interior question on GT40

Does anyone have good photos or information as to what to use on the floors/footwell areas? I am trying to figure out what original cars looked like- the race and road versions both. This is not an easy area to photograph, for obvious reasons, and all the original cars have had this kind of thing refit, since it is fifty years along since they were built. Any suggestions would be appreciated; photographs even more so. This is basically the last thing to do on the interior- the door panels are done, and look great, and the only things that remain are some floor coverings to suit and to insulate the back panel so the engine doesn't cook me. At sixty, I'm already well done.

Jim,
Though mine is not an original, I have some ideas for you.
There was not much room anywhere to run the wiring fore and aft. So I utilized the cabin space. DRBs use the washboard floors so this added to the challenge. One area I found was on the interior edge of the cover of the fuel tanks. This was built with a little space at the curve of the paneling and it would accomodate the wiring protectors of 3/8" or even 1/2" which will hold a large number of wires. This is for the space framed cars more than the monos. The best place to use is the floor itself. In my thread(as it is) http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-build-logs/13742-drb-5-a-5.html at post 83 you will see how I utilized the floor for the wiring. I used some old scrap wood, routed out some channels and ran the wiring protectors in the chanels. I also added some side legs of about 1/2" to give some room to the extra wiring, throtle cables etc. that would be added later as features were added, like my low oil pressure fuel pump cutoff safety switch rear view camera wiring, and things of that nature. The boards are screwed to the floor to keep them from moving. Spaces were left beside the boards next to the fuel tanks and the center console for some wiring chanels and are hidden by the carpeting. About a year from now all this will be removed and refined. More interested in getting the car into the driving stage at this time.
There is an explanation of how I laid the wood so as to not raise the seating. It may give you an idea or two. These areas will never be seen. One caveat is that the seats may have zero clearance with the floor. Then the wiring has to be run next to the seat supports in the gaps to keep from pinching. Flat channels can be run behind interior paneling as well. The cars today have a lot more wiring than they did back in the day unless you are just building a track car. Hope this gives you some ideas.

Bill

Thanks, Bill. The wiring is not the problem, though- that is all in and doesn't show too much. The problem I have is what the carpets or mats or whatever is supposed to look like- I don't have any photos or documentation of what they looked like back in the day when they were built. I'd like it to at least resemble OEM from the 60s if it can....but I figure that carpet or mats in these cars wore out quickly, and none of them look the way they did when they were built....

The Car & Driver Road Test of a Mk III from 1967 shows carpet over the sill gas tanks. My recollection of the MkIII in the Peterson collection is that it was fully carpeted. All the MkI and II's that I have seen had no carpet (bare floor), but were race versions, not street 40's.

You might continue to follow the interior of P1043 1966 Ford GT40 P/1043 at Colin's Classic Auto It looks like the firewall is covered in vinyl with thin padding and the carpet is simple black loop with vinyl edging.

Here are a few shots of 1033.

wbmusarra said:

Jim,
Though mine is not an original, I have some ideas for you.

Click to expand...

...and I've got a BETTER idea! Why don't you steer him towards the fantastic thread you created a couple of years ago, filled with fantastic detail photos of an original, unmolested GT40 road car, P/1063? You supplied great interior shots there...

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/original-gt40s/15355-1966-gt40-road-car.html

One definitely worth bookmarking! :thumbsup:

Mike,
Thanks for bringing that up. The carpet are just carpet mats. The firewall is all leather over a backer with very thin foam insulation, and all is glued in place. Very few securing tabs at all. the kick panels are secured with snaps. Most were done very simply without much fanfare. The carpet mats have a fabric edging on them. Found a few extra shot of the interior.


They also didn't use much insulation either. Just some thin aluminized backed padding.


Next time I go to visit I will get some more detail shots.

Bill

This is perfect. This is what I needed. Thanks so much. Interesting that they upholstered the tunnel, too. I guess you would not leave it bare in a road car, would you. I can find carpet that looks like that and have them put it in. I don't think I am going to bother with the sill panels, but I will have them do the rest and use snaps or heavy Velcro to hold it all in.

Jim,

or do what Superformance does and that is to glue the floor capets to a stiff, thin board. That prevents them from moving or bunching and does not require snaps to locate them. The are sandwiched between the lower pedal base and the tub crossmember in front of the seats.

I have a set on hand that I can photo if you want to see.

Rick is on the money.

Construction of the SPF mats is great.

Steve