GT40 fails parachute brake tests in Scotland

Very sad to have parted with my beloved 40 a few weeks back. Frank Catt prompted me to post the picture below - one of the more dramatic and exciting moments I have to say, in my 6000 miles of GTD experience. I shall never, ever, forget it.

The back flipped up whilst travelling "at speed", acted like a parachute for a couple of seconds before ripping off, and during this time the steering went very light - when I suddenly got steering back, I had turned the wheel in my panic, and the car promptly did a 360 spin, landing neatly in a layby on the opposite side of the road.

I had switched off the motor, unclipped my harness, and jumped out of the car all in one frantic moment - my heart thumping so hard I thought it would burst! The rear deck was still sliding up the road, bounced off the kerb and landed down a banking.

The look of shock / astonishment on the faces of the couple behind me in an Impreza were matched only by the look on my wifes face as she saw the rescue truck bringing the "bits" back (admittedly, all I had told her was that a bit had fallen off the back of the car....mmmmh!)

Our esteemed ex magazine editor, Mr Gordine, was kind enough to offer me volume discount on P38 putty /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif - what a joker!

It took me a long time to get my confidence back, but it did not for one single moment dent my enjoyment. Thanks again to Frank Catt for reminding me that 40 ownership is never dull, and for a class job of putting it all back together.

Regards,
From Scotland

 

[Mark Worthington]

Ouch!! The rear-clip-parachute thing seems to be one of the more common afflictions of the GT40.

Glad to hear that you were not injured in your excursion.

Nice looking GTD, by the way, even in a damaged state.

 

[Bill Bayard]

Tom,

Did you repair the remnants, or install a new rear clip?

Great looking car! My car will have an identical paint

scheme shortly(new stripes soon).

Bill

 

[OMeyer]

Hello Tom - Sorry to hear about your mishap. It must have been a very scary moment. Glad that there were no personal injuries, only broken bits which can be repaired.
I am curious as to what type of latching mechanism(s) you were employing on the rear clip and what type of improvements you (or anyone else) might have made or plan to make as I don't want to have to learn the hard way. Thanks. Best regards, Orin Meyer

 

[Frank Catt]

As I understand the story, and from our investigations when the car got back to my workshop, it seems that Tom left the Knockhill race circuit, not far from his home, in a fairly healthy manner and sufficient speed to be illegal, and heavily hit a bump in the road which unseated one of the slam catches on the rear deck. As his speed increased to two x illegal air pressure under the deck slightly twisted the body to a point where the other slam catch was torn out of the glass fibre but remained closed and still fixed to the main tub( poor glass fibre work bonding the catch to the clip) The remaining lower catches were only held down by two self tapped screws (standard GTD practice) and these could not hold against the enormous pressure built up under the rear clip. Morals are :- make sure any metal work bonded onto glass fibre bodies are fully molded in and secure, fix the lower catches with threaded screws, preferably with nuts,and dont go ballistic on Scottish country lanes! Having said that, Tom never managed to tear the new rear deck off so we must have made a more secure job, or he has slowed down a lot, which I just do not believe to be possible. Frank

 

[Mark Clapp]

You guys (Hershal) need to stop doing these J6 at LeMans impressions, it was a neat trick then but ol' Shelby just doesn't have enough alligator belts to fix everyone's car! When I got my car I hated the hood pins on the rear section. But now I know why P1075 and others have them.

 

[Jools]

A number of us that compete with GTD's (Paul,Roy,Malc,Mike,myself) have fitted rear deck hood pins; they don't always work(Roger!!)but do give a much greater feeling of security to this vulnerable area.

 

[Frank Catt]

Why fit trailer hitch pins to the roof of your supercar if you don't have to ?

 

[Malcolm]

Hey Tom, is this a confessional to the new owner now you have sold the car and banked the money? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I can think of four different systems in use for clipping the rear deck down. However all have one weak point! The driver needs to make sure that the deck is clipped down as if not it don't matter what you use it will flip up eventually. Most incidents I suspect happen as a result of the driver being distracted at the wrong moment when clipping the deck down and then not doing the job thoroughly. Equipement failure is a real pain but as they say Sh*t happens!

Malcolm

 

[James]

Yeah, but Malc,

You'd have to be complete muppet to forget the rear clip!/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'd be more worried about the poor bastard behind who might get a windscreen full of fibreglass!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Still its a lesson to us all I guess.

Regards,

J.P

 

[Rick Merz]

It happened to me also. I think that it would be almost impossible to put thousands of miles on a 40 without this happening at least once. I my case I was setting the car up for open track and when I went to test run the car I got in a hurry and forgot to lock both of the rear deck clasps. When I reached the main road I took off at full bore and at 60 mph the rear opened and I was amazed at how much stopping power an open rear bonnet has. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif Luckily for me my insurance company covers acts of stupidity! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Frank Catt]

I currently have yet another GTD in the workshop for a new body after the owner lost the whole rear end and left it in pieces down the main road. Live and Learn!

 

[Lynn Larsen]

Tom, I see you had the typical hood latch assemblies on right and left sides. Do you have any idea of how it came apart? How about any advise to others so that they don't experience your "excitement" as well?

PS I wrote this late yesterday afternoon but for got to post it; I apologize if it is redundant.

 

[David Morton]

How about a simple proximity switch on the rear deck and an ignition inhibit to boot. I know that the engine has to be run occasionally with the rear open as well but it's not beyond the wit of man to interlock the system as well.
I would dread the thought of it happening to me, and especially out on the road with all the consequences that it could have. Like me on my soon to be had Ducati 999 going the other way !!!
Dave M
t

 

[Mike Dozier]

For those that don't want to use hood pins, I think the
door jamb pin design such as the one DRB uses is ideal. Essentially foolproof with great strength as well.
Bill Bayard has photos.

MikeD

 

[Frank Catt]

Can you post photos please Bill, Thanks

 

[Mike Inglis]

I'm sorry that I don't have any pictures of Frank Catt in a similar pose to Tom, after he spun my car in the street outside his own house, on the day that I came to collect it from him after a prolonged rebuild. The damage was considerably more comprehensive, involving almost every panel, the undertray, the steering rack, one of the wheels and various other bits. My rear clip now weighs 15kg more than it did before. And that was at only 5mph!!!!???
Live and learn!

 

[Bill Bayard]

Frank,

My car would have to fall from a cliff, for the rear clip to
come open with the safety pin in place. The pin is locked in
securely, and cannot be removed, whenever the door is closed.

Bill

 

[Gary Gibbs]

Bill can you show a picture of the engine bay side?

Thanks

 

[Mike Inglis]

Excellent system Bill