Budget

[Barry]

All, i only found this forum a few days ago and have spent a fair amount of time looking through various post in regards to builds ...

I am a first time builder - but having done my own mechnical work on many different cars - including complete engine rebuilds ... and some high performance (ok it was a skyline) mods

anyway, i am looking to build a car, initially i was looking at a cobra, but practicality says no, i need air con, a roof, and pref mid engine (driving (and previously owned a number of) mr2 turbo and love the mid engine layout))
so the gt40 fits the bill perfectly - and looks damn s3xy.

i guess before i get all excited about it, i need to get an idea of budget, having looking at the cobras a number of times, it would seem for about AU$40k i could build a reasonable cobra ...

i already know that i really am not bothered about the 'authentic' look of the gt40, and would be going for more of a modern look for the car, i would also like to go down the path of using a 4.0 lexus v8 - injection system tuning, easily available parts for the engine, and i know they are very tough engines, i would also expect to see a reasonable return on fuel consumption it only being the 4.0
The car will be a daily driver for me so i need something tough and reliable, with the occasional track day for some fun ...

so i guess my first question is can i expect to be able to build a gt40 for no more than AU$50k ???

thanks for anyones insight

 

[Peter Delaney]

Hi Barry,

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but the chances of you being able to build a GT40 for around AU$50k is virtually nil.

Unlike some of the cheaper Cobras which can rely heavily on lots of inexpensive 2nd-hand donor-car components, there is almost nothing in a GT40 (except the engine, trans, steering column & maybe the brakes) that is not purpose-built.

I think that you would be very lucky to get out of a GT40 build for under AU$110k unless you scratch-build most of the suspension, pedals, wiring, etc. Even then, I think you would be lucky to get it much under AU$100k.

If you want all the luxury bits (leather, s/s fasteners throughout, A/C, professional body prep & paint job, etc), you could easily run it up over AU$130k.

Perhaps the best bet is to keep an eye out for a 2nd hand one (rare, but they do come up from time to time) - maybe $60-90k.

It would pay to talk to Peter Ransom (DRB GT40 Australia, Qld) & Owen at the reborn Roaring Forties (Vic) - they should be able to give you a fairly accurate estimate for a new build, and also are sure to know the pricing of every 2nd hand car sold over the last few years.

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

 

[Ian Anderson]

Barry
Welcome to the forum
I will second what has been written before.
I bought a ket that had been in build 15 years and given up.I paid abour 1/3 of what the guy had invested (invoices to prove this) and yet I would think the total cost so far is £24k It still needs paint and some other bits like Aircon.
As for a daily driver - not really practical - they are wide! and the doors need to open fully (Almost 90 degrees) to get out as the roof hinges out and is part of the door.
Luggage space is provided by what you can stuff into the door pockets.

BUT what a car to take out for a drive over the weekend - amazing how many people have taken photographs of it in it's unfinished state with mobile phone cameras. blokes slow doyn so you overtake so they can look at the car etc.

Practical no fantastic YES

Cheers
Ian

 

[Barry]

thanks for the replies guys ...

its kinda difficult getting actual pricing on the available websites, at least i have a good idea of what i'm looking at now ...

will continue the search !

cheers

 

[Lynn Larsen]

Barry,

You might want to consider the RCR DP Prototype car. You may be able to transplant the whole Lexus drive train into it. I have no idea what this kind of drive train would cost down under, but you'd have to be saving some money. As far as the other bits to get a bare bones car on the road, this chassis is fairly complete.

Check it out, you might like what you see. If you have questions go to the RCR Forum here at GT40s.com.

Regards,
Lynn

 

[Jim Cowden]

Beware buying cheap Barry.
I have one at work at the moment (customers car).
It will never be a good car.
EVER

After spending a lot of time on this car I seriously think it is better to start with a good kit than a bad car.

 

[Charlie M]

If you're interested in something similar to a GT40 (mid-engine, V8) vs the GT40 in particular, you might consider Factory Five Racing's GTM. It uses a C5 Corvette as a "donor car" for the engine, suspension, brakes, etc., and a Porsche transaxle. Find a wrecked Vette for a reasonable price and this option may fit your budget. The kit from FFR is $20kUS.

I don't know if this helps you at all down under; the shipping cost could make it impractical.

Good luck with your search and welcome to the forum.

Charlie

 

[Ricky]

It's not so much the shipping cost. It's the govenment fees, taxes, port costs, handling charges, etc, etc associated with bringing a car in.

As a race car the duty is 5% and as a road car it's 10%, but the other costs get added and then the GST on top of the whole sum. Oh,... then factor the exchange rate.

I had a hankering to get hold of a Gardner Douglass T70 from England or a RCR70 from the USA but the "Fees" just don't make it viable to bring in something from outside of Aus.

I agree with previous posts. Doing everything (and I mean everything) you wont get much change from AUS$90k - 100k to do a proper job on a GT40 that is built from a local (ie RF or GT40 Aus) kit.

 

[JackW]

other things to consider when importing a 40 kit are the Aussie Design Rules. I am not sure some of the overseas kits are ADR compliant.

I could very well be wrong about this so don't take it as gospel.

JW

 

[Lloyd]

I think you add the manufacturer to your checking account and give him a bunch of blank checks it just makes it a lot easier. $110k invested with ERA.

