24 Hours

[Richard]

24 hours is a long time to spend behind the wheel even if it's in a GT40 or maybe because it's in a GT40. Well it only took two winters and a summer to get the 40 home to Idaho from SoCal but 24 hours and 1200 miles made it happen. The only tough part was the few hours I spent sleeping in the car at a rest stop in Oregon at 40deg.

It always amazes me when I take pictures of a GT40 next to cars we would normally think of as small (like a Mustang). My favorite one is one someone posted where a GT40 is sitting next to a Porsche.

Who on the forum is going to SAAC 38. I'll be there selling my Shelby :-(

 

[Jack Houpe]

Was the field a stop off place for a quick 30 minute nap? Richard you get the award for trying to wear yourself yourself out. Not me, 685 miles in one day was my max without hearing protection and I still can't hear.....Huh?

 

[Dave Hood]

I think you may hold the record, Richard. How many miles were on the car when you picked it up? No issues on the way home? For many of us that started with a new car, the first 1,200 miles were a mix of enjoyment and surprises.

 

[Jimmy P]

Many kudo's Richard for this epic journey. I'm with Dave, tell us more about the trip. Problems, issues, etc? The first 500 miles I put on my car I found a few interesting "low volume" production issues. A tip of my hat to you sir.

 

[Richard]

Jack what was that you said all I can hear is the ringing (lol)? After being in closterfobic LA for over two months seeing that much open space inspired me to take the picture. I was just lucky to have the 40 there for contrast. The hardest part was the few hours of sleep if you can call it that at a rest stop somewhere in Oregon where it's still in the low 40's at night. My "hands free" earbuds and some great music kept me from going deaf even though as you know my car is about a quiet as a 40 gets.

This trip was the end of my second trip from northern Idaho to SoCal in my 40. Due to timing and weather this last trip home was delayed by almost two years. I did visit her from time to time along with my Mom and brothers that live down there. Last year I drove my Shelby to Monterey then on to LA. The Shelby had some issues and by the time I got those sorted out old man winter kept me from driving the 40 home just as it had a year earlier when I drove the 40 to Monterey and LA.

I love driving the 40 even on long trips as it the most amazing car I have ever driven. Mileage is in the mid teens to mid twenties and except for a squeaky alternator belt the car ran rock solid. I did my own build and had my share of teething problem. On my first trip in the car from Coeur d'Alene to Boise and Tahoe it rained hard enough that my right shoe filled with water even after spending a year and a half weatherproofing the car. Stuffing a plastic bag in in the left NACA duct that runs to the heater fixed that problem. I keep several in the car in case of rain.

Overall the trip went very well I only wish I would have taken more pictures but I get "barn sour" when heading home. I really wish I had stopped by the replica of Stonehenge along the Columbia River so I could show I stopped by England on the way home.

I'm sure all of us have this same problem and that one of these days someone is going to drop their cell phone out of their car window trying to take a picture of the 40. At Biggs Junction in Oregon I let a dozen or more teenagers sit in the car while I was getting gas (not all at the same time). It's great being able to share the car and the GT40 history.

So get out there and drive the wheels off your cars. After all the car was made to be driven for 24 hours at a time, right? I would however recommend having a co-driver, someone petite enough to fit in the passenger seat would be best. I would also plan on building two luggage boxes unless your underwear change is with your co-driver. lol

 

[Jack Houpe]

I've spent several miles in the passenger seat of Richards car and it is the quietest SPF I've been in, he went to great lengths to make it that way and it was his cars performance and the 331 he installed that made me wish I had a few hundred HP less, its very drivable and has no surprises. Hat is off you Richard for a great job.

 

[Randy Farnsworth]

I like the comparison pic of the GT40 and the GT350, funny my '09 GT500 makes mine look even smaller compared to P2116, they are wide though.

Randy

 

[Richard]

Not a great picture but here is one where my car is sitting next to a Ferrari. I also found the ones where a GT40 is sitting next to a Porsche. Makes me think I'm driving a go-kart with 20 gallons of gas.

My poor little 331 does well at 450HP. I didn't think I needed any more until a friend said ZO6 was faster. Is that possible with no power adders just heavy tuning?

Thanks to whoever posted the last three I'm not sure where I got them.

 

[Geert-Jan]

I don't know who made or posted the pics with the Porsche, but I can tell they were taken at circuit Zolder in Belgium

 

[Seymour Snerd]

Richard Woerz is my hero.

We need to get him and his black GT40 together with my other hero Jim Craik's black GT40, which has been a daily driver for years and has 40,000+ miles.

 

[Jimmy P]

Alan, fully agree with the "hero" moniker. Anyone who has owned one of these great cars (whoever made it) has to appreciate someone (anyone) who has taken any trip over a few hundred miles in one. I'm as passionate as the next guy when it comes to these cars......the sound, the feeling one gets when behind the wheel at speed, etc, etc, but to take a trip of anything over a few hunderd miles has my admiration. I'm not saying I would never do it but if I did I'd like some company and to also know other GT40 owners were close by sharing the joy (dare I say) of spending a few hours in the cockpit. Makes one think of the drivers back in the 60's that drove 4 hour stints in these beasts in anger and on the edge. Remarkable.

 

[Jack Houpe]

Richard Woerz is my hero.

We need to get him and his black GT40 together with my other hero Jim Craik's black GT40, which has been a daily driver for years and has 40,000+ miles.

It's dark blue.

 

[Seymour Snerd]

It's dark blue.

Well in that case forget the whole thing.

 

[Jack]

Well, Jim's GT40 has probably logged more miles than many here combined.
Good on 'ya Jim!

 

[Richard]

No don't do that I would love to meet anyone more crazy than me about driving a GT40. In fact we should encourage everyone with one of these car to get together especially if it means driving somewhere. The amount we would learn about our cars and ourselves would be well worth the effort.

Unless you have a car that's never driven on the street we should all make a special effort to make them as streetable as possible. The more I drive my car the more I want to drive it.

 

[David Briggs]

Richard, another epic drive for you. I have moved from Ramona to Vista, much closer now. Let me know when you will be in the area again, lets get together.
Dave

 

[Richard]

David, I'm sorry we were not able get together. How is the Indy car coming? Are you going to Monterey?

 

[David Briggs]

Hi Richard, I sold the Indy car to a race car collector, I could not get a suitable gearbox for it. I had money on one for 2 years but the guy would not produce it. I wanted to drive another race car diring my lifetime so I purchased this Formula Renault so that I could get some seat time.
I probably won't go to Monterey this year, next year for sure.
Dave