Gardner Douglas GD T70 Number 26

[Paul]

Well, on Saturday, I finally picked up the beginnings of my car from Andy at Gardner Douglas. Hurray!

So far I have:

Powder coated chassis
Aluminium panel set
Wiring loom and ancillaries
Brake and clutch lines
Coolant pipes

The pedal box and a couple of other sundries are to follow as they weren’t ready, along with the front and rear additional sub frames. None of those bits are needed just yet.

There aren’t really any phots to post yet as the chassis is still stood in the back of my box trailer and the rest in the back of my van. Once they are in their build position I’ll put some phots on. That will be a couple of weeks or so as I am still to finish the preseason work on the race car - I await the return of an oil cooler. Once that is done, work on the T70 will commence. However, the rate of work is expected to be no more than a few hours a week, so don’t hold your breath. I am in no hurry and very keen to make sure that it is done right rather than quick.

I am also yet to have a look inside the 930 gearbox I have sat in the workshop. Another job…..

We’re off!!!!!!!!!

:laugh: :thumbsup:

Paul

 

[Randy V]

Congratulations Paul!!

However, the rate of work is expected to be no more than a few hours a week, so don’t hold your breath. I am in no hurry and very keen to make sure that it is done right rather than quick.

Sounds like my build... For me, the journey is just as, if not more important than the destination...

Looking forward to seeing your Build Log start in the Build Log section..

 

[Simon]

VERY interested watching your build. Had a trip in the GD demonstrator a few years back. One HELL of a car!
Simon

 

[Chris M]

nice one Paul, good luck, hope it goes well. i really enjoyed my build and you'll find it straightforward enough, some head scratchers but andy is always helpful with info.
are you going for twin oil coolers and dry sump ?
regards
chris

 

[Paul]

Chris,

I will be going for a dry sump set up. I suspect that the car will see some race use eventually.

How's yours going?


Well, the build has actually started now. My build thread is here:

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-bui...t70-number-26-pauls-build-log.html#post290923

Fun, fun, fun!

 

[Chris M]

will keep an eye on the build log. mine hasnt been out since october but a few jobs done over winter.
keep us informed!
cheers

 

[Chris M]

mine also had the odd mark and you will catch the chassis here and there as you install panels etc. i bought a smoothrite black which isnt a bad match altho often you end up painting the full rail to make it blend in better.
advice i also took was to inject rust proofer into various chassis rails etc where you can prior to rivetting all the panels on. i bought some bilt-hammer spray proofing with a spray injection nozzle. every time i drilled a chassis rail for a riv-nut i would get the lance inside the rail and inject some rust proofer, just incase. hopefully i got a coating inside most of the chassis as i went along. tin was about 20 quid or so.
to my mind its a bit more protection for the longer term as once the panels are rivveted on you wont have access again to some areas. i also went over the pre-drilled chassis holes with paint to make sure no bare metal was exposed, and where possible painted any holes prior to the rivnut going in. maybe a bit ott but i intend keeping it a long time! lol

 

[Thomas Rouw]

hey Paul,

congrats!

funny thing #25 is in my garage, being build as we speak. If I'm not mistaken #27 will go to holland again.
I'm fitting a bone stock camaro Ls1 and G50 box. what engine will you run? you mention drysump? track activity in mind?

No real details online of mine helas, lots of breakins in my street.

I recieved adapter and 3 plate clutch from Andy last week, next week engine will be in for trial fit one more time, and then the chassis will be off to powder coating. (did some aditional welding on it prior, center shifter)

I will put you build log in my favorites!

keep us informed!

best Regards Thomas
the Netherlands

 

[Paul]

Hi Thomas,

Holland seems to be a popular place for GD T70s. That’s at least 3, I think.

I’ll be running an LS. Not sure what yet as it’ll be a couple of years until I need to buy it (I only have a few hours a week spare) and who knows what will be available then. If I was buying now I’d be fitting an LS3 with a carb-looking mechanical throttle body on top and, therefore, mechanical throttle.

Gearbox wise, I have a 930 sat in my workshop that I’ll be using.

Yeah, I’ll be running a dry sump. Partly for the installation/packaging advantages but also because, despite this being built as a road car, as a racer (I currently race a Radical) the chances are that it’ll see a track at some point. Even if only for track days.

Good luck with yours!

Cheers.

Paul

 

[Chris M]

good to hear from other new GD owners! i've spoken to andy last week about a possible GD owners day this summer (sprint etc) and i'm hopeful he can get something sorted! might get chance to give you that passenger ride promised paul!
keep us informed both of you!

 

[Thomas Rouw]

Yeah that would be nice, at GD's we'll park all the cars on run way one in the field and go for a spin...... NICE!

anyway, there's 1 and a half T70 in holland now, Jan's greens orange LS7 one, mine is half in parts (no body yet) and Carli's is ordered and will probably be over here in a few months. yesterday I heard that His one will actually be #28 so I wonder when mr. #27 will report here! hihi

anyway, will pick up my adapter plate in a hour at the workshop (ls1 camaro is different from a vette one...... so the adapter didn't fit at once)
tommorow it's engine drop in time YEAH!

nice to speak to fellow builders once.

Grtz Thomas

 

[Carl]

Hi Paul

Thought i better stop lurking and introduce myself, I have chassis No 14 it has a LS7,GM ECU , Porsche GT2 gearbox combo which i'm rebuilding at the moment.

I'm not to far away from you in Milton Keynes if ever your up this way and want to drop in for a coffee and a chat.

Looking at the underside of the car and all those rivits reminded me just how long ago it was that i did mine.Any way better get to the garage or it will never get finished its only been 5 years LOL.

Are you going to stoneleigh?

Kind regards

Carl

 

[Chris M]

good to hear from you Carl. nice to know who the owners are! wonder if andy has a register we might be able to put up on his website to show the owners/pics?

paul- any progress over last week?

 

[Thomas Rouw]

not to long ago there was a Gardner douglas owners forum online, but is has been taken down again. there wasn+t much activity on it btw. you could log in with your chassis number, that was quite nice, not having everybody seeing what it is you have in your garage.....

Grtz Thomas

 

[Chris M]

i think the owners /club side of GD should be pushed more as when i was buying i went to the open trackday and spoke to loads of people about build issues etc etc and got passenger rides, but there hasnt been much since. i'm hoping andy gets this GD day off the ground in July at Barkston but maybe we should ask or set up a specific GD register? there is a GD forum on the cobra boards but by look of it not many T70 owners use it.

 

[Thomas Rouw]

Yup would be a good idea,

Still I'm quite scared that some day someone will come to my place a take loads of parts of my hands without asking...... so not much online about my build. unless it's a closed forum.

Grtz Thomas