It's Getting Real Now!


Shmee150

GT Owner
Aug 28, 2018
153
London, UK
Hi all,

The feeling is now well and truly getting real for me as my car with chassis J211 will be arriving on the production line in Markham tomorrow morning!

I've been lurking on the forum for a while but only recently joined. However, I've been reading many threads over time and have truly enjoyed following the processes of so many forum members receiving their cars and using them. As per many of you, I am beyond excited for the new car and I think even more so as the number of them from the allocations so far that we will be receiving in the UK are looking to be limited to approximately two handfuls.

I'll be making the voyage across the Atlantic to Toronto next weekend, which coincidentally is Canadian Thanksgiving, and then making a visit to Markham to see the car in build - which I believe at the time will have engine and chassis in place but awaiting body panels. They had a number of dates available but I was very keen to choose one where there will be distinguishable panels available, in this case I understand the roof will already be in place with my fairly unusual colour scheme of choice on show.

The base colour is Liquid Red; I've not seen a physical car in the paint in person but from the images and then later the sample as part of the Ordering Kit, I don't think one can possibly go wrong with it. The stripes are then from the Extended Palette, or rather a colour I have chosen for a specific reason - Alan Mann Racing Gold. I set about to recreate an old racing livery, with a modern twist, and pay tribute to the Alan Mann Racing team of the 1960s who at the time competed with GT40s, F3Ls and Escorts. In my garage, the GT will sit alongside my Focus RS Heritage Edition (1-of-50 for the UK market only) which itself pays a 50th anniversary tribute to the 1968 Escort as its spiritual predecessor, and coincidentally in that year the winning car of the British Touring Car Championship was operated and wearing the colours of Alan Mann Racing. I'm also a big McLaren fan, currently with a 675LT Spider that's soon to be joined by a Senna, and as it happens Bruce McLaren himself also raced for Alan Mann back at the time. As such I got in contact with brothers Henry and Tom Mann, who operate Alan Mann Racing's heritage activities and they very kindly made it possible for me to source a sample of the paint used on their original cars to be matched for the stripes on my new GT, and for that I cannot thank them enough!

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Naturally, words cannot really describe my excitement to see how it turns out next week. In any case I'm really looking forward to both the personal experience but also the opportunities I have to share this car and what it really means across my social media platforms going forward - and believe me when I say that 2019 will be a big year for my car.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thread, I look forward to sharing more of it in due course.
 

Sinovac

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 18, 2006
5,862
Largo, Florida
That is a great combination. Congratulations.
 

GTJack

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 1, 2006
1,729
Saddlebrooke, MO
Congratulations and enjoy your trip to Canada and Multimatic, eh?
 

txviper

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 31, 2007
613
Very cool story behind choosing your spec. Congrats and enjoy!
 

DakotaGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 9, 2012
1,715
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Very cool and attractive color combination, Shmee. Great idea to incorporate some real meaning into the chosen hues.
 

Apollo

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Aug 5, 2006
2,512
Pahrump, NV
You did well on your color (colour) :wink selection. The liquid red is sooo deep in person, especially in the sun.
My wife and I briefly met you in Le Mans and we have been watching you on your video posts. I find your enthusiasm for the GT refreshing and genuine, and that is really cool since you are able to experience so many high end exotics. This Forum is very rare in that so many of us here share the passion for what the GT represents. I think you will find this an enjoyable group. Looking forward seeing and hearing about your new GT. We also would like to extend an offer of buying you a beer next time we are over the pond.. :cheers
 

STORMCAT

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 25, 2006
7,575
Ft. Lauderdale
Congrats and Welcome Shmee..!! the liquid red is a beautiful color with your gold stripes will be an awesome combo.. can't wait to see the pictures! Enjoy your factory tour.
 

Brombear

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 16, 2013
1,405
Frankfurt Area, Germany
Congrats on the new toy, hope you can experience it often :driving:
 

06fordgt

GT
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Nov 8, 2006
1,910
Toronto Canada
Beautiful combo!! I have seen a similar scheme on an old GT40 done by CAV. It will look fantastic. The red is the best red i have ever seen.
Yes it's Canadian Thanksgiving that weekend. Feel free to pm me and see if we can meet up.
Cheers,
 

Shmee150

GT Owner
Aug 28, 2018
153
London, UK
Thanks for the kind words everyone! I'm very excited to be part of this very special community.

