The Best GT40 ever?
- Thread starter Chris Melia
- Start date
Hi Chris,
What's the purpose of the angled aluminum
rectangle above the exhaust? Was that for a heat shield? Great photos, by the way!
Bill
What's the purpose of the angled aluminum
rectangle above the exhaust? Was that for a heat shield? Great photos, by the way!
Bill
If someone could grant me one wish, then I would wish to have 1075 in my own garage. I guess that makes it the best GT40 in my eyes.
Incidentally, does anybody know where 1075 currently lives? If it is exhibited in a museum somewhere, then the destination would have to go into my "must see" list.
Anybody care to to put a figure on its current value, or when and how much it last sold for.
PS. Great pics.
Incidentally, does anybody know where 1075 currently lives? If it is exhibited in a museum somewhere, then the destination would have to go into my "must see" list.
Anybody care to to put a figure on its current value, or when and how much it last sold for.
PS. Great pics.
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
Chris: Those are the best pictures of 1075 I have ever seen, really terrific.
I asked Harley Cluxton what it was like to drive 1075. What he said was (I'm doing this from memory) that it had tons of power, that it handled beautifully (evidently even compared to other GT40s) and that it had the best gearchange of any GT40 he'd ever driven. 1075 lives in Incline Village, Nevada, which I think is near California- also I think the Walton family, which own it, live in Scottsdale, AZ so it may be there from time to time. As far as I know it is not in a museum but gets occasional outings at GT40 meetings and vintage races. I don't think it gets raced as such, because of its' value, but I may be wrong on that.
Is it the best? Which one would be better? I can't think of any. If I could have any GT40 it would be 1075 or Bill Wonder's car #103, because it was the first GT40 to win a race, and did it with Miles and Hulme at the helm...
What I would give a lot to see, or have a photo of, is 1075 with Jacky Ickx. Now THERE'S a winning combination. Many of it's numerous wins occurred with Ickx driving, or sharing the driving.
People who don't have a special regard for cars would say it's just a machine. I (and I suspect most of the people who read this) would say otherwise- that a machine can be a great old warrior, and that 1075 is.
I asked Harley Cluxton what it was like to drive 1075. What he said was (I'm doing this from memory) that it had tons of power, that it handled beautifully (evidently even compared to other GT40s) and that it had the best gearchange of any GT40 he'd ever driven. 1075 lives in Incline Village, Nevada, which I think is near California- also I think the Walton family, which own it, live in Scottsdale, AZ so it may be there from time to time. As far as I know it is not in a museum but gets occasional outings at GT40 meetings and vintage races. I don't think it gets raced as such, because of its' value, but I may be wrong on that.
Is it the best? Which one would be better? I can't think of any. If I could have any GT40 it would be 1075 or Bill Wonder's car #103, because it was the first GT40 to win a race, and did it with Miles and Hulme at the helm...
What I would give a lot to see, or have a photo of, is 1075 with Jacky Ickx. Now THERE'S a winning combination. Many of it's numerous wins occurred with Ickx driving, or sharing the driving.
People who don't have a special regard for cars would say it's just a machine. I (and I suspect most of the people who read this) would say otherwise- that a machine can be a great old warrior, and that 1075 is.
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
Incredible. How big is the model? I can't tell by the photos, but for that kind of detail it must be fairly good-size.
Incidentally, as far as what 1075 is worth; I've heard all sorts of things but given its' history my hunch is that IF it were to change hands (and it probably wouldn't be on eBay) my guess is that it would be eight to ten million USD. But that's just my guess.
The bargain, if you want to call it that, is 1040, which is around this area and has been intermittently for sale. It is all taken apart and needs a complete restoration, but notwithstanding it having had "its' share of low moments" it is a genuine competition car which ran well for most of 24 hrs at LM and might have written a bit of history itself had it not skidded and crashed. It is a shame it has never gotten the full restoration it deserves. It may still have the original engine and transaxle, although who knows...
Incidentally, as far as what 1075 is worth; I've heard all sorts of things but given its' history my hunch is that IF it were to change hands (and it probably wouldn't be on eBay) my guess is that it would be eight to ten million USD. But that's just my guess.
