Jack Houpe
GT40s Supporter
Bet that windscreen is rare as hens teeth, no thank you sir, I do not have that type of talent and I like my car.
The Mirage is really different looking car, wonder what the thought pattern was in its design.
Superformance GT40 Roller Prices?
- Thread starter gsharapa
- Start date
The Mirage is really different looking car, wonder what the thought pattern was in its design.
The thought was that the new FIA Appendix "J" rules that spawned the "J" car and then the MK IV. They allowed a smaller cabin which could create an aero advantage. Less frontal area meant higher speeds on the fast tracks. At the time the Mirage was created Ford was stepping away from international sports car racing so Wyer and company took some proven bones and modified them into the Mirage. There was some controversy at the time as some contended the Mirage was a GT40 and not a "new" car. Ford complained after the Mirage was ruled to be an individual make that it was a "Ford" and that championship points earned should be credited to "Ford" and not "Mirage". The rules changes for 1968 regarding engine size and production levels required forced Wyer to revert the Mirages to become "GT40s" once more to qualify for points. No more 325/351 engines and the cabin returned to the steel roofed GT40 configuration.
Jack Houpe
GT40s Supporter
As always you have first class information, thank you. :thumbsup:
Robert S.
GT40s Supporter
GT40 Wide-body Comparisons
Thank you for your kind words. I posted a couple of picts and some of my thoughts.
Thank you for your kind words. I posted a couple of picts and some of my thoughts.
Re: GT40 Wide-body Comparisons
Robert,
Nice photos and analysis of the hip shape. I too think SPF got it right from an aesthetics point of view. I looked at a lot of variations before deciding on the SPF Wide Body. The curve is just right in my eyes and the reinforcing return lip adds a nice finishing touch.
Your photos also seem to illustrate differences in the front fender curve. Again, the SPF interpretation being quite pleasing.
Can't wait to get mine in the garage to be able to endlessly stare at all those curves!
Like many, I've greatly enjoyed photos of your car. I like the personal touches and interpretations you've done to make an original-replica your own.
- Jeffrey
Robert,
Nice photos and analysis of the hip shape. I too think SPF got it right from an aesthetics point of view. I looked at a lot of variations before deciding on the SPF Wide Body. The curve is just right in my eyes and the reinforcing return lip adds a nice finishing touch.
Your photos also seem to illustrate differences in the front fender curve. Again, the SPF interpretation being quite pleasing.
Can't wait to get mine in the garage to be able to endlessly stare at all those curves!
Like many, I've greatly enjoyed photos of your car. I like the personal touches and interpretations you've done to make an original-replica your own.
- Jeffrey
Robert S.
GT40s Supporter
Re: UPDATES Superformance GT40 Roller Prices?
Caterham signs new US distributor:
Caterham Cars and its iconic Seven will be officially sold in the USA with a new US distributor as of January 1st 2014.
Superformance (Superformance | Home) is based in Irvine, California and will sell several variants of the Seven.
Increased American interest in the legendary British sportscar was sparked earlier this year, when X Factor supremo Simon Cowell took delivery of a Seven CSR 260 at his home in Los Angeles.
Superformance will stock a range of Seven variants, although primarily the higher-power incarnations of the car, which have traditionally been more popular in the American market. The range will include the Seven 480 and the new Seven 620R, which will top the US line-up initially.
Caterham's fastest car used to be the R500 Superlight. The new fastest car from the UK-based company is the Seven 620R. Where the R500 uses a 263-horsepower, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, the 620R straps a supercharger onto the Ford mill, for a total of 310 horsepower and 219 pound-feet of torque. At only 1,200 pounds, that's a huge amount of thrust, and will scoot the blown Seven to 60 miles per hour in around 2.8 seconds. In short, this car, which is built in a small town in Surrey, will hit 60 in less time than most of the cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/12/caterham-620r-test-video/
Caterham signs new US distributor:
Caterham Cars and its iconic Seven will be officially sold in the USA with a new US distributor as of January 1st 2014.
Superformance (Superformance | Home) is based in Irvine, California and will sell several variants of the Seven.
Increased American interest in the legendary British sportscar was sparked earlier this year, when X Factor supremo Simon Cowell took delivery of a Seven CSR 260 at his home in Los Angeles.
Superformance will stock a range of Seven variants, although primarily the higher-power incarnations of the car, which have traditionally been more popular in the American market. The range will include the Seven 480 and the new Seven 620R, which will top the US line-up initially.
Caterham's fastest car used to be the R500 Superlight. The new fastest car from the UK-based company is the Seven 620R. Where the R500 uses a 263-horsepower, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, the 620R straps a supercharger onto the Ford mill, for a total of 310 horsepower and 219 pound-feet of torque. At only 1,200 pounds, that's a huge amount of thrust, and will scoot the blown Seven to 60 miles per hour in around 2.8 seconds. In short, this car, which is built in a small town in Surrey, will hit 60 in less time than most of the cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/12/caterham-620r-test-video/
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Robert S.
GT40s Supporter
GT40 Gulf Mirage
Jack,
Sorry for the delay, but I just now noticed your post.
I have an interest in seeing and learning about the Gulf Mirage GT40s also.
While the so called facts of p1074 have been published by many, there was never a "read between the lines" piece or explanation why the car was not restored as a Mirage. Especially since it was sold for $11 million!
