Advice needed, please help ref. MK1 GTD40

Hello All,
I am looking at buying my friends MK1 GTD40(a very early one!). I know nothing about the pitfalls of this kind of purchase?
Here is what I can tell you about the car:
V.early MK1 GTD40, Gulf colours on a 'Q' plate. It is a bit tatty with bodywork needing a bit of re-laminating and paint. Interestingly, the doors fit very poorly and sit below the line of the roof? They look like they are meant to fit in a scolloped out part of the roof/door frame? Interior is ,again, tatty but shouldn't be too hard to sort out. To my knowledge, the chassis is sound as is the running gear which is Rover V8/R30 Gearbox so needs replacing with proper USA lump! Six spoke brm(ish) rep wheels with spinners. Don't know what brakes/suspension are fitted as yet? So, the car needs a restoration and that is my intention. Don't yet know the history of the car but I believe my mate bought it from Salisbury way and it had been sat outside for many yrs-full of water as it happens. My mate is asking £12k ish....
My request for advice is - should I bother with this early car? Are they as good as later cars and is it more valuable once restored since it is an early GTD40? Does anyone know about this car at all - I appreciate that there isn't much to go on yet? Can anyone tell me weak points of the early replica so I can check when I see car this wk end?
Hope all this results in purchase and project for me and I look forward to being a part of the gt40 Community if it does.
I look forward to reading your comments on the above.....

 

[Julian West]

Hi Daniel,

Sounds like an interesting project.! If you are good with spanners & don't mind doing the work yourself I'd go for it.

The GTD's are all pretty basic in alot of ways & are very 'DIY friendly'. You'll have plenty of scope for upgrades.

Weakpoints with the early GTD's are probably the brakes (it may have drums at the rear) & I believe the panel fit wasn't as good as later cars. Check that it's properly registered on the log book (ie not a granada!).

At that money you could spend 10,000 ukp on brakes, engine, paint & tidying & you'd almost definately get all your money back if you sold it.

Don't discount the Rover engine (unless you are after originality). The Rover is much lighter than a Ford & some of the TVR engines produce good power, well over 300 bhp.

Send us some pictures when you get it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JimmyMac]

Dan,
If you are considering spending £12k you might be first better off estimating how much you need to spend upgrading that weather beaten chassis and shell.
If you are also contemplating refitting the engine, drive train and brakes, then there not much left of your original car for the money.
Twelve thousand pounds can buy you a whole lot of better (and sound)chassis and body parts - new and right off the shelf. Also for this kind of money you might probably pick up a very good unfinished project, and they are about.
Check out the latest GTD chassis builder's prices to get you going.
Think wisely.

 

Hi Julian,
Thanks for reply. I do intend doing all work myself and am giving a yr to the potential project- my spanner work is ok but I have a very handy mate aswell. My intention is to faithfully re-create one of the late '60s/early '70s le-mans runners i.e. no frills and proper running gear. I reckon this community could help with that?
Car lies in Torquay at the moment, perhaps you have seen it?

 

Thanks James,
Good advice - will re-search your suggestions....

 

[Brett James-McCall]

Daniel,
You have mail

Brett

 

[Fred/Belgium]

Daniel,

send me a mail.
Looks very much like it was my first GTD.
Can you give the chassis number?
Rgds
Fred

 

Hi Daniel

I think the car you've been offered appears in the following thread and the pictures below, although it has 5 spoke wheels not 6. Certainly the door fit is as you've described. If it is the same car, you will see mention of a previous owner - a list member - in the thread. Others will probably remember the car also.

If it's not the same car then it's certainly similar /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

Gulf GT40 - Rover V8

Cheers

Rob

 

[Frank Catt]

This Fred De Braey from Brussels, Belgium, old car, talk to Fred about it, but I do know it needs a lot of TLC, Frank

 

Guys,I can't believe it! It would appear to be the car I am looking at - I will check reg and chassis nos.?
It is considerably 'ropier' than these pics show, at the moment. Appears to have lost a few choice extras and has gone thro' Mr "Max" Powers hands with some of un-subtle,non-period mods. Nevertheless, can anyone e-mail me any history/specifications of Freds' ex-car? I will e-mail Fred direct also.
Thanks for all the help so far,

 

This car's on ebay now - see the following post:

http://www.gt40s.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/43352/Main/43352/#Post43352

Rob

 

[Phil]

Daniel, as far as the brakes it looks like you have the uprights for the disc brake setup, the cars I have seen were using a Merkur Scorpio rear hub/bearing/rotor. If I remember correctly the calipers were mounted on the bottom. Hope this helps
Phil

 

Daniel,

If you would be buying this car to tidy it up but enjoy it basically in this form then its probably a decent buy (depending on checking for floorpan etc since you mentioned its been left in the open). However if you plan to turn it into a higher spec car you would be wise to start with something better. After all this is why in the used car market you always go for the top of the range model as the extras also depreciate making it a better deal.

Fixing the bodywork and a repaint won't be cheap and then the engine and gearbox amount to a considerable proportion of the overall cost of a good car. Most more modern GTDs in good nick go for around £25K (or at least they are advertised at this and tend not to go for more!)

£12K is probably not unreasonable but IMHO it depends what your ultimate aim is.

AND don't forget once a Q plate always a Q plate , I know no way to change the reg. to a regular number - and this will affect the ultimate value of a good car more than a cheap one.