The bargain, if you want to call it that, is 1040, which is around this area and has been intermittently for sale. It is all taken apart and needs a complete restoration, but notwithstanding it having had "its' share of low moments" it is a genuine competition car which ran well for most of 24 hrs at LM and might have written a bit of history itself had it not skidded and crashed. It is a shame it has never gotten the full restoration it deserves. It may still have the original engine and transaxle, although who knows...
Hi Jim
P1040 has the price reduced here is the e-mail the owner sent me.
History of Ford GT40 #P1040 to August 1978
In late 1965 Georges Filipinetti, Ferrari importer for Switzerland, decided to augment his race team of Ferrari customer cars and ordered two GT40 MkI race cars from Ford Advanced Vehicles (FAV) in England. It has been suggested that Ford had some kind of back door negotiations with Filipinetti, wanting to use his Scuderia as a source of additional entries at Le Mans. Hence, the thinking is that Filipinetti extracted some support from Ford as an independent, but quasi-factory, GT40 entrant. To fill the Filipinetti order, production race chassis P1039 and P1040, painted in the Scuderia's team colors of signal red with a white stripe from nose to tail, were delivered by FAV in March 1966.
P1040 appeared at the Le Mans trials in early April 1966 driven by Willie Mairesse, Herbert
Muller (both Filipinetti team drivers) and Innes Ireland and then raced at Monza in late April, placing second in class and third overall with Muller and Mairesse driving. P1040 was returned to FAV for preparation for Le Mans and had special modifications made that were done only on Ford factory Le Mans GT40s. As one of 14 cars in Ford’s onslaught on the 1966 Le Mans race, P1040 was running an excellent fifth overall (driven by Peter Sutcliffe/Dieter Spoerry) and was the leading small block GT40 until running off the track after 16 hours, suffering damage that forced its retirement.
After being shipped back to FAV and languishing there for some months awaiting repairs to the Le Mans damage, P1040 next race appearance was at the Le Mans trials in April 1967. At that time it was purchased by Filipinetti team drivers Denis Borel and Jean-Daniel Grandjean, who crashed the car during the trials. Repaired again at FAV, P1040 was sent to Monza in late April 1967 for the 1000 km race. Here, Grandjean withdrew from the purchase deal executed a few weeks earlier and was replaced by Claude Ballot-Lena. During the Monza race, P1040 suffered extensive damage due to a fire in the engine bay that spread to the entire car.
The burned remains were shipped to Filipinetti headquarters in Switzerland and eventually were acquired by team mechanic Franco Sbarro, who began a rebuild of the car in the early 1970s. Prior to completion, P1040 was sold in 1976 to Charles Gendroz, also of Switzerland, who finished the restoration. In late 1977, Gendroz sold the car to Grand Touring Cars/Harley Cluxton in Phoenix, Arizona. They in turn sold it to Don Silawsky of Maryland in August 1978.
History of Ford GT40 #P1040 After August 1978
Upon purchase by the current owner in August 1978, P1040 was an operable, running, car. It was not, however, in a condition that was satisfactory and safe, as numerous systems did not function properly as a result of what was a poorly executed "restoration" in the early 1970s. The car was kept intact and used occasionally for street drives, but no racing or track events, until 1983, when the motor was removed. In 1989, the entire car was disassembled down to the bare tub by Tom Milner Racing in Winchester, Virginia (current BMW factory team).
In the early 1990s, the chassis was delivered to Bob Ash (FAV Co., Norcross, Georgia), who specializes in GT40 restorations, for examination and development of a restoration plan. However, no work was done at that time and the tub was eventually returned to Maryland. The tub has recently been bead blasted and primed to stabilize it in preparation for restoration.
Both prior to and after its disassembly, P1040 was closely examined, in some cases more than once, by a number of race car technicians and restorers who had expert, specialized knowledge about GT40s, as well as by Ronnie Spain, the preeminent historian and authority on GT40s. In no case was the originality or identity of the car questioned. References to these experts can be provided upon request.
Restoration
Any prospective purchaser of GT40 #P1040 must assume that a total and comprehensive restoration of the car will be needed. Although it was in operable condition prior to disassembly in 1989, the reconstruction of the car subsequent to the Monza ’67 fire was not of the highest quality. Also, any original part would now be almost 35 years old and in need of thorough examination for structural soundness. Thanks to the passage of time and the value of the cars, there exist today a number of restoration shops that either specialize in GT40s almost exclusively or have done extensive work on them as part of their broader repertoire. There is no part from the original cars that isn’t available today, in some cases from manufacturers of high-quality clones and continuation cars.
