"J" Car to Mark IV: A Rough Road to Victory.

[Cal Metal]

This excerpt is taken from Peter Lyon's piece published in AW in 1987 in the "Escape Road" section. A good piece that is more indepth than most one page articles.

"........What would become the Mark IV GT-40 was Ford's third bid to solve the Le Mans problem. It, too, was initiated by Lunn, who to differentiate it from the older tech GT-40 called it the "J" car after FIA appendix J racing regulations. His first proposal for the J-Model was presented in late June of '65 and the first example ran on the first of March 1966. But it never did become raceworthy that year. As with the original GT-40 and the bigger engined variant, the MK II, Ford apparently first had to prove all over again that design is one thing, development quite another.

"..........The J-car was, after all, a radical machine in most respects. The only familiar item at first was the thumping great "side oiler" 427, the 500 HP iron block V8 from the Mark II. An automatic transmission was part of the original plan. So was its wedged shaped body, one of the earliest attempts at aeordynamic down force. What the car is most remembered for, however, was its lightweight chassis, racing's first significant application of aluminum honeycomb.

"...........None of these innovations was without its problems. Two different automatic transmissions designs turned out to absorb a lot of power for no effective gain in operation. The wedge body proved too draggy for Le Mans. And after one J-Car crashed in testing, breaking in half and ejecting Ken Miles to his death, weight was added to the honeycomb tubs of subsequent ones.

".........That there were subsequent J-Cars was itself something of an anomaly, for many had low confidence in the concept. Ford Initially planned its l967 endurance program around the now faithful MK II. But at the first race of the new year, in February at Daytona, the MK IIs went out with identical transmission failure; in any case, Ferrari's new P4 had shown unexpected speed. In an atmosphere of near-desperation the J-Car was put through intensive development. The most prominent change was aeordynamic. Completely new nose and tail sections increased striaghtaway speeds by up to 10 mph, so for the first time the J-Car showed more top end than a MK II (about 215 mph vs 211 mph). The car was less stable than before, but the drivers said they could race it. To differentiate it from the despised J-Car, someone had hand painted a new designation, "MK IV" on the new nose. On April 1 at Sebring, driven by Andretti and McLaren, in a stirring battle it defeated the 2F Chaparrak to winits first race.

"......."It was one of those death defying programs, you know?" recalls Andretti of the J-Car/Mark IV transformation "(Fabricator) Phil Remington just flat went to work, chop-chop-chop, HE DID IT. He just kind of eyeballed a shape. We took it to Kingman, Arizona, just before Sebring to test it against a Mk II. The Mark IV was immediately head and shoulders above the MK II, certainly in the aerodynamics. More slippery. The rest of it , the construction of the chassis and everything, was stiffer It felt more responsive. It felt more like a thoroughtbred. It was definitely a car to choose from that point on. I didn't want to drive, for any reason, a Mark II after that", said Andretti..........."

[snakeeyes]

Further proof of the remarkable talents of Phil Remington, from no less a source than Mario Andretti...

[Robert Evans]

Cal,
I'll bet that most people don't even know what the J-Car looked like....and the fact that Remington took that J-car design after Miles was killed in it in late 1966, and in just a few short months completely redesigned it from chassis to body configuration, to become the MK4 to race it for the first time at Sebring in March 1967.

To top that off, everyone at Shelby American believed that with the MK4, it was the first time that the team felt properly prepared and ready to race at LeMans,...something that they did not feel when they raced previously with the MK1 or MKII's.

Below is a shot of the J-car, then the winning MK4:

[snakeeyes]

Great comparison shots, Oh Large One. Easy to see why the J was called "The Bread Van"--and other, less kind names--by those working on it...

[Satanpez]

What about the Mark III?

Something in my fuzzy memory says it was a street car? Am I wrong?

-steve in nj-

[Cal Metal]

The Mk III was a street car, incorporating a SB powerplant. I always like the look of the MK III frontend, as it has a longer sweeping look with larger headlight lenses than the Mk I or II. Tons of quality control problems, however. I read a review one time where it sounded like they were evaluating a Yugo rather than a Ford GT. Actually, a very funny piece.

The Mk III was a little more utilitarian than her cousins but not much. The rear was squared off a little more and you could put a suitcase of sorts in a box that sat next to the mid engine. Maybe Big Bob can post a pic of the Mk III. I really like the look. If memory serves, between 10-17 were made.

Have to agree with Snakeeyes. Looks like 'ole Rem came to the rescue again. No wonder Lee Holman referred to him as the "greatest automotive fabricator in the world". That, my friends, is operating in pretty rare air.

[Satanpez]

How many Gt-40's were made?