Congratulations and enjoy your trip to Canada and Multimatic, eh?

I've been looking forward to the visit for an awfully long time, but amusingly the car's build was brought forward so I've booked flights only 7 days ahead of time! Bit of carnage to my schedule, but both my partner and I cannot wait to visit Markham and see it all happening.

You did well on your color (colour) :wink selection. The liquid red is sooo deep in person, especially in the sun.
My wife and I briefly met you in Le Mans and we have been watching you on your video posts. I find your enthusiasm for the GT refreshing and genuine, and that is really cool since you are able to experience so many high end exotics. This Forum is very rare in that so many of us here share the passion for what the GT represents. I think you will find this an enjoyable group. Looking forward seeing and hearing about your new GT. We also would like to extend an offer of buying you a beer next time we are over the pond.. :cheers

Thank you for following my story with it so far, I appreciate that an awful lot. It was a very special experience to see all the cars that ventured over to Le Mans to be part of that victory. I do actually expect to have my car in Las Vegas next year as part of a big trip bringing it around the USA, which could be a fun opportunity to meet up again?

Congrats on the new toy, hope you can experience it often :driving:

It's going to spend a lot of time in trucks and planes, but only to experience tracks and the best roads around the world! I intend the car to see 4 continents during 2019 and maybe great places within that.

Beautiful combo!! I have seen a similar scheme on an old GT40 done by CAV. It will look fantastic. The red is the best red i have ever seen.
Yes it's Canadian Thanksgiving that weekend. Feel free to pm me and see if we can meet up.
Cheers,

I'll drop you a PM! Putting plans together now but no doubt will be a bit on the hands of my better half ;)
 

Pro_GT_driver

GT Owner
Jun 23, 2010
131
Tim, a very special combination, it will look fantastic!

One advice: You should stay in a hotel close to Multimatic in order to avoid trafic jams or plan enough time, I once crossed Toronto @thanksgiving and it took me more than 2 hours. 06fordgt for sure is able to give you better instructions.

Have fun:thumbsup
 

Shmee150

GT Owner
Aug 28, 2018
153
London, UK
That doesn't sound fun at all! As I'll mostly be a tourist for the weekend in Toronto, I'm going to stay downtown but will factor in a longer ride to Markham and then onwards to the airport - flying straight out on the day I visit. Thank you
 

ByeEnzo

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Dec 10, 2005
2,299
Fort Worth, TX
Well done Tim! Enjoy the factory tour!
 

Brombear

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 16, 2013
1,405
Frankfurt Area, Germany
It's going to spend a lot of time in trucks and planes, but only to experience tracks and the best roads around the world! I intend the car to see 4 continents during 2019 and maybe great places within that.

That doesn't sound too bad. Quite sure you'll keep us posted, we need our daily Ford GT inspirational dose (and we need it NOW) :facepalm:
 

texas mongrel

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 3, 2009
1,676
Houston Texas
Liquid red is amazing, and that’s the colour I wanted but for some reason they don’t offer it on the LW
 

Shmee150

GT Owner
Aug 28, 2018
153
London, UK
That doesn't sound too bad. Quite sure you'll keep us posted, we need our daily Ford GT inspirational dose (and we need it NOW) :facepalm:

Mine will also spend some time in Frankfurt; as I'm jointly based between there and London - hopefully at some point I'll do some sensible Ring laps with it too.
 

jr66

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 22, 2017
273
scottsdale
Great color choice and on getting a car
 

Shmee150

GT Owner
Aug 28, 2018
153
London, UK
Liquid red is amazing, and that’s the colour I wanted but for some reason they don’t offer it on the LW

I feel like now I'm going to walk into Multimatic and every second car is going to be Liquid Red!
 

Vince H

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 23, 2012
2,423
Southern California
Great color choice and heritage behind it. Your 2019 schedule sounds like one for the ages. Best of luck to you on all fronts.

Vince H
 

Brombear

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 16, 2013
1,405
Frankfurt Area, Germany
Really ? Parking it at Klassikstadt ?