I really enjoyed that. Some of these types of videos come across as "Look how clever I am." or "Look at how rich I am by just throwing money at all the problems I had with it.." But these video's don't come across like that at all. Very well done. Thank you. You have a subscriber.
Amazing build, maybe you say you're not fun at parties, but i could listen to you hours on end without getting bored, I love the technical stuff. Good job dude , you have something to be proud of
Amazing story, just finished watching all four parts. Well edited video and great narration. This reminds me a lot of Kurt Bilinski’s Kimini/Midlana cars and his process. “Simplify, then add lightness” Nice job. 😊
You would be a great friend for sharing auto experiences Ben. Congratulations on a terrific build. I have a similar project in some what reverse order. I found a Ferrari Dino replica with VW power across country and bought it. Great hand laid cloth body with structure to supplement the VW pan. I bought an FFR 818 (mid engine) unassembled and I am marrying the two. The flat four turbo is not my thing and a NA Acura J series V6 is going in. That requires a new rear suspension and the front is fraught with bump steer. The image I am going for is a race car adapted for the street with the roll cage interior. Lots of hand fabrication. We did vintage race a GT40 MKIV. Stick with the SBF. jim
I have just binged the 4 parts of this story and found it very compelling viewing. You are a great story teller Ben. And a great car builder. I moved away from keeping a couple of old MGBs on the road to restoring a couple of fibreglass dinghies and now building a ply, clinker sailing dinghy, but the drive and inspiration to succeed are just the same. As is the inclination to keep costs down. Keep on keeping on.
Good stuff. I used to compete SCCA SOLO in the late 80s in Florida. I miss it. Currently restoring an antique aircraft that hasn't flown in 50+ years. It's about the project and learning.
Great videos, you should continue to make more videos. I am currently building a McLaren M6B GT and have done the same thing you did. I'm finished building the monocoque tub and mounted all of the suspension, engine, and trans (I bought the body from a guy that makes replacement parts for the McLarens). I really like that you are sharing how you did things, very helpful to me. Keep them coming.
If you paint a white line along the driveshafts you would be able to see if they twist at all. i would imagine they would twist before they actually break.Thanks for the great series of videos that you have made.
I would like some more please! Well done in all aspects. Great build, enjoyed the video style and production. Keep doing what gives you joy and others will come along for the ride.
Wonderful video about making your car the way you wanted it to be. I watched all 4 episodes. You made your journey a realistic and fun adventure. Great ending philosophy. C. Ellis
Seriously inspiring, thank you for telling the story of building a DIY American icon racecar such as the GT40, and then taking us along for your thoughts in the design process and how you solved all these things, but most of all I want to say thank you for being such a great storyteller and posting this video.
This series is SO good. Thank you muchly! None of it done on a computer it seems. My kinda guy. Love the No Step helmet sticker! Been fabricating w/sheet metal my entire life in my rust repair shop. Always thought I had a car in me to construct. This is THEE best inspiration I've seen as of yet. Oh, and 600 lbs. lighter is just way too much coolness.
Hi! Really enjoyed your journey! Your presentation skills are great! I’ve built a Countach replica and can sympathize with issues that arise! I do have some handling and suspension issues to go through, but mostly spring rates, and alignment. I’d love to do a GT 40 as well, but I’m going to be building an 03 F car tribute next. (C5 suspension adapted to center lock wheels, a Ferrari 456 V12 adapted to a G20 six speed LSD Porsche transaxle) I am thinking aluminum monocoque for chassis in leu of a carbon fiber tub.
Hands Down you Rock Brother!!! Awesome build, Awesome Content & looking forward to many more series to come. Thank You. Greatly Appreciate the work & dedication
Great job on the car and the videos! Hope you're able to get it on a track some day soon and run it at speed. I grew up dreaming of GT40s, Shelby Cobras and Mustangs. In my shop I have a 2000 NB Miata poised for a V8 swap, on hold due to a family medical challenge - kind of a practical Cobra project. Hope to get it done in 2024, and hope to get it on a track at least once. Wondering if your son has watched Ford v Ferrari, and if that helped rekindle his GT40 interest? My favorite movie of the past 10 years.
What a wonderful series!! Thank you for making an antidote to all the endless clickbait car youtube crap! Thank you for taking us on this journey! If you need any measurements from a Lotus 23B I might be able to help you out in the future :)
Nice job. Great build series. Loved the self analysis. My friend and I that are building in his case a 61 bug eye sprite and me with my 69 datsun roadster roll through the same stuff. We laugh because we usually end up building whatever component 3 times. Thanks for the inspiration.
I hate having to do things over again and it seems like I’m always just about to finish something when I realize something I should have done at the start and get to re-do it. If I could learn to love redoing things, I’d be the happiest person alive.
Thank you Ben, very interesting and I did watch the whole four series! However, GT40's were not really meant to drive around cones! Please put it on an open fast track, like it should be used!
