New Ford GT lecture - Wed 18th 19:30

There will be a lecture given on the development of the new GT. The Ford GT engineering team employed unique technologies and processes to bring the car to market in record-breaking time. Most notably, the team is harnessing the latest in computer technology in the design and engineering development phases. The Ford GT promises to be one of the greatest performance cars of all time.

The seminar is planned to be a video collaboration between the US based SVT team, responsible for the original concept and production of the Ford GT models and Ford Team RS, based in Dunton, who are currently responsible for the launch of the European Ford GT models.

The plan is to have two vehicles on display: The New Ford GT AND a GT40 from the heritage centre. There is no admission fee.

It will be hosted at Dunton, the Ford Technical Center in Essex starting at 19:30.

Please contact me if interested.

Brett

I'm interested Brett. I need to make sure I can get away from here (Portsmouth) in time to get there for the start though, which is looking unlikely at present.

I did a search for the technical centre and all I can glean is that it is somewhere near Basildon, so might be worth posting a link to a map or directions to whoever is going to go.

Cheers,
John.

I will mail a map to people seperatly, who mail me for interest and want to come. I am not prepared to post the map on the forum.

Brett

No problem, just thought I'd mention it.

Trying to arrange my work so I can do a half day that day /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Brett
I'd like to come.

Hi Brett,
Please count me in it sounds like a unique oportunity to see how a modern icon was brought to market so quickly.
Thanks for the invite!
Cheers
Paul

I am very interested Brett
Please could you send details of the date and venue
Many thanks Allan

Brett,

Hope you got my email.

Simon

Brett,
I'd like to come too.
Would they appreciate a gaggle of GT40s in the car park?

Brett

Many thanks for organising this for the GT40 Club - it was a great lecture and very informative.

For those that did not attend you missed a great evening with a live internet connection to 3 engineers in USA who went over specifications and their thought processes for the car.

Things that were interesting (to me) - Ford did not have the Aluminium bonding technologu (like Lotus) and went for a welded chassis. Their space fram chassis weighs 200kg. After welding it is put in a 12 foot milling machine and then milled back to accurate size due flexing in the weld process. Extrusions are welded without heat / arc by pressure and a fast rotating bit in a chuck. Stock USA trim is 87db and they got it down to 76.3 for Europe (drive by)
Fuel consumption 25 mpg at 80 mph, Wheels are 19" on rear and 18" on front. radiator water flow 100 gal per minute. Steering rack from Aston Martin, Steering column Ford Focus, suspension parts - bottom wishbones same front and rear, a lot of diffuser work done on the underside of the car.

The engineers would not comment on any race programs or future developments on the car.

Once again many thanks for an extremely interesting evening

Ian

Ian,
Sorry, but I have to correct you on one statement that is factually inaccurate.

[ QUOTE ]
Ford did not have the Aluminium bonding technologu (like Lotus) and went for a welded chassis.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ford DO have the technology, but not in the North American space. Especially since we are talking about 2002/2004 not today. The comment was that whilst the technology is readily available within the company the supply base and expertise was not in the right geographical area. Take a look at the the AML range and the the Jag XJ.

For me what was more of interest was the off lecture discussion I had with the CPE in Europe over the mirrors. They have a bye, meaning no spring retraction on a 10Kg load. Yes they are fixed!

Brett

Brett,

Thanks for organising our attendance at this lecture, As Ian says it was very interesting to get insight into the design process from the horse's mouth - I hadn't expected that quality/level of directness from the US team and via a real-time video link too.

I am sure we all went away with an idiosyncratic gem of information - I enjoyed hearing of the construction method of the floor pan. The challenge was to create a strong floor in only 6mm which was also light. Two 0.7mm ally sheets were welded together with carbon inhibiting to create a bubble wrap style pattern. Then blown out with compressed air between two planes of a jig to restrict the final thickness. But the icing was to then look at the real SVA'd GT in the next room and feel the resultant floor pan under the car!

A memorable evening /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks Bratt for the event. I did not ask any marketing questions. But noticed that questions on a racing version were made in a round about way. Especially with reference to the enlarging of the fuel tanks!
It was amazing they got together the car in the timescale they had.
Regards Allan

Many thanks Brett for inviting us to a totally absorbing lecture. The time scale involved from conception to signing off has echoes of the original Henry Ford dictate.
I doubt if any of us will have the chance to see 2 Ford GT's & the Ford owned MK1 in 1 place again. Just a pity we weren't allowed onto the test track with them!
Rgds, Paul B