Does CAV = GTD?

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Perhaps someone could enlighten me?

Are the CAV 40s that you talk about the GTD derived cars that come from South Africa? If so then CAV owners may be interested to find out more about developments on the GTD that could apply to them.
Malcolm M
 
Wayne,
Would you send photos of the placement of the gas struts on your car. I would really like to use them on my RF. Their size and length would also be great to know.
Thank you,
John
 
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Hi Wayne,
What changes are you aware of? It would be interesting to see if our upgrades are now standard to your car or if the improvements are more significant.
Malcolm
 
Do the CAV use gas shocks for the front and rear clips. It looks like it in a few photos. If so I would love to have the mounting points and shock dimensions.
Thanks,
John
 
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Assuming from what I have seen of the CAV chassis on their web site, there suspension looks very similar if not the same as the GTD. Therefore the dampers (struts) would be the same. The standard struts we used were Spax gas adjustable. Light road use only. The next upgrade were to use Trac Spax gas adjustable. These were ali cased units and like the standard items had adjustable platforms for the coil over springs. They were also rebuildable during the close season. However for the more heavy users, they always seemed to need reconditioning at year end and so a group of us got Koni units.

These Koni struts are twin adjustable ie can be adjusted separatly for the bump and rebound to fine tune the ride to a better degree. They are however a little fiddly to adjust but now set and I have found no need to go back and change settings. The downside is that they are more expensive, expect at least twice the price of Trac Spax. Four of us spent £5,000 to get a set each which is £1,250 per set. That was some time back now so expect about £1,400 to £1,500 a set. They are specific to GTDs (CAV?) as I took my car to the Koni Technical Centre and they measured up. The job number they gave me was D100, but that may only be relevant in UK. I am sure they will be exhibiting at the Autosport International Show at the NEC in January for any UK reader.

Both the Trac Spax and Koni were heim jointed units and require spacers to suit.

Someone asked for dimensions. Do you want overall uncompressed lenght and piston lenght? I am in my garage on Thursday and could take some measurements if it would help.

Malcolm
 
Malcolm,
I think this discussion is revolving around the struts which hold up the front and rear clips when you open up the car, not the shock absorbers. Like those gas props on the rear deck of your Saab.
Does CAV=GTD, yes it does, as I understand it, the design was licensed by designer to CAV for construction. When we had lunch with him this spring, I think he said that they did some producibility engineering to make the car more economical to construct before they went into the factory.
I took some pictures of the frame of the CAV car (was pretty much bare)when we were at a UK facility. Certainly the footwell has been been made larger, but I do not know how this would affect suspension geometry.And the rear of the frame has been changed to accept the Getrag transaxle. One last thing I think the rear suspension mounting points on the rear bulkhead have been changed just a bit. It also has different front spindles and rear uprights.
I would propose that the enthusiasts building cars now in the US will split into two ranks, they guys that want to polish and show, and the guys that want to be somewhat dull and go like heck (me).
So sometime after the cars have been around a bit, we will see an evloution of performance modifications beginning to show up. And some of these guys will have piles of stuff in the garage that they ripped out and replaced or tossed to lighted up the load. This pile will have the air conditioner in it and the rugs, the CD players, the speakers, the leather seats, the old brakes, the old shock absorbers, the old springs, the old shifters, and seat belts, the anti- roll bars, etc and they will be posting messages about camber adjustments, replacing the suspension bushes, where to fit roll bars, how to chop off the roof (Ray's spider!!),fit fire supression systems and how to enhance aerodynamics.
The smart ones will talk to the folks in the UK that have already been doing it for 12 years. It's going to be FUN!.. Regards, Brian

[ December 02, 2001: Message edited by: Brian ]

[ December 02, 2001: Message edited by: Brian ]

[ December 02, 2001: Message edited by: Brian ]
 
Hi Malcolm

Yes CAV = GTD now you can read between the lines and understand why GTD are having problems in the UK with no export market to the USA.
GTD have scraped the cassis gig and sold the Suspension gigs to Dave at Thunderbird, and are importing cars from South Africa and selling them as GTD's.

It must be nice to have your cake and eat it!

Is the GTD dead as a replica mark?

Any info on GTD?

Chris
 
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Brian

Thanks for pointing out my obvious and embarrassing mistake. We always did have a language barrier between UK and US. Clearly we in the UK invented the languauge so you lot must be wrong! However I did go a bit red when I read the posting having just posted it and Ron only just told me I could delete it or edit it myself. Too late as you picked me up on it. Enjoy it but remember I have done over 24,000 miles in my GT40!!!!!

So for all who read this if you make a posting and get it wrong there is a pen and paper icon which if you click on it, you can modify your postings.

Chris

Rumours abound about the new GTD Factory. I am not as close to the new factory as I was with Ray Christopher and the original GTD Factory in Poole. Whilst I have my own opinions and thoughts (plus knowledge) I do not think this the place for me to discuss it. I hope the new GTD factory keep going as one day the law of averages state that I will smack my car up if I keep doing competition and I will need parts for it then! Lets hope that is way off.


Now getting back to these damm struts. Frank Catt and Robin Batt did some research for Robin's car. They claim that the originals used leather straps to hold the front and rear clips (Brian taught me that word so blame him I got that one wrong! No I'm not sulking but it would be nice if Wendy stopped laughing at me) and they have installed them on his car. Do you know what they used? Dog leads and they look very good to the extent that I may fit them to my car. Cut the handle bit off and bolt that end to the body with a spreader washer and then clip the lead with the spring clip to the chassis (or vice versa) and when you lift off the body sections it is easy. Standard GTD items are in fact hinged bars that are very easy to fab yorself from flat steel. Gas struts would be out of keeping with 1960s and race cars in my opinion.

Exit stage left

Malcolm

[ December 03, 2001: Message edited by: Malcolm M ]
 
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My car has never been meant to be a period replica (hence EFI), so I am looking forward to specs on the gas struts for both clips. It has been my intention from the beginning to use them. I was convinced when I rode with Bob Williams in Nashville (RBD)and watched him jump when a puff of wind came up. Hinged bars at least (as mentioned earlier) but in deference to my bad back-- gas struts for me!
 
The struts are Gabriel Gaslift P/N 4045-030201 front (x2) and 4152-280600 rear (x1)
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Lynn
Appreciate your back problems. Make sure you get a good seat for yourself that gives proper lumbar support. These cars can give harsh rides depending on how you choose to set it up. Especially over long distances.

Wayne

What the hell are those tyres in your pictures? They look like hand cut intermediates! 15 or 17 inch rims?

Malcolm
 
Yokohama A032R DOT race tires, they are not as sticky as the Kumho V700 or the Hoosiers but still a high performance competition tire. They don't seem to pick up as much debris from the road and should be fairly good if I ever get caught in the wet.
 

Robert Logan

Defunct Manufactuer - Old RF Company
Wayne,
The AO32R's are to be replaced shortly with 48's I think. I was talking to the importer yesterday about the new tyres and he said that they are much , much better (he would). The tyres have excellent wet weather manners and we use and recommend them to evertone. The only problem I have found is that the create a great deal of road noise but I supose there must be some trade !!!!!! The AO32R's are also available in 3 compounds. These are marked as H , S and SS which can be found on the outside of the tyre wall. The symbols stand for hard, sort and super soft I think. The later would only be used for a one lap dash / hillclimb. The sizes available is VERY limited and the new 48's are even more limited. I was told that 18 inch has a good range 17 inch not bad and 16 inch limited. Forget 15 inch !!!!!!!
Best wishes,Robert Logan
 
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