I remember seeing a photograph (I think taken in England) of inside a warehouse/building/factory of some sort with a whole bunch (looked like dozens) of GT-40's. And I'm not talking about meatball or racing stripe cars either. They all looked like road going cars, all painted solid colors.

I wish I could remember where I saw it.

-steve in nj-

[Cal Metal]

I talked to Phil about the Lyon's article and the evolution of the J-Car to the Mark IV and he said that the revamping of the body to the IV actually took place and was completed in one weekend. He said a couple of stylist from Ford came down and put up clay on the J-Car and then Phil told them where to start sculpting. Pretty amazing. He said the only time the automatic transmission was ever used was in the Miles car that crashed.

I asked him if he was the designer of the aluminum honeycomb frame initially used in the J-Car and he indicated that Kar Kraft was responsible for that not him. He said after the Miles crash, they had to reinforce the unit.

[JimsGems]

I'm going to try and upload the image here if not I'mm put it in the gallery and do a hot-link.

The drawing came to me from a friend, Severn Johnson, one of Ford's best designers. I don't have any details other than the drawing was an origonal concept "sketch", it isn't signed but the initals "EJG" can be seen just under the bottom right of the J Car.

It hangs on the wall of my office with about 45 other photo's of Cobra's and "The Wraith" from the cult movie of the same name and even one of my hero's Dan Gurney driving that beautiful 289 #16. I add about a photo or two a week, I've got to get a job, I'm running out of wall space in my office.

Here is the link: http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...JCar-thumb.jpg

Best to go directly to the forum the hot-link photo is very small, the one when you look in My Gallery it's very much larger and easier to see.

Sorry for the "off axis" perspective due to not wanting to wash it out with the flash, it is a little foreshortened. The origonal is very correct.

[Cal Metal]

The rough number of the GT-40, and I assume you mean all the various permutations of the original (MK I, IIA, IIB, III, IV's) is roughly around 110 units give or take.

[Thorin]

The following is what Mr. Spain says about GT40 chassis (I realize that there are some original GT40 owners who do not think much of Mr. Spains' work):

"Prototype GT/101-112 = 12
Production GT40P/1000-1086 = 87
Mirage M.10001-10003 = 3
Mark III GT40 M3/1101-1107 = 7
Post-Production GT40 P/1108-1114 = 7
Alan Mann AM GT-1 and 2 = 2
Alan Mann XGT-1 to 3 = 3
'J' Chassis J-1 to 12 = 12"

Mr. Spain continues: "This total of 133 different chassis numbers does not, however, represent the actual total number of chassis built - for the following reasons:

a) In three cases new chassis were supplied by the works as replacements for wrecked originals - 1009, 1010 and 1073.

b) Two of the originally unnumbered post-production chassis were supplied new as replacements for wrecks - for 1012 and 1078. (No change to the total in these cases.)

c) Three cars were rebuilt as new chassis and renumbered - 1004 as 1084, and M.10002 and M.10003 as 1074 and 1075.

d) Two alloy chassis roadster prototypes were in fact built by Abbey Panels-not just one. One of these was numbered GT/110 while the other remained unnumbered. I have called this chassis GT/110A for identification purposes and it is covered in the history for GT/110.

The actual number of chassis built is therefore 134."

Dave Lowell

[Cal Metal]

Thanks, Dave. The converted Mirages actually should subtract 3 from the mix of GT-40s. Car #1075 is the two time Le Mans winner. The Mirages are far and away the prettiest of the GT-40 variant, IMHO.........

[Cal Metal]

According to John Allen in his book on the GT-40, there is a variant of the car that broke the evolutionary chain, meaning that it is no longer in existence and there are no surviving examples. This is somewhat in dispute, I think. Give it a go, however.

[JoeLafives]

Cal Metal:
I agree with your comment on the Mirage. I was fortuanate enough to see these run at both Spa and the ring in 1967 (along with the Chap 2F) and really felt they were something to see.

Scott

[Robert Evans]

Sorry it took so long to get these shots, but here are a couple of the MkIII's:

[Cal Metal]

Thanks, Bob. Could you post a pic out of the Allen book of the Gulf Mirage. It is on page 26--full color.

Does everyone know that, since we are on the subject of the Ford GT that, in addition to owning a Lister Chevy, ERA 427 Cobra, Z-28 Camaro, to name just a few, that Snakeeyes Bob is also taking delivery on an Essex Wire GT-40?? Those tobacco attorneys have all the fun.........

Can we take turns going for a ride, Bob??????

[Robert Evans]

Here you go, Cal...

[Robert Evans]

Gee, I wonder where Bob got his Essex GT-40???.....

[JimsGems]

Your are absolutely my hero Bob. I want to talk soon about an idea I have and would appreciate your input and thoughts.

[Cal Metal]

Thanks Big Bob. The Mirage is a great looking car.