First Post....Re: Dean Jefferies' GT40 Roadster

Talked to Dean again today, and he still has the Roadster and three engines for it, 2 of the Ford Indy V8's (pics in the gallery link below) and a correct 289 for it. The car's been finished for awhile now and is sitting in his shop in Hollywood.

I also found this gallery of pics from the powdercoating during restoration:

Just click on the pic to open the gallery:
Andrews Powder Coating (The Team)

Hope y'all enjoy them.

btw: One of the Ford bigwigs said they have another roadster in the Ford museum and, they did send a team out to Jeffries shop to document the restoration.

 

[Dalton Veitch]

Doc, as an aside comment on the roadsters, one book I have states that while they saved some weight, they were unpleasant for the drivers, and also lacked rigidity. The computer design of the suspension had been based on a very rigid chassis, which the roadster lacked. So they were not deemed successful from a racing perspective.
The replicas such as DRB Australia build have a strong steel chassis below the doors that does not rely on the (fibreglass) roof for rigidity, so would be suited to a roadster version. But, most enthusiasts do not prefer the roadster look.
My 2c worth.
Dalton

 

[Jay Cushman]

Just a note to update this older thread. I spent a couple great days with Dean last week in sunny Cal. doing some research on the early roadsters and helping him with a few last minute needs on this great car GT109. He did have it together and then apart 1 last time for some fine detailing. This is a very original early example of a GT along with its very trick 255 DOHC Indy ford engine. Anways the car is alive and well and just about complete.

 

Thanks for the pics.

There's a new book published about Dean which is on the shelves now.

Quite a bit of ink devoted to GT40 #109 with several pics, pgs 148-151.

Although I'm not interested in getting credit for it, I did, however, make the initial phone calls to Ford alerting them that Dean was in the process of restoring the car and the restoration should be documented.

They took it from there and featured it at the Monterrey Historics when they introduced the new Ford GT.

Great book, btw.

 

[Randy V]

What a beauty that one is... That engine sporting the "True" Basket of snakes exhaust... Oh my gosh....

Thank you for posting!

 

[Mike Drew]

This is a very original early example of a GT along with its very trick 255 DOHC Indy ford engine.

Well, the GT40 never originally used the DOHC Indy motor, did it? The early cars used a pushrod 255 Indy motor, but from everything I can see, they were set up in the conventional fashion, with the Webers in the middle. I think by the time this car rolled out the factory door it was equipped with a 289. In fact it's sitting right there, on a pallet, in the last photo.

Like Bill Wonder's GT/103, the installation of the DOHC 255 motor is a Kustom Kar trick--nicely done, technically interesting, but arguably as wrong as putting a DFV in the car.

 

Yes, it's historically wrong, but thank goodness it's in the hands of Dean Jefferies who can make a correction and make it right, if and when he ever decided to.

He's "that kind of guy".

 

[Jay Cushman]

Mike, I never said that the 255 was the original engine. I said the car was very correct in all its early prototype parts. I am sure you have no idea of all the different parts in the very early GT series cars from the 1000+ numbered cars and there are many. The 289 on the floor was a gift from Carrol Shelby in exchange for work done and even has a automatic flywheel on it as well as being a wetsump so how could that be the original 289 from the GT40? If you prefer I will stop posting pics of my customers original GT40s

 

[Ron McCall]

If you prefer I will stop posting pics of my customers original GT40s

Please don't stop posting pictures of the original cars that you work on! There are MANY people on this site who enjoy seeing them very much. Just because some "know-it-all" feels the need to pick apart every word of your posts,doesn't meen that there aren't 100 others who enjoy them.

 

[Randy V]

Please don't stop posting pictures of the original cars that you work on! There are MANY people on this site who enjoy seeing them very much. Just because some "know-it-all" feels the need to pick apart every word of your posts,doesn't meen that there aren't 100 others who enjoy them.

X-2 here!!!! Please carry on!!!!

 

[Mike Drew]

Please don't stop posting pictures of the original cars that you work on! There are MANY people on this site who enjoy seeing them very much. Just because some "know-it-all" feels the need to pick apart every word of your posts,doesn't meen that there aren't 100 others who enjoy them.

In the immortal words of that great leader and philosopher, Sgt. Hulka from the movie Stripes, "Lighten up, Francis!"

I was just asking a question and seeking clarification on something that sounded confusing to me. Nobody likes Cushman Comp's posts and photos more than I do, and clearly he's forgotten more about GT40s than I'll ever know--which is why I was asking him. Don't misconstrue a question as a personal attack or a criticism!

 

[Jay Cushman]

The first prototype GT40s were built for and around the pushrod indy engine . These had many unique features unlike stock 289s including motor mounts, drysump etc. The 4-cam indy engine replaced the pushrod engine in 64. By 64 shelby had alot of control of the gt40s and he liked it simple. He put regular 289s in 103 and others. I am sure while ford was spending millions on the indy engine they had every plan of putting it in the car they had built around it and were spending millions on. Why would they not want there best motor in their best car? Shelby did not like things he did not understand like dry sump oiling, motors as a stressed cross member and electronic ignitions to name a few. I think we will all agree those items were just ahead of their time. This 255 indy engine owned the Indy 500 during the same period the gt40 owned Lemans and continuied to win at Indy up until 1975 with no backing from Ford after they walked away from the program and gave it all to AJ foyt, sound familiar?

As for GT109 it realy was never touched from when Ford gave it to Dean in the late 60s until Dean put it back together with the exception of the engine and ZF. He still owns the Colletti too. The early cars have alot of unique features and parts from shifters to trailing arm mounts and this car still has them all. Not to mention all the roadster only items like body and windsheild. It is a very neat and original part of the gt40 story and we are all lucky its still here. I will be going back out to Cali. next month and will be spending a day or two with Dean again and will post updates.

Thanks, Jay

 

Jay, wasn't sure if you knew it or not, but he lost Row, his beloved wife, last September.

Of all the things I admire the man for, his dedication and love for his wife stand above all others.

Far more significant than art, talent, and an obsession for cars, there's was truly a love story for the ages.

 

[Jay Cushman]

Yes I knew and you don't have to spend much time with Dean to know what a loss it was to him. Their story could have a movie made about it.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

What's the name of the book on Dean Jeffries? I'd like to find it and read it.

I think Bill Wonder told me that the engine mounts for the 255 engine are not the same as the 289, isn't that correct, but the mounts ARE the same for the Indy engine. I agree that Ford would have wanted to use the best motor in the new car, but it didn't work out that way. Probably better for those of us who can't afford DOHC Indy engines but CAN afford 302s etc out of the scrapyard...like myself.

 

[CraigB]

What a stunning looking car!

I have always liked the GT series Mk.I and Mk.II cars, a shame they apparently ran into stability problems as in my own opinion they have tonnes of character and would turn heads as much as the more main stream accepted Mk.I and Mk.II models.

Cheers

Craig

 

[Jay Cushman]

Well if any of you guys find yourself tempted I still have a bunch of them in stock ready to go together. Heres some of my 255 inventory

 

[Jim bambenek]

gt40 experts

last year i posted a question about a gt40 roadster, and did not get much of a reply. if you go to the all gt40 post, page 10, and go back to my 05-14-08 gt40 roadster photos post you can view some of the slides i took of this car in 1972. any information about this gt40 would be great!! i still have all the slides a would give them to the owner.
regards
jim

 

[Pat]

As an update, as many of you may know, customizing legend Dean Jeffries passed away on May 5th this year at age 80. In a posting to company site, DeanJeffries.com | Dean Jeffries Automotive Styling the family indicates that the 1964 GT-40 (#109) will be offered for sale this fall.