Wow, that must be more than the day Spa treatment! THX and of course you are correct about Wide World performing the work, although Napolis does give them high marks
I don't quite know how it worked out at production stage, but 97881 was the 212th of 213 chassis numbers assigned for USA spec cars, so strictly speaking it is 1 of 2 USA F40 LMs that are among the original 18 by Michelotto (if that makes any sense), the other being 97893 pictured earlier in this thread... Its worth noting that the chassis number is considerably out-of-sequence because the last road-going USA F40 is 93627, also pictured earlier in this thread. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
An example of the previously-discussed paintless exhaust tips bezel... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hey Joe,that was a former IMSA LM correct? Also do you know if there were any things that only the IMSA LM's had? I've noticed three things that it SEEMS that only the IMSA cars have: 1) Front fender louvers 2) The center section of the wing seems to go back further 3) Body color bumperette on rear of car IMSA only details or no? Any input?
Yes it was one of the pair of IMSA cars 79890 & 79891 if Im recalling correctly. Yes you are correct they started life with the vented front fenders. I believe they started life with the standard LM rear wing and without the bumperette... If I had any say, they would remain in full battle dress (IMSA race livery) Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
By the way note that by the time they got to Topeka in the IMSA race series (this was 1990) they had dispensed with the louvered front fenders, and were running brake cooling caps on the wheels, but I only note that spec for one race... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Perhaps one of the most valuable LMs is 74045, because it served as the prototype USA car, then proceeded to become a works LM and raced at Le Mans not once, but twice, in 1995 and 1996... this has the rear bumperette you speak of. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
74045 in the thick of it, 1995 BPR series... leading pair are LMs of course. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I'll have to try to find a picture later, the bumperette I'm thinking of was deeper then that, and didn't wrap around. I have a few shots of a IMSA LM with this, I've never seen it on anything but a IMSA LM.
I know the first few races they ran in IMSA they were much more "standard" looking. Then the louvers and extended wing were added. I have shots of one of the IMSA LM's with the larger bumperette I'm speaking of, and I just noticed what looks to be a small diffuser they added as well in some of your shots? So if a LM has the louvers and extended wing, it has to be a LM spec'd for IMSA?
Diffusers were obviously a bolt-on item so they could be added and removed easily anytime. Remember there wasn't as standardized application for these cars. Check out this pair of club-racers exchanging paint. How many cars can you drive to the track and race without much by way of upgrades? Notice the car on the right with the Nick Mason-designed Lexan engine bay cover for supposed better rear visibility... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Isn't that Pilot car the one that late in it's career got a GTE rear clip? Must have been hard to tell it was still a LM. I think all the actual GTE's that had that "banana" wing rear clip had a much larger diffuser which if I recall this LM never got? Also I think those standard mirrors where never on a GTE. I think the GTE's all had some kind of higher mounted mirrors....
Ryan: 74045 was 'upgraded' to GTE specs by the Pilot Aldix team for the 1996 season. Look at the current issue 171 June/July 2009 of www.cavallino.com and see the notation in "Guida - A guide to all Ferraris produced" section on page 55 and you'll see that it is noted in both the LM count of chassis numbers, and the GTE count of chassis numbers, with a special appendix note: "74045 upgraded to GTE". Of course, it is not unusual for a race team to send a car back to the works with a commissioned order requesting "the latest & the greatest". So there you have it. 74045 is like a cat with nine lives. Well, officially its a horse with several lives! It started as the USA prototype, then became one of the original LMs, then a works GTE. All with official blessing by the red gods...
74045 in current GTE guise... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here she is again with something of an authority on the 'lightweight' Euro Son of Vulcan at the wheel Paul Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here is something else you might know: 74045 always raced under the Pilot Aldix banner, but in the spring of 1995 it started in its first few races in its original RED livery. It was painted in French Blue in time for the 1995 Le Mans and has remained in that livery ever since... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Excellent images by Martin Vincent... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login