J. Salmon RCR-40 Build

J.

Glad to read you've done well on the clutch replacement and other odd jobs. She looks great....not a bag license plate too! Very clever.

Quick inquiry, the piece you made to secure your exhaust pipes has two small red square pieces to protect the pipes and I'm sure to take up a bit of excess space....where did you get those or what are they made of. I'm looking for something to do the exact same thing on mine. I'm currently using exhaust wrap but I like your solution more. What did you use to hold them in place. Very high temp Glue? Brand? Many thanks and happy motoring.
 
Jimmy,
Both are from McMaster-Carr. The rubber is the extreme temperature resistant silicone:
McMaster-Carr

I tacked it down with some 4-6 minute epoxy that is there highest temperature rated epoxy adhesive:
McMaster-Carr

I used high temp exhaust hanger grommets from Summit so that the entire assembly has a little flex.
-J.
 
So I have made a short list of stuff that needs to be done and I need some help.

1. Door latches. Why do I seem to be the only one confused? Can somebody show me what they did with these things? There must be a link or thread...

2. Prop rod and limit straps for the rear clip. I have some ideas but would love to see what others have done.

3. New rear view mirror. I have this one under control.

4. New shocks. I am not a fan of the QA1s. I am going to get custom valved Penskes. I think this is going to improve the handling of the car significantly.

Let's see those door latches please!
 

Randy V

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Maybe not a lot of help, but I like my solution better than just fiberglassing a 3/8" bolt to the inside of the door for the door latch handle to pivot on..

GT-Forty.com

There are other spots in my build log that may be helpful..

Good luck!
 
OK, got those pesky latches done. The two most important bits to me were (1) that they didn't rattle and (2) they looked nice. As I am leaving my small windows out for the foreseeable future and I already have easily working latches that can be reached easily from inside and out, the function of the latches is really redundant.

So I just glued the levers in place with silicone. They look great, and they don't rattle a bit. Plus, they don't interfere with the function of the current latches :)
 

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Randy V

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Jimmy Dean once said-

If it melts your butter, it makes my day....

:thumbsup:
 
Don't worry you aren't the only one that thinks that way. I didn't like the way the cables would have to be installed to make it work, and I didn't like reaching over my shoulder to open the door. I put Toyota handles on the inside in the front portion of the door and a wireless remote entry with alarms. I left the outside handles as they were so I have something to help open the doors if the poppers don't do their job. I like the idea of false openers on the door sil. May have to add that to my "To Do" list.

Bill
 
I made a prop. I also finished my rear plumbing and fans. The right is the oil cooler, the left is transaxle cooler. The fans help pull heat from under the rear clip when the car is at rest. I do not have them on a thermostat, I simply have a switch on the dash.
 

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I found out the hard way that the door liners are not particularly robust. I decided to add some door pulls. I reinforced the upper edge of the door with some angle aluminum. I used body filler to bond the aluminum in place and fill the gaps in between the door liner and the aluminum as it is not flat. Once finished, the door has a more solid feel and the pulls are nicely anchored.
I found these red leather pulls. They were crazy expensive, designed as high-end furniture pulls. Luckily I only need two, because I can't imagine spending that much money on every drawer and cabinet in a big kitchen.
 

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Now I have started working on sealing the doors. I went for a drive in the fall and had so many leaves blow into the car that the interior looked like the deck of a lawn mower. Plus, when cold, the heater could not keep up with the frigid air blowing across my thighs; the leading edge of the door acts like a outside air scoop. It's clear this was not designed as a road car! Go figure....

I started with the lower door edge. My gap is about 3/8 inch, which is not too bad from the outside, but there is nothing behind the lower edge, so look at that daylight when the door is closed!

I found a 3/8 inch flat bottomed, beaded weather strip at McMaster-Carr, 1142A15. It is easy to install and seals nicely. I used good old black silicone, figuring it will not last forever so at some point it will need to be removed. Next up will be that pesky front section, and I fear I will have to get creative.
 

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Randy V

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Jay - have you installed the side windows yet? Might help that heater out a bit! :thumbsup:
 

Randy V

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Think pressure differential Jay. The lower air pressure inside the cabin caused by the flow of air off the windshield past the side windows is likely a primary cause of air coming into the cabin from elsewhere.. If the windows were sealed, then the blower motor for the heater would be trying to increase the pressure inside the cabin and may overcome some of that air coming in from around the door..
All that said, yes, GT40s are like sieves when it comes to air and water leaks and it's well documented in a number of build threads and elsewhere here. Good job at trying to get it somewhat under control!
 
Randy, you make a very good point. Thus far I have not bothered to install the side windows because nothing else was sealed. Even if I do succeed in closing most of the gaps, that low pressure really could be essentially sucking air in elsewhere.

Important to think about as I get ready to work on the devilish front edge of the door, which is not only tough to seal, it's a collection point for all of the water pouring down the front edge of the door in the wet. But I have a plan....muhoohahahahahah!
 
It has been a busy busy spring, but I am driving the car as often as possible.
I most recently lined the door pockets with a felt-like carpet that is perfect. Now things don't slide around or rattle.
I did the same steering shaft weld/machining that Chuck and Ryan did and it is a big difference. The steering is really nice.
I have Penske shocks waiting to be installed. They use a 2.5 ID spring vs. 3.0 so I am waiting on them. I will let you know how that goes.

And I just had it inspected for the second time, so a full year on the road. I drove my daughter to school in it and then took it to work. At lunch it got the ultimate test: meeting the wife downtown for lunch. They don't call it the "Hill City" for nothing. Several starts at lights with cars behind on steep hills, cobblestones, narrow roads with lots of traffic, and a tight parking lot. No issues! It was pretty funny when a guy on a scooter pulled up next to me and honked and tried to get my attention. I had no way to tell him I could not remotely see his face; I could only just see his handle bars. Oh well!
 
I noticed last spring when i took the car on a city tour on the interstates that with a cool morning(50s) the windows keep the heat in(no heater installed). Later that day I drove with the windows stored behind the seats(high 70s low 80s) and it was very comfortable. No wind noise or flow for that matter at 70+/- mph. If the front clip is sealed/insulated the heat is moderated. With widows and speed there has to be some negative pressure acting on the cabin. Where it draws from I can't comment on(good case for the helicopter vents). Too busy with everything else. My engine firewall is insulated and sealed and the rear window is glass and sealed. Guess my engine bay fans are doing their job.

Bill
 
The door sealing worked really well, I get minimal air moving around now, even with the side windows off. The AC has no trouble keeping the car cool, I drove it an hour and a half to VIR and it was 90 degrees. It was hot in my race suit and helmet on track, but no AC for that. I wanted to test the handling a bit more on the limits. It does nothing surprising, very predictable. I felt it understeered a bit too much - not necessarily a bad thing, but I am going to stiffen the rear springs just a bit. The Penske's will allow for more fine tuning. I did figure out that these tires, though plenty of rubber left - are 6 years old. New ones will be had in short order.

Probably the biggest news is my decision to sell the car. My racing has taken a beating on my wallet and something has to give. More on that to follow...
 
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