RCR vs. SPF vs. CAV

[Ron Earp]

I was interested to read the comment 'Gulf colors are a must'. I assume folks here are aware that the blue-orange scheme has been granted full trademark protection in Europe, no words or logo, just the paint scheme. A rare thing to copyright but they did it and anyone planning to paint their GT40 blue 'n orange will need approval from Gulf.

TJ lives in the USA therefore he isn't subject to Gulf's trademark. And in the US enforcement of a trademark when the item in question isn't being used for commercial trade is really difficult to do. In any event, the Gulf trademark is for the EU only.

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/all-gt40/30468-blue-orange-recent-fortyfication-article-sam-cork.html

Onoz, these owners need to get permission....but I digress, back to your discussion of GT40s.

 

[Alex]

I was interested to read the comment 'Gulf colors are a must'. I assume folks here are aware that the blue-orange scheme has been granted full trademark protection in Europe, no words or logo, just the paint scheme. A rare thing to copyright but they did it and anyone planning to paint their GT40 blue 'n orange will need approval from Gulf.

Unless your laws are different than here, it's for commercial purposes only or if you're trying to imply you're that company

It's just like UPS - they've trademarked their "brown" color. I can be sued if I use it to try to imply I'm UPS, but beyond that I can paint my house and cars and whatever I want to mimic it.

 

[Chris Simpson]

Does anyone know what the advantages or disadvantages would be between the stainless steal and aluminum chassis?

Stainless steel won't corrode and aluminium will, although the 6061-T6 that I believe RCR uses is resistant to corrosion. Aluminium is of course lighter but most Gt40s seem to work out at roughly the same overall weight, with the aluminium chassied cars showing no particular advantage in this respect. The lightest are probably the spaceframe chassied Tornados. I believe that neither the CAV or RCR chassis are replicas of the original, although they are monocoques.

With regard to paying at tolls mentioned by Bill Cooke I think you will still have a problem in a left hand drive car as you can't open the window and the door has to be opened very wide. Also the car is very low making it difficult to reach the cashier. All this is overcome by having an automatic payment transponder on board. Another solution to the problem that some uk GT40 drivers use in mainland Europe is to drop the passenger off just before the toll booth, who then pays, and then pick them up again just after the toll booth.

Chris

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

We should all have such problems, shouldn't we....I agree with Tim that your age when you start this process is important; building a complete car takes a long time, even when you are very well organized and money isn't an issue. And for most of us, time and money are issues.

There's another thing we haven't mentioned here: all of us have time/money for a limited number of projects, so it's worth it to think about what else you want to accomplish and will your GT40 project make a dent in that or derail it altogether? For what I've spent, I could have bought one of the Mark V cars that came on the market after I began 1149 and just have spent the time driving it- and still had quite a bit left over to play with other things. So it goes, live and learn.

 

[Mark]

Thanks Chris

 

[Grady]

Take a look at NSXERs pictures of his Gulf wide body Mk1 on the site. It is a RHD car and well prepared By Dennis Olthoff.

It will satisfy your needs. I met Brian when he picked up the car and then drove it back (1200 Miles) to KS

OR you may like a MkII with a 427FE block in red

Have fun...

 

[chuck smith]

I had an SPF MK11 and a CAV MK1. I ended up keeping the CAV, as I just liked the look better and it was easier to live with on a daily basis, more water tight and less maintenence. I like the way the front bonnet hinges on the CAVS, the fiberglass seemed more solid, the interior more refined and AC worked much better. The SPf has a better suspension, at least compared to my early CAV and the originality was exceptional and with it comes some bugaboos. I would buy another SPF however. Any GT40 is full of compromises.