Just picked up my GTD40!!!

[John S]

Thanks guys, over the last couple of days I sat in the car several times and could only just stop myself from making engine noises.

Welcome to the owners club, John! Michael and I of course like the fact that you've picked a red car....

So what's with the red then, are there hardly any red GT40's? I must be honoust and say that I prefer a different colour, but having seen the car in the flesh I must say I like the colour. For now I will keep it that way.

Hi John,

From the pics it looks as though you have the BF Goodrich tyres on the car. They are pretty hard and none too grippy so take it easy until you get used to everything. Probably going to be your first upgrade.

Cheers
Mike

Hi Mike,

I understand you have the Alan Mann livery?
I read about the BFG and I think I will go for the Avon CR6ZZ tyres, these are road legal and can also be used at the Spa 6 hours. I do not an extra set of wheels though.

I'm sure your son is as excited as you are and now he's the envy of all his mates. Won't be long and he'll be asking for the keys!

Haha, I will get him a BMW for track use first and let him play with that at some local drift days and circuit days. I promised I would take him with me and let him drive cars (BMW) while I am instructing others whenever he is large enough to look over the steering wheel, so that gives me some years (maybe 3-5?).

Hi John,
Planning on being there for the SPA Classic!
To join the club, here is your link:

How to Join GT40 Enthusiasts Club

Cheers

Hi Paul,

Just emailed the forms. Will some club members visit Spa for a trackday this year or do I have to bring my 40 over to the UK? Any good events I should not miss this years? Probably Goodwood?

HI John

congratulations to your new baby. Looks good to me.

TOM

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your help back in the summer. After all the research I did regarding the difficulties of registering the car on the road in my country unfortunately I decided against RCR and Superformance. I believe it was the blue RCR40 of Pantera that I really wanted and I just missed that. Also the Dean Lampe and your own RCR40 look very impressive indeed, maybe if I decide on a full track car without road registration.

Looking good!

Hope to meet up with you soon.
I'm looking at the Spa Classic hiswell. Don't know anything about the Racing against cancer event, I'll have a look into it.


GJ

I might need your front lamps to get the car registered...
You should join us at Spa this year with your car of course. The circuit should really suit a 40 very well, can't wait to drive my car there.

Racing against cancer is a really nice event at the Dutch TT circuit where children and people with cancer can really enjoy one day out at the circuit and forget about their illness. They get to sit next to us, sit on the back of motorbikes, join the army in their tanks, trucks and helicopters, drive go-karts, there are clowns, air cushions, police speedboats, just one big party for the patients and their family. It's a very emotional day.

John

 

[Paul Brameld]

Hi John,
Well done for joining, I can now get my commission ;-)
You will find a few GT40 friends in Benelux & France/Germany also.

Do not know of too many members visiting Europe this year.
A few of us are thinking/planning SPA Classic followed by a return to the Ring for unfinished business

The Club will have a stand at the Festival of Speed, Silverstone Classic amongst others and are in talks regarding having some sort of presence at the Revival.
Desmond is planning a 2 day track event at Cadwell/Blyton, see club website/magazine,Facebook page for more info.

Cheers & enjoy the 40!

 

[Geert-Jan]

The Revival was excellent.... the weather helped a little this year.
It is in my planning to do again this year.

Spa Classic is also in my schedule for this year.

For 2014: Le Mans Classic!!!!

Please keep me informed about the 'Racing against cancer' event.

About the lights, just let me know, they are on the shelf in my garage (as my car is at Franks place).

GJ

 

[Mike Pass]

Hi John,
I do have Alan Mann (ish) livery. Pic attached (with suitable mascot)
I use the Avon CR6ZZ tyres. They are infinitely better than the BFG as they have grip! Theoretically they can pull 1.3g as the compound is quite soft. They seem to last better than you might think they would with a soft compound but they are not cheap. Some of the GT40 race guys at Le Mans Classic use them as wets and they are OK in the wet but they don't like puddles or standing water as there is not much in the way of a tread pattern. I have had them for a few years now and until someone makes something new I will stick with them as they have that original deep sidewall look. I use 215/60 15 front and 275/55 15 rear. Mick Sollis usually has some in stock when you are ready to raid the bank.
Cheers
Mike

 

[John S]

Hi John,
I use the Avon CR6ZZ tyres. They are infinitely better than the BFG as they have grip! Theoretically they can pull 1.3g as the compound is quite soft. They seem to last better than you might think they would with a soft compound but they are not cheap. ... I use 215/60 15 front and 275/55 15 rear.
Cheers
Mike

I have two Avon tyres that came with the car, but look rather tall 245/60 R15. Not sure if they will fit.

