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I've always admired the Gardner Douglas 427.
The car has some features which distinguish it
from other replicas of the same type and this shows
original thinking on the part of Andy Burrows, the man
behind the project.
For instance, the chassis is a spaceframe backbone,
which although by no means unique in concept, is far
different from the run-of-the-mill ladderframe or multitube.
It is available in two forms which are essentially
the same. One
is bracketed to accept Jaguar suspension components
(GDJAG), including the independent rear suspension system
which, interestingly, uses the Jag. Drive shafts unmodified. The other is made for GD's own manufacture wishbones,
alloy uprights, special drive shafts, Cosworth hubs,
bearings and brakes;
and the option of Jaguar or Cosworth differential.
Another interesting feature about the car is the way
the bodyshell is mounted on the chassis.
Rather than being solidly bolted down, as is
the case in most kitcars, the GD shell is fixed to the
chassis via a number of flexible rubber couplings.
Not so flexible that the body wobbles like a
jelly but compliant enough to damp out any vibration
which might come from the road or suspension.
The result is a ride which is both smooth and
quiet.
The bodyshell itself is also quite special.
Because the backbone design of the chassis offers
little in the way of side protection in the event of
an accident, the construction of the shell has to incorporate
this safety feature.
This is achieved by using a sandwich construction
for the main sill members and scuttle area where the
cavity is filled with high-density foam.
The floor is also a composite sandwich, with
the front and rear bulkheads and footwells being bonded-into
the whole structure. Anti-intrusion beams in the doors and the very rigid box thus
formed by the bodyshell is capable of withstanding a
heavy side impact.
I once inspected a car which was involved in
just such a nearside smash and the damage was small
considering the seriousness of the accident.
Still on the subject of safety, at the front of the
chassis is a lightweight steel frame which carries the
radiator.
This combined with the moulded front nose section
acts as a crumple zone for head-on protection.
Consideration has also been given to the position
of the fuel tank.
It is situated within the body well away from
the rear of the car and between the wheels, where it
is protected from a side or rear impact.
One other aspect of the whole design which will interest
DIY builders, is that the complete bodyshell with all
the panels, trim, electrics and so on can be removed
from the chassis in about an hour.
This allows unparalleled access for maintenance
or repair - a feature which I would have loved to have
on many of the cars I have worked on.
What's special about the car featured here is that
it has passed the SVA and has a certificate to prove
it. All
of the kits supplied by Gardner Douglas for road use
will now be SVA compliant if built according to the
company's guidelines - a video giving detailed instructions
is available.
The necessary changes to the car to comply with SVA
requirements were relatively small and have not affected
its appearance significantly.
The twin anti-roll bars shown here carry full
seat belt harnesses and are well braced to the chassis,
but inertia reels can be fitted in the middle of the
rear bulkhead and at the correct height.
Recessed instruments, correctly radiused edges to projections,
lights and indicators which have the proper angle of
visibility and comply with markings and rocker switches
on the dashboard are all examples of how subtle changes
were necessary but, unless pointed out, would go unnoticed
by most people.
The Gardner Douglas 427 can accept a variety of engines,
including the Rover V8 and American small block V8s.
On the subject of emissions I can do no better
than quote Andy Burrows: "When the new DVLA registration
scheme was proposed I took up a case directly with the
powers-that-be with regard to newly-built vehicles.
After much badgering and letter writing, the
good people saw things my way.
The outcome is such that newly-built cars submitted
to SVA are now allowed one major component rebuilt to
'as new' condition, hence we were able to avoid a catalytic
engine and fit the more appropriate Chevy.
So the car based on our Euro chassis gets an
'R' plate. Most
of our kits however are, like many others, based on
Jaguar components and so would come under the 'age related'
scheme. As
far as SVA is concerned, all that they (DVLA testers)
need to know is the date of manufacture of the engine
so they can carry out the emission tests accordingly".
From
when the company started trading in 1990, it has always
been the intention to prove the vehicle's qualities
in a racing environment.
There were two objectives to this policy.
One: the harsh use to which the cars would be
subjected would highlight any weaknesses quickly and
allow improvements to be made.
Two: success
in competition would give potential customers confidence
in the product.
