Interior
Seats
I had an upholsterer next to Fran's shop build me a set of seats exactly the same as the originals. Fran loaned him a set of original seats and the result is below. The center piece snaps in per the originals. The brass grommets are just like the originals. The back of the seat pivots allowing access to the rear bulkhead panel.
The seats bolt to the floor with 5 1/4-20 x 3/4" bolts, lockwashers and nuts. Schroth Profi-III ASM 2" lap belts and 3" shoulder straps hold the occupants safely in place. The lap belts have snap-in end and attach to forged steel eye bolts that attach to the rear bulkhead.
The shoulder straps will be attached to the roll bar through the rear bulkhead via snap-in ends. For now, I just threw them over the seats to get an idea how they will look. How does "KILLER" sound?
Dash
First I sanded the dash with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper to remove any mold wax and to smooth the surface.
And sanded and smooth...
Time to drill the holes for the gauges. Since the holes are nearly the size of the pads on the dash, centering the cuts is imperative. Here, I measured three times and then processed to cut.
All done and ready for the gauges...
Here is a layout of what my dash will look like...
I do have a small problem with the dash fitment. When I installed it all the way in, there is a space of about 1.5 inches between the spider and the dash all the way around. The painter added material to the front edge and now it tucks up nicely the the windshield.
I fabricated a couple of switch plates like the originals to house my dash switches. The panels are made from .060 5052 aluminum.
I tested the use of Dymo labels as used on original cars, but felt it just wasn't professional enough looking. Looks "tough" and conveys it's a race car though.
I found a company in Granbury CT called Aircraft Engravers (http://www.engravers.net/) that make engraved panels for aircraft. I talked with them about what I wanted to do and they said it would not be a problem. I sent them a dimensional drawing and had them make the large and small switch plate panels in .062 thick black with white letters. The switch panels come with an adhesive backing that is activated with water.
The tachometer is directly in front of the driver - what'd you expect in a race car? The speedometer is at the far right. Just the thing to entertain the passenger!
There are separate fuel level gages for the left and right fuel tanks, matching the separate switches for the left and right fuel pumps. There are also gauges for oil pressure, water temperature and a voltmeter.
Original GT40's used a Zephyr dash grille. The dash in the RCR GT40 is a clone of an original, and the defogger (demister) opening in the dash is made to fit a Zephyr grille. I lucked out and found an original Zephyr grill on eBay but had to pay $250 (ouch!)
It arrived all preped for painting. I painted it satin black
Ken Pike (Kens Customs) also applied his majic to the dash. He extended the lip near the windshield, sealed the raw fiberglass on the inside, and applied two coats of primer. I will now paint it satin black like original cars.
I sanded the dash with 400 grit wet sandpaper and then applied two coats of satin black acrylic enamel. It now has all the gauges and switches installed and wired up.
The dash installed in the car for the last time!!
Inside Door Release
Original cars had the inside door release on the top of the door sill near the window. I preferred a clean uncluttered look and went with a design that attaches to the inside door panel towards the front of the car. it is attached to the door latch with a steel cable.
Door Latches
After fitting the doors, it was time to install the Bear Claw door latches. Some builders have installed the latch on the outside of the, while others put it on the inside like a production car. Either way, the striker bolt will not engage the latch because of the distance between the bulkhead and the door.
Some have built simple pedestals to move the striker bolt closer to engage the latch. However, I wanted something that looked more "production" and not "ad-hoc".
I did some searching on the Internet and came up with a really cool solution that accomplishes what I want - functionality and aesthetics.
I purchased two die cast aluminum boxes from Bud Industries (P/N CU-124). The box measures 2.37" wide x 4.67" long x 1.21" deep. Next, I purchased two Bear Claw striker bolt mounts (P/N BCL-2) since the striker bolt mounts do not come with the RCR kit.
So here is what I started with...an aluminum box and a mounting plate
I removed the backing plate and floating nut from the striker plate, drilled a hole in the box lid for the striker bolt, and then installed the backing plate and floating nut onto the back side of the box lid with 4 1/8" pop rivets.
The striker bolt mounting hole is offset to allow the builder to position the striker bolt for variations in door fitment, plus the fine adjustment of the floating nut. The box will be powdercoated satin black. It will be attached to the bulkhead with 4 ea 1/4-20 x 1.00 machine screws and nutserts. This allows removal of the nutplate and/or adjustments without having to reach inside the rear clip.
Shifter
The car is built like an original with right had drive and right hand shift. The slick cable shifter is a departure from the original rod linkage used on the originals. But I didn't feel like I had the skills to design the linkage.
The shifter is mounted to an aluminum plate welded to the right fuel sponson. I measured where to cut the hole for the shifter rod to come through, and then got out my trusty (and well used) Bosch jig saw.
I cut two holes in the rear of the tub for the cables to pass through. Rubber grommets will be installed after the chassis comes back powdercoated
The cables pass through the tub and then exit out an oval cut into the chassis.
I fabricated a shifter cover from 16 ga mild steel. It will be covered with leather.
Here is the cover covered in leather
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After I got the car home from the painter and auto upholsterer, I began installing the interior pieces. Here, the kill switch is installed in the rear bulkhead next to the driver's seat.
Underneath the dash in the corners are the fuel fill tubes, fuel tank vents, and the bolts that attach the door hinge. It's rather unsightly, so I fabricated some panels to cover that area up. They're made from some .060 aluminum and bent to fit the contour of the chassis as well as provide a mounting place for the fresh air vent cable.
Here is what it looks like without the panel...
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And here is the panel installed...
