2008 Southern GT40 Coupe

• Built at the Southern GT factory
• Four-year build completed in 2008.
• 5.4-litre Ford V8 engine and Quaife (ZF) five-speed gearbox
• Exceptional specification
• Extensively campaigned
• Well known in GT40 circles

This GT40 was built by our vendor in the Southern GT factory over a four-year period, and registered as a new car in 2008. The intention was to build as close a copy of the original 1960s race-car whilst still being road legal. It was therefore possible to incorporate some modern improvement such as larger brakes. Whilst keeping the original wheel size (both width and diameter), the largest possible AP Racing vented discs and callipers were installed. They are, of course, adjustable in balance front to rear.

Southern GT's chassis is said to possess exceptional balance and precise front-end grip. Boasting fully adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars, the car has made a formidable track weapon. There are no electronic aids like traction control or ABS to interfere with the purity of the driving experience. This car is a regular competitor at Goodwood sprints and has been a class winner at the GRRC Sprint for the past ten years. The car's fastest lap at Goodwood is 86 seconds. and it has been radar-timed at 192 mph at a speed trial on an RAF airbase.

The engine is built using a Dart Aluminium Ford small block stroked to 331ci and produces 495 bhp. Weber carburettor bodies are used as a base for individual throttle body Fuel Injection, to give the look of 48IDA Webers but the tractability and improved tunability of modern fuel injection with fully mappable Accel ECU. Running this system the car has achieved an impressive 192 mph at a speed trial event on a closed aerodrome, up from 176 mph achieved at the same event when previously running standard Weber Carburettors.

The engine coolant is kept cool with an electric water pump. As opposed to a mechanical pump, this can pump hardest when the car is stuck in traffic and the engine ticking over, and can tick over when the car is moving at speed with lots of cooling air. An electronic controller ensures that the flow rate matches the engine temperature. There are two powerful fans to draw air through the radiator, one is controlled by the water pump controller and one by a manual dash switch.

The exhaust is a Stainless steel system with 2 x pairs of silencers on V band clamps making them very easy to change over. One set is for road use and the other a quieter 105db (track day) set.

The gearbox is a Quaife ZF 5 speed which uses modern internals in a remade housing which replicates the original ZF unit externally as well as its dog leg first arrangement.

The gear stick assembly includes a flip up lever to safeguard reverse. This gear change assembly is as per an original GT40. These are connected by a tubular (to save weight) rod change system. These all combine to give the slickest of changes for the driver.

The dampers are Koni 2812 adjustable units. These are top end and are fully adjustable for both bump and rebound. Combined with the Eibach dual rate springs, they give a supple ride and excellent grip. The anti-roll bars have been uprated and fabricated in chrome moly tubing for lightness. They too are fully adjustable.

The steering rack internals were replaced with a bespoke machined pair to make it a quick rack, making steering adjustments and corrections at speed much easier, yet still not overly heavy at parking speeds.

The car sits beautifully on genuine knock on lightweight, one-piece (PSE) wheels with Aluminium spinners which looks fantastic. The Avon CR6ZZ 295 and 215 tyres have the correct period look, with tall sidewalls but being a modern compound give phenomenal grip in both the dry and the wet. AP Racing brakes are fitted to the front and rear and are balance adjustable.

The car has a carbon fibre rear clip which saves a lot of weight from the rear, this combined with the aluminium block gives a near perfect weight distribution. Whilst the originals were glass-fibre, interestingly the JWE Gulf cars were the first to make use of carbon fibre strands for added stiffness.

With the vendors intention to build it as faithfully as possible to the original 1960s race-car, the vendor has taken a lot of time and effort sourcing correct or original parts, the level of detail needs to be seen to be appreciated and sets this example above the rest. Items include the body hold down clips, as original, these were sourced from someone breaking a Lightning fighter-jet. The door handles are as per the original, are a casting, not machined from billet as many replicas. The same for the fuel fillers, they are original castings. The dipping rear view mirror is Jaguar, but with a modified stalk as per the originals. The signalling light in rear wing, is a genuine Lancaster bomber marker light.

It has a heated front screen, again a first for the originals, which is why only Fords had heated screens until quite recently when the patent ran out. Unfortunately, the originals didn't have the charging system to keep up with it for long, and one car ground to a halt at Le Mans when the driver inadvertently turned his on.

Air conditioning is fitted, which is a must for such a small cockpit with a large glass-house. The NACA ducts on the front clip are functional, and provide ducted cold air to the eyeball vents in the dashboard. The dash centre vent is similarly functional. Provided the car is moving, they all combine to keep the cockpit cool on the hottest of days.

As a (hidden) nod to modern convenience, there is a cigarette lighter socket in each door pocket.
The headlights are notoriously poor, so although the light units are the originals, the vendor has fitted LED replacement bulbs which according to him work very well.

The vendors have travelled extensively in the GT: to Angoulême, Pau, Champagne and Spa as well as all over the UK. To increase luggage space for touring, two bespoke bags have been made, one to fit under the front nostril section and one to fit under the passenger's legs, while two additional compartments have been fitted in the triangular gap behind the seats. Well campaigned, the car has covered 33,000 miles so teething problems are long gone. It has been favourably reviewed in Classic & Sports Car and Track Driver magazines, and is well known in the GT40 community. According to our vendor it is great fun on the road, with nearly 500bhp available from the fuel-injected 5.4-litre Ford V8 engine and weighing just over 1,000kg, and has a marvellous soundtrack to boot.