1149 Mono Replica

[Jim Rosenthal]

Don't be in a hurry. I was and it STILL took ten or twelve years, it has been so long, I've forgotten....

One good suggestion might be to have as many of the parts you are going to use already bought and in inventory before you really start. Like Jimmy Mac has done. That does help. I have a lot of leftover stuff that I bought thinking it was the right item, only to find out differently later on. So the first several years ought to be the parts acquisition phase...

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

I went up to Hampstead today, mostly to get my Kirkham Cobra back from winter storage- Ron fitted new lower-profile tires, did some judicious grinding, and John milled the rear rims so that they are further under the car to stop the tires hitting the fender edges. That permitted Ron to set the coilovers a lot lower, which improved the ride height, the looks, the ride, and the handling a bit. While I was up there to get it, I looked at the GT40, which is on display at a local shop that caters to Ford fanciers.

I suppose there are always a few tweaks to do, but essentially Ron's work is complete. He began with an assemblage of parts and when he was done, he had created a functioning car which is fast, beautiful, and fun to drive. The car runs, drives, stops steers and does all of what it does because of his efforts, experience, and dedication to doing things right. This isn't the first time I've said all this, and others worked on the car as well, but Ron McCall gets the lion's share of the credit for this car.

In the next few weeks it will come back here for some paintwork and then to the trimmers' for its seats. And then I guess we are about done, after all this time. Fancy that.

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

John milled the rear rims so that they are further under the car to stop the tires hitting the fender edges.

So that is why John was too busy to visit at Carlilse!

 

[Ron McCall]

So that is why John was too busy to visit at Carlilse!

Actually John machined the wheels early last week. Monday I think) They were back on the car by Wednesday. John is so swamped with "regular" work that he rarely gets a chance to enjoy his gorgeous SPF GT40 or attend other non-work related events.

Thanks for the kind words Jim! It really was a pleasure and a bit of an honor that you chose me to complete the build of your incredible GT40 . And I gained a great friend as well!

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

First real drive anywhere, today; downtown Annapolis, to a cars and coffee meet that they have on Sunday morning, mostly attended by Ferraris, so it was good I showed up....

What was most interesting about this trip was that (unknown to me at first) we also had an art festival on West Street, PLUS a half-marathon race through downtown and the area. This tied up traffic for hours, so I got to drive the GT40 for about two hours through what it does absolutely worst- creep along in slow congested traffic, meanwhile broiling its driver. The engine stayed cooler than I did. The car behaved quite well. I can't see anything out of the side mirrors (don't know what we're going to do about that) but the RV mirror isn't bad. It's noisy, hot and bumpy. It feels like a race car, or what I imagine a race car to feel like.

Thanks to all who got me to this point, where it is drivable and has a personality (and plenty of it!) especially Ron who has worked so hard on the car.

My friend Mike, who followed me in his 328, shot quite a few photos, and I will post some as soon as I have them.

 

[Victors]

Hey Jim! Finally there. You made it.

Congratulations!

Yes, please, post those pictures.

Cheers!

JP

 

[René]

good for you Jim, it will get some getting used to the car me thinks would be for me when I drive in something different (not all day drive car) specialy in the gt40 I guess, you have to use to the wide and were the ends are, its not a sit in and drive like a every day simple car.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

You're not kidding. it feels big when you're inside it, but it's actually a rather small car. Next drive will be a quiet weekend morning out in the country. This is not a town car.

Incidentally, we stopped today for some breakfast at a place in Annapolis that I like (Paul's Homewood Cafe, on West Street) and when we finished eating and walked outside, there was a white Rolls Phantom parked there.

The GT40 was designed by Englishmen, and so was the new Phantom. Hard to believe. The traditional Brit good taste seems to have faltered a bit with it. It's one of the ugliest cars I've ever seen. It makes a Checker taxi look positively beautiful.

 

[René]

guess it also looked twice the hight (or how you say that in English)

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

At least twice the height... and would weigh three times as much. The GT40 is 2180 pounds, or 990 kg.

 

[Dave P]

Congrats Jim:

Noisey, loud, bumpy, super hot Sounds like a Race Car to me. Enjoy

 

[Jim Craik]

You're not kidding. it feels big when you're inside it,

Posted by Jim.

Jim, boy is that true. One of the great optical illusions!

I knew it was a small car, but when I first drove mine, I was very supprised, it feels like a large, wide car. I think this is mostly due to the fuel tanks and wide door, you end up sitting so far from the outside.

 

[Keith]

Incidentally, we stopped today for some breakfast at a place in Annapolis that I like (Paul's Homewood Cafe, on West Street) and when we finished eating and walked outside, there was a white Rolls Phantom parked there.

The GT40 was designed by Englishmen, and so was the new Phantom. Hard to believe. The traditional Brit good taste seems to have faltered a bit with it. It's one of the ugliest cars I've ever seen. It makes a Checker taxi look positively beautiful.

When I first saw it - I agreed with you. But it is so top line (compared with what VW have done with Bentley) that it grows on you. They are assembled as you know just down the road here at Goodwood so we do see a lot of them. I think Rolls (BMW) have stayed very faithful to the original concept and not compromised at least engineering wise. As for looks, well, you know the driver must have got serious dollars to afford it so it acquires it's own kind of unique aura..

It's also able to pull a crowd in a city full of Ferraris, Lambos (more VW's) SLC McLaren etc etc, it's just so swishy and imperious....

However, if your American version has been 'pimped' then there's no hope. A bit like chrome springs and red writing on GW rocker covers.. :laugh:

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Well, I'm afraid it WAS pimped- huge chrome wheels, etc. It's embarrassing, frankly. They used to be cars with class. Now they just cost a lot of money. I don't argue that they are very high quality. I just wish they'd done much better styling. The front end is the worst of it- the rest of the car is okay, maybe, but the front end is hideous. Sorry.

 

[Keith]

Well, that is frankly embarassing Jim. See, I've been saving hard for your birthday and have acquired a pink one just for you mate. :worried:

What to do, what to do... hmmmm.

Anyone from Texas want a Rolls? :laugh:

PS Styling apparently was by 21st Panzer Division...

 

[Jack]

Now that is funny Keith!

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Gee, Keith, that's awfully good of you. Tell you what- how about if you give it to my sister? She'd go for that kind of thing. Of course, she hasn't got a drivers' license, but that never stopped anyone with a Roller. They can afford a chauffeur.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Update today; GT40 is out of the paint shop, with all its dings and scrapes resprayed, and now down the street at the trimmers'. The fun starts tomorrow as I try to explain to Mike and Co. how to turn two big rolls of leather into a copy of the interior of Colin Comer's GT40, the blue one. And get some insulation on the firewall etc etc. Maybe even a bit of carpet, imagine that. I will post photos when there is something to look at.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Not about GT40s, but I went up to Ron's today to visit one of my other cars which is in his shop for some necessaries, and while we were there, we drove a few miles and visited a friend of Ron's from the Pantera Club (a Pantera is a car somewhat similar to a GT40 which has roll-down windows, AC, a heater and radio, and somehow manages to run with the transmission mounted upside down. I haven't figured that one out yet) Anyway, this gentleman has a Cord 810 Westchester!! one of my favorite cars of all time, and I finally got to sit in one, hear it run, and look it over. Huge thrill as for most of my life, until today, my closest point of approach had been beyond the velvet ropes at the ACD Museum in Indiana. Maybe I'll have one someday. Right now, I'd settle for a ride in one. At least now I know someone who owns one...

 

[Chuck]

Do you have a ZF in your GT? If so, it bet it is upside down too !