Ford GT40 roadgoing
What I want to do here is to build a roadgoing version of the iconic Ford GT40 ( as opposed to all those racing versions about ), Mark 1 version. I'm talking about something like the picture on the right, but paint job will be white, with blue sidestripe ).
The source static kit I'm using here as on the left is a Marks & Spencer (Hornby) one, which comes as a Gulf racing version. It's a pretty accurate kit, the only exception being the upper air intake above the rear wheel arch ( the distorted oval one ), which is actually supposed to be a tunnel sweeping round in to the carb intakes under the rear window. Oh, and the lights are a bit iffy - headlamps missing ( just a hole for slot car LED's ), sidelights essentially missing, and the clear covers are solid blocks ! I'm going to have to rework the air extraction slot on the bonnet hatch - almost all road versions had a variation, two slots. Some other minor bits will need to be added - two filler caps as opposed to one, and capping off some of the apertures on the rear panel.
Left is the chassis from a Scalextric ( Hornby ) slot car, GT40 Mark 2 version bodywork. It mates straight to the static kit bodywork, as both the static kit & the slot car are Hornby, and share bits. I'll be dumping the lighting kit, and also the front axle, installing an MRRC Ackermann steering unit instead.
To the right, the completed chassis - this has, obviously, had the front end chopped off; I've left a stub, and this has 2 holes drilled in to take body screws, which will go in to the block stuck to the underside of the bodyshell. At the rear of the chassis there's a black shunt bar running across, and the light grey '3-finger hands' at each end are the engine cover hinges and stops, with tow hooks. The exhaust block has has had the wide-bore racing pipes removed, and replaced with smaller diameter pipes made from sprue, also angled down a bit, and painted black / grey.
The wheels - most roadgoing versions of the GT40 had wires rather than alloys, so I've reamed out the kit wheels and fitted cut-down spoke sections and spinners from an Airfix Ferrari 250LM kit, chrome foiled them, and black-washed to bring out the spoke detail. Front axle / steering unit - this is MRRC, and I've reverse-engineered the screws that hold the front wheels on, so they come in from the inside rather than the outside of the wheels, and therefore leave the spinners unspoiled. Tyres - from the slot car, but there's an identical set in the static kit so I've got spares ! The wiring has been replaced with super-flexible stuff, with MRRC end bits. The blue side stripe has been applied.
On the left, the 2-part shell has been joined together ( after cleaning up the join ) and the join reinforced inside. Working from front to back - the underside of the nose has been removed from the chassis, joined to the upper shell, and the joint filled and eliminated. Lights and radiator intake - see later pics. The bonnet hatch has been modified so the air extraction vent is split, and I've added six fasteners. I've added the extra aperture for the second fuel filler cap, opened them both up a bit, and backed them from underneath. I've added door handles and locks, and also drain channels at the top of the doors ( on the roof ). Both air intakes immediately behind the doors have been reprofiled - particularly the upper one, which has been extensively reshaped and tunnelled through to the area under the rear window where the carb intakes are. In front are the two filler caps, two scratch-built wing mirrors, a slatted cover that goes on the rear deck, and two more slatted covers that will go over two of the apertures on the back.
On the right, tnderside of the chassis shows that the underside of the shell nose has been reprofiled to allow clearance for the guide blade on the front steering. to the rear of this is a stepped block that the front steering screws on to, and also the front edge of the floor pan. As you can see, I've also blanked off various areas around the wheel arches.
The glazing is as per kit, with black framing painted from the inside, a rear-view mirror added, and a section cut out of the top to provide that little extra clearance for the driver's head.
The cockpit has been detailed up, racing seats replaced by a pair made up from another slotcar pair, plus corrugated plastic card, dashboard recessed and detailed, better steering wheel with detailed boss, better gear lever, added door pockets, added air vents, added central console with ashtray, and added door release levers on the white sills. Interior painted in various shades of grey and black. The driver is made up from various military figure bits, plus plastic card, and a fair amount of filler ( including his hair! ), and painted with matt enamels & acrylics, 'leather jacket' shined up a bit with one coat of Klear acrylic floor polish.
Note also the bit of clear acetate in the gap at the back of the cockpit - represents the actual window here, that separated the cockpit from the very noisy engine compartment !
Finished - the shell was hand-painted with several dilute coats of acrylic white, and then the panel lines lowlighted with a sharp pencil. The stripes are blue acrylic painted on to plain decal sheet, cut in to strips, applied & touched in where necessary. The metalwork is chrome foil, chrome paint and aluminium paint. The numberplate decal is from an Airfix kit. The rear window has been fitted, with a black surround. Louvred panels - the one on the upper rear deck has been chrome foiled and fitted. The two on the rear panel (not visible here) have been fitted and painted the body colour. The whole lot was then sealed and glossed with three coats of Klear acrylic floor polish.
