Mk. II targa that won Sebring--thoughts of survivability?

I have this recurring fantasy where i find the Ford GT targa 7 liter that won Sebring in '66.The last guy I knew who was there when they shoved it in a hole
at a land fill died before I could ask him
precisely where that landfill was. My hope would be that
whoever was there when they dumped it in harbored thoughts
of retrieving it so parked it near the edges. On the other hand
it could be under tons of debris and squashed flat. I wonder
if Ford junked it because they didn't want to pay some piddling
little customs import duty? Why throw away a car that won a key race?
Metal detectors probably wouldn't detect the chassis if it was aluminum
but maybe nowadays there are detectors that show big shapes buried underground?
Anyway the city I heard the landfill was in was Torrance, but I don't even
know the year it was scrapped, 1966 , 1967 or later? That was the days before computers so someone looking at city records might have to shovel through a lot of paper.
 
Wallace the car you refer to is an experimental aluminium chassis GT110 this was the car which Bruce Mclaren tested for Can Am where it was a 7 litre roadster with the front clip (complete with lights) from I believe GT106 one of the 7 litre Fords that raced in the 1965 Le Mans. The car was called the X-1. It was obviously too heavy to be compeditive in Can Am!
Funnily enough in John Horsmans book "Racing in the rain", he says that Roy Lunn was given a chassis with a 7 litre in it and the project was named the X-car this went on to become the MKII.
The car was rebuilt as a spyder to 1966 MKII specs were it won at Sebring only after Dan Gurney's MKII (GT40/P1031) broke down and was pushed over the finishing line and disqualified.
According to Ronnies book in 1970 the chassis and car were cut up to satisfy the US taxman and it is buried under a building. However, there was a second Aluminium chassis.
I did notice that at one time recently Holman and Moody were going to make a run of Sebring MKII spyders.
Regards Allan
 
Have you read the thread in the -GT40 memorabilia,Books,videos,Apparell & Gt40 related stuff - ----titled '1967 Sebring Poster' elswhere on this site.?
 

Rick Muck- Mark IV

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Wally throws this out about once a year......

It does still exist!



It's just that it is in pieces and buried in L.A. .......but it does exist!
 
Wally throws this out about once a year......

It does still exist!



It's just that it is in pieces and buried in L.A. .......but it does exist!

Well he did start the thread with the comment about a recurring fantasy..probably best left that way in case it becomes a daily nightmare!
 
Could It possibly actually have been that Ford did not want that chassis racing again because of weakening concerns?
 

Rick Muck- Mark IV

GT40s Sponsor
Supporter
Could It possibly actually have been that Ford did not want that chassis racing again because of weakening concerns?

No,

Because of a few hundred dollars of customs duties.

While we are all aghast at the idea of a valuable historic race car being trashed for pocket change (in the FoMoCo scheme of things) remember that in the "good old days" NOTHING was more obsolete and valueless than last years race car. World Champion Shelby Daytona coupe.....couldn't be sold for ten cents on the dollar in 1967 by Shelby. Hell, he FORCED Oscar Koveleski to buy one to get the stuff he really wanted at the famous Shelby garage sale. Oscar told me he was amazed he was able to sell it and not lose money!
 
It was a very deep hole and a very large apartment block went on top. Put the shovel away Wally.

Ronnie can add to this but he won't - and neither will I. Let's just sit back and watch this space as they say..... :)
 
Everyone has to aspire to something (they tell me) But I won't give up the day job, flippin' burgers.....
 

Rick Muck- Mark IV

GT40s Sponsor
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Burgers?

I thought you made haggis, you know with the wee sheep's stomach and of the bits of lung? Every bit as good as it sounds.

Or do you do "bubble and squeek"?
 
You're just daring me to reply to that..... :)

(But for the record I have no Scottish blood in me so why the hell would I ever make a haggis??! Nobody south of Hadrians Wall makes haggis, and nor should they. Not natural))
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
Well we have dragged this thread into the bowels of Hell!

OK, Rick, tell me honestly: did you say "bowels of hell" as a play on haggis?

Furthermore if you're going to make fun of British food names you really have to start with Spotted Dick and go from there.
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
Score maximum points for a thread hijack though.... :)

Oh, we could keep going...

Actually I have a serious quesiton about this car, and forgive me if this is covered in any details in the books; I don't have access right now.

Here's the question: other than material (i.e. aluminum vs. steel) how did the "tub" differ from it's steel equivalents? Was it spot-welded (can you even spot weld aluminum?), or bonded, or riveted? Any knowledge of gauge? Hard point reinforcement? Additional ribbing or strengthening? Yes of course the cowl was different for the narrower windshield, but I'm wondering more about "design rules" for fabrication out of aluminum alloy.
 
I can assure you there is not 1 part on this car from GT106. There was not even an attempt to duplicate GT106. Any sggestion that this is GT106 is a complete fraud. This is a copy of a late Mk1 style tub and nothing like an early GT series tub let alone an early MK2 of any type.
 
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