want to meet a Kenworth tractor.

The structure is unharmed, no broken glass. The replacement parts hunt is on. A front nose, radiator, two rims, and maybe a rear clip if the one can't be fixed.
Not a scratch an the steel tub.

NO ticket (violation) was issued. Can't say enough about the help offered by the Tennessee HP.

The slop of the road and heavy rain fanned across three lanes of highway. Where I crossed was at narrow part of the fan....the deepest. Maybe 1-2 inches deep. I recovered 2 times, but the 3rd I became a passenger looking at the guardrail coming up through my left window and thinking this isn't going to be pretty. The car did well protecting me. Only wish I'd done the same for the car.

Oh, the tanks had just been topped off with Shell V gas at $3.19 gallon.

The water was just to deep for 40mph or maybe 20mph. When you crest the top of the slope that is what I found there. I'm an old helicopter pilot. We are a pessimistic lot who anticipate the worst and that something bad is going to happen. That is why I don't get excited during a crisis. My life experiences have been widened.

Just sick....but we buy big fiberglass parts and go forth. Some of the peoples comments on the new story are typical and funny. Don't drive it, or no I didn't go looking for rain and it was a sunny morning when I started out.

Glad you are OK!

Jim Craik · 18th July 2012, 11:48 AM

Grady,

We are very glad you are ok, that is such a sad photo. We are so glad that other than fiberglass the car is ok. Good luck with the repairs!

Cliff Beer · 18th July 2012, 11:55 AM

Grady, glad you are OK. Any car crash you can walk away from, is a good car crash.

These things happen. If you were driving a suburban with knobby tires it probably wouldn't have hydroplaned, but we put certain tires on these GT40s because, well, that's what should be on there....and those tires aren't made for maintaining contact with the road through water 2 inches deep.

Very smartly, the author pointed out that GT40s don't have ABS. Good to get that cleared up. Like that would have made a difference.

Get those new panels back on and get right back on that horse and ride!

Jimmy P · 18th July 2012, 02:51 PM

Very glad your OK....speaks loudly of the integrity of the inner SPF structure. You must be gutted to see the car like that. But that's what we have insurance for and I'm sure you'll have her back on the road before the next rain.

On a lighter note and I hope you're not offended but it reminds me of a ROAD & TRACK photo I saw of a Ferrari 512 BB sitting at an oblique angle on the side of the road half in a ditch and up against a tree ....the owner standing nearby lighting a cig. The caption read......"Good tires Ted but certainly not great tires."