Conference terri::cars_uk

    
    Well,
    
    I finally decided to get to the bottom of the problem with the
    passenger door not opening from the inside this weekend (having
    taken the whole mechanism out last weekend!).
    
    Having cleaned the mechanism in petrol and oiled all moving parts
    I put the whole lot back together off the car.  It worked fine,
    so I put it back on the car, and, of course, it didn't work.
    
    Finally I sussed the problem. It was that the mechanism was being
    pushed out of the door when the handle was pushed, because the washer
    holding the catch to the fibreglass door was smaller than the hole
    for the bolt (due to wear over the years).
    
    A marginally larger washer has solved the problem for the time being
    but longer term the door will probably need some repairs down to
    it to completely cure the problem.
    
    This weekend, I also, found a tyre fitters (just around the corner)
    who will take off and refit the tyres on the Marcos wheels, so after
    the CARS_UK meet (providing it isn't raining), I'll put the car
    up on axle stands and take off the front wheels and strip them of
    paint and corrosion and repaint them.
    
    I've also got to arrange the final  details of the re-trimming and
    get hold of a glass rear windscreen from the Marcos Owners club.
    
    It's improving gradually.
    Mark

    Have you considered having the wheels "blasted" to remove the paint and
    corrosion. I have a feeling that bead-blasting would be suitable for this
    and could save hours of work, especially if the wheels have a fancy pattern 
    on them ...

    Mark

	I reckon I saw a yellow Marcos on a car sales forecourt on the
	Wokingham road, winnersh way last week.

	-John

    
    re -1 I take it you got home ok!? Did you try re-starting it when it
    was warm?  If it started first time, and sounded as if the battery was
    fully charged, I'd definitely have a look at the earth! 
    
    (If you want help with the earth wireing Derek is into "earth strap 
    over-engineering", I'll show you the results in the Landy some time!)
    
    Elaine

    
    Yep,
    
    We got home ok.
    
    I have a vague suspicion about the fault, but I'll be checking the
    earth strap out though once I get home tonight.
    
    Mark
    

    
    ARRRGHHHH!
    
    My vague suspicion seemed to check out! I went out to the garage
    last night and checked the passenger window winder button. Sure
    enough it was stuck in the up position!
    
    This happened the first night I owned the car and I usually check
    it ver carefully, but on Tuesday Mandy wound up the window and I
    didn't think to check that when Mark and I returned from our 
    quick spin!
    
    Oh well! I charged the battery up last night and I'll put it back
    in again tonight so I should know if that was the problem by the
    weekend, but all the signs point to a massive drain on the battery
    starting Tuesday evening, and the window motor being constantly
    on fits the description perfectly!
    
    Mark

    
    A while ago someone mentioned that they'd been told that you couldn't
    get a Marcos in Europe.
    
    Recently I've heard of (and seen) cars bound for Holland and other
    places in Europe (Italy, for instance). I was wondering what reason
    the person was given to make them think that cars cannot be sold
    abroad.
    
    Mark

   
    Re .56
    
    I spoke to someone I know who works for a blasting company and I'm
    (hopefully) getting the wheels blasted rather than trying to sand
    then down by hand. The pattern isn't especially intricate, but there
    are some places where it'd be a bit tricky and it should save me
    a lot of time.
    
    Mark

    While restoring the Elan, I had many parts (including the wheels)
    sandblasted by a company that makes tombstones!  They used a fine
    sand, as the granite didn't take much effort.
    
    	-Barry-
    

    
    I hope you didn't consider it a GRAVE mistake ! :^)
    
    Mark

    Mark,
    
    Take a look at next months issue of one of the Classic Car
    magazines(will be March date on the cover I think!), It is going to run
    a road test of a Marcos against an old TVR, or something similar, in
    the next issue. I will try to remember to read the "next issue...."
    page tonight.
    
    Carl.
    

    
    Ahhhhhhhh!!
    
    Heaven! :^)
    
    Mark 
   

With Aluminium, shouldn't it be bead blasting anyway ?

I'd have thought that "Sand" blasting would strip all the aluminium away as well
as the much :-)

    
    The wheels on my Marcos are Magnesium alloy and made to a special
    pattern specifically for Marcos (The company logo is cast into the
    wheel pattern). I'm not sure if they can be SAND blasted, but the
    place I'll have them done at will know what they should use.
    
    Mark

	Re. Marcos not being available in Europe

	I said that Mark !

	The reason I said that was after asking a dealer, can't remember
	the name, somewhere near Lincoln he reckoned it would be very
	difficult for a number of reasons. Firstly he wasn't sure about the
	car being available with left hand drive. Secondly, in his opinion,
	the "type" approval or whatever it's called indicating the car meets
	production safety standards, had not been done. Lastly, he didn't
	think there were any "approved" franchises over here (Holland) that
	would a) sell the car, and b) service the car.

	Now if he was wrong in one or all his facts great ! 

	Were the cars you saw left hand drive ? From my point of view, not
	being mechinically minded, the servicing would have been the biggest
	problem. Presumably Marcos give a guarantee on their cars, to meet
	this guarantee I would have thought an "approved" garage would have
	to do this for the guarantee to remain valid. 

	Gordon

    The forthcoming Magazine article is in "Popular Classics", next month,
    testing entitled:"Three litre Bottles",  A 1970's TVR3000, vs a Volvo
    Engined Marcos.
    
    Carl.
    

    
    Re .74
    
    Oh well a truck engined Marcos is better than none at all! Thanks,
    Carl.
    
    Re .73
    
    I thought it was you Gordon, but I couldn't find the original note.
    
    Who was the dealer you spoke to a dealer for? I didn't know Marcos
    had any dealers! LHD Marcii are common (as Derek says over 100 
    went to the States in the early 70s - There are at least 2 owned
    there by DEC employees) and there is a thriving Swiss Marcos Owners
    Club.
    
    As I said I have seen cars destined for Holland (The red convertible
    seen in the press recently with no light covers for one!) and, yes,
    they are left hand drive. A look through the Marcos parts list shows
    all the LHD parts and the dashboard is flat so there wouldn't be
    any problem converting from RHD to LHD and/or back. In fact we had
    an Italian come to the Wembley Classic Car show who wanted to convert
    a couple of Marcii from RHD to LHD.
    
    Servicing MAY be a problem. Only a call to Marcos would clear this
    one up, but a Marcos engine/gearbox could be serviced by any Rover/
    Land Rover dealer and there is nothing else frightening about the
    mechanicals (with only a few parts being Marcos specific). Any parts
    that did need to be obtained from the factory can be shipped pretty
    quickly (The Swiss owners club buy most parts from the factory due
    to the efficient shipping - Not what I found, though!).

    Mark

	Re. Marcos Dealers.

	No, it wasn't a Marcos dealer, it was garage selling all sorts of
	sports cars. I stopped there just for look, the selection on the
	forecourt was that inviting ! I was browsing around when the salesman
	came over and we started talking about Marcos's in general and buying
	one to run over here in particular.

	Gordon

    
    Ah well! The trouble with something as unusual as a Marcos is that
    even fairly knowledgeable people have never heard of them!
    
    Not knowing that the car was made in LHD was a real pointer to this
    chaps lack of knowledge. If you (or anyone else since you got your
    200SX instead I guess) are interested in the facts the number of
    Marcos is 0373 864097.
    
    Best to ask for Jem Marsh, but Chris Marsh would do just as well.
    
    Mark

    re.74
    
    Was that a bored out PRV V6 or the old 180bhp Volvo 3.0 Litre straight
    six ?
    
    Grant

    
    The old 3.0 litre straight six, but the power was more like 130
    bhp!
    
    Mark

It's amazing what a phone call to the DVLC can achieve isn't it? After waiting
for over two months for details of the Marcos' previous owners, one day after
calling the DVLC for progress the details arrive! Obviously they were just 
about to send them back anyway! :^)

The details are a real goldmine and well worth getting for any car I would
have thought. The car was originally registered to someone who lived in 
Stanmore and the car was then beige! He kept the car for a couple of years
and then sold it. It seems that many people are attracted by the Marcos' look
, but few can cope with its temprement (or more likely, harsh ride) as it has
had a lot of short term (6-9 month) owners including 3 in Devon and someone
in Aldershot. The car also spent a long time in Green and White (hence the 
green paint behind the door trims!) before eventually turning its current colour
in the early eighties.

Finally the car found its way back to Jem Marsh (in late 1982) and was finally
registered to Jem Marsh Performance Cars in October 1986 (confirming the story
I'd heard). The history after that doesn't quite tally with what Andrew Bodding-
ton (the previous owner) was told as there are two owners between the factory
and him and he (and I) were told that the dealer he bought it from had bought
it from the factory.

So I now know a great deal about the car's history (does anyone know if you
can get copies of old MOT certificates? That would help me estimate the
mileage).

I have had the front wheels blasted and hopefully will be able to respray them
this weekend (house hunting permitting) as I've promised a friend in Bournemouth
that I'd take the car down to the National rally held near there on the 27th and
that could be difficult with only wheels on the back!

Mark

    
    Mark,
    
    When I bought my Beetle from the original "little old lady", she gave
    all the receipts, old MOT certificates, etc since she had it in 1977,
    It was about 3/4 of and inch thick!
    and a copy of the previous ownership certificate.
    This confirms that the car spent its first 5 years of its life in Hong
    Kong, luckily they drive on the left like us!!
    The receipts showed every oilchange, plugchange, new bulb, etc etc. It
    appears she just about managed to fill up the windscreen washer bottle
    herself!.
    Also there is a receipt for an engine rebuild in 1984, since which the
    car had only done 6000 miles!
    I agree it is not only interesting, but also adds value to the car, and
    a certain amount of confidence in you, when you sell the car.
    
    Carl.
    

	Re .80
     > ...the car was then beige!
     > ...had a lot of short term owners including ... someone in Aldershot.

       Just for interest, could you check if one of the previous owners
       was a Mr. G. Robinson? 

       Thanks, Ian.

    
    Yep, I will, but I've not got the details here so I can't tell you
    until tomorrow.
    
    Mark

        
    Re .83
    
    No, that name doesn't match any on my registration documents.
    
    Did you know someone with a Marcos then?
    
    I went to the Aldershot dry slope yesterday and heard a rather sporty
    sounding exhaust note part way through the run, but from where I was I
    couldn't see the car park. 
    
    As we left I heard the note again, and somehow it seemed familiar so
    I rushed over to the car park and sure enough there was a Marcos. I
    had a word with the driver (who lives in Basingstoke apparently) who
    told me that his was a 3-litre (like mine) from 1987 (apparently you 
    can still order non-Mantula Marcos coupes from the factory).
    
    Mark

>    No, that name doesn't match any on my registration documents.
>    Did you know someone with a Marcos then?
    
       Yes I did. I was thinking about it last night and trying to work
       out the date. I reckon it was around 1976/77. The brother of a
       friend of mine had one, and he gave me a ride in it a couple of
       times. He was very proud of it. 

       It's a shame it's not the same one (nostalgia is a thing of the
       past!) - but now I think about it, I seem to remember he had a
       nasty accident in his, so perhaps it's just as well!