I thought it disingenuous for the auction company to call it a Mirage and sell it as a Mirage, but later when asked, they said that all the separate light-weight Mirage components were included with the purchase [but not installed]. WTF
So, the two big questions remain for me: How was Steve McQueen able to only LEASE p1074, and then butcher the original p1074 Mirage to use as a filming car for his film LeMans, and then turn the car back in?! Also, when it was restored, if all the Carbon Fiber components were saved, why not restore it as a Mirage?!
In January 1967, John Wyer opened his company: J.W. Automotive Engineering. AKA, JWA. Four months later the company released it's first GT40 Mirage they called M1, and there was a M2, and M3 that followed. Many believe that this was the first use of Carbon Fiber on a race car. I think there were only seven made, but I can't remember the source of that info right now.
Robert
Here are two photos of a 1967 GT40 Mirage:
You can see color photos of p1074 restored, and two videos of it running HERE: GT40 Gulf Mirage
Jack,
Sorry for the delay, but I just now noticed your post.
I have an interest in seeing and learning about the Gulf Mirage GT40s also.
While the so called facts of p1074 have been published by many, there was never a "read between the lines" piece or explanation why the car was not restored as a Mirage. Especially since it was sold for $11 million!
I thought it disingenuous for the auction company to call it a Mirage and sell it as a Mirage, but later when asked, they said that all the separate light-weight Mirage components were included with the purchase [but not installed]. WTF
So, the two big questions remain for me: How was Steve McQueen able to only LEASE p1074, and then butcher the original p1074 Mirage to use as a filming car for his film LeMans, and then turn the car back in?! Also, when it was restored, if all the Carbon Fiber components were saved, why not restore it as a Mirage?!
In January 1967, John Wyer opened his company: J.W. Automotive Engineering. AKA, JWA. Four months later the company released it's first GT40 Mirage they called M1, and there was a M2, and M3 that followed. Many believe that this was the first use of Carbon Fiber on a race car. I think there were only seven made, but I can't remember the source of that info right now.
Robert
Here are two photos of a 1967 GT40 Mirage:
You can see color photos of p1074 restored, and two videos of it running HERE: GT40 Gulf Mirage
Robert S.
GT40s Supporter
Original, RCR, and SPF wide-body GT40
Ron, sorry for the delay, but I just reread your post.
See This PDF with photos and text:
http://www.gt40zone.com/wide-body_comparison.pdf
SPF may well have a separate mold for the wide body cars, but at least for the rear, grafting on the wider flairs would be the more accurate way to build a GULF car....thats what the teams did (making your ERA more accurate than the SPF in that respect
As Rick points out, there were several versions of the "wide" rear end, including 13 and 14 inch versions.
Ron, sorry for the delay, but I just reread your post.
See This PDF with photos and text:
http://www.gt40zone.com/wide-body_comparison.pdf
Robert,
The white car pictured in your link is most definately NOT a gulf-modified RCR clip. It may have some plus 2" flares on it, but definitely not gulf-ed out. My avatar shows what a "gulfed" RCR clip looks like. Very similar to the one you posted in the link.
Adding the flares to the standard body gives it the cartoonish "big-booty" look I prefer. They all look a little different lined up side by side, but I like them all!! ;o) Scott
The white car pictured in your link is most definately NOT a gulf-modified RCR clip. It may have some plus 2" flares on it, but definitely not gulf-ed out. My avatar shows what a "gulfed" RCR clip looks like. Very similar to the one you posted in the link.
Adding the flares to the standard body gives it the cartoonish "big-booty" look I prefer. They all look a little different lined up side by side, but I like them all!! ;o) Scott
Robert S.
GT40s Supporter
Thanks for the note. However, I did not say that all three were wide bodies, nor did I say the RCR was a wide body or that it had body clips. I shall change the text above the photo of the RCR to indicate it is not a wide body as the other two are. My intent was really to show how a wide body compares with the RCR non wide body, but I must not have stated my intent correctly. Sorry for the confusion. Robert
Robert S.
GT40s Supporter
I personally love the look of wide bodies on most all performance cars. I especially love the wide bodies on America's most famous GT40 race cars too, such as the '68 and '69 Gulf cars and the Mrk IVs.
The "replica standard body" shown is an RCR which is a very correct and hard to find narrow arch Borrani shape...
I have two other width tails too, the plus two and the full wide body.
In my opinion the narrow and the plus 2 are the prettier ones too.
The plus 2 has the flavor of the big hips with out the caricature type big bum look...
Notice how the very rearmost taillight panel shape of 1074 is actually the same as the narrow body...as opposed to the slabsection rear of the other replica on the right...
I have two other width tails too, the plus two and the full wide body.
In my opinion the narrow and the plus 2 are the prettier ones too.
The plus 2 has the flavor of the big hips with out the caricature type big bum look...
Notice how the very rearmost taillight panel shape of 1074 is actually the same as the narrow body...as opposed to the slabsection rear of the other replica on the right...
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Robert S.
GT40s Supporter
Wow, you're a lucky guy! Those behind the green door are more privileged than most of us. It must have been surreal to walk in a showroom with those famous cars. Thanks for sharing. Robert
Ron Earp
Admin
Green door is right - part of the Boss program and my Boss is green. Buy a new Boss and it includes a track day at Miller plus the museum reception and tour. I signed up for the second day in a FR500 race Mustang and one on one instruction, hoping to gain some new skills for the track. It just so happens that this mid-week session is lightly attended so more one on one action than usual.
