Original/Tenant Project Wanted Please

Hi Andrew, looks like you've got a nice piece (or two) of history there! So you have what looks to be an original front and rear clip with some solid provenance. Even a serious crash is not that bad in these days of extreme originality. Do you have other components/pieces or just the front and rear clamshells?

Thanks for the pics!
 
Hi Cliff, I've got the single nostril panel from P/1020 and am working on a pair of original doors, but I've forgotten which GT40 they are from. I've also got the ZF-0 box from P/1005, flywheel from P/1002, a 1965 289 being built to full original GT40 spec by Mathwall Engineering, BRM magnesium wheels, most of the other bits & pieces, including the ultra rare white faceted radiator fan warning light and the remains of an original chassis... again the history of the latter is uncertain at present. Infact, there's not much more I require now, as bag tanks are on their way, I've got original, tired" door handles, refurbished SW pumps, FAV inlet manifold supporting Italian 48 IDA Webbers etc, etc, etc... However, I'm always open to offers of original parts (not remanufactured ones), so anyone with old bits & pieces can be assured of a sale if they contact me at [email protected] I know everyone on this great forum will understand my current state of excitement, even though it's going to take another 12 months to complete the car.. Andrew
 
Here's what the GT40 Enthusiasts Club historian has to say about the paint archaeology-

"Hi Andrew
As you know I rely on books for GT40 information. What lee has found follows
the Ronnie Spain GT40 book.

GT40P1001:- two contruction sheets
First
1) a) 30-3-65 Guardsman Blue and White stripes race car mock up of GT103
Shelby Team lookalike (Daytona winner? GT103)

Second 12-6-66 rebuilt as full race car
2) b) 1966 Essex Wire Team colours Cirrus White (as for GT40/P1038 Essex
Wire) with 4" Red stripe with 1" Black borders, 2.5" Red sill lines with
1/2" black borders - roundels.
c) August 1966 sold to Bernard White of Hull England resprayed in White with
a broad Green stripe. Raced in South Africa for Springbok series
February 1967 sold to Sid Taylor raced in England by Denis Hulme and Frank
Gardener
d) June 1967 sold to Charles Lucas who sprayed it dark Blue with a broad Red
stripe edged in White
October 1967 sold to John Woolfe
e) Early 1968 sold to Andy Cox who raced it though out 1968 repraying it
Yellow and later adding two thin Red stripes.
January 1969 sold to Ian Williams race occasionally
1970 sold to Terry Smith modified for use as a road car registered VKO 9J
Sold to PSN (Cirencester) Ltd
Sold to Steve Stevenson
Sold to Tony Mitchell PSN (Cirencester) Ltd
1973 Sold to John Lees of Sheffield England and Belfast Northern Ireland
As you can tell from all the resprays a) - f) there is no mention of Green
stripes. I am no expert but could the Green stripes be an under the broad
Green single stripe of c) after Bernard White changed his mind about stripes
and settle for one broad Green stripe instead?

Regards

Allan"
 
Latest update from Lee Dawson who's restoring the bodyshell-
"hello Andrew.

that ties the rear clips history up nicely. or does it??
I've found today though, that the rear grill may have been added at the time the car was last painted (blue). in the piece you've sent from Ronnie Spains book, the picture shows the rear clip with the original small vent. circa '68 Andy Cox.
though it also says that it had rear brake ducts?? when in essex wire colours. do they mean the periscope scoops??
also, as well as the new wheel arches, the rear panel, which the exhaust exits through and the two other holes/vents has also been replaced.
this was done at an early stage as it has been through all the painting processes. incident or accident or fire maybe?? it is noticeable as it is in white gel coat.
the rest of the rear clip appears not to have gel coat as a finish surface but raw fibreglass. to keep weight down maybe??

thats all for now

regards Lee"
 

Keith

Moderator
Hey Andrew! Great find and history of your bits. How do you intend to represent the car when finished?
 

Jim Rosenthal

Supporter
Very cool, and nice that all these old pieces will find a home together in a running car. What will this car be called- does your original tub have an identity or a traceable origin?
 