It speaks for itself that GD have won several
championships in kitcar and Retro Sports racing.
So,
with all that pedigree and power - the demonstrator
was fitted with a Chevrolet 350 with an output of around
350 bhp - you would expect this car to be a bit of a
handful to drive.
Well let me assure you, the Gardner Douglas is
a honey.
Let's face it, only a few drivers actually venture
on to a race circuit.
What most of us want from a sports car is performance
and handling coupled with a forgiving personality.
We want to feel comfortable trickling along in
traffic or threading our way round the back streets.
We don't want to be fighting the clutch or hauling
on the wheel like we were steering the Cutty Sark in
a force 10. And
when we do get the opportunity to let her rip, we want
a car under us that steers accurately, brakes without
drama, accelerates like a jet fighter but doesn't take
charge or require the skills of a Formula One driver
to control.
The GD had all the desirable qualities mentioned above
and none of the bad. It
even had new SVA-compliant mirrors mounted on the windscreen
pillars that I could actually see out of.
To have a clear, wide view of the road behind
in a Cobra replica is something of a first in my experience.
The 5.7 litre Chevy driving through a Tremec 5 speed
gearbox and a Jaguar IRS mounted in a Euro chassis put
the power down cleanly on the warm dry roads.
It was easy enough to spin the wheels with carelessly
applied power but you needed to be thoughtless to do
so. My
test route took me along a maze of country lanes and
out onto A-roads and the motorway - a really good mix
of driving conditions.
The big car proved to be very quick and surprisingly
nimble.
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a good gearbox, the power band was very flexible. One minute I could be loping along in fifth on the outside
lane of the motorway, having trouble keeping the
speed down to a reasonable level, the next I'd slip
off into a country lane using the superb balance
and poise of the car to corner quickly and safely,
maintaining a high average speed.
All round disc brakes were powerful and progressive
- they felt a little dead to me, but I doubt that
I worked them hard enough to get really warm.
The steering was accurate without being
so quick that I had to keep sawing at the wheel
to maintain a straight line - OK on the circuit
but a pain for normal road use.
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What really impressed me was the user-friendliness
of the car.
Easy to drive quickly, it was very comfortable
and reasonably quiet.
The ride was excellent, thanks to soft-damper
settings and that rubber-mounted body.
For 'soft damper settings' don't read 'sloppy
handling', it was far from that;
the suspension was razor sharp and very
forgiving.
For sports/touring this car will take some beating.
From a practical point of view, full weather
equipment is available, together with a hardtop,
neither of which was tested.
The boot is quite roomy - it's certainly
large enough to take soft bags for a touring holiday,
in addition to the weather equipment.
As for cockpit space, there is ample leg,
thigh and shoulder room and it would have to be
a very large person indeed who couldn't get comfortable
behind the wheel.
This car was fitted with the optional adjustable
pedal box
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FEATURES OF THE GD 427 INCLUDE:
 A race
developed tubular backbone chassis.
Rigid
one-piece semi-monocoque body shell.
Independent
adjustable double wishbone suspension.
Engine
options include Rover V8 and small block Ford and Chevrolet
V8s.
Colour
options for leather interior and exterior paintwork.
5 or 6
speed gearboxes with limited slip differentials.
Full race
spec. available.
Soft and
hard top weather equipment for all-year use.
Split
rim alloy wheels with low profile tyres
0-60 mph
in less than 4 secs.
Speeds in excess of 175 mph where permissible
(depends on engine)
Economical
running costs.
Andy
Burrows would be the last person to claim that his cars
are at the inexpensive end of the market.
A fully built GDEuro, ready to roll and with
a year's Warranty will cost in the region of £32,325
but that's a top of the shop model.
If you are prepared to do some work yourself,
part-built cars are available from a rolling chassis
upwards. Or,
you can build the whole car yourself from a kit, prices
for which start from £1950 for the chassis and £2165
for the bodyshell plus VAT in both cases.
Looking at the price list, I reckon that a good
example will cost around £15/£16K to put on the road.
Which is about par for the course where high
quality Cobra replicas are concerned.
Gardner Douglas Sports Cars, Pinfold Lane, Bottesford,
Nottingham NG13 0AR Tel: 01949 843299
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