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Superformance GT40


KEPetersen

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I'm new to the board and looking forward to participating in SE NASA events with a vintage FF. I also have a Superformance GT40 Mk. I, which some of you might know as a highly accurate, factory built, continuation model of the original GT40.

 

RtFrt1-4View.jpg

 

Is this car (above) eligible for NASA's TT events? What about other events in pro-racing?

 

Thanks!

 

Kim

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there is *always* TTR (and its equivalent wheel-to-wheel class SU = Super Unlimited)

 

depending on its design and all I could see it being accepted for TTU/TTS (and the w-t-w equivalent ST1/ST2) - send an email to Greg Greenbaum with all the info you can find for the car (specs, drawings, etc. ). Considering that there are similar cars (FFR GTM, Noble/Rossion, etc) that can run in the almost-unlimited-but-not-quite TTU/TTS (ST1/ST2) classes...

 

whole lotta car you got there - looks fun

 

if the classes I threw at you went over your head let us know - we'll break it down more for you if needed

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Ken:

 

Thanks for the helpful and encouraging response! I'll definitely be looking into each of those classes. Here are a couple of other photos you might find interesting:

 

RtSideEngine.jpg

 

MegaphoneExhaust-Interior.jpg

 

PaxSideInterior.jpg

 

Kim

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Is this car (above) eligible for NASA's TT events?

 

Absolutely. In any class other than TTA.

 

Jason:

 

I don't know – I've tracked a Z06 and they are super competitive and great cars! And anyway, mine is an ancient relic in comparison ...

 

Kim

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Hey, thanks for the encouragement guys! I've taken the first step and signed up for the HPDE at Sebring later this month. It's a big toe in the water. I'll look forward to learning more about NASA and probably shift to TT next. Then, who knows?

 

Kim

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Kim,

 

Have you dyno'd your car?

How much does it weigh with driver and fuel?

 

Your power to weight ratio will probably be the main basis for your classification.

 

If the "FF" in your post refers to Formula Ford, open wheeled cars are not allowed.

 

If you just want to run TT, you can surely start in TTR. There is no classification needed, because there are no limits to what you can do the the car. But to run in TT, you need to get a license, which means prior experience.

 

Get a copy of the rules and read through them.

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Hey, thanks for the encouragement guys! I've taken the first step and signed up for the HPDE at Sebring later this month. It's a big toe in the water. I'll look forward to learning more about NASA and probably shift to TT next. Then, who knows?

 

Kim

We look forward to seeing this sweet ride in tech inspection next weekend! Which HPDE class did you enter?

 

Mark (friendly HPDE tech inspector)

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Hey, thanks for the encouragement guys! I've taken the first step and signed up for the HPDE at Sebring later this month. It's a big toe in the water. I'll look forward to learning more about NASA and probably shift to TT next. Then, who knows?

 

Kim

We look forward to seeing this sweet ride in tech inspection next weekend! Which HPDE class did you enter?

 

Mark (friendly HPDE tech inspector)

 

 

I cant-not say it. Its too funny. OK, here goes.

 

I hope your tech inspecting skills are WAAAAAAAAAY better than guessing which HPDE group and new driver would sign up for. GO!!

 

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Is this car (above) eligible for NASA's TT events?

 

Absolutely. In any class other than TTA.

 

Jason:

 

I don't know – I've tracked a Z06 and they are super competitive and great cars! And anyway, mine is an ancient relic in comparison ...

 

Kim

 

this would denote prior experience.

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I cant-not say it. Its too funny. OK, here goes.

 

I hope your tech inspecting skills are WAAAAAAAAAY better than guessing which HPDE group and new driver would sign up for. GO!!

 

 

WTF? OK, I can't not say it, either:

 

1. I don't do the registration or the class placement; I'm only one of the inspectors who makes sure that you're playing by the rules. No matter which HPDE level you are in, we still require that your lugs are torqued, brakes are bled and have sufficient pad, rotors are crack-free, brake lights work, tires are good, helmet meets all safety requirements, etc.

 

2. Initially, Kim asked if this car was legal for TT, so I assumed that s/he already had open track experience.

 

3. In addition to #2 above, Kim also said that s/he had "tracked a Z06" before, so s/he might have several years of experience with Chin or SAFE, and this could be the first time out with NASA (be sure to stick around after 5pm on Saturday for the fiesta).

 

I'm glad that Mike is awake and has my back! Don't mess with Team BDR, on track or off...

 

Mark

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Relax Mark, it was only a joke and I even put in extra icons in there for you to express that point.

 

Thanks for playing along. some people do have the right screen names afterall! LOL!!! How does Yosemity Sam put it.... "its a joke son, ya missed it"!

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Hey, thanks for the encouragement guys! I've taken the first step and signed up for the HPDE at Sebring later this month. It's a big toe in the water. I'll look forward to learning more about NASA and probably shift to TT next. Then, who knows?

 

Kim

We look forward to seeing this sweet ride in tech inspection next weekend! Which HPDE class did you enter?

