Info needed Ford GT40 chassis 1046

[Pierre Rivard]

Wondering about Chassis/tub color for the GT40's. I've seen black but also some builds have a dark blue shade. Wondering what it was originally for the 66 Le Mans car #2, chassis#1046.

Also curious if any have definitive info about wheels and tires. The restored car has gold wheels with Goodyear tires. The period pictures below are a bit confusing about what wheel color and tires were used either in practice or during the race. Steel, gold, bronze? Goodyear, Firestone?

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Have you seen this?

The videos partially document the teardown of the real car prior to its last restoration to race condition

http://gt40.rkmotorscharlotte.com/restoration/

Edited March 17, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

And your last photo above is of Bruce McLaren (oops) Chris Amon immediately after winning the race, clearly on Goodyear rubber. Gold wheels, by the way...and you can't trust the color balance to be accurate on decades-old photos that have been endlessly reproduced.

Edited March 17, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[1959scudetto]

Hello Pierre, as Bill said, there were some wheel changes during the race, and the rims obviously had different colors: I would go for the gold wheels with Goodyear tires which were on the car at the finish line.

Here is a link to a French slot-racing website with 37 period pictures of # 1046 from Le Mans 1966 (partially colcor) - just scroll down:   https://lemans.slot-racing.fr/le-mans-1966/ford-mkii-2-nsr.html

 

By the way, this is Chris Amon waving to the spectators while Bruce McLaren is driving the car to the winner's circle.

Edited March 17, 2023 by 1959scudetto

[Pierre Rivard]

Ace & Helmut,

  Thanks, that's a lot of help. I watched all the videos and obviously the restoration is to be trusted. Dark blue chassis, gold wheels and Goodyear.

[Gramps46]

McLaren and Amon were contract drivers with Firestone.  When the rains came Shelby said screw (well Shelby probably said xxxx) your contracts we are switching to Goodyears, their rain tires are better in the rain.

Wheel color?  Pick a time in the race or practice and go with that color.  DO NOT BELIEVE RESTORED CARS.

All GT40s chassis originally produced/built by Abbey Panels were dark blue.

[Gramps46]

Good links guys

[Pierre Rivard]

13 hours ago, Gramps46 said:

McLaren and Amon were contract drivers with Firestone.  When the rains came Shelby said screw (well Shelby probably said xxxx) your contracts we are switching to Goodyears, their rain tires are better in the rain.

Wheel color?  Pick a time in the race or practice and go with that color.  DO NOT BELIEVE RESTORED CARS.

All GT40s chassis originally produced/built by Abbey Panels were dark blue.

Thanks Gary. Wheels & tire changes galore...so I guess that leaves me with the options.  Black body over dark blue chassis it is.

[Gramps46]

Here is another link which might prove helpful for photos for GT40 fans.

https://public.fotki.com/gwadagone/ford-gt-40-1964-70/page31.html

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

19 minutes ago, Gramps46 said:

Here is another link which might prove helpful for photos for GT40 fans.

Wow. That's a lot of photos.  

Most appreciated, particularly the Mirage shots. I have a slow-burn project converting an earlier GT40 to Mirage bodywork.

Edited March 18, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Gramps46]

One of the details frequently missed is the aluminized blanket of insulation behind the seats on the MK IIs at Le Mans. 

[Pierre Rivard]

1 hour ago, Gramps46 said:

One of the details frequently missed is the aluminized blanket of insulation behind the seats on the MK IIs at Le Mans. 

Thanks, that will be visible so I have to build that in.