Ford GT-40 Daytona 1966 #98

[billn53]

After finishing my two Chaparrals (see them here: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235043149-texas-roadrunners-chaparral-2c-and-2d/ ) I wanted to do one more automotive subject before moving on to some aircraft sitting on my "To Do" shelf. The Chaparrals were supposed to be a quick "out of the box" project, but they turned out to be more complicated than expected. What to do?

 

While researching the Chaparral 2D coupe I found this photo from the 1966 Daytona 24-hour race:

 

 

 

Ford's GT-40s dominated that race, earning four of the top five positions! I found a Revell boxing of the winning car, #98, on eBay and chose that as my new project.

 

 

 

The Revell kit is, in fact, a Fujimi GT-40. Good news is that the Fujimi GT-40 builds up very nicely. The bad news is that Revell simply added new decals to a generic Fujimi GT-40, leaving out details particular to the #98 car. As a result, this project wasn't exactly the "out of the box" build I had been hoping for. I would have done better to purchase Fujimi's version, which is more accurate:

 

 

 

More on that, later...

 

On to the pics!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U 

 

 

 

   

 

   

 

As I mentioned earlier, Revell's kit requires some modifications to better model the Daytona #98 GT-40. For starters, two air scoops on the rear deck need to be removed, as well as a "blister" on the roof over the driver's head:

 

 

 

Also, I had to re-build the radiator outlet to replicate that on the #98 car:

 

 

 

I replaced the front grill with some wire cloth left over from my Chaparral project:

 

 

 

There are other inaccuracies in the Revell kit that I didn't attempt to fix. For example, the fuel filler cap is on the wrong side, and there should be blisters on the body over the front tires. The Fujimi kit fixes all of these errors, thus my statement that I should have bought that kit instead of Revell's.

 

If you've followed along this far, let me show you a few more in-process pics:

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, this was an enjoyable build. Aside from correcting Revell's errors, the only problems I encountered were of my own making. I foresee building a few more Fujimi GT-40s in the not-too-distant future!

 

 

 

Edited October 1, 2018 by billn53

[celt]

Well tidy mun.

[Redstaff]

Nice build, always had a soft spot for the GT40

 

[Pete in Lincs]

Soft spot? Mines more like a long term love affair.

Just don't tell her indoors.

 

Looking forward to more GT40 models!

[cherry268]

Lovely model of the best looking car ever

[snowen250]

That's lovely. But to be pedantic. 

 

Revell got the name wrong on the boxtop, its technically not a GT40. But rather a Ford MKII. These featured a larger engine (from a NASCAR Galaxie) and as you can see a completely different rear deck, plus wider track at the rear to accommodate the ZF gearbox and bigger V8 lump.

 

This of course doesn't detract at all from what is a lovely model

 

Simon

[billn53]

Thank you, Simon. I've always seen this version of the Ford GT referred to as a GT40 Mk II. Is this not correct?

[Nick Belbin]

GT40 was more of a nickname and although Ford 'accepted' it they failed to capitalise on it by not registering it. Safir Engineering (or similar) who continued making them did register the name and continued the run of chassis numbers. Ford did show an interest in buying or leasing the use of 'GT40' but pulled out around the time of the 2005 reincarnation. 

 

I think your model is a Ford GT MkII.

 

Nick-Ford-Fan

[snowen250]

Nick is correct. 

 

Ford themselves get confused over this at times, but I would refer to as (and do in my 'day job' as a Ford GT MKII. 

 

the Chassis number begins GT40 - however this doesn't meal the body and final build was actually a GT40!

[billn53]

Nick & Simon — I’m old enough to remember when the Ford GT came out, and then the Mk II. Somewhere along the line I began to hear the term “GT 40”, which confused me then and has continued to confuse me for the past 50-odd years. 

Thanks for helping to clear this up 🙂

[DarylH]

Lovely work Bill. I built my version of that car but missed the vee shaped outlet for the radiator.

Your screen at the carburetor is an excellent little detail that I'll steal for my next build.

I began a project around a dozen years ago and had built half of the '66 LeMans factory team before I lost steam. I've restarted that project recently and found

an amazing amount of new pics and data on the 'net. Those four builds have now been disassembled to repaint the interiors blue and add heat shielding

blankets behind the seats.

I'm reading Go Like Hell by A.J. Baime which is an excellent book on the Ford LeMans program.

Here's an interesting link;

http://www.raredrive.com/gt40/

 

[billn53]

Thanks Daryl!

All in all, I’m not entirely happy with this build. In addition to the inaccuracies of the Revell kit that I didn’t correct, I had a near disaster just at the finish. While I was cleaning fingerprints off the windshield prior to adding the wiper, the entire windshield popped loose and fell back into the cockpit. Arrrggg!!!

I had to pry off the side windows to get the windshield back into place. That wasn’t 100-percent successful, there’s an ugly gap on the top-right edge of the windshield. 

I did pick up the Fujimi version of this car, so perhaps some day I’ll build #98 again and retire this one.