Chuck and Ryan's RCR Build

[Randy V]

I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the car that the original Demister Grille came from - I believe it started with a “V” but that’s all I have.
Found this on Facebook re: Demister Grille

Original style GT40 demister grill. Laser cut, formed & powder coated all in house. . . . . . #cncpunch #pressbrake #migwelding #tigwelding #laser... | By Southern GT40 | Facebook

Original style GT40 demister grill. Laser cut, formed & powder coated all in house. . . . . . #cncpunch #pressbrake #migwelding #tigwelding #laser...

fb.watch

 

[Stephen Ducker]

British Ford Zephyr / Zodiac was the source.

Regards Steve

 

[Davidmgbv8]

I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the car that the original Demister Grille came from - I believe it started with a “V” but that’s all I have.
Found this on Facebook re: Demister Grille

Original style GT40 demister grill. Laser cut, formed & powder coated all in house. . . . . . #cncpunch #pressbrake #migwelding #tigwelding #laser... | By Southern GT40 | Facebook

Original style GT40 demister grill. Laser cut, formed & powder coated all in house. . . . . . #cncpunch #pressbrake #migwelding #tigwelding #laser...

fb.watch

Hold on,,,,,, wait a second, mine from Southern GT did not look like that. it only had 2 vents tilted and Mick told me I had to do the rest on my own.. I want a refund!!!

 

[Randy V]

British Ford Zephyr / Zodiac was the source.

Regards Steve

Bingo! It was the Zephyr! I don’t know what I was thinking with the “V”…
There were some that had more / too many mounting screw holes So they don’t match what was in the original Mk1 cars.

 

[Chuck]

Firewall Gaps, Part I

There is a significant gap between the top of the tub front and rear firewalls and the inside of the fiberglass body. We wanted to close the gap to not only seal it but also to provide support for the body.

Patterns were made. This involved making a horizontal reference line and then measuring to the top of the aluminum at three-inch intervals. Measurements were taken from the horizontal reference line to the fiberglass. Those dimensions were then used to determine the approximate dimensions of the pattern. Once a preliminary pattern was made, a second, final version was prepared from foam core board. The goal was to end up with a small gap between the pattern and the fiberglass over the entire length which will be sealed with weatherstripping.

Preparing the patterns was a time-consuming but necessary job in order to properly fit the aluminum panels.

 

[Chuck]

Well, this is embarrassing. Someone is going to ask "what kind of GT 40 is that anyway???"

Obviously a senior moment. Posted to the wrong blog. Reposted where it belongs: on the Jaguar D Type blog.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Randy Folsom]

Wheel weights.

Weight is critical to the function of race cars. Every ounce saved adds to the performance. Our quest for weight reduction has been constant throughout this project.

Adding lead weights to the wheels to balance them seems counterintuitive. Lead is a dense, heavy metal. It is used to make keels on sail boats to keep them upright. Using lead on a reproduction race car is just wrong. A means of achieving proper wheel balance without adding lead to the GT 40 wheels was the goal.

Researching the issue, we found that lead wheel weights have been banned in Europe since 2005 and in some states, including California (well, that’s a surprise). Zinc or iron are now being used where lead is outlawed. Indeed, we found that the weights used on the Porsche were zinc and the BMW iron.

Titanium is an exotic material, significant both for its strength, light weight, and corrosion resistance. Recall the SR71, a spy plane that broke many records for altitude and speed, was built primarily from titanium. Titanium is being used on race and exotic cars for engine components, chassis components, wheels, and drive train parts. Accordingly, we searched for titanium wheel weights. Although much more costly, a given volume of titanium is much lighter than the same volume of lead, iron or zinc.

The titanium weights we used have a distinctive Ti identifying them. Because of their reduced density, they are dimensionally larger than a comparable lead weight. Compare the titanium weights with the zinc weights in this picture.

View attachment 114129

We used 3M double sided adhesive tape to install these dimensionally larger weights. It is an incredibly strong tape. These titanium weights will not be going anywhere.

View attachment 114130

If one looks closely, the weights can be seen, but from a short distance away they blend in well.

View attachment 114131

View attachment 114132

After making this upgrade I cannot honestly say there was any difference in either the speed or feel of the car. But the satisfaction of knowing that we have state of the art wheel weights made this project worthwhile.

Thank you. I have not l laughed that hard in a while.

 

[Neil]

Wheel weights.

Weight is critical to the function of race cars. Every ounce saved adds to the performance. Our quest for weight reduction has been constant throughout this project.

Adding lead weights to the wheels to balance them seems counterintuitive. Lead is a dense, heavy metal. It is used to make keels on sail boats to keep them upright. Using lead on a reproduction race car is just wrong. A means of achieving proper wheel balance without adding lead to the GT 40 wheels was the goal.

Researching the issue, we found that lead wheel weights have been banned in Europe since 2005 and in some states, including California (well, that’s a surprise). Zinc or iron are now being used where lead is outlawed. Indeed, we found that the weights used on the Porsche were zinc and the BMW iron.

Titanium is an exotic material, significant both for its strength, light weight, and corrosion resistance. Recall the SR71, a spy plane that broke many records for altitude and speed, was built primarily from titanium. Titanium is being used on race and exotic cars for engine components, chassis components, wheels, and drive train parts. Accordingly, we searched for titanium wheel weights. Although much more costly, a given volume of titanium is much lighter than the same volume of lead, iron or zinc.

The titanium weights we used have a distinctive Ti identifying them. Because of their reduced density, they are dimensionally larger than a comparable lead weight. Compare the titanium weights with the zinc weights in this picture.

