Run with a GT 40

[Joehand1]

Went on a country run with a friend with a SuperPerformance GT40.
Very nimble at 2400 lbs and very fast.
It supposedly is exactly like the original except with modern brakes.
It is quite a car to be designed over 40 years ago.

 

[Joehand1]

Pic of our cars

 

[fjpikul]

Is it right hand drive,or did they put the Gurney bubble on the wrong side?

 

[Joehand1]

It is right hand drive. Jack the owner actually owns a race car and drives regularly at Sebring and Daytona, I couldn't safely keep up with him on the winding country road.

I found out today that someone wiped out a Viper on this road last year.

 

[djs]

What motor/tranny combo did he go with. A friend of mine has the Windosr based 427 with a ZF. Car is killer.

 

[Joehand1]

His also is a Windsor with ZF, crazy quick.

 

[skyrex]

Great Pic!! :thumbsup

I always have wanted to try a right hand drive. I am somewhat worried about how bad I would be at it though. :ack

 

[Shadowman]

Very cool

Thank you for sharing

Shadowman

 

[Joehand1]

Another pic from a wonderful drive.

The cars really do look the same.

 

[Neilda]

Great Pic!! :thumbsup

I always have wanted to try a right hand drive. I am somewhat worried about how bad I would be at it though. :ack

You'd be fine! We're all right hand drive over here, so driving the GT around is, erm, 'interesting'! However it's all entirely natural once you've done it a few times - the only issue with the GT is at road junctions where you're angled left to turn left, there's no view of the road at all. That takes a bit of practice.

I suspect that the SuperPerformance GT40 would be a bit small for taller/bigger drivers?

 

[jaxgt]

It is indeed smaller inside. I am quite comfortable in my GT, however not in Super performances cars (at 6'5" tall).

 

[Joehand1]

Yea it's very small, requiring a Gurney bubble and he's only 6 ft.

You take the steering wheel off to get in!

 

[skyrex]

You'd be fine! We're all right hand drive over here, so driving the GT around is, erm, 'interesting'! However it's all entirely natural once you've done it a few times - the only issue with the GT is at road junctions where you're angled left to turn left, there's no view of the road at all. That takes a bit of practice.

When I was in college I was working at the beach for the summer and rented a car at the end of the season for a day to run some things back to school. A British friend who worked at the resort as well offered to accompany me on the trip. I got a bit tired on the return trip and he offered to drive. No problem. Everytime I tried to doze off it seemed like he jerked the wheel and he was sitting real close to the steering wheel in the fashion of a half blind grandmother. Finally I was like "Is there a problem??"

"Well, I have never driven a left hand drive car." was the answer I received in his sterling British accent.......and that ended his time behind the wheel. :lol

I do think I would do a little better than he did. :cheers

 

[GT38]

Do any other Forum members have a Superformance GT40, an original GT40, or another replica? Here are some photos of my Ford GT and my SPF GT40. I've had the GT40 for nearly three years - it's a very early car, chassis number P2109. The first photo was taken before Team Jeff and I made some changes to the GT40.

The overhead shot gives you a better idea why guys like JaxGT and Blue Moose simply won't fit in the GT40, and why the GT had to be bigger than the original in order to be marketable!

 

[Empty Pockets]

I L-U-V the looks of that GT40!!!!!!!! That particular 2 tone paint job is just plain KILLER! :thumbsup:thumbsup


(Ya! I'd like to see "BigsGT" even TRY to compress himself into wunna those!:lol This is the area where us "shorter" guys have it made. WE can fit into any darn car we want.:banana)

 

[BlackICE]

I have to give a :thumbsup to Camilo, the rear of the FGT looks better than the original IMHO!

 

[Empty Pockets]

I have to give a :thumbsup to Camilo, the rear of the FGT looks better than the original IMHO!

'No question about that at all...

 

[GT38]

I have to give a :thumbsup to Camilo, the rear of the FGT looks better than the original IMHO!

The MkI GT40 looks a lot more like the Ford GT. My car is a MkII. I agree that the MkI has more beautiful lines. The MkII's rear end solved some problems on the track, and so the configuration was driven by function rather than aesthetics. The result is that it looks more "brute force" than the MkI. But I like them each for what they are :thumbsup ! That said, a MkII rear end would have never worked on the GT (thank you Camillo!).

 

[Neilda]

Everytime I tried to doze off it seemed like he jerked the wheel and he was sitting real close to the steering wheel in the fashion of a half blind grandmother. Finally I was like "Is there a problem??"

"Well, I have never driven a left hand drive car." was the answer I received in his sterling British accent.......and that ended his time behind the wheel.

Sounds like he was just a bad driver.... !

Love the pics of the Superperformance - it's curvier than the GT. Very pretty car.. :cheers

 

[GT38]

A few years ago someone sent me a video of an American tourist video taping while he was driving in the UK - complete with a running blah, blah, blah commentary about this being his first time driving on the left side of the road. He encountered an oncoming lorry on a narrow road, swerved right instead of left, and hit the lorry. He continued to video tape his comments while lying on the side of the road, saying good-bye to friends and family in case he didn't survive. I have no idea if this was real or a hoax, but it was hilarious in a macabre sense.

I've searched and can't find the video, even in the Darwin Awards. Has anyone seen this video?