The Most Unique GT40 Replica Ever Is a Total Ruffian

As amazing as this reimagined version of a recreated GT40 Mk1 is in all its custom widebody, screaming V-8 glory, it's the owner and builder's personal story that might overshadow some of that. Chris Ashton has quickly made a name for himself and his blossoming brand, Ruffian Cars, which is based on just two builds, one of which you're getting a closer look at.

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Early Exposure

Like most everyone immersed in automotive culture, Ashton's interest began at an early age with low dollar customs in the palm of his hand via Hot Wheels' never-ending line of creations. He'd later gain more interest and even before he had his driver's license, he bought a car that he learned to wrench on in his backyard. More cars would come in the years that followed, many of them he modified, but none would qualify as a true build, and none were anywhere near the level of what you see him working on today.

Settled into his career with a computer gaming studio, he took on a 1970 Mustang build in his two-car home garage that would garner an incredible amount of attention. The Trans-Am Series inspired project is stunning, with Ashton's own custom metal flares, a cut and lowered front fender line just like the race cars of yesteryear, and a unique carbureted 7.0-liter LS3, all with a common goal of pure functionality which he exploits regularly at Auto-X events—a passion of his for many years. The Ruffian Mustang deservedly landed a spot at SEMA in Toyo's Treadpass and helped catapult Ashton's profile with everyone taking notice.

All of this was done at home with no formal automotive training. The skills he possesses today are a direct result of hands-on effort and a knack for following through. Soft-spoken, knowledgeable, and remarkably humble, the automotive feats he's accomplished are second to none, yet Ashton makes it all seem like a weekend hobby.

"I just do as much research as I can on something and study what someone that's done it before me has written and explained," he notes. "From there it's just trial and error. I might see a few YouTube videos, but really, I just give it a shot. I'm fairly stubborn, too, so I'll keep at it until I figure it out."

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With the Mustang project complete, he picked up a new car, this one is a GT40 Mk1 from Superformance that he spec'd out and planned to swap a modern engine and transaxle into. Those basic plans went out the window when he decided the car really needed wider wheels and tires, and he wasn't all that enthusiastic about the look of the headlights and taillights. He adds, "One thing led to another, and I decided to just go full build on this thing and really customize it to make it my own."

The Fine Print

The idea to change the width of the car with wider fenders while injecting other custom touches throughout required heavy planning. Having strictly worked with metal on his previous Mustang, the GT40 replica, produced in fiberglass, required a different process. The entire car was 3D scanned and digitized so that Ashton, with a background in graphic design and illustration, could render the look he was after with help from friend Kasim Tlibekov. From there, 3D printed pieces were created on a large format printer in his garage, installed, body-worked, and once considered complete, served as his final molds which were then sent to Competition Carbon to recreate in carbon fiber.

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The custom fender flares are complimented by a carbon fiber front spoiler, nose cap, and a set of side skirts. The taillights represent an interesting combination of old and new. They're based on Morimoto lights which are intended for a 2013 Mustang to resemble that of a Ford GT. Well, the GT is basically a modern version of the GT40, and so is this Ruffian project. The headlights, however, are taken from the parts shelf in Ashton's head. Multiple housings from a variety of vehicles, including Harley Davidson and a Toyota Avalon, were purchased and dissected, their useable pieces scanned and manipulated until Ashton's vision was able to be 3D printed so that he could assemble, install, and wire them into service.

Off-the-shelf wheels would be hard pressed to fill these massive fenders, but fortunately Ashton's relationship with Signature Wheels meant a custom set of their THREE center-lock wheels in 18x11 fronts with 295/30s Toyo Proxes R888R, and absolutely massive 19x14 rears wrapped in 345/30 skins were made available. The low ride height is the one-off custom carbon touch's worst enemy, but a front-end lift kit was installed to hurdle driveways and speed bumps.

Keep It Cool

The fully functional roof scoop is something Ashton crafted the old school way, with steel being formed with an English wheel and planishing hammer. The final product fit perfectly but weighed over 25 pounds. To match the rest of the build, the metal scoop served as a plug for Competition Carbon to create their version, which is about 20 pounds lighter. Beyond allowing the engine compartment to cool, a boxed section at the front houses an air filter and isolates it from the rest of the engine for the coolest intake draw possible.

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Wanting a modern power plant, a 5.2-liter DOHC Coyote crate engine was elected. Being a mid-engine layout, the Ford's intake manifold faces the wrong direction for this chassis and would place the throttle body right next to the occupant's heads. He realized that it's completely reversible but once rotated, points the throttle body toward the back of the car. A 180-degree intake tube rectifies this, placing the filter in the previously mentioned duct above the roof.