 

Mark (friendly HPDE tech inspector)

 

Mark:

 

Thanks for the post. I've entered in HPDE class 3 and am really looking forward to joining you guys! I was at Sebring about six months ago in a Skip Barber F2000 and loved it. It seems the perfect venue for the GT40 with those two great long straights – twisty bits are not its forte.

 

By the way, it's always good to encounter 'friendly' tech inspectors! The only issue with my car (and with all GT40s in this case) are the windows: they're affixed with a couple of dozen screws each with small pivoting windows and aviation-type air inlets. It's a delicate process to remove them without cracking the plexiglas. Ah well, the effort will be worth it in the end. I'll see you there.

 

Kim

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Relax Mark, it was only a joke and I even put in extra icons in there for you to express that point.

 

Thanks for playing along. some people do have the right screen names afterall! LOL!!! How does Yosemity Sam put it.... "its a joke son, ya missed it"!

 

Not to worry, I got it! Tell ya what...you're probably better off with my screen name! lol

 

Mark

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By the way, it's always good to encounter 'friendly' tech inspectors!

Now that we know you're coming, your car will probably be greeted with shouts of "FAILURE!!!" as you pull into tech. lol

 

I'll be running in HPDE-3 as well in my blue #26 Mustang, so I'll be sure to closely inspect the front of your car in tech, because I'm only going to see the back of it for the rest of the weekend.

 

See you on Saturday!

Mark

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Not to worry, I got it! Tell ya what...you're probably better off with my screen name! lol

 

Mark

 

Haha!! Perhaps!! But I never got to ride the bus so ill just stick with my little 4banger screen name. Im not making up for any short commings with it.

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By the way, it's always good to encounter 'friendly' tech inspectors!

Now that we know you're coming, your car will probably be greeted with shouts of "FAILURE!!!" as you pull into tech. lol

 

I'll be running in HPDE-3 as well in my blue #26 Mustang, so I'll be sure to closely inspect the front of your car in tech, because I'm only going to see the back of it for the rest of the weekend.

 

See you on Saturday!

Mark

 

Mark:

 

Thanks for the kind optimism, but you know full well: A fast car doesn't make a fast driver. Trust me, I'll be happy to follow you and the others around the track.

 

Kim

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Is this car (above) eligible for NASA's TT events?

 

Absolutely. In any class other than TTA.

 

 

second that motion!

 

But we would love have you running with us in the SE. Do not let the BDR guys corrupt you though.

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Hey, Kim! Did you ever find out what happened to the GT40 on Saturday afternoon? I saw it heading out on a roll-back on Sunday, so I figured that you probably weren't driving it home.

 

Other than that, how was the rest of your weekend?

 

Mark

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Hey, Kim! Did you ever find out what happened to the GT40 on Saturday afternoon? I saw it heading out on a roll-back on Sunday, so I figured that you probably weren't driving it home.

 

Other than that, how was the rest of your weekend?

 

Mark

 

Mark:

 

It was a fantastic weekend, and my brother and I were very impressed with both the organization and the atmosphere of this event. We were particularly taken with the welcoming attitude of the officials and members of NASA; so often these types of club events become rather cliquish and tribal. We felt very much at home and look forward to future events.

 

As to the car – well, it had a few problems from the start before the engine went, and we're still in the process of tracking down the cause. At the moment, all fingers are pointing at a faulty distributor gear. This would be the second such occurrence, so we have to wonder if perhaps there's a cam problem as well. All weekend I was running with what seemed like the rev limiter kicking in at between 3500 and 4000 rpm, seriously effecting my run times (redline is at 6500). We're trying to figure how all this fits together.

 

Thanks again, Mark, for your very generous time and attention in helping us get started with NASA. I'll keep you posted on what the diagnosis is on the car. I suspect the patient will be up and running a couple of weeks.

 

Kim

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Kim,

 

I'm glad you guys had a good time! I'm sorry that I didn't get to check your car out more than just in tech. Were you around for the festivities after 5 on Saturday? We were down in the hotel bar until about 11pm as well.

 

If the distributor gear keeps getting eaten, then you really need to take it up with your engine builder! Make sure that the dizzy gear material is compatible with the type of camshaft you are using, or you will tear them up (I believe you should use a cast iron dizzy gear for flat tappet camshafts and a cast steel dizzy gear for roller camshafts, but check with your builder to be sure). You can also check with your camshaft manufacturer and/or the distributor manufacturer. Either way, this sounds more like an ignition problem than a fuel problem.

 

Again, I'm glad that you had fun with us...we hope to see your GT40 out there again! For once, I can say that I passed you, but only after you lost the fire coming out of turn 5...nobody passes ill-running cars like I do!

 

Mark

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  • 4 weeks later...

Guys:

 

It looks like our suspicions were correct: an initial look at the internals of the engine show that the distributor and cam were both heavily damaged. Now it's a matter of finding out why it happened (perhaps a faulty cam) and determining what other damage occurred to the engine. I'll let you know the results.

 

Anyway, here's a video of my run before the engine melted down. Not particularly quick laps ... but I sure love to listen to that engine!

 

Kim

 

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