Seattle Active Power GT40 - A Father/Son build

[Peter U]

Finally starting a build thread on this forum...we've been working with Chris (Active Power Cars) for the last few months, and it's shipping this weekend!! Chris has been great to work with, can't wait to see all of his hard work in person.

Purpose: Building a GT40 was my dad's dream...I was able to convince him to let me join!! (helps that we're splitting the cost, and I'm free labor). This car will be registered for the street (and driven!), but the main focus will be track days, AutoX, and then drag racing & hopefully a standing mile or something faster.

Details of the Build

1964 Ford GT40, Mark I, 7.0L v8 (427ci)

Kit: Active Power Cars (www.activepowercars.com/)

Engine: 427 ci V8, LS3 @ 625HP by Blue Print Engines (https://blueprintengines.com/)

Transaxle: Mendeola S5R 5sp sequential (http://www.mendeolatransaxles.com/)


*give me your thoughts/feedback/questions; One of the coolest parts of the online car community is all the ideas and help! (On a previous Lotus 7 kit car I was building, I had posted some pictures of changing the timing belt on the miata 1.8L donor...someone online actually spotted that I was 1 tooth off on the Exhaust CAM. We're a unique bread...glad there's places online w/ ppl like me!)


More details can be found here:
Build blog: http://umimech.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Umi-Mech-278280096156381/

 

[Ian Anderson]

Welcome Peter.
My opinion ditch the LS and fit a Ford.
Eventually when you sell soon or much further down the line a non ford will knock huge value from your car.

Ian

 

[John]

Make sure you have a full roll cage - can't tell from the picture! Good luck with your project.

John

 

[Steve Borneman]

Welcome Peter and son. I’m building an Active car also. I agree with the Ford motor but I understand reliability and efi of the LS. I did the best of both worlds. And while fellow purists will cringe at the thought, I’m putting a Ford 302 Coyote motor in my car.

 

[Joel K]

Congrats on your project, subscribed.

 

[Peter U]

Welcome Peter.
My opinion ditch the LS and fit a Ford.
Eventually when you sell soon or much further down the line a non ford will knock huge value from your car.

Ian

Ian - understood...we deliberated long and hard on the engine...
1) We have no plans to sell any time soon, so we were less worried about the resale impact.
2) It's a replica, w/ a corvette suspension to boot...so the LS3 kinda fits!
3) The LS3 power/weight/size/reliability/cost is so competitive, most similar powered Ford engines were 2X the cost. While we're not aiming to build the cheapest GT40, we're by no means a top $$ build...this is focused on track day performance.
4) I've never been a purist...heck, my last build was Porsche 996 4S that I swapped a LS3 into (Renegade Hybrids kit)

to each your own...I'm looking forward to seeing how many people actually realize it's a Chevy when they see/hear it in person!

 

[Peter U]

Make sure you have a full roll cage - can't tell from the picture! Good luck with your project.

John

Chris @ Active has been great to work with on the cage....here's some details:
1) Front & Rear Roll Hoops
2) Rear Roll Hoop has diagonal bars going aft to the structure
3) The Front & Rear Hoop are connected by 2 central bars, that are tucked underneath the roof (inboard of the doors, so that it's hard to see when the doors are open)
4) There are bolt in bars that connect the outboard top sections of the Front & Rear Hoops...street/AutoX, these will be left off to aid in easier access. Track days or faster will bolt in.
5) Door Bars: These are integrated with the existing fuel tank structure, and protrude into the door...we're giving up the door storage space, but this provides good side impact protection.
6) We've opted to get ATL's fuel bladders for both fuel tanks.

 

[Peter U]

Welcome Peter and son. I’m building an Active car also. I agree with the Ford motor but I understand reliability and efi of the LS. I did the best of both worlds. And while fellow purists will cringe at the thought, I’m putting a Ford 302 Coyote motor in my car.

I was looking through your build earlier, love seeing more Active GT40s on the forum! If we had gone with a Ford, It would've been a SC Coyote crate motor. Look forward to seeing your progress!

 

[Mark Stackler]

Following. I saw your frame at Chris’s shop. My car goes on the jig next

Mark

 

[Peter U]

Following. I saw your frame at Chris’s shop. My car goes on the jig next

Mark

Nice, looking forward to seeing your build details!

 

[Peter U]

Boxes continue to arrive…and my bank accounts continues to wither away. Latest Item is the Painless “Track Rocker” 8 Relay/Fuse kit. The Engine has it’s own wire harness that includes the ECU, sensors, and fuse box (fuel relay, Radiator Fan relay/switch,…). So this Painless harness is for everything else: Headlights, turn signals, windshield wipers, HVAC, …

Best part is the GT40 on the instructions!!

*My GT40 is in transit as I type…delivery is due in the next 24 hrs.

 

[George]

Hi guys yesterday I spoke to Chris and your car is on the way, congratulations and let the fun begin. I took delivery in October and work on it every opportunity I get. Yesterday the electrical was completed, attempted to start it but I found an issue with the starter not engaging the flywheel. Monday I will call Kennedy Engineering for a possible solution. You will find that Chris is always available and a great source of information. Enjoy your build time together and most important, have fun.

 

[John]

Roll cage looks good - you should have plenty of protection!
John

 

[Peter U]

Big step forward...Took delivery Friday night!! My family was down in AZ on vacation w/ my in-laws, so I spent 99% of my waking hours in the garage; was tempted to sleep in it! A few notes:

-Car showed up in good condition (maybe I’m paranoid, but I was worried it’d get damaged during transport)

-Removed the Front & Rear Clamshells to store up high & out of the way.

-unpacked all of the boxes/parts & cataloged them…it’s such a small interior, Chris (Active Power) has a few more boxes that he needs to ship this week.

-This thing is low...I reached new heights w/ a car on the lift. Makes stacking cars really easy...great for these cold months in Seattle!

-Fitted the Gauges to the dash…we chose larger gauges from speedhut in a “GT40” style. Everything fit, except the Tac was slightly too large; had to cut & Re-FG the central gauge pod…next up is Bondo. I love these gauges, they have the classic look, but majority are driven via OBD II, so the wiring is easy!

-Removed the fuel tanks, installed the ATL Fuel cells, notched the 4 fuel tank covers to accept the ATL fuel bulkheads (where the Fuel Filler flange, fuel level, and fuel lines will all mount). This looks simple…but took almost a full day; I wanted it to be flush and a really tight fit to help protect the Fuel cell material, especially the ones mounted in the engine bay.

 

[Peter U]

few more pics...

-cutting the fuel tank surrounds. Not sure why pictures aren't rotating correctly??

-Final install...

 

[Neal]

Great to see another 40 in the area. Plenty of local resources along with a few originals. Keep us posted on your progress...

 

[Peter U]

Great to see another 40 in the area. Plenty of local resources along with a few originals. Keep us posted on your progress...

Where are you located & do you still have yours? I've only seen 1 in the greater Seattle are, and that was years ago...would love to check out a few others to pick up on build ideas.

 

[Neal]

Sold mine, now resides in the mid-west. There are a few in the local area real and replicas. SPF, RCR MK4, scratch built Mk1. P/1053 and a new Ford GT We should get together when RTC starts up. Happy to connect you to local resources

 

[Chris Kouba]

At least 2 RCR's and one SPF in the Portland area too.

 

[Neil]

I applaud your decision to run true bladder- type fuel cells!