The heart and soul of any historic car—it’s unique and original identity—is the chassis, or "tub." In contrast to many other competition GT40s, GT40 #P1040 not only still has its original chassis, but that chassis is in relatively good condition. While there was some surface rust over the entire chassis prior to the recent bead blasting, there were no areas that were rotted out and therefore needed replacement. There are a number of minor irregularities in the tub: (1) a small difference in the dimension of the left and right wheel bases, due to the run off into a sand bank at Le Mans ’66, that can be readily corrected through the use of a chassis jig; (2) the central longitudinal "roof" section was displaced upwards when the car was lifted off the track by a crane at Monza ’67 after the fire; this does not affect the structural integrity of the car and could very well be left as is as a "battle scar" from the car’s glory days in European competition (as the doors have been fiddled to match the increased roof height); however, as part of a comprehensive restoration, correction of the roof height would be a minor element; (3) the battery was at some point relocated from the cabin (standard location for race coupes) to a "box" cut into the left rear of the tub.
Due to the severity of the fire at Monza ’67, the engine and transaxle originally installed in the car by FAV in 1966 were replaced with other GT40 units, as were the fiberglass body sections. All major parts and assemblies on the entire car are believed to be original GT40 parts but are not warranted as such. Note that no windshield is presently with the car, and that the latches for the bodywork are not original.
Although its racing career was brief, P1040 is regarded by Ronnie Spain as a rare and historically significant factory Le Mans car, and it is to this specification that an authentic and rigorous restoration should likely be directed. However, other approaches to the restoration could also be taken, such as a less historically rigorous rebuild that perhaps would utilize elements of later GT40 configurations (larger flares, wider rims, and larger brake disks and calipers), or a very expansive approach using modern engines (Ford SVO, for example), brake systems, and shocks. The end result of any of these approaches will be an exciting racecar with very high levels of performance, and also one of the most aesthetically beautiful.
Terms for Purchase
$285,000 for: * the bare chassis (tub)
* all parts and assemblies that were removed from the tub when the car was disassembled from its running/operable condition; these include all body panels and doors; suspension uprights and components; half shafts; 289 c.i. motor; Weber 48IDA carburetors; ZF5DS25 transaxle; Girling brake calipers and rotors; Halibrand rims; seats; radiator; instruments; pedal box/pedals; steering wheel
Contact Don Silawsky
145 Edgewater Drive
Edgewater, MD 21037 USA
Phone: 410-974-8152 (home)
202-586-1892 (office and voice mail)
E-mail: [email protected]
wner sent me.
P1040 has the price reduced here is the e-mail the owner sent me.
History of Ford GT40 #P1040 to August 1978
In late 1965 Georges Filipinetti, Ferrari importer for Switzerland, decided to augment his race team of Ferrari customer cars and ordered two GT40 MkI race cars from Ford Advanced Vehicles (FAV) in England. It has been suggested that Ford had some kind of back door negotiations with Filipinetti, wanting to use his Scuderia as a source of additional entries at Le Mans. Hence, the thinking is that Filipinetti extracted some support from Ford as an independent, but quasi-factory, GT40 entrant. To fill the Filipinetti order, production race chassis P1039 and P1040, painted in the Scuderia's team colors of signal red with a white stripe from nose to tail, were delivered by FAV in March 1966.
P1040 appeared at the Le Mans trials in early April 1966 driven by Willie Mairesse, Herbert
Muller (both Filipinetti team drivers) and Innes Ireland and then raced at Monza in late April, placing second in class and third overall with Muller and Mairesse driving. P1040 was returned to FAV for preparation for Le Mans and had special modifications made that were done only on Ford factory Le Mans GT40s. As one of 14 cars in Ford’s onslaught on the 1966 Le Mans race, P1040 was running an excellent fifth overall (driven by Peter Sutcliffe/Dieter Spoerry) and was the leading small block GT40 until running off the track after 16 hours, suffering damage that forced its retirement.
