Best GT40 replica for racing

[jonathanb]

Seems like I've opened a can of worms!

I have been circuit racing a Shelby GT350 for a long time and have so many spare parts, engines etc, I want to build something that is really going to handle, stop and go properly.

I think you all have very valid points.

Chassis and weight are very important as is drivetrain and parts availability etc.

Cost too is a consideration.

If anyone is currently racing a particular replica and is wiping the boards, I would love to know as I don't want to go trailblazing if someone has done it before.

Thanks.


JB.

 

[Ian K]

JB,

There are plenty of people racing various makes and appear to be doing quite
well.

Dean Lampe just did the Run'n'Gun in his heavily modified RCR
Ross Nicol races his highly modified RF
Ron McCall races his RCR
I can't tell you the number of GTDs that do various sprints, hillclimbs
and such in the UK - but a brief run down includes Robin Batt, Martin
Weigold, Paul Thompson, and more. Bob Usher-Sparks used to race
a Chevy powered GTD as well.
I have seen ERAs in action, and Buzz Clarke attempted the One Lap of America
in his CAV.
And then there's Tim K's Tornado and of course Bud Jones's GTD racing out
here in California.

You haven't really opened a can of worms, it's just that there is no right answer.
I'll stand by what I said, all of the current offerings will make solid platforms to
work with, but will need large doses of money and development to seriously
compete in head to head racing. Frank Catt has been doing this for years with
GTDs, and a lot of what he has learned has made it's way to Mick Solis' Southern GTs
(or maybe it's the other way around ) CAV have a number of options to make
their car more track friendly, and RCR has done a fantastic job on Dean Lampe's
car.

Ian

 

[Dean Lampe]

I will jump in here and say that my RCR is doing very well against the competition at some of the local events. I have not modified the car at all. I have added some things like a fuel system better suited for racing, more gauges to monitor key indicators, a dry sump hot little Yates motor and 17 inch wheels but I have built the basic car as delivered to me. The difference is that I have spent the time and money to set it up for the track. You can't expect to buy a kit and just go racing. Once you have it built, the work begins. The final adjustments and chassis tuning make all the difference. The RCR is a kit that will allow you to adjust it to the specs you need for your individual needs. I have posted my specs as it is raced. I would like to see the numbers from some of the other manufacturers. How is their bump steer? What is the cross weight balance? What is the ride height for optimum suspension setup? How have they adjusted their rebound and compression settings? What springs are they running? What is their sway bar diameter and arm length? Before you take someones advice about which car is best for the track, make sure they know how to measure the quality of a track car. There are a lot of people here who I think can give you this info. Good luck on your search. If you need specifics about my car, just let me know.

 

[Gordon Levy]

Jac, go back to sleep. It's only a dream.

 

[Graham T]

I think you have to decide what type of "racing" you wish to participate in and buy or build to suit the REGULATIONS.

For years i have successfully raced FGT40 (a GTD based car but built and modified by me) in nearly a hundred races. Last out two weeks ago where it ran 40 laps at Snetterton as part of a four car team in the 4 hour meeting that had over 30 teams running as well.
Be very aware of the huge mechanical and paintwork wear and tear, as well as the bodywork damage that can occur when making your decision because you will certainly need quick and reliable access to spares and a bank !!!

You pays your money and takes your choice but big bucks do not always equate to the best car for racing. Quality of build and reliability must come before huge horsepower because in my personal racing knowledge i have seen so many fall by the wayside by breaking prematurely or being unreliable.

To finish first, first you have to finish ..........

GT.

 

[Keith]

That's a cool photo Graham.....

 

[Dalton Veitch]

That's a VERY cool photo. I like Cobras, and it's not often they are made to look comparatively like a tall, vintage car.

Dalton

 

[Jean]

May I add one pic to the discussion...?

 

[Mike Drew]

Was this the car I saw in the Classic paddock at Le Mans this year?

 

[Jean]

Yes Mike, we were there for the 2007 Le Mans and Ray Mallock drove the car.

 

[jonathanb]

Is anyone racing the CAV GTR?

