GT40 experience

[Mexican Gerbil]

For Christmas i was given one of those track day experience vouchers. If you dont know, they are a code you are given to enter into a website, click on the experience, pick a date and venue and off you go. 

I was given an opportunity to drive 3 star cars around castle combe. The cars from the list included the original bat mobile, fast and furious cars, general lee dodge charger, starsky and hutch ford Torino, mustang gt500 eleanor from gone in 60 seconds. Plus some bond cars and Ferrari's and so on. 

I picked the general lee charger, GT40 and one other car which didnt run on the day so I was given extra laps in the 2 cars that I picked. 

The general lee was like driving a boat. It was huge, so no complaining about how big modern cars are. It was fun but I was itching to get in the GT40. 

Once my turn came round, I walked over to it and wondered like at the NEC wether I would actually fit. Being freezing today I had I big coat on too. I shoe horned myself in. Knees around the steering wheel but I was in.

Once I was briefed by the instructor we left the pits for some fast ish laps. 

What a drive. By the third lap we were flying with the instructor pushing me to give it more. Slowly getting used to the gear change and being gentle on the clutch. The noise was immense, handled great. 

But you know me...... classic fords and i always seem to go wrong. And heading back into the pits we lost 1st and 2nd gears. We switched off and rolled/pushed into the pit bay. It was game over for the GT40 

Still had a great day and who knows, if escort prices match GT40s I might have to swap. 

 

[Vista]

Good facials in pic 3  Chris 😁

Looks a great day out #jealous, I expect for my birthday it will be socks or some other 💩 again. 

[Rally Pack 2000]

Totally envious. First time I have ever been able to put a face to the name after all these years. Your really really tall! Or is the GT40 just really really tiny?

[Mexican Gerbil]

6 hours ago, Rally Pack 2000 said:

Totally envious. First time I have ever been able to put a face to the name after all these years. Your really really tall! Or is the GT40 just really really tiny?

I'm 6'3" and at the limit of fitting in the car. Looking at that pic, the car can only be 3foot in height. It was a good job the door/roof had a bubble for the top of my head 😄

[DT36]

It's height is specced on dimensional drawings at 38.5".

A statement on the cars name says : Early cars were simply named "Ford GT" for Grand Touring), the name of Ford's project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit. The "40" represented its height of 40  inches (1.02 m), measured at the windshield, the maximum allowed.

However, either way, that's one big gerbil 😁Great pics and sounds like you had a good day 👍

[meXEco]

GT40-the clue is in the name @ 40 inches tall.

Awesome though one of my all time favourite cars must have been a blast!