Original gt40 in Misano..

[Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks]

and..of course i need YOUR opinion about this car.
It was owned by Swiss team,is the gt40 racing the GTC championship this year.
I am not so convinced by the cutted doors as if to obtain a targa car.
Also the body seems a Gulf wide one.
Noway for me to take a picture of the chassis number(isnt inside engine bay in originals?).Tell me your idea.
I tried take pictures of the chassis.
The door hinges are as in the replicas i've seen in le mans (so not so hard for me to open it now..eheh.. )

They were Swiss, Franco Sbarro is swiss...

 

[Roy Snook]

That is not an original tub, looks like a Safir though

 

[Gary Kadrmas]

Roy,

Take a look at the interior picture that shows the "turn signal stalk". I am nowhere near an expert about Safir cars, but of all the pictures I have seen on Safir cars, I have never seen one like that.....but.....who knows.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

The air vent under the windscreen looks like it is from a ford Laser or Gemini.

 

[David Morton]

Pete,
I think it is the Zodiac version, but the seat base on the Pax side is typical of just about all the Safir cars made by Henry Atherton at Adams McAll.

 

[Gary Kadrmas]

Compare the picture of the dash defroster grill in this thread to the picture posted by JimmyMac: http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-tec...els/16385-original-specification-parts-4.html

To me, they look similar. David, what do you think?

 

[Ron McCall]

Roy,

Take a look at the interior picture that shows the "turn signal stalk". I am nowhere near an expert about Safir cars, but of all the pictures I have seen on Safir cars, I have never seen one like that.....but.....who knows.

From Chassis # 1137

 

[Ron McCall]

Also,compare the fan support.

 

[Gary Kadrmas]

Ron,

Thanks for the pictures and info.

That's what I like about this place......a pool of information and people willing to share.

 

[David Morton]

Gary,
Yes it looks identical to the picture that James published. As far as I know they were from the early Ford Zodiac. They are available from time to time here - I think even MDA might sell them ex stock. They do fetch a premium on Ebay though. Roy may also be tooling up to make some.
Ron,
That stalk looks as though it could be from any Brtish Leyland car in the 70's - typically an Austin 1100. Easy to modify to adapt to a 40 lookalike.

 

[Ron McCall]

Also looks just like the one in my DeTomaso Pantera.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

OOpps, Ford didn't make the Gemini, Holden (Chev) did

 

[Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks]

Also I noted, the internal part of the monocoque of this car (near driver seat) shows 4 holes, when..if I am not wrong..the originals had ONE big there.
The roof wasnt in metal, but fiberglass (knock knock on that..and was plastic..)
I have read in my books the first Safir car was a targa top doors one,and this is a reason more to think it is one of theme (are Safirs replicas or not?..I knew they were.. )

for Fran Hall:
Fran, some months ago u asked me some pictures of the racing italian gt40 (to show FIA guys replicas use to race,as that one did in italian "Vernasca Silver flag" Historical race in Piacenza).
I am a lazy boy..the magazines are near my scanner since 3 months, but maybe THIS car in Misano will be useful too (this one race the GTC champ..100% approved by Fia, and seems a Safir car, so a replica..)

the sn. 1137 belongs to a Mk5, right?

 

[JimmyMac]

David,
The stalk looks like a Ford Cortina or 120E part. These were used in the dash of the MKIII road car.
The dash vent is from a Ford Zephyr pre-facelift MKIII

 

[David Morton]

Thanks James,
I asked for a Zodiac grille so no wonder they produced something completely different (a squarish one I remember) in the small junk shop by LHR. The stalk looks like the Austin one as well.
We should rename you as Doctor 40.......

 

[Gary Kadrmas]

David.......

Wow, you are right. James has a new name......."Doctor 40"!!!!

 

[Ian Anderson]

That indicator stalk reminds me of the one fitted to my Mk1 Capri 1970 vintage - so it would definately be in the Ford parts bin

Ian

 

The corners on the fuel tanks are square, not rounded.
All Safir and originals had rounded edge.
Also no covers are fitted to top of the tanks.
Edge is also not rolled like the original stampings.
My 02 cents
Dennis Olthoff.

 

Hi Guys

Square top tunnel and Swiss race team, plus original peddle box must make Franco Sbarro a front runner for the guy that made the chassis.

Regards

Chris.

 

[Roy Snook]

Hi Dennis,
The Safir cars were constructed from folded panels and the sill/fuel tank cover/rocker panel does have a 90% folded edge and not a radiused edge like the Abbey panels cars.