       Ian.

       > It's a shame it's not the same one (nostalgia is a thing of the
       > past!) - but now I think about it, I seem to remember he had a
       > nasty accident in his, so perhaps it's just as well!

    
    	I Wouldn't argue with that! :^)
    
    	Mark

Mark,
	I presume that you've seen the latest Kit Car Magazine - it has a 
write up of a Marcos (nice, old, restored model) and a brief run down of the 
history of Marcos.  If you can't be bothered to buy the magazine (it is going
rapidly down hill - I think I'll stick to Kit Cars International), then you 
can have my copy.

Dave

    
    I don't think I have! I'll have a look in Smith's today.
    
    If you really don't want your copy, I'd gratefully receive it, but
    I'll buy it if it has anything about Marcos in it!
    
    Mark

(couldn't find the right note in CARBUFFS so maybe any interested USA
folk will see it here)


In the current issue of the (Mass. area) Want Advertiser there is listed
the following:

1971 Marcos. Fiberglass body, 2 seats, adjustable pedals. Power windows,
Power Steering, sunroof, 3 liter V-6 engine, steel tube frame, 34" ground
clearance (obviously he meant overall height), low center of gravity.
250 units made for world wide distribution. Own a piece of sports car
history. Some restoration needed. $5000  508-586-9546.

The magazine is on my desk at work, you're welcome to have it.  I'm in 
DEC Park 1 G/9H.

Dave

    
    Re .91
    
    Dave, 
    
    you couldn't stick it in the internal mail could you? I'm at the
    Crescent in Basingstoke (@ UCG).
    
    Mark

	Marcos : 1968 coupe, RHD, makes great vintage racer, powered by
	1 1/2 liter Ford Cortina engine, fiberglass body, interior like
	new, $6,500    Dallas, TX  PH 214-242-1957

Mark,
	it's in the mail...
Dave

    
    Thanks!
    
    Mark

    Seen siting in the laybye at the Hatchwarren roundabout, all last
    night and again this morning a bright red marcos. Looks like it
    may have broken down. But it still looks gorgeous....
    
    
    Bruce

    
    MARCII DON'T BREAK DOWN!
    
    It must be ill... :^)
    
    Mark

    
    it had a hard night ?

Or as Harry Secombe's chauffeur stated when asked why the Rolls had broken down
(it was due to water in the petrol FWIW), he said simply that
"Rolls Royces do not _break down_, it simply failed to proceed"

    
    Over a 100 notes on Marcos! 
    
    I took yesterday afternoon off (yes, a contractor!) to finish
    repainting the 2 wheels which I'd taken off and had sandblasted.
    
    All in all they looked pretty good once they were finished and 
    I had the local tyre fitter put the tyres back on and fit new tubes
    (and they only charged me for the tubes as well!) and put the wheels
    back on the car.
    
    It then took me all the way out of the garage, turned around and
    went back in again! It's now sitting with it's tail in the air and
    the back wheels are at the tyre fitters having the tyres taken off
    prior to sandblasting and repainting.
    
    I've still got to paint and refit the wheel centres for all 4 wheels,
    but hopefully the car should be back on the road before too long
    (the brake pads need looking at too as the car now pulls right under
    hard braking).
    
    Mark 

    Could be a sticking piston causing the car to pull to the right.
    Probably more likely than the pads ...

    Mark

    
    Re .103
    
    Mark.
    
    What's the diagnosis and cure for a sticking piston?
    
    Mark

    I saw that Marcos (I think it was the same one) yesterday, parked in a
    sort of lay-by near the new Sainsburys part of town(on the housing
    estate as I trying to find my way round some trees!) Looks really nice
    though, Ferrarri red, with large5 spoke flat alloys(like flat ferrarri
    ones).
    
    Try taking the pads out of the calipers, and working the pistons
    back/forward with a flat screwdriver or similar lever, be carefull not
    to scratch them. If they won't move, then loosen the bleed nipple to
    release pressure.
    If you do this, and it still pulls to the right, then there may be a
    blockage in the flexible brake pipe. I once went as far as buying new
    calipers, when one side locked on/pulled to the left... The new ones
    did it aswell, untill I changed the brake pipe. The old one needed
    inexess of 60 psi to get a dribble out of it!
    
    Carl_not_really_mark!
    

    An easy test is to jack up the car, get someone to hold the brake
    pedal down and then release it. If the wheel still revolves easily,
    the piston is not sticking. A good check is to compare both sides.
    If one is sticking it will be obvious ...

    The only way a car is likely to pull to one side due to worn pads
    is if there is no pad left on one side. 

    Just a thought, does this occur all the time, or only after a while.
    Different pad thicknesses could cause a problem when the brakes get
    hot ... one would get hotter than the other and you'd get brake fade
    on that side. If it pulls all the time, then I would suspect a sticking
    piston, or as in -.1 a blocked brake line on one side. The test above
    will not allow you to differentiate which of these it is though ...    

   Mark

    AN EASY TEST for the brake line, is to pump air through it with a foot
    pump, a "beach-ball" adapter works best- there should be NO resistance.
    Carl.

	Pulling to one side is IMO 95% due to sticking pistons.	

	Uneven pad wear is a symptom of sticking pistons. The
	side that's not worn is sticking.

	Driving with sticking pistons can ruin your disks and bearings.

	Pistons are more prone to sticking in cars that aren't in
	constant use.

	Removing stuck pistons is not easy.

	You can get stainless pistons in many sizes.

	-John

Try Barker Brothers for the screens - he had to remove my windows to spray the
car and he's got the tools.

+ve earth smiths clock?  How much do you want for it?  (I don't care which type
of earth it is - the dash is wooden)

Dave

    
    Re .The clock.
    
    A couple of quid? I paid 2 for it and it's yours for the same amount.
    
    Mark
    
    PS I'm not sure it works, but if it doesn't I'll give you your money
    back! Now, come on ladies, I can't say fairer than that can I! (Oh
    no my market trader alter-ego is taking over!).
    
    

    I suggest you look at the information on VTX relating to Digital
    authorised repairers for the situation regarding Barker Brothers,
    before you do business with them.
    
    Steve

    
    Oh! Still being in Reading they weren't the ideal solution anyway!
    
    Mark

What 113 was refering to is that Barker Brothers are no longer the prefered
repairers of DEC vehicles.  It is the lease departments policy not to direct
too much business to any one company - in theory it makes these companies
lax and dependant on DEC.  So, Barker Brothers have lost most of their DEC 
lease work.

Be that as it may, and knowing Henry Barker reasonably well, Barker Bros are
a good place to take your private car.  He's always willing to chat about what
work needs doing, how long etc.

Dave

    
    VTX says they've ceased trading!
    
    Mark

Ahhh, oh, dear....Well, then, my last note probably explains why...

I have a glazing tool, if you wish to borrow it, it allows you to replace the
little rubber locking channel in window surround rubbers.

Dave

	You don't really need any tools to replace the older style ie.
	non-bonded windscreens. Just pull out the insert strip and the
	tension in the rubber is released, then lift out screen.

	Putting them back is the reverse. Use some sealant around the
	edges, put the screen in and insert the strip. Pushing the strip
	back in can be hard, and there is a tool that's supposed to make
	it easy but lubricating with washing up liquid normally does the
	trick.

	But be warned, the insert strips often go very brittle and lose 
	their shine. Get some new (it comes by the yard) is the best 
	policy.

	-John

    
    Maybe I'll have a go at taking them out myself then. Would my 
    insurance cover be likely to cover a windscreen broken while removing
    or fitting? What exactly is the insert strip? My front windscreen
    doesn't seem to have anything as neat as one all-the-way-round rubber.
    Would this be a problem?
    
    Mark
    

	Sometimes the insert strip, which is usually a silver plastic
	material, is hidden behind some form of decorative trim. This
	makes it trickier but the principle is the same. You just might 
	have some more complex arrangement though.

	-John

    
    Thanks John,
    
    I'll have a look tonight.
    
    Mark  

    
    Anyone got any idea how much those temporary windscreen things are?
    
    Mark

    
    Right, I got the rear screen out really easily (being perspex meant
    it was light and that I wasn't worried about breaking it) and the
    trim stuff came out of the front windscreen with no problems as
    well. I'll probably try and take the front windscreen out at the
    weekend (when I'll have someone to help me) and then take the car
    over to the trimmers without the screens in (I'll put a temporary
    one on if it's wet and/or cold).
    
    Mrk

    A trick to get the windshield gaskets in-
    
    use a piece of strong but fine string - like high test fishing line -
    then you can pull it around to get the gasket thru, BUT be careful it
    does not cut into the rubber.
    
    There may have been something about the technique in the Elan shop
    manual.
    
    	-Barry-
    

    more details - I just read my reply and it may be confusing...
    
    lay the string in the channel (outer channel where it seals to the
    body) of the gasket.  pulling it out will lift the lip of the gasket
    over the edge of the body or the glass.
    
    	-Barry-
    

	So far so good, but sometime you'll be putting them back, so
	here's how to do it.



	Replacement is the reverse of the removal procedure.



	Well this is what the service manuals always say isn't it!.

	More usefully though try this. You'll need :-

	* Mastic
	* Something to clean away stray mastic (white spirit).
	* A length of cord, about 15ft long.
	* A tyre lever or some other non sharp instrument (Kitchen Spatula,
	Giant Spoon?).
	* New insert strip if old is badly hardened.
	* Washing up liquid.

	0. Print a copy of this note for when you need it.
	1. Remove all old hardened mastic.
	2. Wrap the cord around the outer slot of the rubber with the two
	ends in the centre bottom.
	3. Apply mastic where seemingly necessary on the exterior of the
	window frame.
	4. Place the windscreen/rubber assembly into place locating the
	bottom edge correctly in place and  with the cord on the inside.
	5. Press broadly into position. If there are two people available
	leave one outside to help press the thing down.
	6. Inside pull carefully on the cord ends. This will pull the innner
	lip of the rubber over the aperture. 
	7. If 6 worked perfectly you wont need the lever, but recalcitrant
	sections can be persuaded into place with this.
	8. Clean off the mastic that's oozed out.
	9. Lubricate the insert/channel with washing up liquid and press
	into position. The join is usually at the centre bottom.
	10. Clean up.

	It should take no more than 20 mins to do.

	-John

	PS. I think it's best to use a fairly broad cord to avoid damage to
	the rubber. Slimline washing line is about right.

	PPS. Don't they have workshop manuals for Marcoses?.

	PPPS. I've done them just as easily without the cord, but that's
	the 'official' technique.

    
    Thanks John,
    
    it's amazing what you learn by taking cars apart! :^)
    
    What do you mean by 'the outer slot of the rubber'? Do you mean
    the one which fits over the windscreen opening in the body?
    
    Mark (Mr Windscreen fitter!)
    

    
    Heh! Get this.
    
    The Marcos' windscreen rubber is actually 4 bits GLUED together!!!!
    
    The insert is also four bits (but there's no connection!).
    
    Re .129
    
    I think Barry's note answered mine about the outer slot.
    
    Mark

    
    A final note on 'The Beast'.
    
