Superformance GT40 questions... need help :)
Thank you ^_^
You made me do a double take there, even though I know for certain it is on the correct side.
I'm the kind of person who, if gets asked whether you've got your keys or wallet, will double check the purse even if it was 30 seconds ago I put all the stuff in there.
(Dealer's photo)
You made me do a double take there, even though I know for certain it is on the correct side.
I'm the kind of person who, if gets asked whether you've got your keys or wallet, will double check the purse even if it was 30 seconds ago I put all the stuff in there.
(Dealer's photo)
Congrats!
You will enjoy the car greatly.
You could ask Olthoff to install our weathersealing and A/C upgrade seal kits while he has it on hand.
You will enjoy the car greatly.
You could ask Olthoff to install our weathersealing and A/C upgrade seal kits while he has it on hand.
Thank you ^_^
You made me do a double take there, even though I know for certain it is on the correct side.
You got the wrong "right".....sort of.
Original GT40's raced primarily in Europe, where most of the automobiles have the steering wheel on the right (as opposed to left) side of the vehicle....better to drive on the left side of the road, which is the standard in Europe.
Since the original GT40's were equipped with the steering wheel on the right side of the car, the "purists" among us feel that is the "right", as in correct, place for the steering wheel.
No worries, though....this happens all the time, and particularly when one of the participants in the discussions is unaware of the historical issues.
Now, on with the drooling over your new ride :thumbsup: !!!!
Cheers from Doug!!
Congrats!
You will enjoy the car greatly.
You could ask Olthoff to install our weathersealing and A/C upgrade seal kits while he has it on hand.
You will enjoy the car greatly.
You could ask Olthoff to install our weathersealing and A/C upgrade seal kits while he has it on hand.
Pat Buckley
GT40s Supporter
That is misinformation: Actually most, if not all, countries in Europe have the steering wheel on the left as we do here in the USA......England and some of her ex-colonies have the steering wheel on the right side.
Thanks for correcting that!
Not really wanting to take the thread off topic, but I wonder if someone would explain why the original GT40 race cars seemed to be all right-hand drive. Could it have been requirements of the racing organizations? Just curious.
And, now back to our regularly scheduled program....I am actually quite anxious for you to get your GT Minami---I have been fantasizing about owning one for about 45 years now and am quite interested in knowing how capable they are as a 4-season car. My dream is to own the "holy trinity" of kit cars, a Cobra (already have one), a Daytona and a GT40. I doubt that dream will ever come true, but already owning a Cobra, if I get the chance to own one of the remaining two, it might just by necessity need to be capable of being driven during winter months, b/c the Cobra SURE isn't. Right now I am in the semi-tropical area of Houston, but a family home in SW Kansas beckons as a retirement option and it gets downright cold there compared to what we have seen in TX for the past few days.
I'll be asking for a report once you get the car. In the meantime, enjoy the next two weeks, it'll seem like 2 years, that's for sure!!
Cheers from Doug!!
Jack Houpe
GT40s Supporter
Minami, I have been out of pocket for some time (forum wise) but have owned my SPF for 3.5 years and put over 8,000 miles on it which includes a couple open road races in Texas and lots of Arkansas roads, being your a Texican I would hope you two could join us in the Big Bend Open Road Race this coming April. There are a couple other GT40 owners I am trying to make commit so we can have a team GT40. (can't miss out on that $25 discount)
(right hand driver) Also at the "Golden Grail" of race tracks, LeMans, the drivers exit/enter the cars on the pit wall side rather than out against the traffic during the race. I once worked in the shop at British Motor Car Dist. in Seattle. There was a technician employed there that had served his apprenticeship in London where he grew up. One day an Aston Martin DB6 rolled in. I made the comment "ah look the steering wheel, its on the WRONG side", being a right hand drive car. He took me for a walk of life and explained that it was on the "CORRECT" side. The history lesson began. He told me that in the mid-evil days when one got caught thieving they were punished by the removal of there right hand. Most all people of the time were right handed. Ate with there right hand, use the left hand to take care of personal duties due to the lack of toilet paper. So it was a double punishment losing the right hand. Also, all Castles stairways always spiraled counter-clockwise so the defending swordsmen had a free swing with his blade, and the attacker heading up the stairs was hindered by trying to swing his sword (right handed) up against the wall. Now lets roll up to the horse and wagon days. All wagon drivers sat on the RIGHT side. All western wagons have the brake handle on the right side. Stage coaches of the Western era also have a riffle mount on the right side to pull out fast in case of robbers or Indian attaches. (check out the John Wayne movies). When these wagons got motors around the turn of the century, they were mostly RIGHT hand drives. Henry Ford's cars were all right hand drivers until 1903. Around then the USA, driving on the current side of the roads thought something was goofy and advised manufactures to switch the steering to the left side. I like the right hand drivers due to the original heritage of the GT40. When I was searching for one that was a big consideration, because when I retire, I can always deliver papers.............................happy motoring!