LOVED IT !!! What a wonderful journey and, as you rightly point out, with race cars (and aircraft) ... it is never ending. I have 3 favorite Cars ... and know my step Grandfather had them all (from a DB5 to a MB 500K). The 1936 Auburn Boat Tail Speedsters, the D-Type Jags and of course the GT40's. As a reference point, I'm a retired Aerospace Engineer (lived/worked in 38 Countries over my 40 year career) and drive a C6 Z06 here in the French Riviera. Kudos Bro !!!
I used to own a replica of a 36 Auburn Speedster! Long story but the gist is a relative had it and rats had made it their home. I helped fix it up and ended up with it for a while.
@@benbeames Cool !!! I know they handle like a Barge but they sure are pretty !!! BTW, the remedy for mice/rats in you engine bay (or other tight spaces) is "Cotton balls dosed with Peppermint Oil". Does kill them but drives them away in seconds; you do have to keep putting more oil on like a monthly basis. They made a mess of my in-cabin air filter ... a few drops and it stopped. And kinda smells good.
Great story- If you documented the build I'm sure someone would want to replicate what you did. Hummm a replica of a replica. Imitation is the ultimate compliment :)
Watched all four of your GT40 videos and absolutely loved them! I’ve always thought that it is such a shame that an American icon like the GT40 is so hard to “affordably” build in America, while the UK and Australia have a pretty nice selection of kits to shop from. I’m hoping some day someone will offer up their chassis plans and create a “open source” type of community. They might even make some money from ad revenue and by drop shipping some of the store bought tools and parts 🤷🏼♂️
I would be all over building one from your plans. I was going to build the Tornado style kit from the steel tubing flat pack, but would much rather make a tub like yours. Your design is so much more modern, better looking, and lighter!!!!!
Loved the series on the GT40, it’s been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I found two of the books in your reading list fairly easily. Do you have a more detailed list of your references with authors and publishers? I’m starting a bit of a collection as you’ve inspired me to get into some real detail with your project. Thanks!
Your presentation and work are impressive! Just curious if you could give me any suggestions. I would like to build a replica Aston Martin DB5 (james bond) for legal street use. Traditional english wheel and tig welded aluminum body. What currently available car would you use as a chassis starting point? Your thoughts would be most greatly appreciated.
That sounds amazing! I wish I could offer some help, but I don’t know too much about road car chassis. You probably already know this, but you could start by finding a car with ladder chassis that’s got a similar track and wheelbase to the Aston. If you can’t find one close enough you can take a larger ladder frame and cut a length out of it somewhere and weld it back together.
11:03 The driveshaft shops are in general pretty snobby about their work. In spite of that, maybe one out of ten actually do a good job. Some of the good ones are expensive, but some very well known names in the US that do a great job nationally (mail order) are not that pricey. For me, both Tom Woods and Denny’s are about 1/2 the cost of “the local guy” and I haven’t had a bad one shipped to me, yet. Two ‘local’ guys have done bad work, and a third one I found out actually ships out to an expensive shop in New Hampshire which explains their price.
Very cool project, I was always very into GT40's ever since I had one that came with my Strombecker slot car track about 1965. If you are thinking about another project that would be even cooler because it would be so exclusive, build a Chaparral clone! As far as I know, no one has ever done it. That would be awesome!
Amazing skills and a great series - binged the whole thing. No idea why you don't have 1M subs but there you go - maybe a bikini on the thumb will do it - sigh ...
"Just want to have some fun" is the key to life, hobbies...great series.
I really enjoyed that.
Some of these types of videos come across as "Look how clever I am." or "Look at how rich I am by just throwing money at all the problems I had with it.."
But these video's don't come across like that at all.
Very well done.
Thank you.
You have a subscriber.
Amazing build, maybe you say you're not fun at parties, but i could listen to you hours on end without getting bored, I love the technical stuff. Good job dude , you have something to be proud of
Amazing story, just finished watching all four parts. Well edited video and great narration.
This reminds me a lot of Kurt Bilinski’s Kimini/Midlana cars and his process.
“Simplify, then add lightness”
Nice job. 😊
Pure FUN - Thanks for sharing just a glimpse of your journey. Very inspirational..... 👍👍😎👍👍
Watched all 4, not what I was expecting. Really got me to thinking. Good job.
You would be a great friend for sharing auto experiences Ben. Congratulations on a terrific build. I have a similar project in some what reverse order. I found a Ferrari Dino replica with VW power across country and bought it. Great hand laid cloth body with structure to supplement the VW pan. I bought an FFR 818 (mid engine) unassembled and I am marrying the two. The flat four turbo is not my thing and a NA Acura J series V6 is going in. That requires a new rear suspension and the front is fraught with bump steer. The image I am going for is a race car adapted for the street with the roll cage interior. Lots of hand fabrication. We did vintage race a GT40 MKIV. Stick with the SBF. jim
Everything you just said sounds AWESOME!!!