    At the moment it sits patiently with its front and rear windscreens
    removed and waiting for the retrim that will take place in the week
    17/3 - 24/3.
    
    Finally I decided to have the following done :-
    
    Retrim the seats in draylon (as original).
    Have a new headlining and sunroof interior fitted (current rooflining
    is badly torn and painted brown! and the sunroof lining discoloured).
    Retrim the door trim panels in draylon (not original, but I thought     
    it would look nice).
    
    The respray will have to be delayed indefinitely now, but maybe it'll
    get done next year. At least the lifiting paint won't lead to rusting! :^)
    
    Well, that's it. Don't forget if you see a metallic red Marcos it's
    probably me, so give a wave or flash your lights!
    
    Mark

Is the Probe 2001 the same as the Dennis-Adams-designed Probe 15?

This is a turquoise car, VERY low (32", I think).  It claims to have been the
world's lowest car at the time of its production (1968).  It also has the weird
steering wheel as described in the Probe 2001 note.

It tends to sit around at kit car shows not doing much...

Scott

    
    The Probe 2001 and the Probe 15 are both SIMILAR, but with some
    variations (not sure exactly what, maybe the MOC magazine will cast 
    some light).
    
    The Probes were both (actually there are 3 I think) designed and built
    by Dennis and his brother (whose name I can't remember) with support
    from Jem Marsh at the Marcos factory.
    
    The idea was to produce them en-mass, but god knows who would have 
    bought them!
    
    Mark

    
    Judging from the performance figures, sounds like the gearing is odd.
    
    Bill.

    
    I think the real problem is the aerodynamics. The V8 car will do 0-60
    in 5.n seconds, but can 'only' reach 135 mph.
    
    The performance doesn't sound odd to me (about 120 and 7 seconds is the
    Renault 5 GTT's performance too!), it just means it isn't geared for
    autobahn cruising.
    
    Mark

    
    It sounded like a car with low gearing to get a good sprint time,
    but lacking the power for a high top speed.
    
    Bill.

    
    Re.135
    
    It seems that Mark seriously reads the serious Motoring Press about all
    the serious performance cars seriously on serious offer at the moment.
    
    I seriously think that serious is seriously overworked, but what do I
    care?

    
    I only said serious TWICE! :^)
    
    Actually (that's a bad one too!) my current use of the word serious
    comes from spending a week in a minibus with someone who was seriously
    into using the word serious as an adjective (correct my grammar if it's
    something else!). It was a seriously good holiday though and we saw
    some serious animals!
    
    Mark :^)
    
    PS Bill, perhaps you've just got used to cars with LONG gearing
    designed to give misleadingly high top speeds and MPG figures?
    

    
    Yes, everyone knows you only use fifth on Glencoe (serious speed ;-) )
                    
    Bill.

Does this car use the standard Sierra 2.0 DOHC engine / 5-sp box ?
You mention rear suspension is Sierra; what's at the front ?

Scott

    
    Yep standard Ford engine/box.
    
    Front suspension is our old friend the Herald set up as used on Lotus
    7s, Elans, Marcii, Spitfires, etc, etc, etc.
    
    Mark

    
    The car is fixed and back on the road again.
    
    I'd recommend anyone with a car which isn't running quite right to
    visit a rolling road. The V6 in the Beast has never run so smoothly or
    been so responsive. It even sounds 100% better! :^)
    
    Mark

    
    Splashed out the 100 notes (or should I say little gold coloured coins)
    on the Beast's road fund licence and took it out for a spin last night
    to meet Goran Mitevski (he of the Mini Marcos, Lotus Europa and TVR
    Taimar).
    
    Everything went well (the radiator never got remotely warm so we
    froze!) except that on the way to the Leather Bottle it ran extremely
    rough. I guess it was damp electrics, because it ran fine on the way
    home.
    
    If you see me around hoot and wave and I'll probably give you a wave
    (although I can't make any guarantees on how many fingers will be
    involved. That will depend on the Beast's current temperament!).
    
    Mark

    
    Don't believe anti-Marcos propoganda by the Elan fraternity (well John
    actually!). :^)
    
    No Marcos produced after 1963 (when the Adams designed GT was
    introduced) has used leaf springs or lever shock absorbers!
    
    Mark (I wouldn't like anyone to labour under a misapprehension about
    my favourite sportscar - well favourite one in my garage! :^) )
    

    
    Well, it's been a long time since I gave you an update on the Beast.
    
    The main reason for that being that it's hardly been out of the garage
    since before Christmas. We used it to go to a pre-Xmas meal in
    Bournemouth about 2 weeks before Christmas (the weekend it rained and
    snowed!) and, aside from the fact that the wipers couldn't cope with
    the severe rain on the Friday night, all went well.
    
    However, when I got the car out a week or so after New Year to give it 
    another run there was a grinding noise (seemingly from the rear). So
    far, my brief investigations haven't shown any obvious problem, but I
    suspect that one of the brakes at the rear is rubbing. One drum does
    seem to get much hotter than the other and the noise is very
    reminiscent of the sound that I get when the brakes on the Renault are
    rusty (after leaving it for a week or so).
    
    The car has moved from my garage to my wife's in the last couple of
    weeks as we finally sold my house and, as we also have an offer for
    Mandy's house now, it seems likely that it will be moving again in the
    not too distant future. What with house hunting and holidays I don't 
    know when I'll get around to sorting out what the problem is. There's
    no light or power in my current garage so working in the evenings is a
    non-starter too, but that will change once we move.
    
    I'd toyed with the idea of taking the Beast to Le Mans this year, but
    at the moment it doesn't look very likely. Still, as my father is
    taking his car this year, it might be possible yet, since we'll have a 
    tool (and wine) carrying backup vehicle.
    
    Mark

    
    There's a 1 page article in Kit Car magazine this month about the new
    Marcos XP2 race car.
    
    This is essential a heavily modified Mantula with a V8 Rover engine
    capable of pushing the car along at 170+ mph and getting to 60 mph
    in under 5 seconds (no doubt the 60-100 mph figures are even more
    impressive). The bodywork has flared arches at the front and rear (the
    rear arches being molded into a new rear end altogether) and is made
    from Kevlar rather than the usual GRP to reduce weight (a Marcos bonnet
    is not a light item, I can vouch!). The suspension is all adjustable 
    (presumably based upon the recently announced Ford based IRS system)
    and there is also a LSD in the rear axle.
    
    This car is at present a 1 off built for a Japanese customer (one
    of the overseas markets where Marcos cars sell very well). Hopefully,
    he is serious about racing it as the car doesn't have much in the way
    of creature comforts (even by Marcos standards!) being equipped with an
    alloy dash in place of the normal walnut one and not having Conolly
    seats or Wilton carpet. 
    
    After all the taxes are applied the car is reported to have cost the 
    owner 40,000 pounds although replicas are expected to be available for
    around 35,000. A lot of money. Maybe Jem sees this as Marcos' F40?
    
    The XP2 name comes from the last purpose built race Marcos. The XP
    project was a mid-engined sportscar built to compete at Le Mans  and
    equipped with a Brabham Repco V8 engine. The car was dissapointing at
    Le Mans and is now the possesion of an American family, despite them
    receiving handsome offers for it from Jem Marsh.
    
    Mark

    
    The strange grinding noise eminating from the rear of the Beast turned
    out to be a failed axle bearing (apparently this is fairly common on 
    Marcii) and due to the design of the axle I had to take the car to a
    garage to get it fixed.
    
    Still, having done that the car is back to normal (noisy, bumpy, heavy
    steering, etc, etc) and I'm using it on occasions to come to work
    (taking the theory that using a car is better than leaving it idle to
    heart) as well as taking it out on the rare weekend when the sunshines 
    (of course I was away at Easter and the Beast was in the garage!).
    
    A house move is looking more likely now than ever before, but I'll
    still believe it when I see it, but no doubt the car won't get worked
    on much in the first few months of new home ownership.
    
    Anyway, one annoying thing is that the garage who fixed the axle sent
    the car back with oily fingerprints all over the wheels (no real
    problem) and a rounded wheel nut (a REAL problem!). Hopefully, they'll
    fix that at the weekend (yeah, yeah), and then I'll be into the annual
    battle against the MOT! Does anyone know when the emission test is/was
    introduced?
    
    Mark

VCan't remember but I did enter the date in one of the MOT points topic.

Simon

    
    November 1991 according to a note in 721. So I won't have to worry
    about it until next year!
    
    Mark

    
    Right,
    
    Time to wake this note up again! :^)
    
    Classic cars magazine has a 5 way glassfibre sportscar test in the July
    edition. The cars are a Lotus Europa (Only Renault powered I think), 
    Gilbern Genie (Ford V6 engined), Reliant Scimitar coupe (Ford V6 2.5
    engined), TVR Tuscan (4.7 litre V8 American engine) and (you guessed)
    a Marcos GT (3.0 litre Volvo powered).
    
    I haven't read the article in detail yet (I've got to do some work!),
    but at the end they asked the owners of these cars which one they'd 
    like to take home (other than their own) and the winner was ...
    
    The Marcos! YEAAAAAAAHHHHHH! :^)
    
    I wonder if it'd be a different result if the Europa was a Twin Cam?
    Maybe, but maybe the V6 Ford Marcos would have been a better choice
    too, since the Volvo's are a bit prone to being nose heavy?
    
    Interesting, though, that amongst such competition the Marcos was the 
    winner (Doesn't suprise me one bit, though! :^)), but on page 17 it 
    definitely looks the best car!
    
    END_OF_PLUG.
    
    Mark

There's no way the Europa would win if the other owners were over 5'10" tall -
even then its a squeeze!

    
    Umm, well being around that height, it would be a tough decision for
    me, although I don't reckon the Renault engine in the Europa could
    quite replace the V6 Ford in my Marcos. :^) When I was a young lad,
    a neighbour of my Aunt had a red Europa, which (other than neighbour
    of our's E-Type) was the only exotic car I got to see on a regular
    basis. It obviously left a lasting impression on me (unlike, funnily
    enough, the E-Type. Apparently I had a number of rides in it as a child
    , sort of 5-8, and  I can't remember it at all!).
    
    Anyway, having finally moved house (18 months after starting to try and
    sell our 2!) and got the house into a reasonable state of affairs, my 
    father and I tidied up the garage and I managed to get to do some work
    on the Marcos. The old rubber brake hoses came off and the Aeroquip
    ones were fitted in their place, after a bit of a struggle. I gave up
    before I got around to bleeding the brakes, so I and my trust Easibleed
    kit will have to tackle that on Thursday (unless, like every other
    evening this week, that becomes booked!). 
    
    I just hope the whole system holds pressure now I've had it apart!
    
    Mark

I read the article the other night and was a little confused as to how they
'picked' the Marcos as the overall winner (not that it doesn't derserve it).

All but one driver raved about the performance of the TVR. The lone desenter
gave it very low marks on just about everything.

The whole process seems very subjective. More so when the cars weren't all
up to snuff and the versions tested weren't always the 'best' that could
be had at the time they were new.

The magazine, and others, do this type of historic comparison all the time.
It's interesting to read but not at all scientific.