After being shipped back to FAV and languishing there for some months awaiting repairs to the Le Mans damage, P1040 next race appearance was at the Le Mans trials in April 1967. At that time it was purchased by Filipinetti team drivers Denis Borel and Jean-Daniel Grandjean, who crashed the car during the trials. Repaired again at FAV, P1040 was sent to Monza in late April 1967 for the 1000 km race. Here, Grandjean withdrew from the purchase deal executed a few weeks earlier and was replaced by Claude Ballot-Lena. During the Monza race, P1040 suffered extensive damage due to a fire in the engine bay that spread to the entire car.
The burned remains were shipped to Filipinetti headquarters in Switzerland and eventually were acquired by team mechanic Franco Sbarro, who began a rebuild of the car in the early 1970s. Prior to completion, P1040 was sold in 1976 to Charles Gendroz, also of Switzerland, who finished the restoration. In late 1977, Gendroz sold the car to Grand Touring Cars/Harley Cluxton in Phoenix, Arizona. They in turn sold it to Don Silawsky of Maryland in August 1978.
History of Ford GT40 #P1040 After August 1978
Upon purchase by the current owner in August 1978, P1040 was an operable, running, car. It was not, however, in a condition that was satisfactory and safe, as numerous systems did not function properly as a result of what was a poorly executed "restoration" in the early 1970s. The car was kept intact and used occasionally for street drives, but no racing or track events, until 1983, when the motor was removed. In 1989, the entire car was disassembled down to the bare tub by Tom Milner Racing in Winchester, Virginia (current BMW factory team).
In the early 1990s, the chassis was delivered to Bob Ash (FAV Co., Norcross, Georgia), who specializes in GT40 restorations, for examination and development of a restoration plan. However, no work was done at that time and the tub was eventually returned to Maryland. The tub has recently been bead blasted and primed to stabilize it in preparation for restoration.
Both prior to and after its disassembly, P1040 was closely examined, in some cases more than once, by a number of race car technicians and restorers who had expert, specialized knowledge about GT40s, as well as by Ronnie Spain, the preeminent historian and authority on GT40s. In no case was the originality or identity of the car questioned. References to these experts can be provided upon request.
Restoration
Any prospective purchaser of GT40 #P1040 must assume that a total and comprehensive restoration of the car will be needed. Although it was in operable condition prior to disassembly in 1989, the reconstruction of the car subsequent to the Monza ’67 fire was not of the highest quality. Also, any original part would now be almost 35 years old and in need of thorough examination for structural soundness. Thanks to the passage of time and the value of the cars, there exist today a number of restoration shops that either specialize in GT40s almost exclusively or have done extensive work on them as part of their broader repertoire. There is no part from the original cars that isn’t available today, in some cases from manufacturers of high-quality clones and continuation cars.
The heart and soul of any historic car—it’s unique and original identity—is the chassis, or "tub." In contrast to many other competition GT40s, GT40 #P1040 not only still has its original chassis, but that chassis is in relatively good condition. While there was some surface rust over the entire chassis prior to the recent bead blasting, there were no areas that were rotted out and therefore needed replacement. There are a number of minor irregularities in the tub: (1) a small difference in the dimension of the left and right wheel bases, due to the run off into a sand bank at Le Mans ’66, that can be readily corrected through the use of a chassis jig; (2) the central longitudinal "roof" section was displaced upwards when the car was lifted off the track by a crane at Monza ’67 after the fire; this does not affect the structural integrity of the car and could very well be left as is as a "battle scar" from the car’s glory days in European competition (as the doors have been fiddled to match the increased roof height); however, as part of a comprehensive restoration, correction of the roof height would be a minor element; (3) the battery was at some point relocated from the cabin (standard location for race coupes) to a "box" cut into the left rear of the tub.
Due to the severity of the fire at Monza ’67, the engine and transaxle originally installed in the car by FAV in 1966 were replaced with other GT40 units, as were the fiberglass body sections. All major parts and assemblies on the entire car are believed to be original GT40 parts but are not warranted as such. Note that no windshield is presently with the car, and that the latches for the bodywork are not original.
