F40LM - Restoration or Evolution?

'EVO' it!
Make a GTE! X-trac seq. gearbox
Wide body, 'Banana' wing
GTE brakes, rims and suspension
Dual filler caps etc etc

 

If it were mine I would sensibly evolve it to modern standards, but always keep the link to the past with some of its little "one offs" if they are not too intrusive in the car.

Its never going be a stock f40 again, even if anyone went that route its past would always be brought up, and its never going to be seen as an original LM or a GTE by the nay sayers, for the same reasons.

Its a bloody good top flight gentlemans racer so I would make it the best one out there in such a category.

If the LM spec brakes are better then I would swap them out, if not then keep them as they are. Ditto for the interior.

Its the F40 an enthusiastic owner would build for themselves, luckily for you someones already done the hard work, a quick spruce up and she is ready to go

 

Yes, make it a GTE EVO .

 

IMO, the proper mind set in a modified car is that the money spent is spent; you are not going to get a significant value increase. With that in mind, spend what makes sense for your purposes to enjoy the car.

I am not an expert on F40 race cars, but I am not sure any have significant enough provenance that the history enhances the value significantly. Did any win anything like Le Mans with a truly famous driver? It is not like Fangio, Moss, Hill or other truly famous road racers from the golden age of sports car racing drove F40s. The car post-dates many of the truly famous events like Mille Miglia, and Carrera Panamerica.

I'll defer to experts on possible value adds with modifications, however.

 

I would keep it as close to the specification it was at when it was racing in the BPR series, including the correct period livery.

Perhaps give the next revival series a bash and have a good few races?

No sense in upgrading it to a spec that it never was when it raced in anger.

 

First we need pics!

2nd very nice car no matter what you do!

3rd I'd keep the 962 brakes that's a cool story.

 

I'm no expert either but here are my thoughts:

When I read your post, my thought was to GTE it, but within reason, so it's sort of a better LM but not a full EVO. You don't want to lose the spirit of the car.

If anything is due for replacement, don't spend the money to replace it with something old that's expensive. Replace it with the logical part that it would have been replaced with keeping in the spirit of the car - but within reason. For example, if you have to replace the brakes, replace them with the big 4 piston Brembos that are spec-ed on the GTE's along with steel rotors. I'm sure the cost is about the same. On the other hand, if you have to redo the transmission, DON'T go and put in a modern sequential 6 or 7 speed transmission. That would not be keeping it within the spirit of the car for it's era. I'm probably not explaining this right but I'm sure you know what I mean. Anyways, that is my thought.

 

Bam! Great thread on said car.. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=390355

 

The ultimate F40 racers http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45077&highlight=90001

 

Problem with going GTE is swapping out both current expensive LM front and rear clams for even more expensive clams then changing transmission etc, and the reverse i.e going back to BPR spec means finding the original modified clams.

Its a lovely evolved spec as it it, refining that seems to be the way to go which sounds like your plan. Really looking forward to seeing the end result in 2013 hopefully, it will be the ultimate road and track F40

 

I would EVO it to my own spec. I read you're going to track it...

I'd keep the body as it is now, it looks bloody awesome as is. All I would fit is the retro stickers from before.

I'd swap the 962 brakes (which are on the way out?) for modern day Alcon Monobloc's. They are bloody fantastic and much further along than F40 LM brakes.

If the engine needs a refresh I'd go 3.5 stroker with modern management (Link or MoTeC ECU).

As others have mentioned, it's past will always come up and certain people will therefore claim it's worth less because of such and such reasons. Its your car and I'd modify it exactly how you want it.

 

If you have real LM bodywork and not modified street bodywork, you should see about buying these wheels from Mike.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/vbclassified.php?do=ad&id=11163


That said, I think that you have a street chassis with modified street bodywork by the looks of it.