Henty's scratchbuild GT40

Good day Gents
This is where the rubber meets the road. Yes, this is where it all begins and I trust will end with an end product that will look good, pay tribute to a legend and satisfy this 60 yr old need that I have had (to scratchbuild a car) never in the 60yrs did I imagine that it would be a GT40.

I bought the shell (as a reject body) from Jordi Reddy at CAV in Cape Town. I need to thank Jordi for letting me have the body for the equivalent of 2,720 US Dollars (glass incl).

For the folk out there who have not read my intro, I'm one of those old school hard headed guys that likes to "do it myself". I need to refit the engines to my '61 4dr Corvair and same with my '65 Monza Coupe, before I can setup a jig table to build the GT40 chassis. So I might be a bit quiet in posting for a while, I also have a lot on my fork at work at the moment.

However, I would like to thank all of you who have answered my questions and queries, my first look at the GT40 was no less than 4months ago so I have a lot to learn. Having spent many many hours reading the technical sections I know there is a lot of information out there, if I ask what appears to be stupid questions its not for a lack of searching but more a matter of not being able to find what I'm looking for. I respectfully ask that you bear with me. A very big thank you to every single one of you out there that has contributed to this forum, it is steeped with invaluable information and I look forward to earning a place in this awesome community of GT40 enthusiasts.

Kind regards
Henty
 

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Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
Ah the beginnings of what will be a very nice GT40-MK1 !!!!!
Congratulations on the start of your dream!
 
Get yourself a CAV frame before you begin your restoration work - install a roll cage right away!

John
:thumbsup:
 
Hi John
Thank you for the response, much appreciated being so new to the GT40 fold, please excuse the ignorance in my questions. You refer to a CAV Frame? the roll cage bit I get. I will be building my own chassis as this is part of the build experience I am wanting. When I spoke to Jordi at CAV last week he told me that they only sell rolling chassis and not stand alsone components. Are you referring to their s/s monocoque chassis? Essentially he did me a favour selling me the body and glass at a price I simply could not refuse.
Kind regards
 
Hi Randy
Thank you the response, I notice your referral to this being a MKI, I still need to figure out the differences between the various models. As I would like to build this car to resemble it's specific model type, I'm not a purist and will add some subtle changes/features I would like to see, if that makes sense. This will not be a track car but a daily driver.
Kind regards
Henty
 

Ian Anderson

Lifetime Supporter
Hi Henty

How can you tell the Marks apart?

Mark 1 - the car most of us know as the GT40 and most commonly seen in Gulf paint and with number 6 - see at the top of this page and look at the air inlets into the engine bay and carburettor.

Mark 11 is the cars that generally carried the 7 litre engines. They had larger scoops / air intakes into the engine and carburettor area. They also had higher arches over the front wheels as when running on Ovals in USA they ground through the fiberglass with tyre rubbing.

Mark 111 It is a road car - in order to make it legal the headlamp arrangement was changed and you have 2 lights on each side (top light area of front clip) the rear is also substantially longer to accommodate a luggage system

Mark 4 a totally different car made out of composite aluminium honeycomb
Again had a 7 litre engine

Mark 5 a continuation car made by Safir, very similar to a Mark 1 but with changes in tooling to allow parts to be swapped side to side etc.

Hope this helps

Ian
 
Hi Ian
Thank you for the reply and thank you for the Model descriptions very interesting and now that I have an idea I have started noticing the subtle differences:thumbsup:.
Have also read some very interesting threads on luggage compartments and storage, my wife has already asked where are we going to put the suitcases? she comes with me when I go to car shows and I drive my cars to shows, my cars are not "trailer queens". My car will have to receive some special attention as it is going to be a cruiser and not a bruiser. So special attention will be given to sound proofing, waterproofing, cooling, power steering and seating. I have had a big back operation and I'm a bit concerned how it will react to the conventional GT40 seats that I have seen. Will have to do a lot more reading to see whats out there regarding adding some creature comforts to my car:idea:.
Kind regards
Henty
 
Hi Terry
Thanks for the good wishes, I have been wanting to do a scratch build for years, been contemplating the Lotus 7 replica but it just never appealed to me in any particular way. Never considered the GT40 route until this deal came my way quite unexpectedly. Dreaming is one thing getting it doing it is another:stunned: thing entirely:stunned: just finished the dollie on castors for the body panels.
 

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Hi Henty

I've seen it recommended on here to prop the front of the roof above the windscreen as well, to prevent it drooping and the windscreen opening changing shape. Do you have a screen to test fit at this stage?

Cheers

Fred W B
 
Hi Fred
The first fit that I did on the dollie had a support at the T-top junction, I decided to revise the fit as the dollie was too far back. I forgot to put it back thanks for pointing out that:thumbsup: much appreciated. I have the glass, front and rear, I have built a "box" to protect the glass, I have been told that a GT40 windscreen goes for about R21k:stunned: in SA.

The body will spend quite some time on the dollie so hence the big home made castors so that I can move it around as needed. I am a bit hard pushed for space 90m2 carport is protecting 5 cars and the GT at the moment!

