Might someone know this car?

[Tray]

First of all, if this isn't the correct subforum for this, please forgive me... and admin please move it to where it should go...

Anyway, I know this is a long shot, but I figured this would be the best place to start. I'm wondering if anyone may know this car. The info that follows is from my dad trying to remember names from ~50 yrs ago, and some of the names he isn't too sure about.

Several years back my dad told me a story about helping a coworker of his transport a GT40 from St Louis to Chapel Hill, NC and the fun they had with a mustang along the way... He says it was winter between 1967 and 1968. The story as it was told to me was that he was a mechanic for a race team with "Motor Racing Services" that ran in the "Trans Am Circuit". Their car was a Mustang at the time. The shop/team was owned by Russell Norburn from Durham.

Anyway, he got a call from the driver for the team, Pete Fistman/Fisman (? on spelling) about helping him drive a car to Chapel Hill for Wattz Hill (? - possibly a banker at the time) after it was bought car from Classic Car Motors. So he flew up and helped drive the car down.

The story I was told was about the previously mentioned mustang trying to play with them on the interstate, and them showing the mustang it wasn't a fake. After they proved it, it took the mustang several minutes to catch up at which point the guys in the mustang were all smiles and thumbs up before falling in behind my dad and Pete and pacing them for a little bit.

I have 7 pictures of it that were taken as they passed through Asheville and I think some just before they delivered it in Chapel Hill.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone knows anything about the car and where it's ended up.

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Who says GT40s aren't "winter drivers"?!?!?

 

The interior makes it look as though it might be a road car, rather than a racer. Given that the photos date from 67 or 68 the car is likely to be wearing its original livery. I don't have Ronnie Spain's book on hand, but I seem to recall in the individual chassis history section it says whether a car was destined to be a road car or a racer and what colour it was painted. Should be able to narrow the choices down a bit from there.

 

[Tray]

cool. Originally dad said they "practically drove it off it off the track and headed south" and had to run the driving/parking lights because the head lights were so bright they would melt paint on the cars in front of them. Then when I was asking him last night about it, he mentioned the dealer's name.

I also read a post on this forum recently about the few non-MK3 road cars came with wire wheels, which this car also has.

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

All of the "road coupes" came with wires. Note the steering wheel has no slots in the spokes, I have not seen that before but then have not seen all of the road coupes.

The interior rim is definitely "road coupe" specification.

 

[Jac Mac]

GT40 P/1070 according to my 'old' Ronnie Spain book ( the book not Ronnie.. Fits with the Classic Cars Ltd, Chapel Hill and Watts Hill Jnr as the then owner.
Dick Leppla was owner at time of print.

 

[Tray]

GT40 P/1070 according to my 'old' Ronnie Spain book ( the book not Ronnie.. Fits with the Classic Cars Ltd, Chapel Hill and Watts Hill Jnr as the then owner.
Dick Leppla was owner at time of print.

AWESOME!!! I have looked up the book and probably will buy myself a copy in the near future.

 

[Tray]

So I found this site:

https://autooftheday.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/gt40s-chassis-by-chassis/

And it has this information about #1070

#1070 – Mark 1 289 Cui Road Spec.



17/3/1967 – Roger West USA

1967 – Paul Higgenbottom

1968 – Charles Schmitt

1969 – Watts Hill Jnr.

1969 – Dick Leppla

1969 – Dick Baer

Destroyed in a fire c1970

1970’s – Bob Gressard (Wreck)

2000’s – restored by Gelscoe

2012 – ?? – UK

 

[Jac Mac]

Ha, Ha, your a quick learner...I was just about to post that info!

 

[Tray]

once you gave me a number, I found that pretty quickly. also found this article about Goodwood that mentions #1070

All 6 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupes Together at Goodwood

A walk around the many paddocks always reveals a plethora of stories - about individuals, experiences, racing heritage and vehicle history. Talking to Darren Ramsay, who was working on a GT40 entered into the Witsun Trophy by Richard Meins, a fascinating story transpired. “It’s a 1967 Ford GT40, running to a 1965 specification, chassis no. #1070. It was originally a road car, sold to the States new. Raced in a couple of club events, it actually crashed and caught fire in 1970, I believe. It spent ten years in litigation and court cases and was bought by the current owner as a burnt-out wreck and restored to how it is now.”

As part of the restoration, attention to detail has been paramount, right down to the car’s colour and livery. Darren continues: “I managed to contact the second owner’s brother through Facebook and he sent us those photos [displayed in the windshield]… That’s when the first owner had it, and we’ve copied the livery, the rings around the roundels, the decals on the rear bodywork, that sort of thing.”

I'm curious to see dad's reaction when I tell him I've gotten info on the car

 

[Jimmy P]

Regardless of history, this is a great read. Let us know what Dad says.

 

[Chris Martino]

Who says GT40s aren't "winter drivers"?!?!?

All kidding aside, was there a heater option for the road cars?

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

All kidding aside, was there a heater option for the road cars?

Yes,

The road coupes came with a heater/demister setup and air con was optional.

 

[Jac Mac]

Heater Drawings

 

[Tray]

so, told my dad tonight, he was pretty happy to hear about the car and what all has happened to it since he drove it. one interesting thing is that it's listed as 1969 being in Hill's name and Dad drove the car in early '68 because on Jan 1, 1969, he was inducted into the Army.

He also told another story about his trip - the car didn't have enough antifreeze, mainly water, so the radiator was freezing up on them as the drove thru Missouri. They had to stop a few times and talk station owners into letting them sit in the shop with engine running to thaw it out, even going as far to put blankets over it to hold in heat. They did get coolant at the first station and it helped a little. They also ended up just using one fuel tank because my Dad can only assume they were running into a problem with too much condensation in the tank and nearly stalling out the car.

 

[Tray]

and just found this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalslrphotos/23413444282

 

[Cliff Beer]

Great winter driver. Looks like it was last used to go bowling by the looks of the bag in the passenger seat.

 

[Andrew Komosa]

I believe GT40P/1070 lives not but a couple of miles from me, what a coincidence! If I am not mistaken, it finished second to GT40P/1012 "TES1E" at this year's Le Mans Classic. The racing team who look after it are-
Racing - Wren Classics

 

[Tray]

Andrew, that's awesome! I would love to one day make the trip across the pond and try to see the car at a show, I believe it's been to Goodwood the past 3 years.

Also, in the past week I made contact with the immediately previous owner (I believe) of #1070. He did mention to me that in 1970 wreck and fire of the car, it was pretty much destroyed and eventually a title rebuild with a new tub... and he still finds boxes from the car around his place every now and then!

Anyway, I believe this is what #1070 currently looks like:

a gurney bubble has been added!!!

 

[Andrew Komosa]

Tray, if you ever do get over to the UK, then you're more than welcome to stay with Debbie and I for a weekend. Perhaps by then, I'll also know where my GT40 is.. finally in my garage and not NZ!