Original GT40 Body?

Does any one know if any GT40 manufacturer has a body cast from an original GT40? I know most use molds from KVA. Where did they get their molds? Did they make them?

And, I believe Hollman-Moody uses the original molds they used to make the original Mk II's.

Are there any that use original body panels?

Doug

 

[M.B]

Original´s, JWA/Safir MkV´s and Holman MkII´s uses correct MkII moulds wich i believe was theirs in the 60ies...
When they "made" MkII´s along with some others !...
Occasinal on off´s has used original bodywork(moulds...)
Proper cars or if you like "original´s" only, has used body work from original moulds

Others use moulds wich have their origin in the KVA.
There is alway´s a exception to the rule but
Majority of the Replica/Kitcars Are of KVA origin.somewhere back in line...

ERA MkII seems to be using original moulds... or moulded of a original...
Would like to get Mr Putnam´s view on the matter...since i do not know for sure...
He would...

 

[Jim Glickenhaus]

I own the original MK-IV molds.

 

Hi Jim
As the Mk 4 man how close would you say this replica body is?

[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: Chris Melia ]

 

Hi Doug

I can get you original panels if you need them.
Regards

Chris

 

[Jim Glickenhaus]

Hi Chris
The good news about MK-IV's is that there are only a total 6 that were made. J3 was the prototype the first one fitted with a MK-IV style body. It was tested at LeMans but never raced. It still exists but it's body is slightly different from the later ones.
J4 won Sebring. There is a pic of it in the MK-IV Lime Rock thread parked ahead of my car. Its body is slightly different as well. The tail hindges at the centersection.
Its sill plates are rounded. The four LeMans MK-IV's are J5,J6,J7,J8. J5 and J6 were prepared by Shelby and look the same. They have squared sills and blanked off nose brake ducts. J7 and J8 were prepared by Holman and Moody. They have nose brake ducts and slightly different windows. All of the MK-IV's exist and there ownership is known.
The car in your photo's is way off. For one thing the MK-IV tail spoilers are not molded in. I just finished my winter service and went for a ride today. You can smell the torque. What a car.
Best
Jim

 

[David]

Here is Bob Putnam's answer to where they got their original shape from another post:

posted April 12, 2002 08:01
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, we started out with a KVA/GTD body (so long ago, I can't remember exactly). It's my understanding that their original one was splashed directly from a Specialised Mouldings (OEM) body.
Then Phil spent another year straightening the skin out. Much waviness, panel mis-match, etc.

We also adjusted all the sealing lips so that we could use US-made bulb sealing around the doors, and completely redesigned the inner panels so that they sealed against the outside body without print-through. And, of course we added all the fresh-air in-and-out ductwork for driver's compartment, brakes and engine.

[ April 12, 2002: Message edited by: Bob Putnam -ERA- ]

Dave Lowell

 

[M.B]

Hello, !

That was Mr Putnam´s answer to my question on their MkI´s !
Their MkII is a different story....
And KVA MkI did not get their body from original moulds.

 

[Mike Dozier]

Jim

How did to happen to come by the MK IV molds?
Must be an interesting story.

MikeD

 

[Mike Dozier]

Marco

A magazine article quotes ERA as saying they
splashed their MK II from an original car.

I'm sure Bob Putnam has more details...Bob?

MikeD

 

[Jim Glickenhaus]

Dear Mike
The person who owned J6 before me Peter Lavonos also owned Aston Martin. (The Company) He amassed an increidible collection of cars, including 1075 the double LeMans winner wich he sold to Rob Walton, and a huge store of parts which he included with J6. I believe he got these parts from Ford when he sold Aston to them.
Best
Jim

 

I have been told the KVA molds went to the USA. Does anyone know who has them now?

 

[Jack]

I was told years ago that the KVA molds went to Sabre, but have no idea if this is correct or where they may be now.

 

[Ian Clark]

There were two sets of KVA molds that went to Interigrity Coach Works in Florida. One set was meant to come to me so I could build KVAs under liscence in Canada. That deal was hijacked during the aquisition of KVA by Integrity, blindsiding Ken Attwell I believe.

What happened to the molds, one set went to John Donnely who purchased the tooling of Integrity at an IRS auction. John told me the molds were so badly warped from misuse that he put almost a year into repairs. The other set were previously sold off, perhaps somebody out there knows what happened to them...

When I was in England to inspect the new molds and proof panels fitted to the sample chassis they were perfect. Ken's existing molds were also in excellent condition as the last customer car was in the shop too.

It would be interesting to know how many companies were making bodies during the original race program. My understanding is that GT40 bodies were being made in Ontario in the sixties most likely to supply teams based here, Comstock being one of them.

Cheers

 

[Jack]

Ian, thanks for the memory jog. John Donnely did purchase the tooling on auction from IRS. Shortly before Integrity closed it's doors John offered me a roller for cheap. I passed it up, should have bought it then. I understand that he (John) had some visa problems and went to England. Lost track from there.

 

[Charlie Farley]

KVA versus ' Original ' body moulds.
At the last count 27 differences in dimensions.
For the closest and maybe indeed original dimensions / moulds,
i suggest you contact Chris Melia if in the UK, or RCR Replicas or Jay Cushman.
Myself and Jimmy Mac ( hope you don't mind me mentioning it )
went for bodies from one of these three suppliers.
I am perfectly happy with my choice.
My front clip nostril panel was even lent to Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Team,
so Adrian Newey could have a nostril splashed for the rebuild of P 1010, after his crash at Le Mans Classic 2006. Needless to say, he had his nostril made in Carbon Fibre.

 

[Mark Clapp]

The other set of KVA molds were acquired by Dan White in Iowa. He used to post here on the forum. I have some contact info if you need it.

 

[Mike Drew]

It's my understanding that Superformance splashed their Mk 1 body molds from P/1010, Adrian Newey's car, and that they (that is, Hi-Tech) actually own (or owned) the Mk II that instigated the SPF GT40 project to begin with, and thus their Mk II molds would have been taken from that car (whichever car it was?)

 

[Mike Christian]

You can smell the torque.

Could you bottle up some of that and send it to me? I will pay for shipping.

 

[Ian Clark]

Thanks Mark, mystery solved.

About the differences between KVA and "original" bodies there would have be base line shape to make the comparison from. On any vintage weekend you could probably find a dozen differences in the bodies between genuine articles. What does that do to correctness of any individual car?

It's a generally known fact that some changes were made to the KVA at the behest of Ford in granting access to their cars for the molds to be made. Some of those changes became defacto styling accents found in many other brands of GT40 replica, such as the crisp undercut on the roof edge between the side windows and side air intakes on the rear clip.

I agree that if you're building a car intended to be virtually indistinguishable from an original that panels done from molds off an original car would be more "authentic".