Fantastic series of videos. Thanks for posting. Great project and you give us lots of ideas. Cheers from Texas
Great series of videos! Thank.
The Driveshaft Shop made my axles also. They do beautiful work for a fair price.
I have just binged the 4 parts of this story and found it very compelling viewing. You are a great story teller Ben. And a great car builder. I moved away from keeping a couple of old MGBs on the road to restoring a couple of fibreglass dinghies and now building a ply, clinker sailing dinghy, but the drive and inspiration to succeed are just the same. As is the inclination to keep costs down. Keep on keeping on.
Thanks! I want to know more about this sailing dingie! I used to live down the road from a small yacht harbor and always loved sailing.
Good stuff. I used to compete SCCA SOLO in the late 80s in Florida. I miss it. Currently restoring an antique aircraft that hasn't flown in 50+ years. It's about the project and learning.
What kind of aircraft? I like race cars with rivets because secretly I want WWII era airplane!
Great videos, you should continue to make more videos. I am currently building a McLaren M6B GT and have done the same thing you did. I'm finished building the monocoque tub and mounted all of the suspension, engine, and trans (I bought the body from a guy that makes replacement parts for the McLarens). I really like that you are sharing how you did things, very helpful to me. Keep them coming.
Fantastic story and great work!!!! Love it.
What a fantastic series. Thanks for the inspiration.
Super super awesome video series. Love to hear that you’re planning to keep working on the car and not just dump it and build something new.
If you paint a white line along the driveshafts you would be able to see if they twist at all. i would imagine they would twist before they actually break.Thanks for the great series of videos that you have made.
I've been a bit lazy latley thanks for the inspiration to get back in the garage!!
What a cool series! Such a cool build and a great outlet to spend time with your son
I would like some more please! Well done in all aspects. Great build, enjoyed the video style and production. Keep doing what gives you joy and others will come along for the ride.
Working on some more videos!
Wonderful video about making your car the way you wanted it to be. I watched all 4 episodes. You made your journey a realistic and fun adventure. Great ending philosophy. C. Ellis
Seriously inspiring, thank you for telling the story of building a DIY American icon racecar such as the GT40, and then taking us along for your thoughts in the design process and how you solved all these things, but most of all I want to say thank you for being such a great storyteller and posting this video.
Thanks! And thanks for making it all the way through, I know it’s pretty long.
@@benbeames definitely worth it!
I would love to see the VINWiki guys pick you up for an interview to tell your story there
This series is SO good. Thank you muchly! None of it done on a computer it seems. My kinda guy. Love the No Step helmet sticker!
Been fabricating w/sheet metal my entire life in my rust repair shop. Always thought I had a car in me to construct.
This is THEE best inspiration I've seen as of yet. Oh, and 600 lbs. lighter is just way too much coolness.
Do it! I guarantee you have more metal working skills than me! Make some thing awesome!
@@benbeames Thank you!!! Yeah, your tub construction looks BEAUTIFULLY simple.
So great to watch, thanks for sharing all this!
Thank you for sharing your story! I’ve spent my whole life learning and growing, always glad to see other “doers” and less “talkers.”
Hi! Really enjoyed your journey! Your presentation skills are great! I’ve built a Countach replica and can sympathize with issues that arise! I do have some handling and suspension issues to go through, but mostly spring rates, and alignment. I’d love to do a GT 40 as well, but I’m going to be building an 03 F car tribute next. (C5 suspension adapted to center lock wheels, a Ferrari 456 V12 adapted to a G20 six speed LSD Porsche transaxle) I am thinking aluminum monocoque for chassis in leu of a carbon fiber tub.
Hands Down you Rock Brother!!! Awesome build, Awesome Content & looking forward to many more series to come. Thank You. Greatly Appreciate the work & dedication
Thanks!
Great job on the car and the videos! Hope you're able to get it on a track some day soon and run it at speed. I grew up dreaming of GT40s, Shelby Cobras and Mustangs. In my shop I have a 2000 NB Miata poised for a V8 swap, on hold due to a family medical challenge - kind of a practical Cobra project. Hope to get it done in 2024, and hope to get it on a track at least once.
Wondering if your son has watched Ford v Ferrari, and if that helped rekindle his GT40 interest? My favorite movie of the past 10 years.
Thanks Ben! It was great to watch the journey and the process.
And thanks to you, the man that got me into ear racing!
A fantastic achievement and a very nicely made video series to go with it - congratulations on both. More, please - anytime you're ready :)
Excellent series, thanks for putting it up there.
What a wonderful series!! Thank you for making an antidote to all the endless clickbait car youtube crap! Thank you for taking us on this journey! If you need any measurements from a Lotus 23B I might be able to help you out in the future :)
Great series, great car!