	No these things aren't scientific; but highly personal (see debate
	about mid-engined cars current raging elsewhere in this notes file).
	However, I enjoy a *good* review of an interesting car.  Plus it's
	nice to read about your own car, eh Mark?  I guess that with any
	car of character, there's much to love and a little to hate.  However,
	most owners forgive faults that other's might not.  Eg "My R5 eats
	clutch cables and oil, the doors are made out of baked bean tins and
	it rattles, but I love it...".

	Dave

    
    Too true Dave.
    
    The question put to the testers in the article was 'Which car, other
    than your own, would you like to take home?'. Apparently the Marcos was
    picked by more than any other (obviously not scientific, but so
    what!?!?).
    
    I found it interesting that, at least, one tester commented on the very
    heavy steering when turning sharply. Mine does this (although normally
    only tiny amounts of steering input are required), but I was never
    really sure (despite a new rack and linkage!) that it was quite right.
    Nice to know that it's a quirk of the model rather than a specific
    fault on my model.
    
    Mark

    
    A real slew of Marcos articles at the moment, with one of the classic
    car heavyweights having an article about current sportscars with
    'classic' counterparts.
    
    The selection includes a Marcos Mantula Spyder (If only...), an Evante
    (Original Elan inspired), a TVR, Alfa Spyder, a Morgan and a Caterham. 
    To be honest it isn't a very good article (IMO), as it claims to determine
    which is best in practical terms for day to day use, but picks a number
    of cars which are widely different (No way could a Caterham be
    considered practical) and only really says that they like the TVR best,
    but not really why and how the others compare to each other. Still it
    is another article for my scrapbook. If anyone has any old articles on
    Marcii which they'd let me have copies of I'd be very grateful.
    
    On the subject of the real thing, I took the car along for an MOT (last
    one expired in June, but I hadn't had the time to sort it out with the
    house move et al). As the car had lain idle for well over a month and 
    had cost a couple of hundred pounds to put right for the last 2 MOTs, 
    I didn't check the car over, expecting an arm-length list of things to
    fix. Imagine my suprise (and slight annoyance at myself) when it only
    failed because of a dodgy scotchlock connector on the O/S main beam.
    A small investment in a crimping tool and some connectors, plus a 7.75
    retest fee, saw the car MOTed and raring to go in the unlikely event of 
    some dry weather!
    
    Mark

    Re .165
    
    Sure enough. There's still one in there, but I couldn't get a suitable
    replacement at short notice (it's a wire joining another wire part way
    along). However all the connections I could replace I did! 
    
    Mark
    
    PS John, what's the EX-Integrale owner bit about?

    
    Well you can get bullet connectors which sort of go like this...
    
    ----[ >      ]        } Where this is all one bit and the > <s  are the
    ----[ >    < ]------  } bullets. Which I suppose is a 4 way only using
    			    3.
    
    Which I reckon would be the best solution for the joining half way
    problem. The Scotchlock which caused the fault was just joining two 
    ends of a broken wire together, so a normal bullet connector did the
    trick.
    
    Mark

    You can also get spade connectors that have an extra bit of metal
    folded back at the end, which enable you to connect another connector
    to it in a pigy-back kind of arrangement.
    
    Neil 

    Mark - that's what I had expected as the solution.
    
    Neil - Yeah, piggy-back 'spade' connectors are very useful,
    	   where two wires go to/from a common point, but not
    	   much good for 'splicing in' one wire to a length of
    	   an existing wire.
    
    Now, who's going to manufacture a reliable, easy-to-use, cheap
    connector to replace Scotchlok's ?
    
    J.R.

    
    And yet ANOTHER Marcos article (two in fact, one on the Mantula and
    one on the company and its possible future) in August's Performance
    Car.
    
    This article is good. As an owner, I could almost feel myself behind
    the wheel of the Mantula. The writer was obviously enthusiastic about 
    the car and it shows, but it isn't blind adoration (unlike most of my 
    rantings on the subject! :^)).
    
    Mark (Who had his on the road yesterday and still has that warm glow...
    caused by the useless ventilation mainly!).

    Mark,
    
    Let me be the first to congratulate/commiserate with you...
    
    Laurie. JDC_wooden_spoon_holder_with_3.4_MKII,_XRP_75

Mark,
	that's more than I've ever managed!  At the owner's club do they
just hand out marking sheets and people wander round and grade the
cars.  I've never won anything; mind you I've never asked what my score
was either... now where's the sump polish?

Dave

    
    I don't know exactly how the cars are judged, I never saw anyone
    looking at our car, it must have been while we were in the maze!
    
    I assume the cars were checked though, as there was an originality
    award which my car came pretty close to winning, although we were 
    narrowly beaten by a very original 1970 V6.
    
    Two members of the CMI committee were the judges. It wasn't a case of 
    everyone in the club getting to pick their favourites. 
    
    Mark (Must go and buy some polish at lunchtime! :^))

    October's Which Kit? has a Marcos advert inside the cover, which talks
    about the 'Martina' .............. seems to be a Cortina version of the
    Mantula .... comes in Coupe and Spyder variants for 2K plus VAT for a
    kit ........
    
    Expert comment ???  It really looks nice ....
    
    another Mark
    

    
    It IS a Cortina version of the Mantula (same moulds, but the wider 
    Cortina front end neccesitates wider arches courtesy of some pretty
    neat extensions). The car is based on a mark 4 or 5 Cortina, but 
    I can't say whether the 2.3 engine would fit for extra torque.
    
    People I know with early Post-80 coupes with Pintos seem happy with
    the performance and there are plenty of ways of extracting more poke
    from a Ford 2.0 OHC.
    
    Marcos also claim a quick build time (can't remember exactly what)
    and I have a feeling that the body is self-coloured GRP to save
    on respraying it (but posing problems of its own).
    
    If you didn't think you could afford a Marcos, you can now. I've
    not spoken to anyone who's driven one or read any road tests, so
    I can only guess at performace and handling. The ad claims it 
    retains the 'Marcos rear suspension', but if this isn't the IRS
    now used on the Mantula then it isn't really such great shakes,
    although it is a pretty well secured beam axle design.
    
    Mark

    I just spoke with Chris Marsh on the phone and he is sending some
    brochures etc. He confirmed that the car is Cortina based, as you said,
    but that the car will take a V6 (eeee, 'ow about one of those 24 valve
    Cosworth's from that new Granada ...) .... but that most people find
    the 2 litre Pinto just fine.
    
    Chris says that he runs a Martina as his daily driver and offered a
    ride anytime I wanted to visit. I'll do that soon.
    
    Which Kit? also contains a snippet of Jackie Stewart's visit to see Jem
    Marsh and Jackie's Gull wing Marcos of old.
    
    Mark

    
    Sounds like a car with a lot of potential.
    
    Chris has done a fair bit of engineering on the newer cars (including
    the Martina) and is keen to see the range expanded. No doubt this and
    the Mini's revival are greatly due to his ideas. His background
    includes a fairly lengthy spell preparing IMSA cars in the States, so
    he should have a pretty sound idea of what makes a good handling car.
    
    Mark (Going slightly green :^))

	I think that your estimates are way too low (like most people who
	haven't built a kit).  The normal way to estimate the cost is to
	double the cost of the kit, this gives a price of around 10k.  The
	Marlin cost me around 5.5K and the kit is 2.5K, so I spent around
	3k on bits and pieces.  The donor only cost me 120 pounds...

	Dave

	You owe it to yourself to recondition *all* the bits, you really don't
	want to end up with a sheep in wolf's clothing.

	Dave

    
    Re .184
    
    Based on a Cortina how can you avoid such a thing? :^)
    
    Re. Costing.
    
    I'm probably a bit low, but the Marcos kit is a lot more extensive than
    most other kits (if you buy ALL the stages). I was also assuming that 
    the engine and box were fitted 'as is', obviously that would up
    the price a fair bit.
    
    Like the title said <10k for a Spyder sounds good. I don't doubt that
    you can end up spending a lot more if you really want to...:^)
    
    Mark
    

	ouch!

	Whilst admitting that there are limits to the dynamic properties of
	Cortina suspension bits, no matter where you put them, the Cortina
	can make an excellent base for a car.  Most Cortina based cars 
	manage to endow their humble base with a lot better handling than
	the donor ever had.  Just getting rid of the body weight and throwing
	away the rubber mounted front suspension does a good job.  As you
	point out, the engines can be severely tweaked; although they'll never
	be smooth.

	Over the years, the Marlin has surprised a lot of hot hatches...

	Dave

    
    Only kidding Dave. :^)
    
    Personally I thought the Mk V Cortina was quite a nice car. Pity
    Fraud decided to go the Jelly-mould-with-portholes route! 
    
    Mark (Who would rather like a Martina  Spyder).

    
    Have you seen the Mark V Mini Marcos advertised, yet.
    
    I saw an article on the Mini Marcos in the summer edition of
    Mini World, it gives the full run-down on the history of the car
    and has a interview with Jem Marsh.
    
    I was considering getting a new Mini Marcos, but the overall cost
    would kill me, roughly #1500 for the shell, #1800 for the donor
    car ie. my 1985 'c' reg Mini, + all the extras that would be needed.
    
    Oh well, perhaps Santa will get me one?
    
    Matt. 
    

    	Yes it's being advertised. Saw an ad for the mini and the martina
    in the most recent Which Kit. The Mini Marcos is as ugly as ever. 

    I wouldn't call it ugly, just different!!!!!
    
    I like the front end of the Mini Marcos, I think it
    looks quite purposeful, but the rest, oooooooo.
    
    I'm a dedicated Mini fan so I'm biased.
    
    Matt

    
    Well I'd call it ugly! :^)
    
    Having said that a visit to Motorfair allowed me to sit in one at last.
    
    I'm 5' 10" and my head was pressing against the roof (not brushing, the
    headlining was crushed and the fibreglass was flattening my head!).
    Aside from the lack of headroom, the Mini was actually quite roomy
    inside with a couple of (very) occasional seats in the back. The dash
    is very basic, but there were plenty of dials there to keep you
    informed and, according to everyone who owns one, they're great fun to
    drive. Considering their potential for competition (a suprisingly good
    competition history ensures they're welcome at most historic rally and
    race meetings) it's suprising that they can still be picked up so
    cheap, although the low price does tend to mean finding a good one is
    extremely difficult.
    
    Like someone said, the bulk of production is bound for Japan, where 
    anything small, sporty and British is much admired (funny world, isn't 
    it?) and a win by a Mini Marcos on the recent Liege-Roma-Liege Rally 
    can't have done sales any harm either! (The L-R-L is a bit like the 
    Pirelli Marathon).
    
    Mark
    
    PS The Beast is in bits at the moment as I attempt to fix the water
    loss by replacing the head gaskets. Also planned for the winter months
    are some repairs/replacements to the bodywork and (I've said it before,
    but this time I hope it'll happen) a respray.

    
    Well, I had a funny dream in which I somehow became the proud owner
    of a Mini Marcos. I know it was a dream, because my head didn't bang
    on the roof. :^)
    
    Anyway enough of my cheese related fantasies.
    