Today after having had the car for a week, I could no longer control myself and simply had to drive the car. So I took the cover off, switched the ignition on, waited for the fuel pumps to be ready and started the car up. With the V8 burbling away my son and I buckled up and drove off.
Carefully negotiating the sleeping police men we managed to get on the country roads and after all the fluids we warmed up we could finally enjoy the torque of V8 engine, like a large hand grapping the car and pushing it forward in one big surge.
When you're 9 years old and you hear and feel the big engine in the back pushing you forward what else can you do but start laughing. Nick was surely impressed and for a couple of minutes I was the coolest dad in the world. Coming Monday the Christmas holiday will be over and I know what stories he will tell in class.

Although I haven't tested the 40 on track yet (I know I'll need quite some mods) and I am used to driving quick race cars the 40 even brought a smile on my face and I was really enjoying it. This is what cars should be like to drive, who wants modern cars?!? Well except for towing racing cars to and from Scotland of course.

After we returned home the car still looked quite clean, I am more of a driver anyway, and I decided to take some pictures myself. Please find some below, I am sure you guys won't get bored looking at pictures of GT40's.

Should have bought the 40 much earlier, it will sure be a nice combination with the Radical SR3. Not sure why I kept the BMW E30 M3 that long, now I want more cars like this. How about a Lola T70 and 330 P4 and maybe even a 917... don't need much motivation now.

John

 

[John S]

And some more...

John

 

[Eric Johnson]

Nice looking car John. GTDs give a great bang for the buck. Keep the pics coming! Here is a recent pic of mine for you

 

[Jimmy P]

Great looking car John....that RED really POPS!

Eric, I assume you're getting ready to tackle that Daytona at the next corner? Great photo.

 

[Randy V]

Yes!!! That red is really RED!!!!!!

Very nice indeed!!!

 

[René]

red alert...

looks like new in those pictures.

 

[John S]

Drove it on a circuit for the first time

Yesterday I took the GT40 to the Dutch TT circuit in Assen (famous for the motorbikes), north of Holland.
Although I had to coach someone else, it was also a good opportunity to do some noise testing at this particular circuit as the person I was coaching also wants to hire the car for a corporate day later this year.

As I went out with the transponder on board, naturally my student wanted to join me on these 2-3 laps, totally excited about the car. I think this is what GT40's do to car people (the admiring looks you get in the paddock...).

Since this was the first time I was in the car with my helmet on, I could now experience for the first time what the seating position was like and it was crap.
My legs got stuck against the steering wheel and I had to slightly tilt my helmeted head touching the roof. Didn't they invent a Gurney bubble for that?

So although not very comfortable in the car we just went out to do 2 or 3 laps to get a noise reading from race control. After the first lap going into the first corner again I thought I saw some white smoke and I wasn't locking up. Exiting the corner I also smelled the white smoke and immediatelly drove the car onto the grass looking for a marshal post.
We both jumped out of the car and opened the rear bonnet to see that the cooling system was boiling, badly. We could easily make some tea.

Back in the paddock we soon discovered the belt operating the water pump and alternator had come loose. Having driven the car to the circuit I was lucky to be allowed to use someones trailer and drive the car backwards up the ramps so we could get under the car and fix the belt, fill the water system up again and drive home at the end of the day.
Hopefully, there isn't too much damage done to the engine as I planned to start on the suspension and brakes first, getting a 425-450 hp engine later.

With a car like this of course there is always someone filming you.

Yesterday I took the GT40 to the Dutch TT circuit in Assen (famous for the motorbikes), north of Holland.
Although I had to coach someone else, it was also a good opportunity to do some noise testing at this particular circuit as the person I was coaching also wants to hire the car for a corporate day later this year.

As I went out with the transponder on board, naturally my student wanted to join me on these 2-3 laps, totally excited about the car. I think this is what GT40's do to car people (the admiring looks you get in the paddock...).

Since this was the first time I was in the car with my helmet on, I could now experience for the first time what the seating position was like and it was crap.
My legs got stuck against the steering wheel and I had to slightly tilt my helmeted head touching the roof. Didn't they invent a Gurney bubble for that?

