Tanking On!

Now that the stainless steel piping is installed into the sills and the sponge foam is wrapped around it, then it’s time to fit the fuel tanks in the sills. Two choices are available from Cav: Aluminium Tanks or bladder tanks.  I opted for the standard aluminium tanks.

After making sure all debris was removed from the inner sill the fuel tanks were installed from the front of the sill, making sure that they didn’t rip the foam around the water pipes.

I know that the original car was fitted with fuel tanks in the sill and there is no other place to fit them, but fitting them in the sills for road going seems a little dicey to me!

Once fitted the fuel gauges are fitted through the access holes in the top of the sills.

STOP!

Next on the agenda was the fitting of the brake pipes. The main pipe ran down the left hand inner sill along with the clutch pipe and air conditioning pipes. At the front, under the passenger footwell a brake bias switch was fitted. Copper piping was then passed through the left hand side of the firewall into the front boot compartment. The piping is then run along the top section of the boot and down to the servo units. I word of warning at this stage, the servo unit has to be juggled into place along with the front anti roll bar. It a matter of trial and error and sweat and swearing but it does fit. The piping from the servo to the front wheel arches pass parallel to the piping to the rear, but onto the front left wheel and the other pipe runs to the right wheel.

At the rear the pipe goes into the left front corner of the engine bay, one pipe runs round to the left hand side to the gearbox cradle and the other round to the right hand side of the cradle. The Stainless steel pipes are then connected between the copper pipe onto the rear calipers (when fitted).

A Bit Of Colour.

Whilst I was busy putting the chassis components together the body was sent off to the painters. I built an AK Cobra some years ago and I have also restored a 1969 - Austin Cooper S 1275, on both occasions I used a local guy who I feel does an excellent job. He works by himself in a small lock up garage on the outskirts of Leeds. His premises are not totally dust proof, neither does he have a clinically clean paint booth, but in my opinion his work is “second to none” and prices are very competitive. Any body restoration you require then he’s your man.
What colour should I choose? Well this was a painstaking decision, do I paint in Gun Metal grey, Metallic blue or Red? I’d seen the car in all these colours and they all look stunning, however the colour that always stood out to me was the Gulf Powder blue and orange. I can hear you say “O’ no not another Gulf car”. Well I’m afraid so, what a superb pair of colours that compliment the curvaceous of the GT40. In addition I also decided to have the car marked with the same decals as chassis 1076. These I purchased from I Say Ding Dong Decals.

Plumbing!

Once the radiator is fitted the plumbing can be started. Two stainless steel pipes are supplied that run under the front wheel arches and through the driver and passenger sills. The fuel tanks are also installed into the sills so the water pipes are insulated with pipe lagging, one to protect them and two to stop them rattling in the stainless steel sills. Once the pipes are “Teased” into the sills and through holes into the engine bay, the rubber hoses can be fitted that connect the pipes to the radiator. Make sure that you cover the open ends (engine bay) to ensure not debris goes into the pipes during the build. When using an electric water pump, you may need to modify the return pipe to create a heater bypass.

The heater pipes run down the drivers (right) side of the inner sill and the air conditioning pipes run down the passenger (left) side of the car. Whilst fitting the air conditioning pipes it is wise to also fit the clutch hydraulic pipe at the same time. (This is for the Audi Gearbox, if using ZF gearbox I think the pipe goes down the right-hand side of the car).