    The water leak I reported elsewhere in this conference appeared to be
    head gasket related (I Hope). Derek Mitchell kindly checked the
    compression on all the cylinders and one bank was definitely down on
    the other, so I bit the bullet and took off the heads.
    
    I got them cleaned up and checked over and it was found that one of the
    heads was 5 thou off true. So I had them both skimmed back to flat (the
    other one was slightly off too) and they are now sitting in my garage
    awaiting reassembly (might get done at the weekend). I've already
    purchased a top set of gaskets and I'm going to replace a couple of
    hoses and pipes which lurk in inaccesible places (under the exhaust
    manifolds, for example) before putting it all back together.
    
    The other major job I'm planning this winter is to get the car
    resprayed. I've not started looking for somewhere seriously yet, but
    I've been given a couple of names of people to talk to. Hopefully by
    next spring/summer the car should be a smart BRG instead of the peeling
    metallic red it is at present.
    
    Mark

    Mark,
    	About ten years ago, when Jan Marsh were trading at Westbury ( are
    they still ? ) resprayed a friend's Macros in 2 tone Metallic, and they
    used the shape of the car, especially the front wings to produce and 
    excellent and very different effect, to highlight the shape even more.
    Worth considering ?                                 
    
    Ady

    
    Spit, cough, rumble, growwwwwwwwlllll!!!!!
    
    Well it finally fired up on Saturday morning. After much fiddling with 
    the timing I finally gave in and called the RAC. I'm not sure that he
    really had any duty to sort out the problem (which turned out to be the
    distributor out by PART of a cylinder), but as someone who builds V6
    powered Land Rovers for a hobby, it wasn't too difficult to get him
    interested! :^)
    
    To be honest, in this cold weather I find it difficult to muster much
    enthusiasm for working on the car, so aside from recharging the battery
    and kicking it into life again on Sunday, I did no further work on the
    car. 
    
    To get it back on the road requires a few little jobs. First is to set
    the timing properly (it runs, but I suspect it's still a little out),
    then to make sure the new oil gauge pipe is not pumping oil all over
    the road anymore (I may need ANOTHER new pipe). After that I just need
    to refit the inner mud guards, get it taxed and start looking for someone
    to repair the cracks in the fibreglass and respray it.
    
    Soon be Spring!
    
    Mark
    
    

    
    Well, spring is here and the wife's been nagging me to get the Beast
    back on the road, and what's more resprayed!
    
    So on Saturday I re-re-....charged the battery and set off on a 30 mile
    round trip to get someone to give me a quote for stripping, repairing
    and respraying the Marcos.
    
    It's puffing like an old steam engine with the left hand (as you look 
    from the driver's seat) exhaust manifold still not sealed properly and
    when I got to Farnham (about 3 miles) someone stopped me and told me I
    was losing water. I stopped to see where from, but there was no sign
    of the leak (air in there still?) with the engine running.
    
    I got to the place I had set out for with little problem, except for
    the car running at 3/4 temperature (which was higher than before, but 
    during the rebuild I'd found there was no thermostat and so had fitted
    one). On checking the radiator, it appeared to be empty so I refilled
    it before returning (when I got home it was still full...something's
    odd).
    
    I got a quote for the work which was about what other people having
    been quoting, but it's a lot of money, so if anyone knows of a
    reputable resprayer who can do fibreglass, let me know QUICK!!!!
    
    Mark

Perhaps it's leaking while warming up. When hot, it doesn't leak ...

Just a thought ...

Don't suppose it could have anything to do with the head strip down
could it :-)

    Mark,
         a pal of mine in Salisbury does excellent work, he used to do
    warranty body work for BMW in the area until he got pi**ed with them
    not paying on time! He does (I think) have fibreglass experience.
    
    His name is John Peachey-Austing, trades as Austing motors. 
    
    Used to race minis in the 'old days' quite successful too. His work is
    as good as it gets, and he's genuinely honest.
    
    As his number has been changed, I don't have it, but call inquiries for
    Austing motors, Petersfinger, Salisbury. Tell JPA I recommended you.
    
    Nigel 

	Theale motors re-sprayed our NG after some nice person rammed us up
	the rear, they did a good job.

	Heather

    
    For anyone interested in the Probes (a while back someone asked about
    them) there's an article on all of them in the July 1992 Classic And
    Sportscar (The one with the Aston on the front - I'm thinking about a 
    trade in! :^)).
    
    Mark

    Mark,
    	I saw a marcos in like a candy red this morning A4 going towards
    Reading, roof down hair blowing job. I think it would look better in
    BRG. When are you coming into Newbury in it. I only have a week left to
    see this machine. I hope you keep it cleaner than the Calibra :-)
    
    	Have a good one,
    
    
    					Chris

    Chris,
    
    Well, if you really do only have a week left you could be out of luck.
    
    I rang the paintshop on Wednesday and they said they need it until
    at least the middle of next week. I'm away next weekend, so it's
    unlikely I'll get the car back before a week on Monday.
    
    Mark
    
    BTW The Calibra is _clean_ at the moment! You should see it when it's
    dirty! :^)

    Mark,
    	I have seen the car clean, and dirty as well. It wasn't me
    complaining about the dirt it was all the flys on the windscreen :-)
    
    Pity about the Marco, never mind I can always pop over and have a beer
    in Newbury.
    
    		have a good one,
    
    					Chris.

    
    Oi,
    
    Chris, take a Butcher's at the Calibra today. Now THAT is clean!!! :^)
    
    Well, if anyone's interested in the on-going saga of the Marcos (and
    judging by TV Soap Opera ratings, lots of you must be rivetted! :^) ),
    here's the latest.
    
    As you will have read, I put the Marcos in for a respray at the end of
    May. They originally estimated 2 weeks, but said "It may take a little
    longer".
    
    Well they phoned me the Wednesday before last to say it would be ready
    last Tuesday. As I had the Monday off, I asked if they could get it
    ready for then and they said they'd try.
    
    Well Monday came and I'd heard nothing, so I rang them up. "Sorry it
    won't be ready today. We'll call you back" was the response. They did
    call back, but only to say that it wouldn't be ready until Friday (this
    being last Friday)! Anyway, Wednesday arrived and they called again.
    
    This time the bodyshop manager called to tell me they were having a few
    problems and would I like to come in and see the car. Alarm bells
    ringing, I went over there on Saturday morning, not really knowing what
    to expect.
    
    However, when I arrived, I found that the car is now fully painted, but
    still in about 10,000 different pieces. To use a venacular which seems
    popular in this conference these days, the paint looks like canine
    genitalia! The colour seems to really suit the car and they seem to
    have done an excellent job in getting a smooth, blemish free coat.
    
    Anyway, the upshot is that they need the car for a bit longer (they
    admitted that they had underestimated the effort required, and said
    that they couldn't afford to keep someone on it full time for the price
    they'd quoted - which seems fair enough), but they've promised that the
    car will be completed by the 11th July at the latest.
    
    Still, in a way it's a good thing, as it means I don't have to pay for
    it for a while yet!
    
    Next job is to get two new front bumpers and a new set of badges to
    complete the effect.
    
    Mark 

	Mark,

	How much are they charging for the respray ? What preparation
	work did they do ? Is the Marcos plastic bodied ?

	Jon

    
    Forget Eldorado, here's the final episode (I hope!) of Respray-ado!
    
    I got home last Friday to be greeted by the wife shouting 'It's
    ready!'. As she's crashed her FIAT and it is being repaired, I guessed
    she meant that, but, no, it was the Marcos which was ready!
    
    So, come Saturday morning we headed to Whites to pick it up. A quick
    look around confirmed that all seemed ok. In addition the repairing the
    cracks and respraying the car, they'd also succeeded in getting the
    doors to fit a lot better and relieve the stickiness of the electric
    windows. Money (well Plastic) was handed over in exchange for the keys
    and home we headed.
    
    On the way from Whites to our house is my in-laws house, so I stopped
    there to show the car to my Father in Law and Brother in Law. I was
    telling them what a good job Whites'd done in fitting the doors when...
    
    I noticed a chip in the paint!!!!!
    
    Back we went to Whites and they agreed to do the work on Monday, if I
    left the car there. So I had the car back for 15 minutes on Saturday!
    
    Monday came and passed and Whites told me the job was complete. They
    offered to return it to me yesterday, so I waited in for it (I had a
    few jobs to do around the house and a dentist appointment, so I decided 
    a day off wouldn't hurt - Maybe I could get the car MOT'd too.). 
    
    By 11 I was beginning to wonder where the car was, but just as I was
    about to ring to find out what the delay was it arrived. It seems
    they'd run out of petrol on the way!!!! :^)
    
    Anyway, it's back now, the paint looks good and the dismantling and 
    re-assembly of the body seems to have made the whole thing feel a lot 
    more solid (they replaced a lot of nuts and bolts, so I guess many were
    worn out). 
    
    I didn't get to MOT the car, as in the process of reassembling the car 
    they've (seemingly) wired the bonnet up wrongly. If you signal right
    all as fine, but signalling left gives a solid light and rear lights
    too and the front offside headlamp refuse to give more than a token
    glow regardless of setting. So that's a job for me to put right in the
    next few days. A trip to the factory will yield a new set of badges and 
    front bumpers and then the car will be finished for now! :^)
    
    Mark

    Sounds like the earth connections haven't been put back properly.
    Or they could be connected to paint rather than metal ...

    
    Yep, dodgy earths, it is. I sorted out the headlamp last night, but the  
    indicators need more research. That's a job for the weekend, though,
    along with resetting the tappets and tightening up the bonnet hinges.
    
    Mark

    I've had this problem with indicators when I've had dirty contacts
    on the bulbs themselves !!!
    
    Plastic cars, bad earth. Just rewire the earth, not the whole car :-)

    The idea is to wire all the earth point on all the electrical
    equipment mounted to the plastic, to one or two really good
    earthing points on the chassis (does yours have one of those,
    or is it wood ???). Anyway, some suitable piece of metal, or
    directly to the battry

    
    Umm, it's all a bit of a Forth Bridge job really, but maybe it'd be
    worth making the effort to do this.
    
    I noticed that the bulb is actually earthing on the light fitting and 
    hence lighting the rear light too - Like this...
    
    
    {--------------------} When indicator (I/L) is lit the rear light (R/L)
    { I/L           R/L  } also glows, but removing the I/L from the fitting
    {--------------------} causes the R/L to glow brighter and the I/L to
    			   go out altogether, until it's reunited with a
    			   decent earth. Very odd. Any ideas?
    
    Mark

    RE: -1
    
    Classic symptoms of poor earthing. The unit in use, in order to earth
    out to something in a manner sufficient to allow it to work, earths
    through the adjacent units. The answer, as already stated is to provide
    each unit (light cluster in the case) with its own earth, and a good
    one.
    
    Laurie.

    The way I've seen it done sucessfully is to string an earth between
    all the units in the same part of the car together, and then to
    a single good earthing point. You usually need one such earth string
    per corner of the car ...

