New Member From Northern MN

Hello everyone,

My name is Jason and I have a confession to make. I have never been a Ford guy. Every Ford I have ever owned would have been better used as an anchor for one of the large ships we have here on Lake Superior. I currently own a Chevy Suburban and a Dodge Ram. But I also think the GT40 is the best looking car America has ever produced. Even next to contemporary rivals it still holds it own. Some day in the future I am going to build one. I am somewhat of a purist and believe that a Ford car should have a Ford motor so that is the way I will go.

The long winters up here provide the perfect environment for such an endevour. I am also a motorcycle addict and every year I dissassemble my bike to varying degrees mostly for fun. I think this would be a great project to do with my kids. I have a new daughter (3 months old) and one of the ways we get her to stop crying is turn on Overhaulin'. She loves it. We hope to have another child in a year or so. I hope working in the garage will keep them off the street and teach them valuable skills at the same time.

I plan on starting with an engine and transaxle and buy a kit after. I will most likely go with the 302 stroked to 331, different heads, cams, FI, and ZF tranny. I am a little confused about the different types of trannies, I know ZF makes more than one transaxle and I am trying to figure out which one to use for this application. Any help would be, well, helpful.

I may be a noobie to this forum, but I am not to forums in general and I have already used the search button extensively. I would be greatful for keyword suggestions to common topics as I am not familiar with the lexicon of the board yet.

Looking forward to learning more from the board,
Jason
chug

Welcome aboard, Jason. I am somewhat of a newbie, too, so I am glad to hear you have already used the search function. IMHO, that is the first thing to learn about when joining this forum.

You have joined a forum where the members are the most helpful I have found anywhere on the web, and we all share the same passion for what you correctly described as "...the best looking car America has ever produced". As you use the forum more, you will learn that there are various discussion boards. For example, in the GT 40 Technical section, there is a board for "Drivetrain/Transaxle" threads. This would be a good place to start looking for that ZF information you mentioned. The forum has recently undergone an update, and IMHO it is a great thing for us newbies. For example, if you were to click on the "Drivetrain/Transaxle" board, you will see each and every thread posted since the forum was started about 5 years ago. It has been my experience that even if the title to the thread doesn't seem like it might contain the information you are looking for, it might be valuable to read the threads anyway. Within the threads, it's not that unusual for the discussion to go slightly "off topic", and therein lies quite a bit of good information. For example, I posted a thread asking for information about dry sumping a SBF, and one of the posts informed me about a product called an Accusump, which is essentially a pre-lubrication device that can also supply additional oil during a period of oil starvation.

Another place for good information is "The Builder's Forum" in the technical section. Various people engaging in the process of building their kits, or even motors/transaxles, will post their build information and other members will reply with questions or comments. This thread is a wealth of information, so don't overlook it.

Don't be afraid to post questions in the appropriate board, either. Already the members of this forum have helped me avoid making two fairly costly mistakes, and have done so in a manner that was not demeaning--like I said, this forum has members willing to help so all you have do is post the question and you'll be surprised how quickly you have answers.

Welcome--keep us informed on your progress. I'm following the same sequence as you--drivetrain first, kit when I can order it. I think it's a good idea for someone who is still at the "dreaming" stage. Good luck!

Doug

Welcome aboard

BUT the GT40 was made in Slough, England (near Heathrow)

Yes it had American engines but the design and build was British

Ian

IanAnderson said:

Yes it had American engines but the design and build was British

Click to expand...

Your right, I should have said American dollars! Poke

IanAnderson said:

Yes it had American engines but the design and build was British

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's why the electrical system never worked! Poke



Welcome aboard, Jason. I hope you have a heated workshop!

I think anyone who has had a love/hate relationship with British sports cars would agree that the Lucas electrics defined the low point of that relationship.

I keep a collection of Lucas "isms" on my computer as a reality check for whenever I have a mad moment and think I'd fancy owning another E type:

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18294

John