Hi Keith and Jim. My chassis builder is working on the tub and I hope all can be revealed one day. In the meantime more original parts continue to come in, including an original mid 60s Fispa feul regulator (complete with lead seal), original fuel slector valve (almost impossible to get hold of), Marchal head and driving lights, early 60s Britax race harnesses, mirror with correct GT40 bracket and I've even been lucky enough to find the whereabouts of one of those momentary flasher switches which I'm led to believe was a Lucas part made only for the GT40 race cars and isn't even in the original Lucas catalogues. My wife almost threw away one of those colored warning lights the other day, saying it looked "old junk"!!!!!!!.... Andrew
 
Hello JC, I've a set of Irving Airchute belts, but they are only lap belts. Does this explain why period photographs sometimes don't show the shoulder belt part of the harnesses? I'm also told no two original GT40s were ever the same and as they were raced by pro teams, then by ametures, modified to make every second count, surely there's few definitive GT40s nowadays???My GT40 will be made up of as many original, period, parts as humanly possible. Even the switches are from 1965/6. The wear items, such as brake pipes, bushes and some other parts will be remanufactured to the same standards and probably purchased from suppliers such as your good self, JC. However, the car won't be a copy of P/1001, but I do hold the title & VIN tag to an original GT40 P/10**. I can't reveal which one at present as it'll cause a host of agro. Suffice to say it's history has probably followed the same story line as we all know and love, but as the P/10** you all know is alleged to have few original parts nowadays, mine might just be more original in the end. To tease you all and get the history books rustling, my GT40 will be yellow, because both P/1001 and P/10** have been yellow in their careers. My car will, hence, be represented, farely and honestly I hope, as "t'other P/10** rebodied using P/1001.. if this makes any sense at all???...Andrew
 
Alan, P1077 was not all it seemed either ! When it arrived back in the UK a very paranoid Lynx Engineering had the bodywork stripped for repainting, and guess what - the "original" yellow paintwork covered several layers of different colours, the history of which was very quickly, and forcibly, hushed up ! FRANK
 
Here, for your delictation, the latest update from Lee. From his findings, I think we can conclude the rear clip is from 1966 as it began life in Essex Wire colours and the front clip from 1968, renewed following that year's accident (see photos above).
"hello Andrew
just a short up date. the rear clip is coming along nicely all be it slowly.
I will leave the rear grill as is then.
I can see from the photos you've sent the change in the shape of the rear
wheel arches.
I'm concentrating on the rear clip but I've had a quick look at the front
clip as to the crash damage you've mentioned.
having taken the paint back to the fibreglass I see no evidence of this.
I imagine that the clip was replaced at this time as the paint layers are
(from the panel) yellow, yellow, blue and blue.
that's it for now
regards Lee"

Sorry Allan.. not even warm.. please have another guess...Andrew
 

Keith

Moderator
Here, for your delictation, the latest update from Lee. From his findings, I think we can conclude the rear clip is from 1966 as it began life in Essex Wire colours and the front clip from 1968, renewed following that year's accident (see photos above).
"hello Andrew
just a short up date. the rear clip is coming along nicely all be it slowly.
I will leave the rear grill as is then.
I can see from the photos you've sent the change in the shape of the rear
wheel arches.
I'm concentrating on the rear clip but I've had a quick look at the front
clip as to the crash damage you've mentioned.
having taken the paint back to the fibreglass I see no evidence of this.
I imagine that the clip was replaced at this time as the paint layers are
(from the panel) yellow, yellow, blue and blue.
that's it for now
regards Lee"

Sorry Allan.. not even warm.. please have another guess...Andrew


Alan just said he hoped it wasn't. He's a very knowledgeable Gt40 enthusiast without an agenda Andrew.. so, who cares?
 

Keith

Moderator
Sorry everyone, my last comment was totally uncalled for.

Looking for transparency - we've had our fill of conspiracy, speculation, rumours, innuendo, auto suggestion, tension etc, and that's just in politics. As for the cars......

:)
 
I certainly didn't mean to upset anyone. It's just this forum usually enjoys a good, harmless, mystery and I thought you'd like to have a guess at the P/10** number, following the revelation of both car's history. All am saying is both P/1001 and P/10** were yellow at some point in their history. There's nothing underhand about this and if you'd rather not take part in an innocent treasure hunt, then keep quiet and don't have a go at me please, otherwise look at the evidence presented and have a guess e.g. I believe P/1077 has a Gurney-Weslake engine and neither P/1001, nor P/10** ever did. Also, both cars were Mk1s.. so yellow Mk1s.. "hhmmmmm"???... best wishes. and no agro please.. Andrew. P.S. I'll post more recent & period photographs as soon as possible.
 
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