[DeTomaso] Colotti 4 speed

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/2/14 8 03 21, gaino at earthlink.net writes:


> http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=HA0414-184930&
> utm_source=emv&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HA0414-S147.1   I never heard of a 
> Colloti 4 speed?
> 

>>>That was the Achilles heel of the original GT40.   

The GT40 was built in a hurry, and at the time the only available gearbox 
that would seem to do the job was an Italian four-speed.   It quickly showed 
that it was not up to the task, and Ford arranged for ZF in Germany to 
design and build an all-new purpose-built gearbox for the GT40.   The thing is, 
there was a bureaucratic hangup, and the contract was never finalized but 
Ford apparently didn't know it.   So seven months went by, and Ford finally 
asked, "Where are our gearboxes" and ZF's reply was "What gearboxes?   You 
never actually placed the order?"

Or something like that.

So the cars had to suffer even longer with the woeful Colotti unit.   Once 
the ZFs arrived, there was no looking back.

The small-block cars would often fail to finish races due to head gasket 
failure; it took years for Ford to crack that nut.   In the interim they 
shifted gears (figuratively speaking) and went for a big-block 427 solution.   
They believed the ZF was incapable of handling the torque, and so they 
designed and built their own four-speed transaxle (made by Kar Kraft), which 
utilized standard Ford toploader four-speed gearbox internals.

Ironically, due to improper heat treatment of some gears, initially the Kar 
Kraft gearboxes failed and put the cars out.   But once that minor niggle 
was sorted, they became unbeatable.   Which is why the rules were changed to 
simply outlaw large displacement, which effectively outlawed the GT40.

Who would have guessed that Ford (well, actually Ford was pretty much out 
of the GT40 business by then, and it was really John Wyer Associates, JWA) 
then would have spiffed up the by-now-old and always-overweight GT40, fit it 
with wider wheels and bigger brakes, and a more thoroughly developed 302 
engine, and go on to win for two more years?

Mike
-------------- next part --------------
   In a message dated 3/2/14 8 03 21, gaino at earthlink.net writes:

     http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=HA0414-184930&ut
     m_source=emv&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HA0414-S147.1   I never
     heard of a Colloti 4 speed?

   >>>That was the Achilles heel of the original GT40.
   The GT40 was built in a hurry, and at the time the only available
   gearbox that would seem to do the job was an Italian four-speed.  It
   quickly showed that it was not up to the task, and Ford arranged for ZF
   in Germany to design and build an all-new purpose-built gearbox for the
   GT40.  The thing is, there was a bureaucratic hangup, and the contract
   was never finalized but Ford apparently didn't know it.  So seven
   months went by, and Ford finally asked, "Where are our gearboxes" and
   ZF's reply was "What gearboxes?  You never actually placed the order?"
   Or something like that.
   So the cars had to suffer even longer with the woeful Colotti unit.
   Once the ZFs arrived, there was no looking back.
   The small-block cars would often fail to finish races due to head
   gasket failure; it took years for Ford to crack that nut.  In the
   interim they shifted gears (figuratively speaking) and went for a
   big-block 427 solution.  They believed the ZF was incapable of handling
   the torque, and so they designed and built their own four-speed
   transaxle (made by Kar Kraft), which utilized standard Ford toploader
   four-speed gearbox internals.
   Ironically, due to improper heat treatment of some gears, initially the
   Kar Kraft gearboxes failed and put the cars out.  But once that minor
   niggle was sorted, they became unbeatable.  Which is why the rules were
   changed to simply outlaw large displacement, which effectively outlawed
   the GT40.
   Who would have guessed that Ford (well, actually Ford was pretty much
   out of the GT40 business by then, and it was really John Wyer
   Associates, JWA) then would have spiffed up the by-now-old and
   always-overweight GT40, fit it with wider wheels and bigger brakes, and
   a more thoroughly developed 302 engine, and go on to win for two more
   years?
   Mike