LLoyd

 

[DBLDREW]

i already know that i really am not bothered about the 'authentic' look of the gt40, and would be going for more of a modern look for the car, i would also like to go down the path of using a 4.0 lexus v8 - injection system tuning, easily available parts for the engine, and i know they are very tough engines, i would also expect to see a reasonable return on fuel consumption it only being the 4.0
The car will be a daily driver for me so i need something tough and reliable, with the occasional track day for some fun ...

Well if you are not that concerned about it being authentic, then you should check out the Lone Star LS40. http://www.lonestarclassics.com/ It has a complete kit for $17,000 USD. But it doesn’t use a v8 it uses the engine and trans out of a Ford Focus. It’s not a very accurate replica but it still looks pretty good, and if you can live with out the rumble and power of a v8 then it might fit your needs. You also mentioned that you wanted to use it for a daily driver, they say that with the Focus motor it gets 38 mpg…

 

[Russ Noble]

so i need something tough and reliable, with the occasional track day for some fun ...

so i guess my first question is can i expect to be able to build a gt40 for no more than AU$50k ???

thanks for anyones insight

Barry, not sure how much fun a Focus powered '40 would be at the track?

But if you're into lots of sweat equity, with cheap Lexus power and hence relatively cheap transaxle and can do your own fabrication, machining and painting and are prepared to hunt stuff up over time at wreckers yards, on ebay etc and not get too carried away about (expensive) bling and over the top good parts, your target may not be too unrealistic. Stay realistic with shocks, brakes,wheels and tyres and do your own trans and engine rebuilds. The killer for you I think will be the fact that you may have to start with a kit that is ADR compliant and that is unavoidable dollars. My chassis will have not much over $1000 in materials in it and about the same in fibreglass mat and resin for the body. So far two years in the making and still on target to finish winter next year.

It can be done for the sort of figure you had in mind but maybe not in Oz, unfortunately I think in Oz now because of legislative requirements it is not practical to build your own chassis however I may be wrong and locals will know more about this than me.

Nevertheless check out your basic local kits, decide what additional parts you need and cost them out and if you think you can do it start looking for the bits you will need now. It takes time to gather stuff up at the right price and then to rebuild it.

Good luck if you decide to go for it.

Cheers

 

[Dave]

Barry check my build thread as what you see is about $40 grand.
I'm hoping to come in at $80 grand.

 

[Barry]

wow .. seriously guys thanks for all the feedback !!!

i guess at this stage in my life (still under 30, just) i cant sink $100k into a car, yet, but the other kit ideas are very welcome .. i can understand it not being worth 'importing' a kit, although i do kinda like the factory five gtm .. v nice ... Oz doesnt really seem like a place where a lot of people are building kits .. i'm from the uk and there are SOO many caterham types on the roads !

anyway, i continue my search for the right kit ! its just a shame i cant justify the 40 at this stage ... such nice lines ...

thanks for all the feedback and any more certainly welcome in the kit ideas way ... (oz suppliers only please ?)

cheers

 

[DBLDREW]

Barry, not sure how much fun a Focus powered '40 would be at the track?

Well if you leave the motor stock then probably not much fun. But with the current generation of "Hot Roders" aka "Tuners" modifying small 4 and 6 bangers, there is a wealth of knowledge on how to modify a focus motor. In fact at the Lone Star site they have a link to a 500hp focus. Although the link is dead, so I did a quick search on turbo focus and found a bunch. Here is one where they made 278 whp and 280 lb. on the stock fuel system. http://www.turbomagazine.com/tech/0308tur_force_fed_ford_focus/ So having a car that makes over 300hp at the flywheel would be pretty fun at the track, especially considering the weight savings over a v8…

 

[Russ Noble]

Yeah, but there were two parts to Barry's requirement. Would it be "tough and reliable" as a daily driver with 300+ hp? I'm not sure that it would? Interesting though!

Cheers

 

[DBLDREW]

Well you could always just turn down the boost for street use and reliability and crank it up for track days. Even if he dropped the power down to 200-225hp, in such a light car that would still be pretty quick for a street car. Or you go all out and make a complete race ready zetec motor. They make aftermarket pistons, rods, cams etc http://www.focussport.com/cosworth_connecting_rods.htm . Considering his $50,000 AUD budget he could build a complete race ready motor and still be under his allowed budget...

 

[Jac Mac]

Barry,

Why dont you buy a Falcon/Fairmont V8 ( prior to BA )as your daily driver & start scratch building a GT40 as a track only car. Build your 40 to accomodate as many parts as practicable from the Falcon/Fairmont and when your ready retire the donor car for the parts reqd. The way the rules in OZ are going its going to be tough rego wise and it cannot be much fun driving any car like a 40 as a daily driver in the city.

Jac Mac

 

[Jim Holden]

From my experience a GT40, from whatever source, has some inherent GT40 limitations that make it a bit of a "bear" as an "everyday driver." Issues with ingress and egress, limited visibility out the back, weather sealing, storage, etc. etc. all make them a bit hard to deal with. My view is that they are fundamentally four wheel motorcycle to be driven on track day or a Sunday afternoon cruise in the Berkshires. Having owned Cobra replicas as well, I would suggest that they are actually more capable of being built up as a street car if that is what you are really looking for.

Jim

 

[Howard Jones]

Let give you another idea. Take longer to complete your build. Figure out what you can afford EACH year and do that much. Take your time, enjoy the process, make new friends, learn a lot. If you take 5 years to complete your car.....so what! What the hell, even 6 years isn't much longer than a lot of people here have into their cars.

You will be making more money in the years to come and maybe you will be able to accelerate the expenditures.

The process is the fun part. Enjoy it.