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Ford GT40 SN104 to be auctioned at Monterey by Gooding

Discussion in 'GT40 & Ford GT' started by bitzman, Jul 5, 2012.

  1. bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    While I am happy to see this car become available (I will just be looking, thank you) because that means someone will be vintage racing it eventually, I wonder why no owner of a chassis laid down in '64 has ever wanted to go back to the duckbill platypus shaped nose they were built with in '64? I suppose it's more historic because it ws the first achievement for the GT40 in '65. I found this racing history for it.

    07/64 : Le Mans, 12, Attwood/Schlesser, DNF – 12/64 : Nassau, 97, Mc Laren, DNF -
    02/65 : Daytona, 72, Ginther/Bondurant, 3rd -
    03/65 : Sebring, 10, Hill/Ginther, DNF -
    04/65 : Le Mans Trials, 10, Bondurant -
    04/65 : Monza, 68, Amon/Maglioli, DNF -
    05/65 : Nuerburgring, 11, Amon/Bucknum/Hill/Mc Laren, 8th

    Anything unknown about this car? This website has a good front 3/4:

    http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2...racers-to-be-auctioned-in-monterey-slideshow/


    It looks from the publicity pictures like Gooding got a car to sell that has all the tiny details right, down to the correct details and aluminum sides to the front hood vents. I thought it was more of a midnight blue originally but maybe the color changed through the season.
     
  2. roddster

    roddster Well-Known Member

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    The "duckbill/platypus" nosed Ford GT's had a tendency to "get light" above 180 mph. But, really, who would be so daring as to try it with a million dollar car?
     
  3. bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    When ford was designing the '05 GT they tested one of the old ones in wind tunnel

    ..with the Shelby designed nose and that too lifted the front wheels at 180 mph. So it was then that they realized how brave the drivers were in the Sixties who clocked over 210 mph in them!

    Maybe the Gulf GT40s with the nose canards did a little better, after that canards started to be used in all sorts of cars.

    If I get a chance to talk to the buyer of the car at the Gooding I'll ask him if he ever thought of going back to the '64 configuration. Lots of luck finding the glass fibre molds!

    Here's a painting of that first generation nose
    http://www.anamera.com/en/editorial...body-style-for-ford-gt40-prototype/index.html
     
  4. bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    Mecum is offering GT104, a very significant Ford GT historically

    Memory has dimmedl; how did Lonberger get the car? Was this the one with burn damage or was that the Kohs car? Mecum has a very extensive description of the car on their site
     
  5. mrmustang

    mrmustang Well-Known Member

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    Re: Mecum is offering GT104, a very significant Ford GT historically

    To quote MrMuck


     

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