Hi Guys, theres my car again! Nice Photo Julian! The Splitter Chris made for the black car is simple, but effective.Like Malcolm says above another mod is to dam the air through the rad so that it exits right into the Single vent and upwards over the front end. As most of the English guys will tell you, riding in a twin vent standard nostril car at 130mh watching the front end lift in front of your very eyes is facinating! It baloons to the point where you think it will burst open.. Then if youre really lucky and have a standard GTD with those stupid Dzus fasteners fixed on the wrong side of the body! The nostril panel will fly out, smack your windscreen and hit the rear end as it smashes on the ground behind you!! What fun that is, NOT. This is all due to the amount of Lift the twin vent panel kept under itself and therefore not allowed out of the front body areas.
If nothing else gentlemen, learn from those that have been there, done that and got the T shirt!
The Other favourite GT40 trick is the Air Brake! This is the rear deck flipping open when you least expect it to. This is usually when the rear safety clips have been left unlatched, you hare off at some speed to find the body lifting up and no matter how quick you slow down, its too late, its ripped along the floor and the tail section and lights have gone! To my recollection, I have sold 11 back ends due to this one major issue, dont be a statistic!
One of the most modified GT40s I ever saw was a Great Swedish Guy Called Jimmy Larsson. He had a GTD MKll sort of: It was heavily areo foiled, dammed and winged. I didnt look much like a GT, but boy did it go..... It was a 427 engined car with a Hewland box. ~Extremely Powerful and had great down force.
I was informed earlier this year that Jimmy Larsson had died last year. Another great guy sadly missed. Ive been to his house a watched race videos of Swedish circuits and had great food. On that same trip I met Sven Erikson Ex Can Am driver, now motor racing journalist. Sven also knew of Brian Pepper (another race driver)and great GT40 car builder, Sadly again no longer with us. On this same trip I was introduced to the original Lola T70 mklllB driver that survived Six months in a coma after his Lola went off in a very big way many years ago. And that is another story!
Whilst doing business for GTD in the Early Ninties i met many people Including Len Bailey, in many peoples eyes the designer of the GT40 and many others. Again sadly no longer with us. To GTD I thank them for the experiences, both good and bad.
Best regards to all
Mark Sibley
MDA