	*all* of my lights are earthed (via good, thick wire) onto the
	chassis.  Also, they are earthed within the body, out of the way
	of wind,rain etc.  A good example is the rear lights, they're earthed
	onto the chassis *in* the boot.  That way, they stay earthed.

	Dave 

    
    Anyone got Demon Tweeks' telephone number?
    
    I'm also interested in knowing of anywhere in the Guildford/Basingstoke/
    Newbury/Reading sort of area which sells Spax shock absorbers. Any
    suggestions (with telephone numbers if poss)?
    
    You guessed it. The Beast failed its MOT. Quite a catalogue including
    rotten chassis rails (quote for repairing is actually very resonable!),
    ineffective handbrake, passenger side windscreen washer not reaching
    screen(!) and a duff front shock absorber.
    
    Mark

    
    
    	0829 - 70625  (24 hour order number)
    	0829 - 71002  ( fax )
    
    
    		or
    
    Spax Shock absorbers and springs.
    
    Unit 11E
    
    	Telford way industrial estate ,
    	Bicester,
    	Oxfordshire
    
    	08692 - 44771
    
    
    Hope that helps,
    
    Garry
    
    

    
    Anyone got an ideas how to solve this one?
    
    I was trying to get the rear wheels off the Marcos (to adjust the
    handbrake), but found that 2 of the roadwheel nuts were seized
    (somehow) onto the studs - I managed to get one off (both the stud and 
    the nut were stripped though), but the final one just refuses to move.
    
    BIG problem is that the stud does move. So the stud and the nut revolve 
    merrily when a socket is  put on the nut!!! The stud is inaccesible
    until the wheel is removed. There's no room to fit a nut splitter over
    the nut (as the alloy wheels are quite deeply set)!
    
    In desperation last night I tried drilling through the nut, but with
    only very limited success (By now I reckon the stud is beyond
    redemption).
    
    Any ideas/brilliant tools?
    
    Mark

    Without looking at this particular problem, it's difficult to suggest
    something. However, heat (and lots of it) might free things up a
    little. How are the other studs 'mounted'? Are they screwed in from the
    front (wheel side)? If so, it should simply screw right out again. Are
    they pushed in from the back, into a square hole so they don't turn? Can
    you drill from the back? Can you push it back and get a grinder on it?
    
    For this sort of problem, you have to sit back, and look at it from all
    different angles. There's more than one way to skin a cat! You might
    have to be pretty destructive to get the thing off.
    
    Sorry I can't help more.
    
    Laurie.

    One last thing.
    
    Can you grip the wheel nut in mole grips, and drill the stud with
    progressively larger bits until it's gone?
    
    Laurie.

    
    The studs appear to be an interference fit from the back (but the back
    is hidden inside the brake drums!). Without getting the wheels off
    there's no way of reaching the stud.
    
    The idea of drilling away the stud might be something.
    
    Keep 'em coming.
    
    Mark

    If all else fails , if you can't drill the stud or nut successfully ,
    if you can get hold of one , use a die grinder to split the nut.
    
    Garry

    
    What's a die grinder? Where would I be likely to get hold of one?
    
    Mark

If your wheels aren't ally....cut it off with a blow torch...

    
    Sadly they are, and irreplaceable (well all but, anyway).
    
    Mark

    
    	Mark, does any of the offending stud protrude beyond the nut? If 
    	so, it may be possible to grip it (moles?) whilst getting a ring
    	spanner to the nut (put the ring spanner over the nut first..). 
    	Not easy, but I've managed to free a similar situation before, 
    	though admittedly not on a wheel nut.....
    
    	Once/if you get the nut started, things look up considerably..
                                 
    	Andy.

    
    No, it's a real bugger! The nut and stud surfaces are virtually flush,
    certainly not enough to get a grip on the stud.
    
    Someone suggested splitting the nut with a cold chisel, so I might try
    that.
    
    Mark

Can you get the drum (or hub) off ? With a lot of drums, the centre nut is 
accessible through the centre of the wheel (little cover in centre of wheel).

If you can get the drum/hub off, then things might become a little easier ... 

Another idea.

Use a socket to hold the nut still, clamp the socket in a mole wrench. Then
drill the thing out through the hole in the end of the socket ...

I suspect that you will have to replace the drum/hub when it's all over
though. Just replacing the stud probably won't be enough ...

    
    Umm, maybe I COULD get the hub off. I'll try that too!
    
    Mark

If you can, drilling from the back, or even smashing up the hub to
"liberate" the stud and then cutting it off will avoid damage to the
wheel.

If the cold chisel will split the nut, it will make a real mess of
the wheel if it slips off ...

    A die grinder is small straight grinder, normally for use with grinding
    stones, as apposed to an angle grinder. Of course you could use one of
    them but with an angle grinder I think more damage may be done. Come to
    think of it, if you can get some small grind stone , don't use the
    little Black and decker packet, They are not up to the job of grinding 
    that much steel away, a good engineering shop would sell the right
    ones. Put the stone in an electric drill and use that to grind the nut
    away. It might take a while ( I've had to do it with a taper roller
    shell ) , but it gets the job done without damage.
    
    When you get it off, before you put the new nuts on, put a little smear
    of copperease or better still snap-on never-seeze on the new stud.
    
    
    Garry
    
    

    Mark, if the safety of the wheel is paramount, go for the drill method.
    Don't forget to oil the hole between drill bit sizes, and only go as
    deep as you need to. Dot-punch the top of the stud to start off with,
    and place the mole grips in such a way that if the drill slips, it
    helps you avoid hitting the wheel.
    
    Laurie.

    
    Quite probably. They used to (I noticed an ad for them in a 1988
    Autosport last night!).
    
    Mark

    
    Well, little joy with drilling. No way of getting the hub off and the
    stud and nut are proving almost as hard as my drill bits!
    
    Next attempt will be to get a grinding wheel (although it'll need to be
    a very long thin one, do they exist?) and attempt to grind the nut
    away!
    
    Mark
    
    PS I've got a pair of shocks on order. Shock Tactics had one(!) and
    have ordered another so they'll arrive in stages, but at least it'll 
    get through the MOT (Assuming I EVER get this wheel off!!!!!).

    
    Mark,
    
    	Did you use an ordinary drill, ie: the sort you get in packs
    (jobber). Before you give up it may be worth trying an engineering
    drill, don't ask me what the difference is. However, I was doing a bit
    of work with 1/2 ton steel girders that needed drilling, ordinary drill 
    bits went blunt at the mention of the word girder, but the engineers
    drill (16mm) stayed sharp for a dozen or so holes before it needed
    sharpening again.
    
    As for the grind stones, you can get pretty much whatever shape or size
    you want.
    
    Garry 

    I second -1 on the drills, and I still believe it's the only safe way
    of doing the job (notwithstanding the fact that I can't look and feel).
    
    Laurie.

    
    Ok, I'll try and get a better drill (any idea on where to look?).
    
    Mark

    Mark, not just any bit, you'll need at least three in increasing
    sizes. Start with a really small one, really small. Drill, with oil,
    then drill a slightly bigger one, with oil, then a bigger one and so
    on, until you drill the stud from the nut entirely. It is a waste of
    time and effort to try it with one hit, unless you have a HUGE, fixed
    drill, and a VERY good bit..
    
    Laurie.

    
    Names and addresses ???? but I would recommend a real tool shop. Not a 
    DIY place, they know diddly and would probably sell you an orginary
    drill. The sort of place to look is the kind of shop that sells Pillar
    drills, lathes, milling machines or have a look in yellow pages. I
    could only give you names and addresses in and around london. 
    
    I think the correct name of the type of drill I mean is a Blacksmith's
    drill, People like SKF make them ,not black and decker. Also something
    else to think about is the drill speed, don't try drilling at high
    speed, it will burn the tip out and get you nowhere quick. Try a slow
    drill speed.
    
    Garry 

    Re stuck nut.....
    
    What about welding a bigger nut onto the existing one?
    This would make it stick out a bit more and make it possible to get a
    better leverage on it.....
    
    
    Ian.

    Don't weld but roughen and use an industrial strength adhesive. By
    which I don't mean ``Super glue'' - perhaps Araldite (?sp). There are
    glues about which will bond metal to metal and are stronger that the
    actual metal.
    
    	Sorry I can't be more specific you could phone Ciba-Geigy I think
    thay have some form of help desk.
    
    	Rik

re -1 

>    Don't weld but roughen and use an industrial strength adhesive. By
>    which I don't mean ``Super glue'' - perhaps Araldite (?sp). There are
>    glues about which will bond metal to metal and are stronger that the
>    actual metal.

Loc-tite 601 is the stuff. You need a very clean surface. I use their cleaner
to get areally grease free finish before glueing. 601 is very
strong. Model engineers use it to hold an the wheels of their locomotives.
However, this would probably require smooth bonding surfaces to be 
effective. 601 is not the rapid bond stuff sold in DYI stores etc. 

Source of drills: try Millhill Supplies in Crowmarsh Gifford on the B4009.
About 1/2 hour from Newbury area. They are a model engineers suppliers.
I would emphasis Laurie's comments about using oil as a lubricant while drilling.
All cutting tools require cooling/lubrication when cutting steel. Large 
quantities and also use different sizes. Remember once the drill is blunt,
it will only get hotter.

Wolf, I think do a range of drill bits which are claimed not to require
cooling and will cut through hardened steel, brick, masonary etc. I have 
seen these demonstrated but I have no direct experience. I think Millhill
supply them.

	Dave

    I can't see what the nut-and-glue idea would buy. I understood it to be
    a case of a seized nut on a now non-captive stud. In other words, turn
    the nut, and you turn the stud too.
    
    Laurie.

    
    You're not missing anything Laurie. That is indeed the case.
    
    Mark
    
    PS Still might be useful in another case! :^)

Why won't the hub come off ?

Just curious ... it'll HAVE to come off at some point.

I would imagine that just replacing the stud won't be enough. If it's
been turning, the chances are the hole in the hub has increased in size too.

Depending on the type of nut, rather than drilling out the stud, why not
drill between the stud and the nut. Two holes, one either side of the nut.
Gradually increase the size until the nut comes in two ...

ALso, nuts tend to be softer metal than studs (can't believe I just wrote
that :-)

    
    The hub is secured by a big nut (held in with a split pin). This nut
    is behind the wheel and only accessible through the centre of the
    wheel. The hole in the centre of the wheel is covered with a plate
    secured from inside the wheel...
    
    Mark
    

    Is this plate replaceable ?
    
    It's much easier to drill an alloy plug than a steel bolt ...

    
    It maybe, but I don't think the hole would be big enough to remove the 
    nut (not to mention get the split pin out). However, I'll investigate
    that option.
    
    Mark

    If the stud is spinning then why not just glue that ?

    I have kind of lost track of this one as there are a lot of ideas
    flying around....
    
    I agree with Dave Robinson that you'll need to use the best drills that
    you can in stages. What is needed are HSS or better and be prepared to
    do some careful resharpening and go through a lot of small increments
    in size of hole being drilled.
    
    Toomers in Newbury, Sargents or Drews in Reading and Mill Hill supplies
    are the places that I have used to be sure of getting HSS drill bits.
    