So although not very comfortable in the car we just went out to do 2 or 3 laps to get a noise reading from race control. After the first lap going into the first corner again I thought I saw some white smoke and I wasn't locking up. Exiting the corner I also smelled the white smoke and immediatelly drove the car onto the grass looking for a marshal post.
We both jumped out of the car and opened the rear bonnet to see that the cooling system was boiling, badly. We could easily make some tea.

Back in the paddock we soon discovered the belt operating the water pump and alternator had come loose. Having driven the car to the circuit I was lucky to be allowed to use someones trailer and drive the car backwards up the ramps so we could get under the car and fix the belt, fill the water system up again and drive home at the end of the day.
Hopefully, there isn't too much damage done to the engine as I planned to start on the suspension and brakes first, getting a 425-450 hp engine later.

With a car like this of course there is always someone filming you.

http://s153.photobucket.com/user/m3procar/media/2013-03-31131452.mp4.html

Today I had to clean the engine bay (the car looked so clean thanks to former owner Ron) of the car and I immediately looked at how to change the pedals to get some more leg room. Moving the pedal box forward 1.5 centimeters made quite a difference. When test fitting inside the car I also tried to sit in the seat without the cushion in and that also lowered me some 5 centimeters. Should have done that way sooner, starting to really like the GT40 now as a trackday tool.

John

Today I had to clean the engine bay (the car looked so clean thanks to former owner Ron) of the car and I immediately looked at how to change the pedals to get some more leg room. Moving the pedal box forward 1.5 centimeters made quite a difference. When test fitting inside the car I also tried to sit in the seat without the cushion in and that also lowered me some 5 centimeters. Should have done that way sooner, starting to really like the GT40 now as a trackday tool.

John

 

[Tony Hunt]

John,
I think your difficulty with fitting into your car may have something to do with the owner before Ron being called Little Al! I doubt that he was 5' 6".
Al's house is less than a mile from me, and is at the bottom of a short but very steep drive. It's a single garage, so Al would drive in, crack open the driver's door, wriggle onto the roof and slide down the rear window!
Getting the car out was horrifying - he'd gun the engine and shoot up the steep ramp to the accompaniment of much smoke and wheelspin.
Al died recently of lung cancer.

 

[Malcolm]

The steering column also has adjustment so that it can be raised too without much effort. When I built my car I cut a bit more out the dash to gain an extra cm in vertical adjustment. That makes quite a difference.

 

[John S]

The steering column also has adjustment so that it can be raised too without much effort. When I built my car I cut a bit more out the dash to gain an extra cm in vertical adjustment. That makes quite a difference.

Thanks Malc,

Hadn't spotted that yet, see if I can change that on my car as well. If I remember correctly, I didn't have that problem in your car.

John,
I think your difficulty with fitting into your car may have something to do with the owner before Ron being called Little Al! I doubt that he was 5' 6".

I don't think Ron is that much larger whereas I am 6 foot (which is not that large at all).
Must say I like working on the GT40 and improving things, in some way it becomes even more your own car.

John

 

[Tony Hunt]

John,
I'm 6'3" and initially couldn't get into my car at all, let alone drive it. However, I was able to try out a mate's car before I bought mine, which was OK, so I knew what to aim for.
Here's what I had to do to make my car driveable:

• Remove the driver's seat from its runners, bolt it to some 1/8 strip with bolt threads welded on at runner spacings in the floor (this makes it much easier to replace the seat quickly).
• Adjust the height of the steering column, as Malcolm suggests.
• Fit a Gurney bubble. This is highly desirable for road use and essential when wearing a helmet. The way to close the door in the latter case is to engage head in Gurney bubble before closing door.
• To make room for my large feet, I fitted a Tilton pedal box. This required extensive rearrangement under the dashboard - rotating the evaporator/heater box through 90 degrees etc. The driving position isn't ideal as the clutch is a long way away and the throttle too close, but you get used to it.

Tony

 

[John S]

Thanks Tony,

Hopefully, I will get some time this weekend to sort this out.

John

 

[Lucas van Altena]

Congratulations John,

you told me last week that you bought a GTD40.
I'am less on the net, busy with work and try to make time for track.
It looks nice and you told me it drives welll.
I try to make time to be at Assen on the 19-4 in the afternoon, maybe you have time to show the car?

 

[John S]

Coming Friday I will be off to Spa Francorchamps again, sorry!

John