For sale: Bill Wonder's GT40 (103)

R

For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

I today heard from James Wonder. His dad bought this car off Shelby nearly 40 years ago. Well it's now up for sale. There are some awesome detail photos, including the Indy motor, at Symbolic, who are selling the car on Bill's behalf.

Bill Wonder's car for sale

GT40-31.jpg
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Cheers

Rob
 
R

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

James has just mentioned that Symbolic have bought the car off Bill and they are selling it themselves, not on behalf of Bill. It will be interesting to see if the new owner keeps it 40 years...

Cheers

Rob
 
J

Jos

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

The paperwork at the end of the Symbolic's photos is brilliant - sorry no wheels etc - and the trust - well he'd like it sort of red but not maroon - is the colour requirement ! To have sold the Wonders must have had a fair price but quite how scary that makes the sales price....
 
R

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

I forgot to mention Symbolic's asking price - $3,000,000.
 
B

BenL

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

If you live (or visit) in the San Diego area, it's worth dropping by Symbolic's showroom. They usually have lots of pretty cars on display, and they won't hassle you if you say you're "just looking".

It's a bit like a car museum, but no ropes and no admission fee.
 
F

Rick

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

Got twigged onto this as my sis is working in San Diego now and has some contacts with Symbolic. Good historical reference shots, might be able to get some closer if anyone interested...

Rick
 
J

Jim Rosenthal

Supporter
Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

The Indy 4cam engine was fitted by Bill; the car was never raced with this motor as far as I remember him telling me. It is based on the same block as the old 255 pushrod engine. I think when it won the first time, it had a Colotti transaxle but the 289 motor.
FWIW, I suspect Symbolic paid well for the car and would make a bit of money at $3m but not tons. I hope whoever buys the car vintage-races it. It's a neat old car, unrestored, but lots of updates to make it run better. I don't know how it performs with the 4cam motor, but I'll bet it's kind of peaky.
 
Ron Earp

Ron Earp

Admin
Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

How can the DOHC motor be based on the pushrod 255 block? There are no provisions for cam chains etc. on that block.
 
W

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

I will try to answer these as correctly as possible. Our car was the only car raced with the older 255 pushrod motor and the engine mounts were still in the car when we put the quad in. It was actually an easy replacement. The quad block is based off the pushrod. The gears are mounted in front of the block, and I think the pan mounting was changed a bit from the pushrod, but please do not quote me on that.

The motor is more peaky, and it sounds great. The power of that motor over the original 289 was better, but today you can build a very nice 289 that would be much more powerful. The choice today is more power vs. history vs. neat for a motor selection. You know our feelings! ;-)

The car was updated (as the writeup dictates) thanks to John Wyer and others. We have interesting stories of pieces "falling" off other cars on onto ours though. Those pieces are performace upgrades (brakes, hubs), and the car still maintains most of the original parts.

It is interesting, and we were very sorry to see it go. I am sure anyone who gets it will be very happy.
 
R

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

Hi James - I think the following image may help how the quad cam is set up.

F40.jpg


Cheers

Rob
 
Ron Earp

Ron Earp

Admin
Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

Might be the same block mounting points, that is use engine mounts from a 289/302/windsor but I don't think it is the same block at all. Look how the crank is up in the block, very unlike a 289, and the front of the engine is all wrong as well. I am probably wrong, but that looks unlike any SB ford I've fooled with.
 
flatchat

flatchat(Chris)

Supporter
Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

Looks like SOHC 427 to me.The DOHC 255 has gear driven cams
alluminium block/heads and 32 valves--all that back in'63--must've been too far ahead of it's time back then??
 
W

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

Sorry for not getting back sooner, life sometimes gets in the way of fun....

Okay, the picture you show is *NOT* a 255 Ci Indy motor. The 255 Quad Cam indy motor has gears in the front, not chains. I asked my father and he does not know of any small block fords that used a chain drive.

As for the block, it is the same generation and design for all the ford "indy type" engines. The engine mounts are in the front! 101, 102, 103 and possibly 104 (my father is quite sure about 104) had these mounts and originally ran with this block with engine mounts in front. The 255 Quad Cam is a direct descendant of this block. The cars mentioned about did not run with these heads, but it was in their plans to do so. It is also my fathers memory that 104 wrecked at riverside at "boilerplate wall" testing brakes by Edco and was rebuilt afterwards.

It is interesting history though.....

James
 
W

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

BTW, after looking at the image, the motor that is shown is a two cam model that looks to utilize fingers as followers. Hard to from a blown up version of the picture. The Quad Cam uses overhead cams with cups that the cams ride on, the cups push on the valve stem. Just like a Cosworth DFV.


James
 
T

Re: For sale: Bill Wonder\'s GT40 (103)

The pictures posted is a 427 SOHC. I have 7 of them, RWJ
 
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