I will get that T-top strut support back in this morning:thumbsup:
 
Good day Gents
I trust you are all well, been some time since my last post. As I have mentioned I am using a 1972 Ford 351C engine and and the 016 gearbox. I have it in my mind that it would be wise to have the engine gearbox set up and incorporate that into the rear end build process or am I being too perdantic? being in Project Management I do tend to over plan I suppose! Simply put I cannot afford to go out and buy an adaptor plate & clutch kit setup. Next option is to build my own setup (I am fortunate to have a milling machine and lathe). I have started the ball rolling using CAD (card board aided design:laugh:), there is plenty of advise, you tube videos etc out there that is invaluable. Does someone have in any format the 351C/016 adaptor plate bolt pattern, if the info is available on the net, a link/pointer in the right direction will be GREATLY appreciated.
Kind regards
Henty
 
Hello ,
if the 351 c has the same patren as the 351 w, you can use this one then attached here.


hope it helps you, down under there...

Paul
 

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Hi Paul
Thank you kindly:thumbsup:, I will definitely have a look how that compares to the 351C bolt pattern. In my short 6 month involvement with the GT40 scene I have not yet met/made contact with another "scratchbuilder" in SA, there are quite a few around especially up Durban way, but those a factory built cars, 99% of them of ConCours quality and finish.

I have built an adaptor plate before, must add, by the third attempt I got it all lined up and spaced correctly, very very crude:uhoh:, but it worked, I did not have a milling machine or a lathe back then. I was hoping for some help in order to save time more than anything else. Maybe someone else can assist in some way:worried:.
Kind regards
 
Not sure if 351W or 351C are the same (new to this myself). I do know that they run different sized bearings though.



1140d1191726578-looking-drawing-bellhousing-bolt-pattern-svocylblockf-rview.jpg
 

Ron McCall

Supporter
Not sure if 351W or 351C are the same (new to this myself). I do know that they run different sized bearings though.



1140d1191726578-looking-drawing-bellhousing-bolt-pattern-svocylblockf-rview.jpg

Yes. The 351C and 351W use the exact same dimensions for the bellhousing as well as the engine mounts ,cylinder head bolt pattern and bore spacing . That's pretty much where the similarities end.


Ron
 
Hi Paul & Ryan
Thank you for the information attached, much appreciated, Pauls layout bolt pattern talks to the rear cylinder block view layout from Ryan. I did a CAD overlay, the two layouts are measured from different zero lines.

I don't think this thread is in the correct category anymore?? Can someone please move it, I dont know how to?

I can confirm the following and please if anyone can confirm/correct me it will be appreciated.
1. The Ford 289,302,351C & 351W share the same bell housing bolt pattern '65 through to '94 according to jalopyjournal forum.
2. However, they used different size bellhousing depending on application ie car/truck.
3. Big bell housing, 164 tooth flexplate with 11 7/16" bolt pattern.
4. Small bell housing, 157 tooth flexplate with 10.5" bolt pattern.

I have seen a thread on the this forum where the various Audi gearbox bolt patterns were discussed with reference to interchangibility, but just cannot find it again, I have not yet mastered the search function, any pointers from the gurus out there. There must be a way I can save or refer to posts/threads, again please point me in the right direction, the amount of information and talent on this forum is mind blowing.
Thanks
 
Been a while since my last post and I have made very little progress other than build the jig. Maybe a bit over the top but I thought it makes no sense to have a poor platform to build off. Will post a photo when I find it.

Life has been getting in the way of everything that I want to do, work on my cars. To add injury to insult I have been told that I could be facing retrenchment unless we get some decent Structural/Civil Contracts between now and December. Needless to say my mind has not been in a good space for the last two months, I have never had to deal with something like this:stunned:.

Anyway, my wife insists that I carry on with building the GT. Not being a good sleeper I have spent endless hours and I mean endless hours on the forum and so I came upon the KCC Restoration of Simon Willis in Australia. Thats when I realised that I could still affordably build a replica for road use. The KCC being a South African based GT40 replica. The parts used are still available and very affordable. I have a PDF copy of the KCC assembly manual which is basic in its content, yet a good source of what make of parts were being used at the time. I see Mark Clapp in the UK owns a KCC replica.

So where am I going with this, I have had no luck at finding any kind of KCC chassis information in SA, I think the Ford Cortina front suspension and Ford Granada rear suspension set-up is very very basic and was only ever used in SA, hence the lack of information. If anyone out there has any information other than what is visible on Simons build log I would be very greatful. Failing that I will carry on building the core of the car as per Rene Jackiers drawings that he shared on his "A riviera scratchbuilt GT40" and then copy the suspension setup that can be seen on Simons build log. Any comments/suggestions/advise of ANY kind will be greatly appreciated.

A SPECIAL word of thanks to ALL of you guys out there who have taken the time to share you GT40 experience, I visit/lurk on many automotive forums and I have yet to find a more informative platform or should I say Automotive Family like the GT40s.com forum:thumbsup:
 
As the saying goes "seek and you shall find":nice: and so I came upon GT40-KVA.co.uk where a Mr Lees has logged his build diary of a KVA GT40, very interesting stuff, does anyone out there have any knowledge of this build:pleased: I have sent Mr Lees an e-mail but have so far had no reply.
 
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