View attachment 114129

We used 3M double sided adhesive tape to install these dimensionally larger weights. It is an incredibly strong tape. These titanium weights will not be going anywhere.

View attachment 114130

If one looks closely, the weights can be seen, but from a short distance away they blend in well.

View attachment 114131

View attachment 114132

After making this upgrade I cannot honestly say there was any difference in either the speed or feel of the car. But the satisfaction of knowing that we have state of the art wheel weights made this project worthwhile.

???? Weight is weight, no matter if it is lead, titanium, or depleted uranium. Why not just use lighter weight wheels if total weight is a concern. Otherwise, select tires for balance so that a minimum of additional weight is required for balance. I'm assuming that post was serious...

 

[Kevin L]

Neil, look at the date of the original post, April 1st

 

[Neil]

Neil, look at the date of the original post, April 1st

Got me!!!

 

[Randy Folsom]

Cute Fran!

Regarding the 'wings':

Picturess of the original GTs suggest that the fire wall was actually a double panel so that the rear was vertical and nearly flush with the back of the spider. A support brace then extended between the 'wings' beneath the rear window on the fire wall. On early cars a nice oval opening for ventilation was visible on the outer most portion of this panel and the fuel pumps and other hardware were mounted more inboard. At the top of the wing is a bracket which secures to the leading edge of the clip. I wanted to simulate these details, and asked Fran if the 'wings' could be fabricated. He did an excellent job. They are good solid pieces which look good and fit well.

The first GTs ducted air from the front, through the doors, and into the engine compartment through those oval openings on the outer portions of the 'wings.' It quickly became apparent that this ventilation system did not work as intended. In pics of some early cars one can see aluminum plates screwed over the vent openings. My plan is to place a 4" x 8" oval plate in that approximate location, to duplicate that affect, which will also give me access to the space behind the 'wing.' I may locate the MSD ignition box and a few other parts in that space to keep the overall engine compartment as clean as possible.

Please note that second picture of the wing is not in the final position - it is just for illustration.

The camera? An old Cannon power shot with the resolution set low enough to make pasting to this site painless. I almost never use the flash.

Chuck, Hoping you still have some information about those wings. I asked Fran if they were still available, but he said no. All I need are some pictures and a few of the key dimensions. I guess I would also like to know if you would build it the same if you were to do it over again. Thx in advance. Cheers, Randy

 

[Chuck]

Randy

Let me take a look and get back with you on dimensions

Yes, I would likely do it the same way today. It looks more original and provides a better place to hang the fuel filter / pumps, fuel pressure regulator, etc. Only downside is access to the fuel tank pick up is through an access panel as described in the build blog.

Chuck

 

[Chuck]

Randy:

Here are some pics of the 'wings.'

The transverse section simply follows the aft edge of the spider and ends on the seam between the sponson and the center chassis. The longitudinal section extends forward from the transverse section to the firewall. A couple of "L" brackets with screws hold it in place.

I added an opening with the cover plate to provide access to the bolts that hold the bottom of the spider in place. Also the fuel line from the tank and wires for the sending unit are accessed through that opening

The two plates were welded on the vertical seam, as seen in the pics.

I would make a pattern from poster board and experiment to find the best dimensions.

Hope this helps

 

[Randy Folsom]

Randy:

Here are some pics of the 'wings.'

The transverse section simply follows the aft edge of the spider and ends on the seam between the sponson and the center chassis. The longitudinal section extends forward from the transverse section to the firewall. A couple of "L" brackets with screws hold it in place.

I added an opening with the cover plate to provide access to the bolts that hold the bottom of the spider in place. Also the fuel line from the tank and wires for the sending unit are accessed through that opening

The two plates were welded on the vertical seam, as seen in the pics.

I would make a pattern from poster board and experiment to find the best dimensions.

Hope this helps



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View attachment 132595

Chuck, Thx much. I think I can make them with the information and pictures you have provided. I plan to add a doubler to the firewall, similar to Tom’s build, but will incorporate the wings as well. Cheers, Randy

 

[Chuck]

Headsets, 2024

The noise level inside the GT40 is significant even at part throttle. Ear plugs make conversation with a passenger difficult. We wanted a better solution.

We always use sound canceling headsets with VOX operated microphones when flying. Why not use the same technology in the GT?

A used Flightcom IIsx was available at a reasonable price. It is designed for two headsets making it perfect for this application.

Before installation, we opened the box and added a pair of wires to the passenger microphone circuit. This wire was routed to the left of the steering wheel and connected to an unused SPST switch. This enables the driver to discreetly disconnect the passenger’s microphone – without the passenger knowing it – should passenger shrieks and screams while accelerating around hair pin curves become disconcerting. The passenger’s noise cancelling function and ability hear the driver still functions.

The Flightcom IIsx fit neatly between the seats where it was mounted with velcro tape. The volume and squelch are easily reached but it does not interfere with shifting.

This system worked well with both Dave Clark and Lightspeed Zulu noise cancelling head seats. The Dave Clark headset, which my favorite daughter, Lisa, is wearing, are lighter and more compact and therefore our preferred option.

I plan to mill a pair of headphone hangers to mount on the roll bar so the headsets can be stowed out of the way when not in use.

 

[DaveC]

I've looked into options like this for my build. Can you input music in stereo through these and still communicate?

 

[Chris Kouba]

(Yes, I am aware of today's date)​

 

[Chet Zerlin]

Chuck, I confess that I always look forward to your annual April 1st postings!

Chet

 

[Chuck]

View attachment 137683

(Yes, I am aware of today's date)​

Good point.

I have removed the audio box.