Fujimi 1/24 Ford GT-40 Mk.I

In 1967,  the CSI changed regulations such that a three-litre capacity limit was imposed on prototypes which eliminated the 427 Fords.  Fortunately,  J.  W.  Automotive Engineering Ltd.  (JW) & Gulf Oil,  under the capable direction of John Wyer,  saw more potential in the GT40 platform as a Group 4 sports car and extended their GT40 program.

JW modified two of their lightweight GT40s from the 1967 season known as the Mirage M1s.  These kept their lightweight chassis,  but used carbon-fiber reinforced bodywork that outwardly mimicked the original GT40 Mk I. 

In 1968 competition came from the Porsche 908 which was the first prototype built for the 3-liter Group 6.

The result of the 1968 was resounding success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi having a clear lead over the Porsches.  The season began slowly for JW,  losing at Sebring and Daytona before taking their first win at the BOAC International 500 at Brands Hatch.  Later victories included the Grand Prix de Spa,  21st Annual Watkins Glen Sports Car Road Race and the 1000 km di Monza.

A late Le Mans was run in August and was the decider for the International Championship for Makes.  With the GT40 win,  Ford was again at the top.  The winning car,  chassis P/1075 repeated history in 1969 by winning Le Mans again. 

I was always fascinated by this  world championship sports car racer since I was a teen. Half a century later and its still a valid and sleek looking high performance sports car. I chose to build the old Fujimi model le Mans winner 1968 at the hands of Pedro Rodriguez. The kit is very old and the parts are few.  The instructions are not complete and can be confusing.  I recommend you do some research before you start.

For a more detailed look at a typical Fujimi GT-40 kit,  visit this link. Just for additional information, the Fujimi kit was designed in the late 1980s and is what car modelers refer to as a curbside (meaning it doesn't come with a complete engine). Ed

I chose to add an engine to my model.  The resin engine is available from Strada Sports.  It has some very delicate parts such as the carburettors and must be handled with care.  The big challenge is setting the engine block into the existing suspension arms and onto the chassis,  cutting,  filling,  drilling etc is the order of the day.  I added some scratch built parts to the anti roll bar to connect the bottom wishbone supplied by  Strada Sports and wheel hub stabilizer support rods to the tub wall.   used stretched sprue to add the oil lines from the engine block to oil pump,  reservoir and radiators. the photoetch set is by Studio 27 which does offer a little more detail such as the harnesses and grills to the radiators.  The fog lamps don’t fit,  you must modify them or use another set supplied enabling the clear cover to fit properly.  A stopper is supplied as well to fill in the second petrol gasket should you chose to build the MK 1 Le Mans racer. The front suspension arm and wheel hubs are very delicate and must be handled with care, a little filling helps to get the front wheels turning freely. 

The orange and black stripes are a mix of paint and kit decals. the gulf blue and racing orange paints are by Hiroboy. Hiroboy supplies a range of colored  and braided cables should you wish to add them for authenticity to the engine.  the Gulf decals are by speedline .  The kit decals are good but the number roundel is transparent. I used burnt iron color for the exhaust pipes, magnesium  for the gearbox, aluminium, chrome and steel for the engine. The colors are by MM, Gunze and Revell. i did not flatten the chrome wheels supplied. i did apply two coats of gloss to the body since the gulf blue is extremely flat. I believe they leave it up to you to reach the shade you fancy. I used Gunze white as primer. I airbrushed tyre black by Gunze for the bucket seats. The tub is flat black. 

 Having met the challenge and completed the build I felt like i had resurrected enough a very old model by todays standards. This kit cost me well over 100 usd  all in all at the end of the day and would have cost more if I wished to add more details to the engine such as the cables. More parts should have been added by the manufacturer. 

 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ford_GT40#Le_Mans_24_Hour_victories

http://www. supercars. net/cars/691. html#HPvf8IGbquEK8lZq. 99

Amin Ghazzaoui

November 2013

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