Great series, love the car! Thanks for making the vidoes.
Nice job. Great build series. Loved the self analysis. My friend and I that are building in his case a 61 bug eye sprite and me with my 69 datsun roadster roll through the same stuff. We laugh because we usually end up building whatever component 3 times. Thanks for the inspiration.
I hate having to do things over again and it seems like I’m always just about to finish something when I realize something I should have done at the start and get to re-do it. If I could learn to love redoing things, I’d be the happiest person alive.
Thank you Ben, very interesting and I did watch the whole four series! However, GT40's were not really meant to drive around cones! Please put it on an open fast track, like it should be used!
LOVED IT !!! What a wonderful journey and, as you rightly point out, with race cars (and aircraft) ... it is never ending. I have 3 favorite Cars ... and know my step Grandfather had them all (from a DB5 to a MB 500K). The 1936 Auburn Boat Tail Speedsters, the D-Type Jags and of course the GT40's. As a reference point, I'm a retired Aerospace Engineer (lived/worked in 38 Countries over my 40 year career) and drive a C6 Z06 here in the French Riviera. Kudos Bro !!!
I used to own a replica of a 36 Auburn Speedster! Long story but the gist is a relative had it and rats had made it their home. I helped fix it up and ended up with it for a while.
@@benbeames Cool !!! I know they handle like a Barge but they sure are pretty !!! BTW, the remedy for mice/rats in you engine bay (or other tight spaces) is "Cotton balls dosed with Peppermint Oil". Does kill them but drives them away in seconds; you do have to keep putting more oil on like a monthly basis. They made a mess of my in-cabin air filter ... a few drops and it stopped. And kinda smells good.
What a great Story.
🌎🏆effort. Great outcome. Treasure your son's time.
Great story- If you documented the build I'm sure someone would want to replicate what you did. Hummm a replica of a replica. Imitation is the ultimate compliment :)
Ha!
Loved this!
Watched all four of your GT40 videos and absolutely loved them!
I’ve always thought that it is such a shame that an American icon like the GT40 is so hard to “affordably” build in America, while the UK and Australia have a pretty nice selection of kits to shop from.
I’m hoping some day someone will offer up their chassis plans and create a “open source” type of community.
They might even make some money from ad revenue and by drop shipping some of the store bought tools and parts 🤷🏼♂️
I’ve been thinking about the idea of an open source site too. If someone set that up I’d contribute everything I can to it.
I would be all over building one from your plans. I was going to build the Tornado style kit from the steel tubing flat pack, but would much rather make a tub like yours. Your design is so much more modern, better looking, and lighter!!!!!
How did you mate the steel frame to the aluminum frame?
Blind rivets: www.mcmaster.com/97517A045/
Loved the series on the GT40, it’s been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I found two of the books in your reading list fairly easily. Do you have a more detailed list of your references with authors and publishers? I’m starting a bit of a collection as you’ve inspired me to get into some real detail with your project. Thanks!
I'm getting asked that a lot lately. I'll have to put something proper together.
Sounds great, I appreciate it. I’ve got plenty of reading material for a few weeks now, lol.
Your presentation and work are impressive! Just curious if you could give me any suggestions. I would like to build a replica Aston Martin DB5 (james bond) for legal street use. Traditional english wheel and tig welded aluminum body. What currently available car would you use as a chassis starting point? Your thoughts would be most greatly appreciated.
That sounds amazing! I wish I could offer some help, but I don’t know too much about road car chassis. You probably already know this, but you could start by finding a car with ladder chassis that’s got a similar track and wheelbase to the Aston. If you can’t find one close enough you can take a larger ladder frame and cut a length out of it somewhere and weld it back together.
11:03
The driveshaft shops are in general pretty snobby about their work. In spite of that, maybe one out of ten actually do a good job. Some of the good ones are expensive, but some very well known names in the US that do a great job nationally (mail order) are not that pricey. For me, both Tom Woods and Denny’s are about 1/2 the cost of “the local guy” and I haven’t had a bad one shipped to me, yet. Two ‘local’ guys have done bad work, and a third one I found out actually ships out to an expensive shop in New Hampshire which explains their price.
Very cool project, I was always very into GT40's ever since I had one that came with my Strombecker slot car track about 1965. If you are thinking about another project that would be even cooler because it would be so exclusive, build a Chaparral clone! As far as I know, no one has ever done it. That would be awesome!
I LOVE a this idea!
I want to know so much more. I love home built cars and building a gt40 is a dream of mine.
Brilliant !
1st video: "I'm not an engineer."
4th video: "So I decided to do the math." (Pulls out a book full of calculations & data.)
Amazing skills and a great series - binged the whole thing. No idea why you don't have 1M subs but there you go - maybe a bikini on the thumb will do it - sigh ...