Steve’s Active Power GEN II Coyote GT40

[Steve Borneman]

Hi Everyone,

Let me start at the beginning.

This all got started when I decided to build a car.

I’ve restored a bunch of cars over my life and I didn’t want to get into a rustbucket, I wanted start another project from scratch. So I started researching the internet and I found “kit cars”.

I started looking at Kelmark Ferraris and I started to like the Fiberfabs, but they didn’t look right. I have loved GT 40s since I was a kid but I knew the prices and I knew that I would never own one. But researching kit cars I stumbled upon the GT40 replicas but again, I thought I could never afford to build one.

I was searching eBay and craigslist and low and behold, I found a used Active Power Cars GT 40 chassis. It was a bare chassis with just the gas tanks, it was great price was only about 220 miles away so I bought it!

This chassis was designed for a Ford Coyote engine and a C-5 Corvette suspension. Not too far from the chassis I found a used C-5 Corvette suspension.

So I rented a truck headed down south and I picked up the chassis and the C5 suspension.

This is my FIRST complete car build so I’m a beginner. Please be patient with me.

Here are the pictures from that day.

 

[George]

Very nice, all you need to do is dress her up and you are halfway done. Great job.

 

[Steve Borneman]

The first job was to clean up the suspension, paint the calipers and add new disks.

 

[Steve Borneman]

Next was adding the steering rack and the front sway bar.

The sway bar was trial and error. I thought I could mount it horizontally but it needed to be mounted vertically because it wouldn’t have worked properly (what this means is the hump on the bar couldn’t be mounted to the firewall, it had to be mounted to the flat part where the rack is mounted. You’ll see the original holes where it was mounted).

Below is the final installation with the steering rack. Unfortunately the steering rack that I bought was wrong and after I got the entire suspension mounted (rack, sway bar, steering links and brake master cylinders) I had to rip it all apart and do it all over.

You can see that it’s really tight in there. Was a pain in the ass.

But that’s what I signed up for!

 

[Steve Borneman]

Next was making a bracket for the fluid reservoir’s and installing the master cylinders and clutch master cylinder.

I bought all new Wilwood master cylinders and pedals, the chassis was designed for these so they’re pretty much plug-and-play.

 

[Steve Borneman]

Next was to move onto the cooling system. I did a lot of research and a lot of measuring and I found a radiator from OPL that was the right size had the right connections and I bought it.

After installing the radiator I thought that it might make sense to add a bottom plate to the cooling area.

The chassis wasn’t designed for this plate, but I believe it made the whole front section stronger.

 

[Steve Borneman]

The next part of the cooling system was to buy some aluminum tubes and rubber elbows to complete the front cooling section. I also added some radiator fans. I made the bracket for the fans from aluminum angle stock.

 

[Steve Borneman]

With the front end complete minus the shocks (I had to save my money for those), I moved on to the shift mechanism.

Researching on this site, I bought a Toyota shifter and made the mount to raise it off of the deck with a piece of extruded square aluminum.

It’s not fancy, but I made it myself!

 

[Steve Borneman]

The shocks came and I installed them this morning. I’m going to take it off of the jack stands as soon as I get the motor on an engine stand because it’s in the way.

But I have a rolling chassis!

9 months and I’m actually further along than I thought I’d be at this point!

 

[Walter Williams]

GOOD PROGRESS... NICE TO SEE IT COME TOGETHER

 

[Steve Borneman]

GOOD PROGRESS... NICE TO SEE IT COME TOGETHER

Thanks!!!

 

[Steve Borneman]

This is real now!!!

 

[Steve Borneman]

Got her off the jack stands for the first time ever. I now have a working rolling chassis.

 

[George]

Steve, I like what you did adding the front bottom plate giving it better support and strength. How did you attach it to the existing two supports. Thanks

 

[Steve Borneman]

Steve, I like what you did adding the front bottom plate giving it better support and strength. How did you attach it to the existing two supports. Thanks

Thanks George. The original side plates had about a half inch bend at the bottom. I just got a piece of stock aluminum and riveted it.

You can see the bend in the picture below.

 

[Steve Borneman]

I thought it was real when I got my engine and I put the chassis on the ground for the first time.

But I was mistaken...

Nothing makes it real until to add your first body section!!!

 

[DJ]

Hey Steve,check your pm,s. Im also building an Active Power from bare chassis. thanks Don

 

[George]

Hi guys, I’m also working on an Active Power. It was delivered on the 5th and just finished installing all new bushings and ball joints. The New brakes and rotors should be arriving this week and installed on the weekend. Steve you are doing a great job and thanks for your pictures. I use them as a guide for my build.

 

[Steve Borneman]

Hi guys, I’m also working on an Active Power. It was delivered on the 5th and just finished installing all new bushings and ball joints. The New brakes and rotors should be arriving this week and installed on the weekend. Steve you are doing a great job and thanks for your pictures. I use them as a guide for my build.

Haha, thanks George, but this is my first build from scratch. Not sure anyone should use my pictures as a guide!

 

[Mark Stackler]

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