Does anyone know whether original GT40 steering wheels differed between road and race cars? I ask, because to my knowledge, original wheels were dished and had round holes in the spokes. My wheel, off GT40P/1026 is thus. The only reason I enquire is to clarify whether road GT40s had tear dropped holes, as I do not believe they had and that all original cars had dished, not flat wheels. I understand from talking to Andy at GT40 Gold Parts - Welcome To GT40 Gold Parts that even the Motolita ones are not quite correct. Does anyone have a diffinitive answer with irrefutable evidence, as I always strive to prove beyond reasonable doubt that all the parts on my car "P/1042" are 100% period original? Thanks in advance... Andrew
Original GT40 Steering Wheels
- Thread starter jazzyspies
- Start date
Hi Andrew. According to the period photos in "GT40 Archive" by Winer and Wyss, page 33 shows a road car with flat wheel and tear drop holes, page 40 has Noel Edmonds road car with a flat wheel with no holes at all, page 55 shows the GT X-1 with a flat wheel with teardrop holes, page 98, a MKIV with a similar wheel to the Edmonds car, and a MKIII with the Edmonds wheel on p101. In "The Ford That Beat Ferrari", all pictures of the early cars show flat wheels with tear drop holes. I'll continue looking....
Having leafed through most of my books the only photos of wheels I have found all show flat wheels. Most road cars and some MKIIIs seem to have no holes and race cars seem to have tear drop holes, although there appear to be at least three or four different styles. On some the holes go almost to the rim, on others only a little over half way out. Some have the rim leather confined to the rim alone, on ones with shorter holes the leather goes part way down the spoke and on some it actually encroaches on the hole. There is another one with tear drop holes but with the edges of the holes and edges of the spokes rounded rather than moderately sharp. I have not found a photo of a dished wheel at all and the only wheel with round holes (four per spoke) is on a cutaway drawing of one of the very early prototypes, but photos of 101 show it with a flat wheel with long tear drops. Not much help sorry Andrew.
Charlie Farley
Supporter
Ford that beat Ferrari page 30
Dished steeringwheel with straight slots in spokes.
Although the leather spats to the spokes are not on that example.
Page 34, another example of a dished wheel, with straight slots.
Page 37 ditto, but with spats, ditto page 44.
Notice, they all had very thin rims.
Perhaps they shopped at more places than just Halfords.
Dished steeringwheel with straight slots in spokes.
Although the leather spats to the spokes are not on that example.
Page 34, another example of a dished wheel, with straight slots.
Page 37 ditto, but with spats, ditto page 44.
Notice, they all had very thin rims.
Perhaps they shopped at more places than just Halfords.
Here's a recent picture of 1030's steering wheel. It has tear drop slots.
#RacedInAnger - This GT40 was well worn, but still beautiful....
#RacedInAnger - This GT40 was well worn, but still beautiful....
I believe that the production cars (as opposed to the prototypes) all had flat wheels as supplied at the factory, obviously these were changed to suit individual requirements, Ickx being the obvious example. The genuine wheel that I have is flat without holes.
Regards,
Graham.
Regards,
Graham.
Fair comments Andrew. I guess I was looking for a bit more dish than those ones.
Andrew on page 176 of Ronnie Spains book there is a MKI P/1021 with ribs rather than holes in the steering wheel this is a racecar Two other examples are the prototype road car P/1013 and the M3/1102 both with no holes or ribs.
Regards Allan
Regards Allan
Charlie Farley
Supporter
At least none of them have holes in the ribs....
It is a later addition, no GTs came with Alcantara wheels.
Ian Anderson
Lifetime Supporter
That means there is another original steering wheel out there ----- around which another original will be built :laugh: :laugh:
So now of the original 103 built now only 372.6 originals exist ?
Ian
With the race cars and the changes they all had there can be many original pieces depending on the year. So to me it's very confusing. I am glad in a way I know mine is not ( real) so I can change small things without affecting the feel of aGT40 if that makes sense.
