F1 Owner on board

And here is yet again, another question.
Did you have to partake in the McLaren test drive before ownership? If so, how did it go? Who was the instuctor?
Has anyone tried to steel or damage your car? If so result?

-How did you come across these forums?

Plus please post some more pics of your f1s, can you post a pic with all the compartments and doors open from a front on angle? (worth a try).

-Thanks again

-Mike :smokin:

Mike,

Since I didn't buy the car new (ie i wasn't the first owner) and the cars were no longer in production when i bought them (1999) I don't know whether there was any instruction required before taking delivery. I was, however, treated exceptionally well and made to feel like i was buying a car directly from McLaren.

-I was offered a tour of the facility.
-I was fitted to the car (custom seat made for me, whell and pedal adjustements)
-I was offered the opportunity to change anything and everything on the car (color, options,...etc.)
-I was given a chance to test drive the car on their test track (it was wet and cold so i didn't push it hard. lots of leaves on the track at the time).
-I was given basic instruction on the car by one of their employees (i can't remember which).

Noone has tried to steal the car to my knowledge. I don't leave it unattended in public very often.

drewtms told me about the forum.

i'll post more pictures if i take them, most of them are already up here somewhere.

Frank

I have another question Mr. Selldorff if you don't mind. It might seem childish but i'm pretty serious.

If I go to NY and decide to drive to Mass. Is there any way that you would allow me to look at your cars if I contacted you way before....It's a pretty dumb question...not like i'm going to come to NY anytime soon...but just wanted to ask since you're never going to sell the cars...may be next year.

Mr. Selldorff even if you decide to say no...please respond to this message...or pm me if you want.

Thanks again...

Raman B.

Of course. I will share the car readily with true enthusiasts (for non-commercial purposes).

Mr Selldorf, welcome to the board. It's great to see someone like yourself contributing.

I would be interested to know something of the history of your LM. There was a LM that did the UK Gumball Rally a few years ago. It was owned by an economist called David Morrison. There are some photos and info at http://www.racecar.co.uk/gumballrally/index.htm One theory that I've heard on here is that your LM is the same one that did the Gumball Rally. Do you know if that is true?

Thanks for any information.

My LM was previously owned by David Morrison. I bought it with around 3000 miles on it.

hopefully this long question thread will end and you can become a more intergrated member of the forum, but before then i have final question: Do you know anything of the history of 007 (the car, not Mr. Bond)? I heard it was in bonnie scotland during it's first years. is that true?

hopefully this long question thread will end and you can become a more intergrated member of the forum, but before then i have final question: Do you know anything of the history of 007 (the car, not Mr. Bond)? I heard it was in bonnie scotland during it's first years. is that true?

I honestly don't know that much about it's history. sorry.

Have you ever pushed the LM to the limit?

Have you ever pushed the LM to the limit?

no. the clutch is going, so i drove it minimally.

My LM was previously owned by David Morrison. I bought it with around 3000 miles on it.

WooHoo - I got one right!! :lol2:

Actually, that was the answer I was hoping for, and it sparks a few more quesitons from me.

- Do you know why Morrison decided to sell the LM? I know there were reports in the papers about legal troubles relating to his employment, so that's the obvious explanation. If he chose to sell it for another reason, I'd be interested in hearing it if you can share.

- Besides paying a tremendous sum of money, can you explain how the LM ended up in your possession? I would expect the sale of a car as rare and priceless as the F1 LM to be offered in a more public way, such as an auction where competing bidders could really drive the price up to the benefit of the seller. I'm thinking a "Ferrari 250 GTO kind of frenzy" might be created by such an event.

- Do you know if Morrison also owned an F1 road car? I believe that the 5 customer LMs were initially offered only to people who had purchased a road car. If you do know that he had one, can you possibly confirm the color and chassis number of that car? The reason I ask, is because I have an old photo that I believe to be of Morrison's LM in a garage with a burgundy or red F1 road car and a classic Ferrari parked behind it. I can post the photo if you'd like.

- You say that you will not track the LM as it's too valuable. Not that I would want to discourage it, but it leaves me a little perplexed as to why you drive it on the public streets. Certainly on a closed circuit, there are far fewer variables to account for than on a public road. It just seems like a safer place to stretch the legs of such an incredible car to me, even if you're only driving it at 7/10ths.

Once again, thanks to you for becoming a very valuable member of our community. As always, provide as much or as little detail as you choose to.

>8^)
ER

;)


http://speed.supercars.net/boardpics/2003-10-7/1665893-mini%20magica.jpg

btw, what kind of ferrari is that?

A rare one. ;)

I'm a McLaren expert not a Ferrari one. :p If I had to guess, I'd say a 250 Lusso or something like that.

Thanks for posting the pic though. :cool:

>8^)
ER

its clearly got a fabric roof ie. convertable which kinda leaves me in the dark. i am no expert on old ferraris...

WooHoo - I got one right!! :lol2:

Actually, that was the answer I was hoping for, and it sparks a few more quesitons from me.

- Do you know why Morrison decided to sell the LM? I know there were reports in the papers about legal troubles relating to his employment, so that's the obvious explanation. If he chose to sell it for another reason, I'd be interested in hearing it if you can share.

- Besides paying a tremendous sum of money, can you explain how the LM ended up in your possession? I would expect the sale of a car as rare and priceless as the F1 LM to be offered in a more public way, such as an auction where competing bidders could really drive the price up to the benefit of the seller. I'm thinking a "Ferrari 250 GTO kind of frenzy" might be created by such an event.

- Do you know if Morrison also owned an F1 road car? I believe that the 5 customer LMs were initially offered only to people who had purchased a road car. If you do know that he had one, can you possibly confirm the color and chassis number of that car? The reason I ask, is because I have an old photo that I believe to be of Morrison's LM in a garage with a burgundy or red F1 road car and a classic Ferrari parked behind it. I can post the photo if you'd like.

- You say that you will not track the LM as it's too valuable. Not that I would want to discourage it, but it leaves me a little perplexed as to why you drive it on the public streets. Certainly on a closed circuit, there are far fewer variables to account for than on a public road. It just seems like a safer place to stretch the legs of such an incredible car to me, even if you're only driving it at 7/10ths.

Once again, thanks to you for becoming a very valuable member of our community. As always, provide as much or as little detail as you choose to.

>8^)
ER

- I've no idea why Mr. Morrison sold the car
- When the car was presented to me, I was told that I was competing with at least one other individual and the deal was "take it or leave it". i.e. if i didn't meet the asking price then it'd be going to someone else. As I said, I decided to meet the astronomical price rather than miss out on the opportunity to own an LM. I wasn't given much time to think about it, It came up and I had to decide within a day or two. I'm not sure why it didn't go to auction, we'd have to ask Mr. Morrison.
- I don't know about Mr. Morrison's road car, but I do remember being told the story that it was only offered to existing F1 owners.
- After driving it for the first time this summer (I bought it without ever getting inside the car), I realized right away how special it trully was. I decided on the spot that this car won't see much road/track time at all. It will maybe make an appearance or two a year. I'll probably trailer it to and from events to minimize the road hazards you referred to. What I'm thinking about is taking one of my road cars and sending it to McLaren for the LM treatment. That way I can drive a car that sounds and performs like the LM without putting miles on the LM.

let me know if/when you come to the East coast. You deserve to experience it.

Frank

hehe, i live in PA. i'll be up there soon, i really wanna see the Turner shop (i am obcessed with bmw's as well as mclarens especially the e30 m3)

btw, that reminds me. off topic: are turner still working on the e30 m3 project car? and if so, do you know when it will be completed?

Thanks for all the info Mr. Selldorff.

The full LM treatment sounds very nice indeed. I imagine it would be 007 if you decided to do it as it is the car that sees most use. Would you change the colour at the same time? Personally i like the black but that blue car with the LM treatment (011) was stunning. Is there any colour you would particularily like? Oh, and when you bought the cars were items such as the McLaren F1 watch and the bespoke luggage cases passed on to you?

Thanks once again. It really is great to be able to ask these questions and I think I speak for all of us when I say we really appreciate it.

hehe, i live in PA. i'll be up there soon, i really wanna see the Turner shop (i am obcessed with bmw's as well as mclarens especially the e30 m3)

btw, that reminds me. off topic: are turner still working on the e30 m3 project car? and if so, do you know when it will be completed?

Thanks for all the info Mr. Selldorff.

i don't know what the status of the E30 m3 project car. maybe drewtms can answer that. BTW, i just bought an E30 race car to practice with when i have the time. i can't wait, everyone says it's a great car to drive.

Mr. Selldoff, you could buy the upcoming car at christies, it has FULL LM and GTR treatment and other things, it is a unique mclaren.

here is a link with info: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=143872&highlight=christies


its chassis #073.

also, good luck getting it into the US ;)

i don't know what the status of the E30 m3 project car. maybe drewtms can answer that. BTW, i just bought an E30 race car to practice with when i have the time. i can't wait, everyone says it's a great car to drive.


NOOOO!!!!! you now have 3/4 of my dream cars :(

mclaren f1
mclaren f1 lm
e30 race car
e30 m3 sport evolution





is it an e30 m3 race car? would you mind filling me in on the livery? or was it a converted car?

The full LM treatment sounds very nice indeed. I imagine it would be 007 if you decided to do it as it is the car that sees most use. Would you change the colour at the same time? Personally i like the black but that blue car with the LM treatment (011) was stunning. Is there any colour you would particularily like? Oh, and when you bought the cars were items such as the McLaren F1 watch and the bespoke luggage cases passed on to you?

Thanks once again. It really is great to be able to ask these questions and I think I speak for all of us when I say we really appreciate it.

yes, somce 068 is a brand new (never been registered) car, it would seem a shame to fool with it. i haven't put much thought into changing the exterior color, but i would probably change the interior, it's nice but a little differnet (cream and grey and brown).

as for the watches, unfortunately i have asked numerous times but it seems to fall on deaf ears. i have to admit i'd probably keep them if i were them too. so, no i don't have any watches. :(

i do have the luggage though, still in its original plastic so i probably wont use it.

can i have the luggage, lol ;)

You should consider the BMW M3 CSL (if it's legal in the states). It is supposed to be one heck of a car, with a cracking engines. It would be like having your E46 race car on the road. Quick question if i may, do you have any other classics other than the McLarens, something like a mint E30 M3 evo? (3 F1s and an E30 evo, my idea of heaven :iceslolan )

There's a video of the new BMW CSL at http://www.racingflix.com/recentlyaddedvideos.asp (free registration required) It's from the UK Top Gear program that was broadcast last Sunday. BMW have tried to get the CSL's weight down. Apparently the boot floor is even made of cardboard.

BTW thanks Mr Selldorff for confirming the Morrison theory and being so open. It's great to know that at least one of the LM's has found its way into the hands of a true enthusiast. :)

the new csl is NOTHING compared to the E30 M3 Sport Evo IMO

i am a massive e30 m3 fan, but i just can't get enough of the new CSL. I was built using traditional BMW philosophies, just like the original M3. It looks good, sounds terrific and apparently handles like a dream. A true enthusiasts car. And that is what BMW does best.

smg? if they had reg. 6 speed they could have saved more weight (smg is something like 200lbs heavier than the manual tranmission) i like it too but the e30 m3 evo sport will prob. always be my favourite bimmer.

thats a good point. Although the SMG in the CSL is way better than the ferrari system, i still think paddle shifts are a bit of a gimmick and can't compete with a well sorted manual 'box. Anyway, this is a mclaren forum.

i hate like paddle shifts, i actually don't know why, but i just do. i much prefur manual. i guess it could be nostalgia, i dunno

Mr Selldorff,

Thanks for being a true gentleman and car enthusiast:) Your replies and insights are a terrific read.

Personally, living in Australia, i doubt i'd ever get to see (or ride in) a Mclaren unless i planned a trip to UK's Parklane:) Sigh:)
I've recently become a nut about this car and find myself visiting this forum on a daily basis. Heh:)

Anyway, I've always wondered what the approximate maintenence costs are for owning a F1. Excluding taxes and other country-specific costs, what does it cost you to maintain a F1 yearly?
(If this is a sensitive qn, pls don't feel obligated to entertain it:)

Also, does Mclaren offer upgrades to the car? Although it's the perfect road car in almost every aspect, i'm sure that over time, Mclaren would develop little improvements and offer it to owners such as yourself. Is that the case? I was wondering along the lines of upgraded software, carbon-ceramic brakes, engine refinements, etc.
(I'm not really concerned with stuff like LCD screens and MP3 Players, which, IMHO, are superfluous on a car like the F1)

And finally, a short, shotgun qn. How much does it cost to change the exterior color of a F1?:)

Thanks in advance for entertaining my qns:)
It's my dream that one day in the future, i'd have the resources to fully indulge in my passion for cars like you have:)

Cheers!
-Calvin

Personally, living in Australia, i doubt i'd ever get to see (or ride in) a Mclaren unless i planned a trip to UK's Parklane:)

upcoming event in nsw to see a mclaren f1 in the flesh, aswell as xj220 vipers etc etc.... click here (http://www.sch.edu.au/mr.asp?doc=174)




Some of the magnificent and rare vehicles on display include Aston Martins, Bentleys, Corvette Stingrays, Jaguars including the rare XJ220, Dodge Viper, Ferraris, Custom Harley Davison trikes, Hummers, Lotus Elise, Mercedes, Pontiac Firebird, Porsches, McLaren F1, Lamborghini Diabolo, UltIma Spyda, boats and one helicopter.
it will also include eight priceless Porsches from the company'sMuseum in Stuttgart. The $20 million plus collection of Porsches includes the three Le Mans winners etc etc

check it out, entry is about $15 i believe.......

Mr. Selldorff:

How were you able to make LM03 and 068 meet EPA OBD II requirements?

check it out, entry is about $15 i believe.......


HOLY COW!:) THanks for bringing that to my attention!
I'll share pics with you guys after the show!:)

-Calvin

Aw man, that was in 1998! I got all excited for nothing..... sigh

yeah i was gonna say that. one white mclaren was sold through t&c so it may not even be in aus. any more

I just wanted to ask where 068 is and how often you get to drive it.

I have a question that i'm surprised that no one else has asked. What other cars do you have?


Thanks

i think i asked that. lemme check.....

not really. it's been hard to get excited about any other car(s), already owning the best car ever built.

I did and this was the reply, although i only asked if he had any other classics in the collection.

yeah but Mr. Selldorff doesn't say WHAT cars he owns... ;)

ah, good point. BMWs hopefully and none of those nasty mercs.

Mr Selldorff,

Thanks for being a true gentleman and car enthusiast:) Your replies and insights are a terrific read.

Personally, living in Australia, i doubt i'd ever get to see (or ride in) a Mclaren unless i planned a trip to UK's Parklane:) Sigh:)
I've recently become a nut about this car and find myself visiting this forum on a daily basis. Heh:)

Anyway, I've always wondered what the approximate maintenence costs are for owning a F1. Excluding taxes and other country-specific costs, what does it cost you to maintain a F1 yearly?
(If this is a sensitive qn, pls don't feel obligated to entertain it:)

Also, does Mclaren offer upgrades to the car? Although it's the perfect road car in almost every aspect, i'm sure that over time, Mclaren would develop little improvements and offer it to owners such as yourself. Is that the case? I was wondering along the lines of upgraded software, carbon-ceramic brakes, engine refinements, etc.
(I'm not really concerned with stuff like LCD screens and MP3 Players, which, IMHO, are superfluous on a car like the F1)

And finally, a short, shotgun qn. How much does it cost to change the exterior color of a F1?:)

Thanks in advance for entertaining my qns:)
It's my dream that one day in the future, i'd have the resources to fully indulge in my passion for cars like you have:)

Cheers!
-Calvin

-maintenance is hard to calculate on any "normal" schedule. Other than replacing the battery regularly, there is nearly zero maintenance. i had the clutch done once (and it needs to be done again), and that costs around $8K I think.
-you can change anything and everything on the car. the only true options are the HDF kit and sport exhaust (i think). sport exhaust, i was told, involves simply drilling some holes to make it louder :), seriously!
- painting the car was 20 or 30,000 pounds i think.

-i was told they made enhancements to the cars suspension (geometry changes) as the years progressed.
- i don't know whether anything else changed with the engine, the brakes remain the same.

Frank

I have a question that i'm surprised that no one else has asked. What other cars do you have?


Thanks

You're right. my daily driver is a 2000 M5, and i also have a mini S to tool around in. that's it.

i was at a BMW dealer today and put my name on the list for a new 6-series and asked them about the CSL. they had no idea what i was talking about. i guess it's not coming to the states?

you've got taste! I really like the new 6 and i hope this new design direction will work for BMW. You can only get a 645Ci at the moment but there is V10 powered M6 coming late next year. Can't wait!

mmm, m5. so nice. i saw one today. and yes, the csl is definatley not coming to the states (at least not through bmw). i'm sure some will get here though.

Thanks for the reply

What about 068? Where is it and how often do you get to drive it?

Thanks.

he said somewhere on this thread that its in the us and he hasn't "popped its cherry" yet

i hate saying "popped the cherry" btw. dunno why.

sorry, random talk

Thanks chris. Now i'll have to come up with something else or my list of seemingly never ending questions will grind to a halt. Lets see......ah yes. Did it take long to adjust to the central driving position? and is it true that with the belts fastened you can't close the door? (getting a bit desperate now). Thanks.

hehe. lol

Anybody here about the Nieman Marcus Edition 6? It sold out in some 6 or 7 minutes, it was only 50 units but damn, if a company can get that sort of demand for a prdouct, WOW.

I'm sorta surprised that Mr. Selldroff has such a small collection (Roughly 50% of it is Mclaren dominated) but at the same time it's quite smart, why spend a fortune to keep museum peices you'll never drive frequently?

In terms of enthusiasts I think Mr. Selldorff outdoes us all.

BTW, I noticed the Cooper S is popular amongst people who have arguably way faster, more exspenive machines in the stable. This is the 3rd or 4 th case I've seen, perhaps I should try one out.

Mr. Selldroff thank your for giving me the hope that I will get to see my fav. cars someday.

Well, I don't know much about the McLaren factory so here is another set of questions if you don't mind.

-How many sections does the factory have? ex. paint section stuff like that.
-How many cars are at the factory? their own, not customers.
-How long is the track?
-Do you have any pictures of your own experience there?

Once again thanks for answering all of our questions.

Thanks,
Raman B.

Mr. Selldroff thank your for giving me the hope that I will get to see my fav. cars someday.

Well, I don't know much about the McLaren factory so here is another set of questions if you don't mind.

-How many sections does the factory have? ex. paint section stuff like that.
-How many cars are at the factory? their own, not customers.
-How long is the track?
-Do you have any pictures of your own experience there?

Once again thanks for answering all of our questions.

Thanks,
Raman B.


Planning to go into production are we?

Mr Selldorff,

-Have you met Mr Murray?
-Seen any XPs?
-If you could have one other exotic, what would it be? Does a GT40 intrest you, an enzo or would you (like me) just satisfied to own 3 pieces of heaven,

-Mike :smokin:

How long is the track?



they use the chobam test track in surrey i believe (i used to live 20 mins away from there :naughty: )

Thanks chris. Now i'll have to come up with something else or my list of seemingly never ending questions will grind to a halt. Lets see......ah yes. Did it take long to adjust to the central driving position? and is it true that with the belts fastened you can't close the door? (getting a bit desperate now). Thanks.

i'd driven some open wheel cars, so center driving wasn't that big a deal. it makes perfect sense to sit in the middle when you think about it.

no, you can close the door while belted in. there are handles high up on the doors that are made for the driver to use. it's pretty easy, i don't even have to stretch to reach them.

Mr. Selldroff thank your for giving me the hope that I will get to see my fav. cars someday.

Well, I don't know much about the McLaren factory so here is another set of questions if you don't mind.

-How many sections does the factory have? ex. paint section stuff like that.
-How many cars are at the factory? their own, not customers.
-How long is the track?
-Do you have any pictures of your own experience there?

Once again thanks for answering all of our questions.

Thanks,
Raman B.

-the factory i toured was the F1 race team facility, the F1 raod car was out of production, so all there is left is the maintenance facility. the race shop was way cool, i got to see everything! the cars were at a race at the time, but the T-car was there.

-at the road car facility there were 4 or 5 cars being worked on at the time i think.
-i don't remember the name or length of the track.
-no i didn't take any pictures, sorry.

You are one really lucky guy. You have done everything that i've wanted to do in my lifetime already.

Mr Selldorff,

-Have you met Mr Murray?
-Seen any XPs?
-If you could have one other exotic, what would it be? Does a GT40 intrest you, an enzo or would you (like me) just satisfied to own 3 pieces of heaven,

-Mike :smokin:

-no, Gordon Murray was no longer involved in the road car business. he was probably already working on the SLR, a project handled by a separate team. the people i met were all involved in the mainetnance of the F1 road cars.
-i believe XPLM was there, and an XP road car. can't remember which.
-i'm thinking about the interesting cars coming out (veyron, GT40, carrera GT, others...) not sure if i'll take the plunge. none of them seem to compare. enzo is ugly, give me a break. what was ferrari thinking? are we blind?

Another question for Mr. Selldorff,

Assuming the cars can be driven enough for normal wear and tear (I don't know what can happen to a Mclaren in 2500 miles) what are some of the regular changes, or maintence work that has been performed other than the battery?

What does your wife say about spending all this money on cars ? :) Have you ever considered dragging those babies ?(Don't Answer that) Living in South Africa, we used to get E30 325iS's and 333i no E30 M3's since our petrol grade was'nt that great back than. And still isn't at 95 the best you can get, unless you go and buy 102 especially. That brings me to another question, Do you run your babies on 102 all the time ? I would'nt like to imagine what this would be like, but have you ever considered putting a Twin-Turbo in one of those babies?(Of course you can't because of emissions.But if you brought a nice house in South Africa, and brought one over here, you would have no problems with emissions or speeding...since our traffic cops are easily bribed with about $5 U.S.; Does'nt help with camera's though. I suppose you could always keep a Jack hammer in the car:)

Really nice to have such a passionate owner spend his time posting on the Internet.Oh and if I was to die, I would hope it to be in an F1:) or any car for that matter. As long as I am driving.

Ciao.

why, oh why would you want to put a twin turbo in a mclaren? :(

Mr Selldorff, have you thought anymore about the upgrade of 007? Would you be interested in the LM engine or would one be enough? It would be up to 691 HP in a car that is more practical than the LM. I'd certainly chose it over an interior refit. And a nice high downforce kit to go with it. Now that sounds nice. Of course you could just get a GTR instead :naughty:

do u know how much you would have to change to make the car handle if you fit a bigger engine in it. keep it original. btw, good luck again getting a gtr here for more than a few months