Although its racing career was brief, P1040 is regarded by Ronnie Spain as a rare and historically significant factory Le Mans car, and it is to this specification that an authentic and rigorous restoration should likely be directed. However, other approaches to the restoration could also be taken, such as a less historically rigorous rebuild that perhaps would utilize elements of later GT40 configurations (larger flares, wider rims, and larger brake disks and calipers), or a very expansive approach using modern engines (Ford SVO, for example), brake systems, and shocks. The end result of any of these approaches will be an exciting racecar with very high levels of performance, and also one of the most aesthetically beautiful.
Terms for Purchase
$285,000 for: * the bare chassis (tub)
* all parts and assemblies that were removed from the tub when the car was disassembled from its running/operable condition; these include all body panels and doors; suspension uprights and components; half shafts; 289 c.i. motor; Weber 48IDA carburetors; ZF5DS25 transaxle; Girling brake calipers and rotors; Halibrand rims; seats; radiator; instruments; pedal box/pedals; steering wheel
Contact Don Silawsky
145 Edgewater Drive
Edgewater, MD 21037 USA
Phone: 410-974-8152 (home)
202-586-1892 (office and voice mail)
E-mail: [email protected]
wner sent me.
Hi guys, I like John's reply " it mine cos its in my garage"!! thats funny. I have two GTD40's and an MD40 underway as well as my lightweight space framed pantera with Fibre glass body. You can never have enough to do when you've got projects on the go! Now i remember why I've got no money! As fas as the 1075 car, it is the reason i was approached to supply my second GTD40 for the latest Bond Movie. They asked me to replicate 1075 for the purposes of filming. We had to work from photo's and best guesses and it came out pretty good. For the filming they just let those charges off real quick and the camera really makes you believe that its a 8 million dollar car getting trashed! I however got paid a mere pittance for my trouble and the prestige of having my motor in a movie. My car is for sale now and will be advertised as being in the movie, though I doubt i will get a fraction of that elusive 8 million bucks! I can dream though...
All the best
Mark Sibley
All the best
Mark Sibley
Hi, for you model makers out there: that super detailled kit appears to be a Revell or Fujimi 1: 24 scale GT40 kit, with a Thunder Valley "conversion kit"..go to http://www.thundervalleyusa.com/
Plus it has a a whole lot of extra detailing.
Very nice, but not as nice as the 1:1 model by Robert Logan at the Melbourne Motor Show
)
Plus it has a a whole lot of extra detailing.
Very nice, but not as nice as the 1:1 model by Robert Logan at the Melbourne Motor Show
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
Had a chance to see the new Ferrari and Maserati lines at Ferrari of Washington last Friday evening: Maser coupe and spyder, plus the new Ferr 575 coupe and spyder. Big wingding and fry, and Australian F1 on three huge TVs..
Ferraris look like Batmobiles, kept looking for the parachute at the back. The Maseratis are kind of squat and lumpy. Several of these cars look better in photos than in real life. None of these designs have the grace and balance of a GT40, it's no surprise that the RFGT40 was mobbed at Melbourne. They also cost a great deal more than an RF, and despite all the high-tech items, don't perform any better.
To be fair, the light-alloy V12 in the Maranello/575 is a pretty piece of sculpture, and would make a terrific coffee table.
Ferraris look like Batmobiles, kept looking for the parachute at the back. The Maseratis are kind of squat and lumpy. Several of these cars look better in photos than in real life. None of these designs have the grace and balance of a GT40, it's no surprise that the RFGT40 was mobbed at Melbourne. They also cost a great deal more than an RF, and despite all the high-tech items, don't perform any better.
To be fair, the light-alloy V12 in the Maranello/575 is a pretty piece of sculpture, and would make a terrific coffee table.
Peter Delaney
GT40s Supporter
I had the same experience at the Melbourne Motor Show as Robert & Jim. I had arranged to meet Robert Logan at the show, & he said that the RF was at the "end of the hall" - when I got near the end, I saw a large crowd & thought "wrong end of hall". However, behind the crowd was the RF - more people around it than the new Lambo! That RF is one beautiful car.
Re Jim's comment on the coffee table - the best exhibit at the Lambo stand was not their new car, but a coffee table made from a thick glass slab laid over a Lambo motor & gearbox !
Re Jim's comment on the coffee table - the best exhibit at the Lambo stand was not their new car, but a coffee table made from a thick glass slab laid over a Lambo motor & gearbox !
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