1965 Mark 1 Roadster #106 is alive.

Hi from Illinois. New here today. Tought it is about time that the history books about the GT-40 get a small bit of re-writing. Just posted three pictures of the 1965 Mark I Roadster, Chassie #106 Hand built right hand steering and shifting. This car was in the family for many years tucked away in a garage in central Illinois. I have more pictures if anyone is interested. The car is alive and well.
 

Ian Anderson

Lifetime Supporter
Nice car

The carb trumpets sit really low - have you got any pictures of the engine and carb set up?

Thanks for posting

Ian
 

Rick Muck- Mark IV

GT40s Sponsor
Supporter
Can you supply some history and some additional pictures? As this contradicts the published history of 106, there WILL be questions!

The photos are of indeterminate vintage and the license plate appears to be a "Michigan" plate of unknown year so forgive us if we ask for documentation.

I for one would love if EVERY GT had survived but until all are documented I will ask for proof. I hope this is for real but nowhere I can find is 106 listed as a roadster. The pictures look a lot like 109 pre Dean Jefferies.

More please...........
 
The car is all original. The plates are from Minnesota where the car was purchased, believe it was a company called CarCraft and then driven to Illinois by my brother. He had quite a parade of lookers and followers on his drive back. The pictures are from around 1975. I will check with him on some of the details on the date. That is him at the wheel. He used it in Road Rallys (timed routes) with a car club in Central Illinois. He never raced it on a track. I will post a picture showing the engine with the rear deck open. Shows a bit of interior and the right hand drive.
 

Rick Muck- Mark IV

GT40s Sponsor
Supporter
How about a current picture of the FAV chassis plate? Perhaps with a recent periodical in the photo to date it?

Not trying to be a jerk but these question WILL be asked.
 

Jim Rosenthal

Supporter
Warren, where are these photos posted? I can't see them in the thread. Are they in a different thread? Let me know, I am very interested to see them. Thanks.
 

Jim Rosenthal

Supporter
Nice photos of the car. They look old. Do you have any photos of the car that were taken recently? We'd love to see whatever you have available. Is the car still in your family?
 
I is confused? Is GT106 and chassis 106 the same? I read that it was delivered as a bare chassis in 1964 but Spain's book photo at Le Mans is not a roadster.

I'm sure someone can enlighten me!
 
I hope I have this straight but GT106 and GT107 were the first two 427 cars that had the long noses. GTs 108, 109, 111, and 112 were the roadsters/spyders. I believe we have a number mix up. Can we see some recent pictures?
 
Nice try but those are 1971 photos of George Sawyer in 108 which he later sold to Harley Cluxton and is now in Seattle in the good hands of John McCaw. I have those same pics along with another 30 from the same day supplied to me by a close friend of Mr Sawyer.
 
Heres 2 of the pics from the set showing the same plate registered to Mr. Sawyer
 

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I hope I have this straight but GT106 and GT107 were the first two 427 cars that had the long noses. GTs 108, 109, 111, and 112 were the roadsters/spyders. I believe we have a number mix up. Can we see some recent pictures?



I have the original Le Mans documents from 66 and 67.

I'll take a look...
 

Dave Wood

Lifetime Supporter
Can't weigh in on originality, but the guy is nuts if he thinks that's a Minnesota plate. It clearly reads MICHIGAN. That of course raises some questions about the "reality" he seems to be under.
I do not have an original GT40, or a replica....so I am at least a little more honest than this post seems to be.
 
I have the original Le Mans documents from 66 and 67.

I'll take a look...

Would you have any documentation of my GT 40 at the 1966 LeMans trials. AM GT 40/1 with the Alan Mann team. Or any data as my car was listed in a few places as a spare for the race. I know it did not run the race event. I can pay you for any costs and for your efforts.
Thanks, Rex
 
Re: Correction: 1965 Mark 1 Roadster #108 is alive.

:embarassed: Forgive me. I must apologize and make a correction to my original entry. The Chassie number is #108. I was corrected by my brother and I must make things correct. Here is what he said. (I will add the "first time he saw the car" picture he mentioned after I finish writing. The worry about the license plate is that it may very well be from Michigan because it most likely came from there to Car Craft in Minnesota and still had the old plates on it.)

Here goes.

"The photos were taken in Minnesota in October 1971 on the first day I saw the car. In fact, the shotof it backing out of the garage was the first time i saw it. It was a 1965 Ford GT-40 Serial #GT108, which made it Car #8 of the original handbuilt 13 cars. I always laughed when I read in the refrence books that the car was destroyed or some such drivel while I had it in my garage. Four open cockpit roadsters were in the batch, and mine was supposedly the only survivor. It was driven down to me in Springfield , IL in late October 1971 by the seller. The seller was a former employee of Car Craft who had been given permission to restore the car from their supply of original parts to replace missing items. The basic car was all there and partially disassembled (for whatever reason), so he recieved permission to put it back together and buy it. When he needed some money, he advertised it for sale on AutoWeek, where I saw the ad and made contact with him. I had the car for about 5 years, selling it in 1976. It was winched up into a box truck and carried away. I have more pictures on dated slides from the last days I owned the car."

"The car was sold to me for $15,000 (1971 dollars, and about all I had saved up by that time in my life). The car had a Ford 289cid high performance engine. When I went for car insurance, there was no data inthe books about a GT-40, even though it was street legal. I described the car as a used 1965 fiberglass sports car pouered by a small-block Ford 289 engine. Having no rating experience, my insurance company charged me $300 a year for full liability and collision with uninsured motorist's coverage, which was probably the going rate for a small-block used 1965 Chevrolet Corvette. Perhaps I had a multiple-car discount because I also insured my 1968 Pontiac GTO convertible with the 400cid engine with them."

It required Sunoco 260 gasoline, and it was my practice to get in and out of a gas station before the crowds started to gather. While it had two fuel cells in the frame on either side of the car, I only used the right one on the driver's side. It had no speedometer. It would cruise in 3rd gear at 70mph on the interstate. 5th gear wasn't much good below 150mph.

If your friends are snickering over the listings in the history books indicating the car did not exist, the history books are wrong. GT108 was the only GT-40 to ever have a litter of kittens born in the passenger seat."

I stand corrected on the Chassie number. It is #108 and not 106. Sorry for the error and confusion. The pictures are still good and I am adding a picture of the #108 coming out of the bay. So lets start again please.
 
Hi from Illinois. New here today. Tought it is about time that the history books about the GT-40 get a small bit of re-writing. Just posted three pictures of the 1965 Mark I Roadster, Chassie #106 Hand built right hand steering and shifting. This car was in the family for many years tucked away in a garage in central Illinois. I have more pictures if anyone is interested. The car is alive and well.

I incorrectly used Chassie #106 when it was actually Chassie #108.

I have posted corrections below. I see that more current pictures of the car #108 surfaced taken after the 1971 pictures I posted.
 
Nice try but those are 1971 photos of George Sawyer in 108 which he later sold to Harley Cluxton and is now in Seattle in the good hands of John McCaw. I have those same pics along with another 30 from the same day supplied to me by a close friend of Mr Sawyer.


The pictures you have posted may be the man in Minnesota who sold the car to my brother. In fact it looks like the same set of bushes and dirt road in Minnesota. He had the car between October 1971 until 1975. He has additional pictures from 1975 before he sold it.

See my new posting below.
 
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