Elite New Transaxle

[John Lowe]

Followed up Ian Andersons post on Elite Racing Transmissions with the following email. Don't know prices yet and it's sequential only, will keep you posted. eliteracingtransmissions.com

Got your site from GT40s.com. I am shortly building a GT40 replica based on the RCR product.

Do you have a transaxle which would take 550bhp and 475lbsft (chipped Chevy LS7) with the following characteristics?

5 or 6 speed helical gears.
LSD
H pattern
Bell housing to mate with LS7 (or ability to make same)
I would need overall dimensions to check basic fit as the 40 chassis/shape only accepts a short box.

Received this reply which is self explanatory

Dear John.

Many thanks for you enquiry we do have a transaxle that will be suitable for you requirements I have attached a pdf for you to look at. This will give you all the dimensions you will require.

With reference to your questions

6 speed only
LSD yes
Sequential only
We are able to make an adaptor to suit your installation
Attached.

If you wish you can put the installation drawing onto the GT40s.com website for others to view.

I hope the above / attached is helpful and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards

Richard Smith

Sales Manager

01782 280136

[Ian Anderson]

John

I'm glad my posting may have been of assistance - the boxes and cut aways certainly looked good

Ian

[andy]

seen these boxes in the flesh at the stoneleigh kit car show talking to the fellas on the stand the box is priced at £6000

[Charlie M]

It's certainly not cheap at nearly $12k USD. I guess there really aren't any low cost options for a box that will withstand those HP and torque numbers. I heard that Ford is selling the box used in the GT for around $18k.

Charlie

[domtoni]

Charlie,

The Ford GT box lists for $15,000.

All these low volume high capacity boxes are expensive. If you spend a ton of money for an LS7, why not spend an extra $5 - 8K and buy a good transmission.

I think the transaxel is the most important part of the car.

Best
Dom

[wanni]

Originally Posted by domtoni

Charlie,

The Ford GT box lists for $15,000.

All these low volume high capacity boxes are expensive. If you spend a ton of money for an LS7, why not spend an extra $5 - 8K and buy a good transmission.

I think the transaxel is the most important part of the car.

Best
Dom

Just a suggestions.......give a price to the following part list which every transmission is subject to change.
1) Gearbox ( considering torque capacity, N° of speeds, acoustic confort, shift confort, after sales support, shifting typology availability, kind of self locking unit ).
2) Bell housing.
3) Flywheel.
4) Clutch ( considering the speed of the vehicle at 1.000 revs in first gear. This value gives an idea of the clutch life ).
5) Release bearing.
6) Brackets for chassis supporting.
7) Linkage and his installation with thermal protection.
8) Shifting lever assembly and his chassis installation.
9) Master cylinder to adapt to the release bearing.
10) Clutch pedal conformity to those mentioned points above.
11) Drive shafts.
12) Cooling system.
13) Montability without changing: exhaust installation and body work.

Answer all those points, give them a cost and trace the final line. This will give you the cost of your gearbox installation.....not onoly the price of the unit.

Ciao
Wanni

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Wanni / others

I'd be very interested in your opinion/observations of this Elite Transmission (TXL300-6S)...in relation to GT40 suitability.

John has posted pdf drawings of the unit - although I notice that the drawing is dated 2005 and 'provisional'??

More details available here : Elite Racing Transmissions | beagleengineering.co.uk

Intended power is 427ci 580BHP/560ftlb ('ish) Vehicle weight approx 1100Kg.

Here are some pics as displayed at Goodwood FOS..

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

No-one....?

[Fran Hall RCR]

Looks like it would work in a Mk4 (long tail section)but a little too long for a Mk1 or 2

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Hi Fran -

The pictures might be a bit deceiving as the box is only 0.5" longer than a ZF and the output flanges are within 0.5" of the ZFs too..

[Ron Earp]

Paul, is that the one where we visited their tent at the Festival of Speed in 2005? That thing looks seriously beefy, although that is of little use for actual evaluation purposes.

R

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Yep - that's the supplier... we visited their stand with RodgerB in 2005.

I think at the time they were talking about it but had no examples, which ties in with the 'proposed' tags on the drawings above.

Will probably go to have a look at one complete and discuss options sometime over the next couple of weeks.

[Fran Hall RCR]

Cool.....how much...??..still 6k pounds???

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

hmmm - not quite....

The basic box is £6K, with a Salsbury LSD and choice of ratios/input shaft. With the options of an internal oil pump, the gearchange cable, a digital gear indicator and a 2nd pair of gears to give a longer overall (diff) ratio, the figure becomes about £8K + VAT....

Still worth a look though and they will warrant for suggested power input.

[wanni]

Originally Posted by p thompson

No-one....?

I had a look to the web.
It looks like they do not have a synchronised gearbox, if I am not wrong.
Wanni

[Lynn]

Paul,

A comment on the case shown. By the appearance of the bosses that are cast in the case around the side covers, I would guess that it is designed to be a stressed member; the bosses appear to be mount points for suspension parts. While, to my knowledge, no '40s are designed to take advantage of such provisions, it would certainly speak to the apparent robustness of the case anyway, if not the box in general. If a bell housing designed to support the use of the case as a stressed member were added, it would, in all likelihood, put the overall length of the unit beyond that which would fit in a '40. I guess my point is that the $64K question is, "what do the available bell housings look like?"

It looks like a strong box with some nice features whose price should make it a VERY attractive alternative in the right design. I am just not sure that a GT40 replica is that right design for this particular transaxle.

Lynn

[Ian Anderson]

Wanni

I spoke to them at the Stoneleigh kit car show and they said they did 2 boxes - one with "quiet road gears" and the other with "straight cut"

Both could be H or sequential

Now that s what I remember of the conversation - I also suggested he come on line here and make himself known - he has so far declined that idea.

Ian

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Hi Lynn -

Yes, they do suggest that 'lighter' vehicles can hang suspension off it. Something Ray Christopher did with additional bracing on his UN1 some years ago... (see pic)

As Ian says, it is available in both road friendly (quiet) and straight cut (noisy) versions, but only the straight cut is available as a sequential shift, the road version being conventional 'H-Pattern'.

I know the box is not exactly 'PC' for a 40, but hell, none of these 40s are originals... The owner is very keen to have a fun trackday/competition car and is not looking for 'or