:laughright hand driver) Also at the "Golden Grail" of race tracks, LeMans, the drivers exit/enter the cars on the pit wall side rather than out against the traffic during the race. I once worked in the shop at British Motor Car Dist. in Seattle. There was a technician employed there that had served his apprenticeship in London where he grew up. One day an Aston Martin DB6 rolled in. I made the comment "ah look the steering wheel, its on the WRONG side", being a right hand drive car. He took me for a walk of life and explained that it was on the "CORRECT" side. The history lesson began. He told me that in the mid-evil days when one got caught thieving they were punished by the removal of there right hand. Most all people of the time were right handed. Ate with there right hand, use the left hand to take care of personal duties due to the lack of toilet paper. So it was a double punishment losing the right hand. Also, all Castles stairways always spiraled counter-clockwise so the defending swordsmen had a free swing with his blade, and the attacker heading up the stairs was hindered by trying to swing his sword (right handed) up against the wall. Now lets roll up to the horse and wagon days. All wagon drivers sat on the RIGHT side. All western wagons have the brake handle on the right side. Stage coaches of the Western era also have a riffle mount on the right side to pull out fast in case of robbers or Indian attaches. (check out the John Wayne movies). When these wagons got motors around the turn of the century, they were mostly RIGHT hand drives. Henry Ford's cars were all right hand drivers until 1903. Around then the USA, driving on the current side of the roads thought something was goofy and advised manufactures to switch the steering to the left side. I like the right hand drivers due to the original heritage of the GT40. When I was searching for one that was a big consideration, because when I retire, I can always deliver papers.............................happy motoring!
right hand driver) Also at the "Golden Grail" of race tracks, LeMans, the drivers exit/enter the cars on the pit wall side rather than out against the traffic during the race. I once worked in the shop at British Motor Car Dist. in Seattle. There was a technician employed there that had served his apprenticeship in London where he grew up. One day an Aston Martin DB6 rolled in. I made the comment "ah look the steering wheel, its on the WRONG side", being a right hand drive car. He took me for a walk of life and explained that it was on the "CORRECT" side. The history lesson began. He told me that in the mid-evil days when one got caught thieving they were punished by the removal of there right hand. Most all people of the time were right handed. Ate with there right hand, use the left hand to take care of personal duties due to the lack of toilet paper. So it was a double punishment losing the right hand. Also, all Castles stairways always spiraled counter-clockwise so the defending swordsmen had a free swing with his blade, and the attacker heading up the stairs was hindered by trying to swing his sword (right handed) up against the wall. Now lets roll up to the horse and wagon days. All wagon drivers sat on the RIGHT side. All western wagons have the brake handle on the right side. Stage coaches of the Western era also have a riffle mount on the right side to pull out fast in case of robbers or Indian attaches. (check out the John Wayne movies). When these wagons got motors around the turn of the century, they were mostly RIGHT hand drives. Henry Ford's cars were all right hand drivers until 1903. Around then the USA, driving on the current side of the roads thought something was goofy and advised manufactures to switch the steering to the left side. I like the right hand drivers due to the original heritage of the GT40. When I was searching for one that was a big consideration, because when I retire, I can always deliver papers.............................happy motoring!Hi Jack,
We love to watch races, but we don't participate in them.
Our car is not built for racing, it doesn't have any of the necessary safety equipment like the roll cage.
We checked out the website and videos from the race though, and it looks like it's a lot of fun. It sure seems like the perfect chance to go very fast
We hope you'll have a lot of fun driving in the race, and wish you the best on getting a serious GT40 team together!
K. P. & L. L.
We love to watch races, but we don't participate in them.
Our car is not built for racing, it doesn't have any of the necessary safety equipment like the roll cage.
We checked out the website and videos from the race though, and it looks like it's a lot of fun. It sure seems like the perfect chance to go very fast
We hope you'll have a lot of fun driving in the race, and wish you the best on getting a serious GT40 team together!
K. P. & L. L.
Jack Houpe
GT40s Supporter
Well if you all ever drive to Eureka Springs or Branson drop me a PM and we will all hook up for a good drive.
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
The original monocoques were built in England, and most of the events to be contested by GT40s were in Europe, although they actually ran a lot of races in the USA, as it turned out. The cars are right hand shift, which is not all that uncommon; I've seen quite a few vintage British cars where the driver sits to the right, but the shift lever is also for the right hand.
Virtually all mid-engined race cars, even today, are right-hand drive, with right-hand shift in the sill (well, modern race cars often use paddle shifters). There are numerous reasons for this, many already mentioned:
1) European race tracks run clockwise, so RHD puts the driver on the inside of the majority of the turns, a good thing
2) The pits are on the right side of the track on European tracks, so RHD puts the driver closest to the pit wall, so driver changes don't involve running around to the far side of the car
3) Many/most European race cars originated in England, where RHD is the norm under any circumstances
But to me, the most important single aspect is simple packaging. Having the engine between the driver and the gearbox is a bloody nuisance. Putting the shifter in the sill allows a much less tortured path for the shift linkage. RHD cars are right-hand shift; if one was to build a LHD racing car, the shifter would logically be in the left sill. And that would just be, well, beyond weird. :laugh:
1) European race tracks run clockwise, so RHD puts the driver on the inside of the majority of the turns, a good thing
2) The pits are on the right side of the track on European tracks, so RHD puts the driver closest to the pit wall, so driver changes don't involve running around to the far side of the car
3) Many/most European race cars originated in England, where RHD is the norm under any circumstances
But to me, the most important single aspect is simple packaging. Having the engine between the driver and the gearbox is a bloody nuisance. Putting the shifter in the sill allows a much less tortured path for the shift linkage. RHD cars are right-hand shift; if one was to build a LHD racing car, the shifter would logically be in the left sill. And that would just be, well, beyond weird. :laugh: