[DeTomaso] How did they do that, GT-40 Proto-type sold for two million and change, ok no Pantera content

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/16/09 6:19:42 PM, rimov at charter.net writes:

> ...and of course the 1965 GT-40 prototype with289 with reversed 
> intake/exhaust set up.
> 
Somewhere in the mess I call my office is an ancient magazine article on what 
the author said was the 'only GT-40 with a DOHC Indy engine', built of 
exteremely rare parts for a guy that wasn't satisfied with his authentic GT-40. As I 
remember it, the motor was a very tight fit- the fabricator had to build a 
distributor from scratch, driven by the right exhaust cam. But I always 
wondered- the build hinged around two rare magnesium castings with "McLaren Cars" cast 
in that the author somehow located. One was a load-bearing oil pan that had 
chassis mounts built in, the other was a cam-chain cover that   integrated with 
the special dry-sump pan. And everything lined up on the GT-40 chassis except 
the distributor.... My guess was, Ford did build parts for one or two of 
these, but didn't want to take a chance on even a detuned DOHC Indy-Ford not 
lasting 24 hours at LeMans. Or maybe they simply screwed up and didn't homologate 
the Indy engine with the FIA; DeTomaso did the same thing in '71 with the 
Pantera (2 weeks late, said the FIA), so it's possible. Then Ford found that the 
pushrod 289 did just fine and they got more publicity by beating Ferrari with a 
passenger car engine! Anyway, now we know: there WAS a factory-built prototype 
GT-40 with a DOHC Indy Ford. Suspicions confirmed-thanks- J Deryke



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