Q's about getting a GT40 kit. Appreciate any help

Q\'s about getting a GT40 kit. Appreciate any help

Well, I am only 18, but have done a lot of online searching. I would like to know everybody's opinion. I do not own a GT40, but will someday. Probably much later than I would like, but someday. I will probably have to wait until after college, and when I have enough money and free time. Well, enough of me and my story... here are my questions.

I am planning on getting either a put the whole frigging thing together yourself kit, or one where most or all the welding is done for you. Preferable the second.

What kind of prices for a kit are out there? I have only seen the ones on the interent, are there better deals off-line. I live in the US, and want a LHD.

How much time, realistically, would it be taking me?

Who are the best companies to buy from?

Anything I should expect or watch out for when getting really serious about doing it?

One more dumb question... differences on hoods. I prefer the dual vents, not the large single... what is the difference? Is it MKI vs. MKII?

 

[Ian K]

Re: Q\'s about getting a GT40 kit. Appreciate any help

Steven,

I don't own one yet, but like you, I'm
researching as much as possible.

There are quite a few options available
now as opposed to 1997 when I first started
looking.

There are kits ranging from just frame and
body panels, to everything needed minus
engine/tranny, with some assembly done for
you, to cars you just stick the drivetrain
in and go.

Prices vary, but here are some:

Tornado - last I checked, $40K US for
everything including engine and tranny,
unaasembled. Andy Sheldon is very good,
but it's pretty much a one man show.
You could just get the body/chassis for
$8K at one time. May not be readily
available to US.

GTD - same kit offereings as Tornado,
priced slightly higher though. Again,
due to licensing agreements with CAV,
this may not be possible in the US.

Roaring Forties - complete kit minus
drivetrain is $42K US not including shipping.
Frame is ready to go, just needs aluminum
sheeting applied. Also has body/chassis kits
at $16K US IIRC.

Cape Advanced Vehicles - $55K - $60K,
completely assembled/painted, minus engine.

ERA - almost complete kit, body attached to
finished frame - $55K.

There's a few more, but we're waiting on
info. And, some of my info might be out
of date, wrt availability and pricing, bbut
not far off.

Ian

 

[Mike Dozier]

Re: Q\'s about getting a GT40 kit. Appreciate any help

Steven

Most of the manufacturers offer either
single or double opening hood panel.
So it's a personal choice.

None of the kits I know of require welding.
The majority of the time is in the paneling
(glue and rivet), the electrical (unless
you get a pre-wired kit), the panel fitting,
and of course the bodywork and paint.

Some kits come with the panels welded instead of riveted, which saves time,
and some come with the panels fitted and aligned, which costs more but saves time.

If you have more patience and time then money
(which most of us start out with) then do as much as you can yourself. As we old folk
get older, time is more precious, so we
tend to trade more money for a more completed
kit.

As Ian mentioned, most manufacturers will sell you their products in stages, so you don't have to save the entire amount to gain entry. The risk of course is that if you are on a 10-year program, they may not be around
that long if you run into a problem!

But like this Forum, there are a lot of folks now to help budding builders overcome most problems. Good Luck!

MikeDD

 

[Guest]

Re: Q\'s about getting a GT40 kit. Appreciate any help

Steven

You might want to set your sites a little lower. Try and build a cheaper less complicated car,like a cobra, for your first attempt. This will accomplish several things

1 a cheaper kit will get you on the road quicker
2 It will test your skill level
3 You will develop skills so that when you build your dream car it will come out better
4 It will test whether you can complete a car
5 With your new found skill you can make more educated decisions on an expensive complicated car
6 You can build a FFR cobra for under 20 grand sell it and have a nice deposit on a GT40

This was my approach I took. I just spent too much on the FFR and lost on the sale.
I'm 1 and half years into the wait list for an ERA gt40. Building the FFR was a great experience

Best of luck

LLoyd

 

[Brian]

Re: Q\'s about getting a GT40 kit. Appreciate any help

Steven, My advice is to:
1)Join the clubs, get to know as many people that you can regarding the construction and owning of a GT-40 replica. The magazines are entertaining reading and you will pick up some engineering understanding along the way. I am writing a series of construction articles(amongst other topics)for the GTD club in the UK. Get the mag and see what goes into putting one together from the most basic pieces available.
2) Work on you car(s) gain an understanding of braking, suspension, electrical, fuel systems, engines and transmissions. Granted some of the technology will be different, but you have to be mechanical to start spinning wrenches on a ground up build.
3) Don't underestimate the effort. Builidng a basic kit with no prefab, my son and I plan on 4 years, maybe a thousand hours of labor.
4) Don't give up, I have been chashing this car for years, your persistence will pay off in the long run.
Good Luck!
Brian

 

[Guest]

Re: Q\'s about getting a GT40 kit. Appreciate any help

Brian,

You have some most excellent advice here. I received my first information package from a kit car company in 1969 and started a build in 1999. So, it will happen when the time is right. Since you have found this forum, you will be able to bounce decisions off of some very knowledgeable people before you act; I highly recommend that you do this. Everyone won't agree on everything, but you will get several points of view which, ultimately, gets you the closest to reality (I have no clue who's reality ;-)

Now I am going to give you the street level viewpoint. If you are an expert mechanic, well, judge for yourself; if not, make sure you have good documentation and that the company is accessible. Do they answer their phones and do they answer questions AFTER THE SALE? Talk to several previous customers. Don't under estimate the amount of fabrication you are going to need to do-- you will need to spend a bunch on tools, so plan on it. Can you transfer a set of holes to another piece of metal and have them line up perfectly?? If not, get a transfer punch set and practice. Do you have and know how to use a rivet gun? Better get one of these. Ever do fiberglass/composite work? It's time to learn. Even with a less complex car there are a host of skills you will need to develop.

I am going on and on here, because it is easy to see the big things that need to be done, like installing the engine and attaching the transaxle, and say "I can do that; It'll be easy." But the big things take a very small amount of time. It is the detail work of deciding how to do something, making things fit, line up, be evenly spaced and put together in the right order that take up the majority of the time and effort. And while the forum is great, having friends and neighbors who are willing to lend a hand in the shop is invaluable. Also, develop a relationship with a machine shop near you. These guys are almost always good guys when you get to know them. They will do a lot for you for and give good advise if you can talk to them man to man on a first name basis. Take a genuine interest in how they do things, heck, even see if you can help out some to learn. (Some can't let you help because of insurance, but they will appreciate the willingness.) Otherwise, if they aren't willing to do this or you don't take the time to get to know them, it will cost you more, take longer and they will become much less ingenious.

Building a car can be VERY rewarding, but plan on the supplier being late with your parts, it taking 1.5-2 times longer and costing a lot more than you plan on and it will be even more rewarding with far less frustration.

 

Re: Q\'s about getting a GT40 kit. Appreciate any help

You guys are great. I wont have the money for a long time, or the time for that matter, but its nice to know now. I might actually start with a Cobra, because my dad actually wants to build one, and he said he would be more than happy to help me build the gt40 when I get there. But, it is nice to know you guys are out there. It would be nice to know somebody in Western Washington who has built, or is building a GT40. I would love to be a fly on the wall, or have them availible to call.