Gt 109
- Thread starter Jay Cushman
- Start date
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
Does this car have a ZF or a Colotti transaxle? Looks like a ZF but I am not sure.
Jay you are the best. The access you have makes the rest of us envious.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
Holy shiite! I like, a lot.
Presumably that car is a "twin" of Bill Wonder's ex car 103 although I notice that the TB arrangement is different on this one being vertical and not angled @ 90 deg to the head plane. Is that an original Ford DOHC install?
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
Aren't those real Webers? When I saw Bill's car a few years ago (103) it had an electronic FI System, I think it was made by Electromotive, and coil pack ignition, all on a Ford Indy motor. According to him it was earsplittingly loud; he used to drive it down to the barber shop in Harleysville when he went for haircuts.
I had some photos I took of 103- sadly, they were in a briefcase of mine that was stolen. Negatives and all. I wish I had them now.
I had some photos I took of 103- sadly, they were in a briefcase of mine that was stolen. Negatives and all. I wish I had them now.
I don't think any existing GT40 is an "original" 255 DOHC install. Bill Wonders car had one with injection as I recall. Dean's car has Webers fitted with intermediate mainfolds, really clean install.
On a Ford DOHC 255 you can swap the heads around so that the exhuast can either come out of the "V" as on Indy cars or below the cams as on sprint cars that tried the engine (it was not real sucessful as a sprint car motor vs. the Offy motors) so William Wonders GT40 (103) had them out the "V" where other installs had them below as a Ford small block would.
Really cool either way........................
On a Ford DOHC 255 you can swap the heads around so that the exhuast can either come out of the "V" as on Indy cars or below the cams as on sprint cars that tried the engine (it was not real sucessful as a sprint car motor vs. the Offy motors) so William Wonders GT40 (103) had them out the "V" where other installs had them below as a Ford small block would.
Really cool either way........................
And as I negleted to mention, on a GT40 you must have the exhaust out of the "V" as there is no room to do it the other way...............as Wonders 103 illustrates.
Sorry I do not check back here that often.
Deans car as with all the eary prototype GT-series cars originaly had the correct motor mounts for the 256 pushrod indy engine which was the first and original engine installed by ford in these cars. At least up thru GT109 as I have never been around or worked on 111 or 112. I have no info or reason to believe they would have been any different. The 255 4-cam used the exact same oil pan and front cover which is where the motor mounts are and not on the block like a 289. So the 4-cam is a direct bolt in if the original motor mounts are still in the chassis.
Dean has 2 engines from AJ Foyt. 1 in full race trim and 1 is detuned a little with 48 IDA webbers and fully polished. Dean cast the manifolds himself years ago.
109 as with all the other GT series cars original came with a Colletti which he still has but now has a ZF.
Deans car as with all the eary prototype GT-series cars originaly had the correct motor mounts for the 256 pushrod indy engine which was the first and original engine installed by ford in these cars. At least up thru GT109 as I have never been around or worked on 111 or 112. I have no info or reason to believe they would have been any different. The 255 4-cam used the exact same oil pan and front cover which is where the motor mounts are and not on the block like a 289. So the 4-cam is a direct bolt in if the original motor mounts are still in the chassis.
Dean has 2 engines from AJ Foyt. 1 in full race trim and 1 is detuned a little with 48 IDA webbers and fully polished. Dean cast the manifolds himself years ago.
109 as with all the other GT series cars original came with a Colletti which he still has but now has a ZF.
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As I understand it, the early FAV cars were set up for the 255 type BLOCK with pushrod heads, sort of a "hybrid" engine. i.e. the aluminum block with 260 style heads and intake.
To my knowledge, no one has ever produced documentation that a 255 DOHC was ever raced in the day. The DOHC may have been installed but not actually raced.
To my knowledge, no one has ever produced documentation that a 255 DOHC was ever raced in the day. The DOHC may have been installed but not actually raced.
The 256 pushrod engine is no more a hybrid than any other race engine. There is not 1 part on it that came from or will fit a 289. A pushrod indy engine is identical in how it mounts to a 4-cam engine and is nothing like a 289. Both indy engines use the same mounts on the front cover and rear of the oil pan and have no provisions for motor mounts on the block as it was thin wall cast aluminum. Trust me I have owned both and have 7-8 now. I also know for a fact the GT series cars all had the matching motor mounts on the monos for only these engines. I have the original FAV blueprints showing the revisions for the 289 style motor mounts coming much later. I have photos showing pushrod indy engines going in and out of cars into 1965. The pushrod indy engine was raced in the early cars until shelby convinced ford to switch over to a less complicated passenger car engine his mechanics could understand and service. Who ever thought electronic ignition would work out.
GT103 inspection by Ronnie Spain
History records that it raced with the pushrod Indy engine.
The 4 cam was fitted later in its life.
History records that it raced with the pushrod Indy engine.
The 4 cam was fitted later in its life.
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
Was the "Fairlane" 255 engine actually a production engine- this is supposedly the one that the Indy engine was based on, isn't it? or did Ford just put that name on it so that folks would think they were campaigning a production engine in Indy racing? I knew that the 255 series of engines was not the same as the 221-260-289-302 engines, but I don't know much else about them.
Also, is there any relationship between the Ford Indy 4-cam engine and the later Ford 4-cam engines that are called Cosworth motorsport engines? Other than the fact that they are both Fords, and 4-cam V8s?
Also, is there any relationship between the Ford Indy 4-cam engine and the later Ford 4-cam engines that are called Cosworth motorsport engines? Other than the fact that they are both Fords, and 4-cam V8s?
Jim,
dont know about the fairlane engine, however,
the ford 4 cam indy engine is not the same as the cosworth ford 4 cam engine,
the cosworth Ford engine was originally developed for 1967 Formula 1 and of 3 litres capacity, it went by the name of DFV. there were several variants over the years
The same engine was used at indy in the late 70's to late 80's in turbo form called the DFX with reduced capacity 2.65 litres (approx)
dont know about the fairlane engine, however,
the ford 4 cam indy engine is not the same as the cosworth ford 4 cam engine,
the cosworth Ford engine was originally developed for 1967 Formula 1 and of 3 litres capacity, it went by the name of DFV. there were several variants over the years
The same engine was used at indy in the late 70's to late 80's in turbo form called the DFX with reduced capacity 2.65 litres (approx)
I found this brochure on the 255 DOHC while surfing some vintage Ford information:
Ford
Looks like a way-cool engine!!
Doug
