New Member from UK

[Andy Sheldon]

Hi

Just thought I would do an introduction post and say Hi.

Although similar to the Montage but different I am building a McLaren M6GT replica.

Chassis will be panelled spaceframe to look like the original Monocoque with replica suspension. Engine is a Chevy small block V8 with a Renault gearbox joined by a custom bellhousing.

I already have an original McLaren M6GT body shell which cost an arm and a leg but I am not that happy about the quality and plan to make it fit properly, give it a good body job and remould the whole thing.

I also have the original tooling to the front screens which are the same as the Montage and will be making Mclaren replica wheels.

I have seen the doors hinged using various methods and would be interested to see a few pictures of how they are done on the Montage as they look much neater than some I have seen done with rod ends.

I look forward to checking the Forum out on a regular basis.

Thanks

Andy

[Blueovalz]

Welcome to the site Andy. We encourage posts and pictures of our member's projects as they build on them, so please indulge us.

Terry

[Andy Sheldon]

Terry
OK and thanks. Picture of my McLaren M6GT body attached. Andy
385

[Sulley]

Hello from Atlanta Andy and welcome to the community! Thanks for introducing yourself and your project. I have always loved the v8 Montage tribute to the M6GT. As Terry mentioned we love the build threads. You can go to Manta Montage general discussion section and start your own build thread on your project and we will follow it. It sounds like quite the project but it will be amazing when you are done and pretty much a 1 of 1 car!

[Blueovalz]

I'm a bit surprised to see a UK interest in the McLaren. Usually it's the Ausies or Kiwis that I see building them, with the GT40s and Lolas being built in the UK.

[Andy Sheldon]

Sulley

I will start a build thread when I get stuck into it. Looks like I might have time in the spring.

Terry

I fell in love with the Montage in the early 1980s but did not know it was a loose copy of a Mclaren. There was no way I could afford to buy a kit back then as the cost in the UK was £10,000 if I remember right and I was only 18 years old at the time.

So I made my own version and even sold some before moving on to another sector of the car market in which I have done OK.

Anyway since then its been finding time thats been the problem. And then the oppotunity to buy the bodyshell cropped up and I thought right its now or never.

Its been sitting there a while now and I started to look around the net for info and thats when I found this Forum.

Thanks

Andy

[Blueovalz]

Andy,

What I would call a "sister" site has an album of a member that did a very well-done scratch-built chassis of an M6gt, but then he sold off the project once he got to the bodywork stage. Had you showed up a couple of months earlier, you would have had an opportunity at a steal of a deal on his excellent work. The link below should take you to his Yahoo account photo albums. Unfortunately, it does not contain a lot of the photos we saw during the buildup of this project, but it should wet your appetite.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Mantacars/photos/albums/217823261

And some videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjddLiKxnZ4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lY40kUcyUA




Terry

[Andy Sheldon]

Terry

Yes I already have seen these videos on you tube and it looked good. I did not know that he had put it up for sale. Shame it was Left hand drive.

I spoke to another guy at a Hillclimb event that had a McLaren M6B chassis Can Am car that he put an M6GT bodyshell onto and he had all sorts of problems getting the body to fit.

This guy must have had the same problems with the body and given up.

I have my own glassing shop so sorting the body out properly and remoulding it will be no problem.

Thanks

Andy

[Jerry]

Welcome Andy,

How much power do you think the Renault transaxle can handle?
There should not be a whole lot of weight on it.

It should turn out to be a great looking car!

[Andy Sheldon]

Jerry

I have run 475 BHP through the Renault box without any problem. As you say these type of cars are not that heavy and the wheels spin and unload the gearbox.

I am planning to have about 400 BHP as the original M6GT was 370 BHP and weighed 1764 lbs.

Thanks

Andy