The ultimate FE Ford: 1967 LeMans winning #1 GT-40 Mark IV

[machoneman]

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/preserving-a-famous-american-racecar/

[thatdarncat]

Very nice article. I saw the car in person November 2003 at the NHRA museum in Pomona when they were doing a 100 years of Ford racing exhibit along with some other cool and special Fords like Parnelli Jones' Big Oly Bronco, etc. One thing though, the article states the car was turned off after it's LeMans win and remains untouched, and that may be true, but it has also been reported for years that the winning engine was pulled after the race and dyno tested and found to make approx 5 more horsepower than before the race. Who knows after all these years. Also nice that it gets exhibited so people can see it, sad it was damaged.

[BruceS]

Here's a video announcing that Dan Gurney's All American Racers will do some conservation work including repair of transport damage from last year's appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK.  The curator of the Henry Ford is making the announcement.

Check out that FE!  Does anyone know what configuration it is?  I noticed the baldy valve covers, probably to allow room for the headers. Can't tell if its a 4v or 8v inside the air box... It's said to produce 540hp, 5 more than when it was dyno'ed before the 24 hour race!  Would it have been a tunnel port a la NASCAR?  Is that why "Le Mans" rods were developed?  Would love to hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoC6320mKis. 

Bruce

[machoneman]

It's an 8V Tunnel Port as noted in a different article than the pic shown below. You can see the dual Holleys though through the clear Plexiglass air box.

http://www.supercars.net/Pics?v=y&id=694&s=c&p=1967_Ford_GT40MarkIV22.jpg

Past articles also mentioned that it was a virtual copy of the NASCAR engine but slightly detuned. Not sure how but I'll guess it was with a lower C/R as under FIA rules, all entrants had to run the same French-supplied gas which I'll again venture wasn't the same 103+ octane leaded race gas NASCAR used (Pure was the USA supplier then, who did the French gas is up for a guess!).  And yes, 427's used in '66 races showed a need for heavier rods, hence the LeMan's rod was developed. 

Interesting factoid. Gurney and Foyt drove #1 to victory and in the winner's circle, as was the practice for years, the drivers were given a large bottle of champagne.....to drink. Gurney instead shook it up and sprayed the crowd, Henry Ford II, but especially the press pool reporters who said pre-race that the duo could not win and would fight each other instead. Hence, he was the forerunner of this spray-the-bubbly practice that continues to this day. 

"This win came just a week after his surprise victory with A.J. Foyt at 24 hours of Le Mans, where Gurney spontaneously began the now-familiar winner's tradition of spraying champagne from the podium to celebrate the unexpected win against the Ferraris and the other Ford GT40 teams. Gurney said later that he took great satisfaction in proving wrong the critics (including some members of the Ford team) who predicted the two great drivers, normally rivals, would break their car in an effort to show each other up." Wikipedia.

[Qikbbstang]

to be astonished at the sandblast like wear on anything that faces the wind and the grunge and grime that build up. Ive been fortunate to have been in the pits up close and personal at both Sebring and Daytona to see the carnage. The term Rode Hard And Put Up Wet ..  never had more meaning.