    Best lubricant to use isn't ordinary oil, but cutting oil and used
    neat. That's usually used as an emulsion in water on machine tools
    flooding over the tool bit, but since you don't want all the mess, use
    it neet and squirt it right down the hole and clear the chips away
    frequently.
    
    Keep the cutting speed as high as you can which for steel means about
    100 ft/sec peripheral speed at the cutting edge.
    
    I have some cutting oil and if you want, give me a call at home tonight
    (0635) 521842 and you can pick some up tomorrow.
    
    I was with Dave when he mentioned the superhard drill bits on demo: we
    saw them drilling through old files, pliers, bricks, hard glaze
    ceramic, and getting red hot as well and still cutting easily.
    
    I think the word that comes to mind is "Awesome".......
    
    They are sold under the "FRHEI" trade name..... I can post details of
    how to get some if wanted.

Mark,

I had  the same problem on the GT6 a couple of years back.

The fix then was to hit the offending stud/nut with a large hammer, that seemed
to lock the stub so allowing the nut to be undone with a socket.

Cheers,

Nigel.

    
    Well the shocks arrived (yesterday, in fact! Very prompt service).
    
    Quite where they found a second one, I do not know, but 2 I have and
    I'm not complaining. Just got to get a coil spring compressor now and
    away we go.
    
    It'd be nice to achieve something!
    
    Mark
    
    PS Re .265: Nigel, that'd work if the stud was screwed into the face of
    the stud, but unfortunately as they're pushed through from the back of
    the hub, it doesn't. Thanks for the thought, anyway.

    John,
    
    Thanks for the offer of the coil spring compressors. I've hired some
    now (keen to get on with it!), but if I need any again I'll bear you
    in mind! :^)
    
    I'm going to forget about the nut for now and concentrate on sorting
    out the shocks. I'll go back to the nut at the weekend! 
    
    Mark

Did you manage to salvage the hub ?

    
    There aren't any splines on the hub (as far as I can tell). The splines
    on the stud are tapered and lock into the hole in the hub (but I might
    well put a touch of araldite or something similar in there to ward off
    the same problem).
    
    Mark

Not araldite ... locktite or superglue would be better.

To fit the stud, do you have to heat the hub and freexe the stud ?

    
    Well the studs arrived and I got them fitted eventually (required the
    use of a ring spanner and an old wheel nut!). They fit very tightly and
    they feel secure enough when tightening and removing the wheel nuts
    now.
    
    I'm still waiting for a spring seat for my second new shock absorber,
    but the old and new currently fitted are both at the same height now!
    
    Unfortunately, the welder, who was supposed to be coming to do the
    welding today has had to go to hospital to visit his ill child so I
    won't be getting the Beast MOT'd tomorrow as I'd planned. Hopefully
    he'll come to do the welding on Sunday or Monday, but does anyone know
    a good (careful!!!) welder who'd come to the Fleet area?
    
    Things are getting a bit tight for time now!!!!
    
    Mark

    
    Done :-
    
    i)   Wheel studs fitted.
    ii)  Handbrake adjusted. (ii required i!)
    iii) Welding done. (yeah!!!!)
    iv)  Nuts and bolts and self tappers for refitting sill covers
    purchased (Anyone ever been in Unimaster Components in Newbury? What an
    Aladin's cave! :^) - Also Industrial Fastenings by Newbury station were
    very helpful.).
    v) Sill covers repainted - They'd got a bit tatty.
    vi) Leaking shock absorber replaced.
    
    To Do :-
    
    i) Refit sill covers.
    ii) Check out the car one last time.
    iii) Try and get it MOT'd again...
    
    Wish me luck, only 5 days until the club meet!!!!
    
    Mark

    
    It's been a long time since my last note in this topic, but if you've
    read the other notes you'll know that I've had a lot of trouble getting 
    this MOT!
    
    Well, having finally obtained the rear suspension bushes (Wishbone
    bushes from an A35, it transpires), I took the car in for it's third
    MOT test this year on Saturday. When I arrived I was greeted by a
    different tester to the one who'd done it last time. My heart sank, as
    the fan belt was still rubbing on the steering (they all do) and I
    couldn't rely on the tester agreeing with his colleague (who failed it
    because of this last time) that this might just be the way the car's
    designed. 
    
    Anyway, it turned out that this  tester has a very old Dutton (with the
    cycle wings) and is toying with putting a 2.8 V6 in it. All he really
    wanted to do was talk about kit cars and drive the Marcos in and out of
    the testing bay! When he opened the bonnet, however, the first thing he
    said was "The fan belt's close to the steering". Here we go, I thought.
    "It's not touching though, is it?" I asked. "Yes, but that's not a
    fail", he replied!!!!! Remember this is the same testing station as
    failed it on the previous occasion!
    
    Happily, the car obtained its MOT certificate this time with little
    effort and I was able to attend the meeting at the Swan in Thatcham.
    In spite of the dire weather a good number of cars turned out (nearly
    all new models, mine being the oldest by many years) and they looked
    pretty good lined up outside the pub (despite the spoilsport in the
    Metro parking in the middle!).
    
    The 'exciting news' turned out to be of a racing nature, but is much
    more ambitious than merely a one-make series. The idea is to enter a
    car at Le Mans (under the GT or IMSA regulations) in 1994. The factory
    (Chris Marsh, Jem's son, was there) seem enthusiastic, but the fund
    raising and much of the organisation is being left to club members, and
    whilst their enthusiasm is undoubted, their knowledge of sportscar
    racing (or racing in general) seemed inadequate for the task. Time,
    alone, will tell if they can make a go of it.
    
    If a car is built, it's expected to be something along the lines of the
    XP2 car built for Japan last year (very much a Mantula in appearance),
    but the regulations will determine EXACTLY what the car is like. 
    
    Mark

    
    Well, I'll drag myself back into CARS_UK (a bit like a junkie having
    just one last fix...) to ask a question...
    
    Has anyone ever taken part in the Norwich Union Classic Car run?
    
    I've (as you may have guessed) entered this year's event with the
    Marcos (yep, still got it, but it's not been on the road since last
    October!) and I'm wondering what to expect.
    
    Basically, I think, I drive from Brooklands (my allocated start point,
    there's one in Newbury too, BTW) and then make my way to Silverstone
    via various checkpoints at motoring related sites (eg Crowthorne test
    track, museums, etc). You also got a chance to see a lot of lovely
    classic cars and drive around Silverstone.
    
    It sounds like a fun day out (30th May, btw), but I'd be interested in 
    any experiences anyone has of the event, if only to goad me into
    sorting out the radiator and other little jobs which need doing on the
    car?
    
    Mark

    Well I enoyed that Mark. Keep 'em coming.
    
    Laurie$Frogeye_off_the_road_cos_I_can't_afford_the_insurance.

	This is usually a good and interesting day out.  It's near Weybridge
	(just inside the M3/M25 corner) and entrance is 3.50 per adult.   It's
	not touristy and you can usually wander where you will.  The time I
	went with the Marlin they suggested I might like to drive on the 
	banking, which I did, alas no camera to record this.  Oh and it's got
	a good little cafe.

	Dave

	I will soon be starting construction of a Marcos Martina. The 
kit I have ordered is a Coupe, as Scotland has a very short open topped 
driving season each year. The basic concept of the car has been 
described in detail earlier on in this note. The aim in it's design is 
to use as much as possible from a Ford Cortina. This is OK, but I was in 
the market for something a little bit more sophisticated. If Marcos had 
still been making Mantula kits I would have bought one of those. I can't 
afford the 25K+ that the turn key type approved Mantara's sell for. What 
I intend building is closer to a Mantula than a Martina.

    Marcos are ceasing production of the Martina, to concentrate on the
    type approved cars, so mine will be one of the last. 
    
	I visited the Marcos factory in September. They have one tin 
hut for assembly of cars and kits and another as a showroom and office. 
The showroom had a number of Mantula and Mantara cars, as well as the 
Martina demonstrator. There was also a Mini Marcos, very ugly.
Some people like them as they sell a lot, many to Japan, as well as replica 
Mini Coopers. The workshop had four Mantara's under construction and a 
Martina kit awaiting collection. 

	The Martina demonstrator is several years old and was built
around a scrap Cortina, with little reconditioning of the doner parts.
The engine was very sick, with not much in the way of oil pressure. I
tried to drive the thing, but the pedals had been set for someone much
taller. This car doesn't have the adjustable pedal box. In general, the
car showed that I could build something that met my requirements; a
closed roof two seater, reasonably practical and without any strange kit
car type styling quirks. The vinyl interior trim, although built down to a
price looked OK and had worn reasonably well. 
 
	If anyone is interested here is a run down of how my kit is 
likely to differ from the standard Martina. This will be the second kit 
I have built, so there a few more ambitous ideas, without getting 
involved in major modifications.

Engine
2.8 Cologne V6. 	I have a complete mechanical fuel injection set up for 
			this. If I can't get that to work, then there is 
			a carb and manifold available as plan B. The 
			engine I have is in remarkably good condition and is 
			in the process of getting a mild overhaul, with new 
			bearings, a fast road cam and a high pressure oil pump.
			The engine was originally from an automatic. I have
			yet to find a suitable flywheel.
			This engine should produce somewhere in between the 
			power and torque of a tuned Pinto 2 litre engine and 
			the 3.9 Rover V8's that Marcos use on the production 
			cars. Fuel consumption, while unlikely to be good, 
			should still be an improvement over a Rover V8.
			
5 speed Gearbox		Still to be sourced. Probably from an '82 to 89 
			Granada, or a 2.8 Capri.

Rear suspension		I have ordered the kit with independent rear 
			suspension. The standard Martina uses a modified 
			Cortina axle, with four leading arms and a panhard rod.
			The IRS system is the one originally developed for the
			Mantula and used on the Mantara turn key cars. It uses 
			Ford Sierra diff, drive shafts, hubs and disk brakes.
			The IRS should make the car much more comfortable 
			on the spine over potholes. From experience with 
			a Westfield, lightweight cars with live axles 
			just behind the seat can deliver quite a jolt. 
			The propshaft will probably be a shortened Sierra one.

Front suspension	This uses a Cortina front subframe. It is 
			the aspect of the kit I am least satisfied 
			with. I have toyed with the idea of building up 
			lighter and more precise wishbones, but this would 
			involve some fairly major chassis alterations, as well
			as having to learn suspension design from scratch. I 
			do plan to uprate the brakes from solid disks to vented
			disks with modified Austin Princess four pot calipers. 
			This should balance the extra braking effort offered by
			the rear disks over standard Cortina drums. Just in 
			case rear wheel lock up is a problem I will include 
			some sort of adjustable pressure limiting valve to 
			the rear brakes.

	Thats it for the time being. Further updates may get written as 
the build progresses. No doubt I'll be asking questions elsewhere in the
conference on problems that turn up. 
    
		Jeremy

    
    Jeremy,
    
    At last! A fellow Marcos owner...
    
    I was lucky enough to drive a well built Martina earlier this year
    (It's the demonstrator that belongs to Alan Fereday and featured in
    some of the kit car press earlier this year).
    
