Jensen Healey IT Prep Progress II

[Ron Earp]

It is coming along folks, a few more pics. Chris Shimmel here in NC made the cage and it is a piece of art. Fantastic tie in to the front firewall and lots of bracing. He did a god job and I whole heartedly recommend him for a cage if you are in NC/VA. I've seen two cages he has done and both are fantastic. The rear shot tries to show the stock four link with the panhard rod that was added. More to follow another day....









------------------
Ron
http://www.gt40s.com
Lotus Turbo Esprit
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey: IT prep progressing!

[grayracer]

Wish you could downsize the pics...

So color schemes...might I suggest BRG with a union jack covering the bonnet and boot?

[Ron Earp]

I am going to later today, they are too dang big!!!!!!!

------------------
Ron
http://www.gt40s.com
Lotus Turbo Esprit
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey: IT prep progressing!

[grayracer]

Much better...nice work.


Dayum...you plan on racing a lot of enduros? How big is that fuel cell?

[cherokee]

Very nice...makes me want to get back to work on my car...we have a adopted a boy in our family I was a DINK now I know where all my income and time is going Already wanting to strap him in a go cart. He is 7 so he is ready, and he helped me put a water pump in the Opel. Got to get him off the bling-bling and into the real thing.

[racer14itc]

Not sure why you have a window net in an open car? You're going to have to use arm restraints anyway.

MC

------------------
Mark Coffin
#14 GP BSI Racing/Airborn Coatings/The Shop VW
Scirocco
Zephyr Race Coaching and Consulting
http://pages.prodigy.net/Scirocco14gp

[JeffYoung]

Believe it or not, that is the stock gas tank.

Mark, the cage builder put the net in -- we didn't ask him too. Chris did a great job on the cage, but it may have been his first open car and he probably didn't know the rule that nets aren't necessary on open cars.

[Ron Earp]

And that stock tank is heavy!!!!!!!!! About 35 lbs of steel. I might replace it, but I have concerns about meeting mininum weight, 2240lbs, so until I get an idea of weight I'll leave it in. I hope to have a lot more progress in the next 4 weeks and I'll post more frequent updates.

Paint - I'm going to go with a classic Brit scheme as done on the Essex Wire GT40s - bid wide red stripe down the middle of the car, trimed in black, with blackout headlights and rear fascia. White body, red trim here and there.

R

------------------
Ron
http://www.gt40s.com
Lotus Turbo Esprit
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey: IT prep progressing!

[Ron Earp]

More progress, I spent many hours today wet sanding the car and preparing it for paint:



------------------
Ron
http://www.gt40s.com
Lotus Turbo Esprit
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey: IT prep progressing!

[grayracer]

Looks good. The entire profile/cage construction reminds me of an ITC spitfire we built several years ago. It sure was cute but on its maiden voyage it slung a rod (with the piston attached) clean thru the block and emptied oil and engine parts for at least a quarter of a mile. Thank god the driver was running it off line down the front straight. Hope that doesn't happen to you guys.

As an aside... bet you're going to be overweight even if you do replace the tank. An inexpensive solution we used was a trunk mounted 12 gallon drag race tank from RacerWholesale with the dual pick ups/sump pointed forward. It provided a lower COG and was moved to the right for better weight balance.

[Ron Earp]

I hope it isn't over weight. But, it could be. If it is there are some places where I can loose some weight:

*Tank
*Filter+pumps, go to single inline units
*Wheels
*Fewer oil filters, no remote mount
*Aluminum radiator
*Lighter battery, I got a cheapy
*Lighter seat
*Shortest exhaust possible
*Find aluminum driveshaft a few people told me were factory - don't know if it is true
*Me loose a little weight

But, that is only going to get me 50-70lbs back or so. If I am way overweight then I am likely to remain overweight.



------------------
Ron
http://www.gt40s.com
Lotus Turbo Esprit
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey: IT prep progressing!

[Ron Earp]

Some more progress - the car came back from the painter all white and Jeff and I put the trim on and the red stripe. Looks nice, even up close. Painting the cage later on today...






Still too jacked up but the springs still have not come. Dang it!


[This message has been edited by rlearp (edited December 18, 2004).]

[Jiveslug]

Really nice work! Keep us posted, as Im having to live vicariously through you. Haha.

[Andy Bettencourt]

Sure is gonna be pretty.

Nice work...

AB

------------------
Andy Bettencourt
New England Region, R188967
ITA project SM
www.flatout-motorsports.com

[Greg Gauper]

I think you should sneak that car that's sitting to the left out to the track. Bet it would make a nice ITE car......

Heck, at the regional level it could still run ASR for that matter

[Ron Earp]

Greg, that other one is a semi-monoque GT40 with coil overs all around and a 472hp SB Ford sitting inside. Can it run it ITE and be competitive? That would be excellent!

Thanks for all the positive comments about the car and emails. That keeps me going and the support/help I get from Jeff regarding getting this thing on the track. I don't think it'll be competitive (with me in it) the first year out or even the second, but I hope by late the second year I can at least be a mid-pack driver maybe, or at least, not dead last! It has been a long road and a lot of work, and not cheap either. Odd cars take either a lot of dedication, some cash, or a little of both, but in the end I think it'll be cool and add some diversity to the IT field in the SE.

------------------
Ron
http://www.gt40s.com
Lotus Turbo Esprit
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey ITS
My electrons don't care if they flow through OEM wires, do yours?

[This message has been edited by rlearp (edited December 21, 2004).]

[Greg Gauper]

Ron,

A) Yes I recognized the car, hence the comment

I was joking about the ITE comment

C) Yes I think it would be really, really, really, really, really, really, really cool to drive one on the track, especially on a power track like Road America or Daytona and fitted with the big 427 motor........

[Ron Earp]

Sorry, didn't recognize ITE, still learning this stuff! Well, late next year we hope to have it on the track and I share my toys readily with folks, so, you might get to drive it about. I've driven a few on roads and one on a track, it was phenominal although I didn't know what I was doing - this time I'll learn!

[lateapex911]

jeeezzz Ron, I think I need to move south! A run in a car like that would be very memorable!

------------------
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[cherokee]

Originally posted by rlearp:
It has been a long road and a lot of work, and not cheap either. Odd cars take either a lot of dedication, some cash, or a little of both, but in the end I think it'll be cool and add some diversity to the IT field in the SE.

Say it again brother!!! I don't want to think how much $$$ I have in my car.

I just gotta be different, nothing against those popular cars but they just do not do it for me. I would rather be last in my Opel then first in something that I would call a cookie cutter car.

After my shake down year with this car I am going to have to come out to your neck of the woods and run. It would be almost as cool to watch yours and Jeffs car run as to be on the track with them.