Those English responses, have you any laptimes you have managed from some of the major circuits? Say Brands, Snet, Donington.

Thanks,


JB.

 

[RobGT]

Do you have any links to the series you race in? Im too looking at a racing GT40 but cant seem to find any website info or regs.

 

[TwoSeatsorLess]

Superformance has come out with their GT40R which is gaining some success in the vintage racing world and is legal in SVRA and HSR here in the States. You can find info on this site or through google, I don't want to post any links because I'm not sure about linking rules on the board.

 

[Kym Haines]

Have a read of Iain Pretty's build thread:

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-build-logs/22164-rf-117-a.html

An impressive car.

His mission statement: "Build a car capable of winning in Group 2 Racing in Australia".

 

[Jim Cowden]

All just personal opinion.

I don't think any of the 40 kits available out of the box will mix it with the likes of a lotus elise ect ect.
Even modified I think they will struggle,a 40 is a nice car and a step back in time if you are going to race against similar spec cars from a similar period then you are in with a chance but they wont cut the mustard with new technology in my opinion.

If you want the car because of what it is and there is a class you can race it in go for it.
If you want to race and win I would look at something else.

I have looked at lap times set by 40s at circuits here in OZ that I and my son have done in a supercharged 1.6lt toyota corolla sprinter.

Now dont all come out shooting at my comments it is an observation that I have made and I dont know what it is because a 40 looks like it has everything going for it but it just doesnt quite get there,in 66 it did but not know.

I think Paulo has the right idea but then its not really a 40.

Jim

 

[Mark]

Could lower lap times you observe be a result of the very talented builders of these cars only committing 90% into the lap time for fear of damaging their creations? Just a thought.

Buying something modern 'off the shelf', (or even just perceived as easy to replace), and then driving it like you stole it, will surely provide a faster pace than anyone competing in Historics, I would imagine.

Of course the above pre-supposes that the car in question has been fettle for the track.

 

[Nick]

Hi,

I know nothing about racing my Southern will only ever be a road car, but I believe a Southern GT customer is intending to use his for racing and has already done some fairly extensive testing with impressive results. May be worth getting in touch with Mick at Southern for details.

Regards

Nick

 

[Ron Earp]

I don't know what is best but I've got a fair amount of experience racing and am looking forward to learning more about how these cars perform in a modern race series. As far as I'm concerned about anything can be made fast with enough development and track time. Nothing out of the box is going to be extremely fast without the development.

Barring some sort of failure we'll be running an RCR chassis in the VIR 13 Hour Charge of the Headlight Brigade October 31st, in just a few days. We'll have a report thread going and hope to have more information after the test days this Thursday and Friday.

 

[Jim Cowden]

Could lower lap times you observe be a result of the very talented builders of these cars only committing 90% into the lap time for fear of damaging their creations? Just a thought.

Buying something modern 'off the shelf', (or even just perceived as easy to replace), and then driving it like you stole it, will surely provide a faster pace than anyone competing in Historics, I would imagine.

Of course the above pre-supposes that the car in question has been fettle for the track.

Mark

Yes that is possibly one of the factors.

Jim

 

[Ross Nicol]

In my opinion you guys are on the money now, however ability of the driver plays a big part in the lap times of a new car and also a car which is unfamiliar to the driver. Having confidence a car is not going to kill you is an important issue in a driver's mind set, for pushing the car to go faster. I will admit to being a bit protective of my investment (time and money) early on but now I have accepted if the inevitable happens I will just deal with it. I have a lot of confidence in my car now and drive it as hard as my fear factor allows.
In summary my thoughts are -

A new car needs development to get faster on track.

A drivers confidence in a car makes a huge difference to his lap times

A driver's ability ( although not discussed much) is very important

I nearly beat a guy in a Lotus Elise a few weeks ago in my Lotus Europa.
I'll guarantee if I was in his car and he in mine he wouldn't have been able to hang on to my bumper. Sorry if that sounds a bit conceited, I don't mean it to come across that way.

Ross:thumbsup: