Johan Ackerman’s home-built full-sized, quickly to be V12 powered Mercedes-Benz ELK GTR is one thing utterly totally different.
Most individuals take it straightforward once they attain retirement age. Some automobile followers could go touring, construct and acquire mannequin automobiles and even spoil themselves with a particular sportscar. Not my Fb buddy Johan Ackermann from Johannesburg, South Africa.
5 years into his retirement, Johan is placing the ending touches to his third recreation of a traditional Le Mans prototype racer on the trot. Johan’s full-sized, quickly to be V12 powered Mercedes-Benz ELK GTR, as he now calls it, is nonetheless one thing utterly totally different, as you’ll learn anon.
Sauber C9 was so good on Granturismo. So, I Constructed One!
“I’ve at all times been obsessed with race automobiles and had already constructed just a few particular street automobiles over time,” Johan explains. “I transformed an previous Mercedes 280 S to a 2-door convertible and my first house constructed sportscar was based mostly on an previous Audi 100. The Sauber C9 nonetheless so impressed me by being some of the thrilling automobiles to drive on Gran Turismo 4, that I made a decision to construct my construct my very own avenue authorized model as a retirement undertaking.
I used photos of the true automobiles and copied a 1:32 scale mannequin to construct a powerful spaceframe chassis utilizing Mercedes suspension and I fitted a turbocharged Mercedes V8 to it. My subsequent undertaking was a recreation of the Le Mans-winning BMW V12 LMR. I constructed it on an identical foundation and fitted a real BMW V12 to it. However I want Mercedes and I’m an enormous fan, particularly of their race automobiles, so I made a decision to do one thing utterly totally different this 12 months. I constructed a duplicate of that BMW’s Le Mans rival CLK GTR. You already know the one, the automobile that Mark Webber so dramatically flew out of the 1999 24 hour!
Ackermann’s ELK GTR is Completely Distinctive
“The unique GTR was constructed out of a avenue CLK-class coupe, so I made a decision that relatively than do one other fiberglass shell on a body chassis, that I’d construct my GTR out of a daily streetcar. Sadly, I couldn’t discover a appropriate CLK, however the native scrapyard had a W210 E-class and a coupe roof. So, I believed what the hell, let’s simply use that. Clearly, it might by no means be precisely the identical as the true CLK GTR utilizing a W210 as a base automobile, however I took the prospect, discovered a mannequin and a few photos to repeat and obtained on with it!”
As soon as he had the mannequin and the pictures up on the wall, Johan set off to the scrapyard, the place he scrounged the previous 1998 Mercedes-Benz E280 that had reached the top of its helpful life, together with the separate coupe roof, and pushed it into his storage. Working beneath the supervision of his beloved cats, Johan began by eradicating the sedan roof and slicing the donor automobile round its beltline to take away a big proportion of the sheet metallic beneath that.
Johan Reduce the ELK GTR Quick Round its Beltline
He then spliced it again collectively in lowrider spec, earlier than fettling the coupe roof on prime. In fact, it was not that easy. As he would do numerous instances anon, and can most likely carry on doing, and as he did with each his Sauber and BMW builds, Johan went slowly, step-by-step as he thought of every little bit of progress. If he wasn’t pleased with the end result of any side, he’d reduce it again and redo the step. Typically three or 4 instances, earlier than he was glad and moved on.
Quickly the physique was reduce down, the roof was on, and Johan was getting excited because the silhouette of his dream began to emerge. Studying as he went, he welded a rudimentary bar body on the aspect to get the form of the entrance fenders and pulled and formed the metallic over that. Stopping, trying, slicing, reshaping, referring to his mannequin and looking out once more, Johan perfected the angle of the grill, bonnet, and headlamps to carry the look as shut as attainable to the true CLK GTR.
Strive, Strive & Strive Once more Brings Nice Outcomes
Working the left aspect first, the primary fender got here out too low and flat. So, Johan reduce and raised it, and added extra of a radius to the highest. He additionally rounded the doorline and created his personal GTR gentle insert and bumper aspect vent. Johan then spent an inordinate period of time on the again creating that massive wing. He moved on to the fitting aspect, utilizing templates off the left aspect, and loving each second of the reduce, grind, and weld.
“The beauty of metallic refabrication is that I don’t have to attend for it to dry in comparison with working with fiberglass,” Johan explains. “So, I can work faster. I additionally discover a lot motivation from sharing the job on Fb and social media, the place my pals remark and counsel modifications. For instance, somebody mentioned the taillight regarded improper, so I regarded nearer and agreed, reduce it out and repositioned it. Now it appears to be like proper.”
Ackermann’s ELK GTR is a Labor of Love
Working via the Easter weekend, Johan took 4 bites to get the fitting entrance fender symmetrical and balanced with the left aspect earlier than shifting on to element facets. He crafted the roof consumption however discovered a difficulty with the windscreen body. A element fault on his reference mannequin was not aligning with the images. Three days later, Johan had modified the A pillars and sorted the issue whereas additionally becoming aftermarket bike mirrors.
Subsequent was to craft the intricate rear engine cowl and aspect louvers from metallic and the bumpers out of fiberglass. Different modifications required the seats to be mounted decrease, the steering angled down, and the brake booster mounted far decrease to permit the bonnet to drop by 2 inches. Johan saved at it, ultimately giving himself a advantageous current with a productive day as he accomplished the fundamental metalwork, prepared for flatting and primer on his birthday.
You Hardly Discover the ELK GTR Variations
By no means glad, Johan tinkered with a number of small facets, together with remodeling the panel and aspect gaps. He additionally discovered the right radiator grill and taillights to make it look identical to the true CLK. Being based mostly on an W210E class, there have been at all times going to be variations to the unique C-based GTR. The rear overhang is longer and the rear hood opening large enough to drop the engine via as soon as prepared. As soon as lastly pleased with its proportions, Johan lastly utilized the ultimate silver paint and clear coat.
Speaking about that engine, Johan has subsequently acquired a 6-liter Mercedes M120 V12 (beneath) for which he’s presently plotting what gearbox to mate it to. He’s contemplating an automated to make it higher as a each day cruiser. Muhammed at 4 Aces Scrapyard in the meantime sourced a set of brake calipers, and handed Johan a pair of SLK seats, black carpets two entrance door panels and an entire dashboard, on the home.
Johan is Nonetheless Not Happy With His ELK GTR
Johan continues to be not glad although. As he did together with his earlier builds, he desires to excellent the look of his ELK GTR. He believes that the nostril needs to be longer. Painted or not, he has plans to slice the entrance finish off forward of the entrance wheels and stretch it 4 inches. Johan will tilt the grill and headlights a little bit extra to melt these fender curves and the general look. He additionally plans to chop the rear off behind the wheels and shrink the hood and rear quarters.
“I’m delighted,” Johan concludes. “My ugly duckling is a gem. I took a wild gamble, simply saved on dreaming and hoped that one thing particular would emerge from that previous W210. It has turned out distinctive. It might not fairly the identical as actual CLK GTR. However what we now name the ELK GTR is actually shut sufficient to trigger some confusion as soon as it quickly drives previous, alive with the sound of that Mercedes M120 V12!
He Had No Concept How His Automotive Would Look!
“What makes this construct so particular is that I had no concept how it will look once I began off. I used to be aiming to get it as shut as attainable to the CLK GTR, however I didn’t fairly count on this the automobile to work out so shut! “Certain, there are some areas I might have carried out higher, however wow, I’m floating on cloud 9.
“I need to thank to all my pals and social media friends for all of the help thus far via the construct, however I hope to have it accomplished and working by the top of the 12 months.”
Comply with Johan’s additional progress together with his ELK GTR right here.
Images: Johan Ackerman