F40 LM Restoration

Me too. Next week we hopefully do corner weighting etc and then back to the find a suitable track for final set up, then Anglesey and then finally, video. Consequently I am afraid there is more of the journey to travel yet.

 

It is a complex minefield as we found out on our first proper test. We do have a base set up from CM and are now working with a very well experienced suspension set up expert to try and nail it. We will aim more for a track set up as that is where the car will probably spend more of its life as there is limited pleasure to be had on the UK roads, albeit nice to know it is road legal. We are not after the ultimate set up, just one with as few bad traits as possible and thus from an aero perspective, it is only really the rear we need to play with and that is pretty basic and thus straightforward. Hopefully.

 

What I don't really want is a hot shoe, keen to get back behind the wheel of his past dream and relive a few moments! Consequently, currently working with Dickie Meaden who seems to know his way around things generally and has driven most including last years Audi Le Mans winner. He clearly has sympathy with the car and appears sensible in his approach.

 

Regretfully, this story and thread still has legs.

We only completed part of the test due to the problems recounted, so before the article comes out, we need another session at Anglesey with Evo to complete what we started. Yes they have most of the stills now, but they need some full on driving video and impressions, so a few months still to go. Meanwhile we have to get our new suspension set up which is not the work of a moment.

 

Today was corner weighting day now that our new shocks are on. I am waiting to hear the results which should be interesting.

Good to see Colin, her official minder, keeping a weather eye on proceedings.
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And another
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A final shot from the day.
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Results in from our corner weighting and quite interesting as regards F40 weights, about which much has been posted on this forum.

We show a dry weight allowing for no fuel, but oil and water, of approx 2475lbs (1125kg) which compares well with the U.S. car measured on this forum of 2835lbs, a saving of approximately 360lbs. We are also approx 135lbs lighter than a euro car, also weighed on this Forum at 2609 (2773 with full fuel), which makes sense as it is not as though there is much flab on these cars in the first place and also it should be remembered that a certain amount of extra weight goes back into the car with the wider wheels etc.

I accept our car is not one of the original Michelotto cars, supposed to be 1050kg, but I am not sure how they got there, unless it was totally dry without any fluids whatsoever as we are, in theory, 75kg heavier. Our car is as light as possible, and the only additional weight we carry over a Michelotto LM would be our heat insulation on the firewall and tunnel etc, maybe a little additional wiring, an extra passenger seat, a handbrake and other kit to make it road legal. and two waste gates (as it raced), rather than a single. What can that total 25kg max and that would still make us theoretically 50kg heavier.

In other words, unless the Michelotto cars were weighed dry with no fluids at all, I cannot see how they got there. With no oil and water, I could see it.

Regardless, in our relatively low boost mode, we now have some definitive figures from Dyno and scales, so we have 720HP to drag 2475 lbs about, and I am not sure how that relates to modern super and HyperCars, but I suspect pretty well.

 

I should have added that that is the lightest spec euro car, non cat, non adjustable, Perspex windows etc.

 

Thanks for those comparisons. Looks very encouraging and slightly back to the future when considering the progress over a quarter of a century's evolution.

 

A quick update.

Finally, amongst the biblical downpours and the wettest summer on record, we managed a mornings testing at Donnington surrounded by all the BTCC teams, again with Dickie Meaden at the helm. Needless to say we had Colin and Kevin there, as well as Simon our suspension guru, and to quote DM, 'she felt sweet as the proverbial nut' and naturally as we had the whole team there, we had no issues and didn't even need to make any adjustments to the suspension, it appears the initial shop set up and corner weighting had nailed it. So typical, you have everyone there and they are just hang around with thankfully nothing to do! Had we not, you can guarantee there would have been issues.

Did 20/25 laps without any problems, ran through the three power settings as well as the traction control and overall a great result and again a testament to Kevin and all the boys at Mototechnique that mechanically she just seems to run so well bearing in mind they are a restoration shop rather than a race shop. DM did say that the power delivery was remarkably linear, more so than a standard car, even at the higher settings, which is also good news given the amount of power and that the car 'made Donnington feel rather small!' So now we really are ready for our final date with Evo at Anglesey, but it looks like finally we have released the potential,that DM saw from the first drive.

 

More to follow
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More pics from the day to follow when I get to a computer rather than an ipad
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