In search of a sound that didn't resemble that of a Mustang but something far more exotic, Ashton fabricated his own exhaust manifolds based on a 180-degree, equal-length design that has a pair of primary runners from one bank crossing over to the other's collector, and vise-versa. Additionally, the exhaust system features four exits through the rear rather than just two. This was done for the aesthetic but also because there's a valved exhaust system at play that sends gases through a pair of mufflers and out the upper exits with a vacuum operated solenoid set to bypass them and run straight pipes through the lower exits. The crate engine itself is good for 580 hp, though the custom tune and intricate exhaust and intake work likely bump that number up quite a bit.

The right-hand drive configuration matches that of the original GT40 Lemans racer as does the right-handed shifter that sits between the driver's seat and the side gas tank. An array of Speedhut gauges line the dash with the Ruffian logo, and the shifter uses a titanium stalk with a one-off shift knob created by a knife maker, produced with colored resin within layers of carbon fiber. The dash-mounted switches are standard but rather than using a sticker or label maker to assign each one, Ashton 3D printed raised lettering trim pieces topped with white paint that really makes them stand out. The engine's original drive-by-wire pedal is on board but positioned in the engine compartment because it's too large to fit in the car's footwell. A traditional pedal-to-cable set up was used, that cable tugging on the DBW pedal to work the throttle.

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Muddy Waters

The Ruffian GT40 build was an involved, lengthy process and one that included a major scare courtesy of Southern California's infamous forest fires that burned close to Ashton's former home. Narrowly escaping the wrath of Mother Nature the first time, he wouldn't be so lucky in a rematch that saw the burnt vegetation allowing a wave of mud to barrel down on his home once a rainstorm arrived. At the time, the GT was on a lift, but even elevated, the bottom six inches of the car were covered in mud. His electric Porsche 911 wasn't as lucky, having sat on the garage floor, enough mud intruded that the car was lifted well above his work bench. Finding a new property, setting up his garage, and cleaning up the aftermath put a halt to progress on the GT40. With SEMA 2021 quickly approaching, he called in five friends to help finish the car and just made it for a return visit to the big show under the Toyo Tires banner.

Since that time, the Ruffian GT40 has gained even more attention than the Mustang, the sum of which prompted Ashton to seek out a warehouse to dedicate to car building. He still maintains his regular gig in the video game world but has hired a small crew to help build cars with him and speed up the process. Not a business in a traditional sense as there's no storefront or parts to sell, the idea is to have plenty of space to build more cars, but not for any specific buyer.

He adds, "I don't really want to build anything for a certain client. My plan is to just keep building stuff that I really like and want to build, and once they're finished, we'll sell them." The facility is packed with projects and the walls host large motorsport-inspired murals that Ashton hand-painted. Just another one of his many talents.

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The Next Chapter

Currently underway at the new shop is the Ruffian 'Cuda that will take on a Pro Touring look and feel, and the Ruffian 500, a street-legal Ford Galaxie big track car with European flair. Of course, both will feature an eclectic mix of modern and classic touches—the Chris Ashton way.

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CarSuperformance GT40 Mk1 Recreation

OwnerChris Ashton

Instagram @ruffiancars

EngineFord Racing 52XS crate engine; Ruffian Cars custom equal-length 180-degree headers, exhaust system with vacuum operated bypass valves, intake piping; Cerakote treated headers, exhaust; Hyperfuel swirl pot; remote-mount DBW pedal; Ford Control Pack 2; custom tune; Braille battery

DrivetrainQuaife transaxle 5-speed, dogleg

SuspensionBilstein shocks; KW springs; lift kit; Flaming River electronic assisted rack and pinion

BrakesWilwood 6-piston calipers, 14-in. rotors

Wheels & TiresSignature THREE center-lock 18x11 front, 19x14 rear; Toyo Proxes R888R 295/30-18 front, 345/30-19 rear

ExteriorToyota Calvary Blue paint by South County Autobody; Ruffian Cars and Kasim Tlibekov designed fenders, front spoiler/nose cap; Ruffian Cars roof scoop, headlights; Competition Carbon carbon fiber final version fenders, front spoiler, roof scoop; Morimoto taillights; custom rear spoiler

InteriorAlcantara wrapped seats, center console; Speedhut custom gauges; Jake Palm custom shifter, shift knob; Vintage Air A/C system; Gentex rear view camera