    His has a tuned Pinto and a short-shift five speed box. It really
    shifts, but sounds a bit coarse compared to the six (Personally, I
    always think the eights sound a little unrefined too, lots of people
    comment on how nice my 6 sounds). His had a live axle, I think,
    but it definitely felt like a proper Marcos. It's a shame the company
    are hell bent on production car manufacture as the Mantara really isn't 
    as good as TVRs latest offerings.
    
    Anyway, enough of my ramblings. I'll just wish you luck and hope you 
    keep us informed of progress.
    
    Mark

	Mark Saxby has prompted me for an update on the Martina build 
described in .283. Well I've been at it for ten months now and progress
has been slow. A basic Cortina based car would be fairly simple to
build, but the mechanical spec. I want has added to the complication. 

	I collected the kit from the Marcos factory in December '93,
using a car transporter trailer. The kit is supplied with the body shell
and doors assembed to the chassis, but the bonnet and boot lid are just
taped down. The chassis was ratchet strapped to the trailer with old car
tyres underneath to provide some cushioning. Everything else went inside
the tow car. Travel back to Scotland was slow, but uneventful, a group
of four unloaders being arranged to transfer the whole thing into the
garage. 

	Over the first few work sessions much time was spent working out
where things went, what all the holes in the fiberglass where for and so
on. Quality of the parts was impressive. The first task was to run the
brake, fuel and electrical lines through the car from front to back.
Latter on this task would be much harder as the engine bay, transmission
tunnel and rear suspension area filled with other components. After that
the method of work was to have several aspects of the car on the go at
once. That way, if any delay occured there was something else to do. 

	At present most of the major mechanical components are fitted.
The engine needs an exhaust, the fuel injection pipes, alternator,
electrics and the water pipes fitted and it'll be ready to start. The
alternator will need a bracket fabricated to move it from beside the
engine to abvove it. In it's current position it would be trying to
share the space with the steering column. The rear suspension is
independant, using Marcos wishbones and uprights, with Ford Granada
Scorpio diff, hubs, brakes and shortened drive shafts. The hubs where
converted from five to four nut wheel fittings, to match the Cortina
front suspension. The engine is a 2.8 Ford V6 with mechanical fuel
injection. This was originally attached to an auto box. A lightweight
flywheel has been fitted to allow use of the manual five speed gearbox.
The box is fitted with a quickshift lever. 

	In the near future I'll be arranging to pick up the interior 
trim and the rear screen glass. The rear glass wasn't available at the 
time I collected the kit and it is not something that Marcos will send 
by parcel or courier, due to the risk of breakage. Now Marcos have
ceased producing the kit form cars support has gone to Fereday Cars in
Hampshire. Both their and the factories support on part supply and
questions has been pretty good. 

    		Jeremy

    Mark,
    
    On the topic of the diff....
    
    How hot should it run?
    
    Quite a while ago I was poking around under a Taimar and we couldn't 
    decide if the diff was ouch hot because:
     - it should be
     - it was close to the exhausts
     - it was on the way to replacement
    
    Peter

    
    Sad news in the latest CMI magazine is that Frank Costin (the COS of
    Marcos) has died. I don't think he was a young man, but he had a great
    influence in the design of many famous cars. He did a lot of work with
    Colin Chapman early on, as well as designing the early Marcos cars
    (although not the current style which was (and still is) Dennis Adams'
    work) and, of course, the little known Costin Amigo.
    
    Frank was an aerodynamicist by profession, having done a lot of work on
    Mosquitos during the war (one of the reasons the early Marcos cars were
    wooden chassised) and many of the classic 50s sports racers and single
    seaters  owed a great deal to him.
    
    Mark

	Re. Frank Costin. Are you sure?. There were two Costins, and
	indeed Frank was the shy aerodynamicist persuaded by the 
	brother to work on cars - initiallly the Lotus 11 I think.

	His greatest achievement was the Vanwall F1 car. I thought that
	it was the brother (Mike) who was involved with Marcos. Frank
	did develop his own car too - I forget the name now and indeed
	it was a pretty forgettable car.

	-John

    
    No, Mike is involved with Cosworth (Keith Duckworth being the worth bit
    I think). I, too, think Frank did the Lotus 11, but as Lotii are not my
    strong point, I shyed away from specifying any models! :^)
        
    The Costin Amigo was actually a pretty impressive car. It was very
    aerodynamic and, despite humble Vauxhall mechanics, was very quick. The
    problem was that it was very expensive and only a handful were made.
    
    Early Marcii were famed for their excellent aerodynamics, but they were
    a little unconventional (shall we say :^)) in appearance which made them 
    hard to sell as road cars. Dennis Adams 1964 design proved more popular 
    with the paying public and seems to continue to do so, despite the 
    addition of various bumps and bulges throughout the years.
    
    BTW, Frank Costin wrote (or is it a biography?) a book called 'Flying on 
    the ground', which make interesting reading for anyone interested in Lotus 
    or Marcos cars as it presents 'the other side' of the story with regards to 
    the development of some of the early models of each company.
    
    Mark
                                                                

    Mark,
    
    	Will you be at Stoneleigh this weekend coming?
    
    Cheers,
    Dan

    
    No. It's a bit of a way to go (for me, if not the car).
    
    Mark

    Shame. Oh well, never mind.
    
    Anyone else hitting Stoneleigh this weekend? Maybe we could meet up?
    
    Cheers,
    Dan

       The Saxby man is on the net, with his Marcos Page:
    
        http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mark_saxby
    
        His work e-mail address is MSaxby@wcs.co.uk     
    
        Greg

    Mark has updated his page referenced in .295.

From:	VBORMC::"MSaxby@wcs.co.uk" "(Saxby, Mark)" 27-JUN-1996 17:19:08.99
To:	british-cars@autox.team.net, Hilton@wotvax.enet.dec.com, dmccubbi@mobility.com, hf35@dial.pipex.com, ian.palmer@man.ac.uk, roger@wecc.demon.co.uk
CC:	
Subj:	Trip to Le Mans 1996 with a Marcos

     
     I've owned a Marcos 3 litre for the last 7 years. The car itself is a 
     1969 car and hasn't had the luxury of a ground up restoration (at 
     least not recently!).
     
     However, the fact that Marcos now race at Le Mans meant that I had to 
     make the effort and take the Marcos to the race. I should've taken it 
     last year, but I was in Munich and it was in Fleet, Hampshire, so this 
     was my first chance to take the Marcos to see the Marcos racing at Le 
     Mans.
     
     I booked the ferry way back in January, but I was a little concerned 
     about the ground clearance on the ferry. I needn't have worried 
     however as, when I arrived and lined up with all the other low slung 
     sports and classic cars bound for Le Mans, the efficient Brittany 
     Ferry marshals loaded all of us onto a flat deck. Even amongst all the 
     Porsches, TRs, TVRs, Caterhams, etc, the Marcos attracted attention 
     and a couple of people in a Porsche 356 wandered over to it and were 
     overheard to comment that it was 'much nicer than the new ones'; nice 
     people.
     
     The ferry crossing was smooth and uneventful, as the drive to 
     Portsmouth had been, and I was one of the first cars off the ship. As 
     another car was travelling down with me I had to wait for them and 
     took the opportunity to photograph the car with the ferry in the 
     background, just in case anyone ever doubts that we did make it to 
     France!
     
     Once we joined up and headed out of the busy port of Ouistream (just 
     outside Caen and shown as Caen in the brochures) we were quickly onto 
     the open road. I was just beginning to wonder about the slight weave 
     from the tail over bumps when a terrible noise began. There was 
     nothing else around, so it was clearly my car. I stopped and looked at 
     the back of the car - A puncture!. Still, easily fixed, I thought and 
     got out the jack and socket set. After half an hour I gave up - the 
     wheel was stuck firm. Fortunately I had taken out some European 
     assistance cover, so I called the Freephone number from a wine 
     merchant run by some friendly French people, who spoke no English. 
     Sadly, the number was wrong, but after ringing two numbers in the UK I 
     eventually tracked down the right number and after a further 45 
     minutes wait a man appeared. He then promptly broke the only socket I 
     had which fitted the wheel nut and bent a mild steel bar from his 
     toolkit into a bow, before finding something strong enough to free the 
     wheelnuts. I felt a little better about calling him out after that.
     
     We drove into Caen to find a garage which the assistance man had told 
     us could fix the tube (as the spare is the 60s equivalent of a space 
     saver - a 145/13 remould!). Sure enough the proprietor agreed to fix 
     the tube, but in true French style nothing was hurried. Still, it was 
     a nice afternoon and all the locals paused to give the car a once over 
     as it sat on the garage forecourt - whilst Marcos are rare in the UK, 
     they must be virtually unheard of in France! Once fixed, for a very 
     fair price, we continued on.
     
     It had taken us 3 hours to get the 5 or so miles to Caen, but the next 
     100 or so to Le Mans took us just over 2 and a half. The car, however, 
     was making some strange sounds by the time we get to Le Mans, as if 
     something in the transmission was loose or not properly attached to 
     the car. We stocked up on beer, wine and some food for the weekend and 
     reached the circuit around 9PM.
     
     There was still some light, so I decided to drive down what is the 
     Mulsanne Straight during the race to see if it was possible to take a 
     photo outside the famous Hunadieres restaurants. It wasn't, so we 
     drove on with the plan to turn around at the roundabout at Mulsanne 
     corner. As we reached the second chicane, however, a Gendarme waved me 
     off the road and into the chicane itself. I noticed they were stopping 
     every British registered sportscar. The Gendarme asked if I'd been 
     drinking alcohol and seemed stunned when I said no - he then 
     breathalyzed me, which of course showed nothing, and I continued down 
     to the Mulsanne corner roundabout and turned around to make our way 
     back to Garage Rouge.
     
     On arrival at the 'Garage' we found the gates locked, but another set 
     of gates further up were open and we decided to try our lock and park 
     by one of the few clumps of trees. Usually the officials are zealous 
     in their organisation of the cars, but on this occasion they left us 
     alone so we enjoyed a little shade at least some of the time over the 
     weekend.
     
     The race came and went as it does every year. The singleton Marcos 
     disappointed by expiring with engine failure after just 4 hours, 
     although it had shown well, leading its class, before that. I managed 
     to sleep quiet well for 2 nights in the car, which suprised me a 
     little.
     
     As the race ended, I returned to the car and set off back to the 
     ferry. The journey took around 2 and a half hours, but during that 
     time I stopped twice as the noises I'd heard on the way down turned 
     into serious vibration from somewhere in the drivetrain. 
     
     The vibration seemed worst at very slow speeds and evened out to just 
     slight discomfort at a steady 60 mph, so I cruised back to Ouistream 
     gently and arrived in plenty of time for my 11PM ferry. All along the 
     way, the locals had waved and cheered as I passed.
     
     After a fine glass of Belgian White Beer in a harbour side cafe, I 
     pulled into the ferry area right behind a nearly new Mantara Spyder. 
     The owner, his daughter and I spent a few hours chatting about the 
     cars and the pair of them drew a lot attention amongst the, 
     predominantly Le Mans returnee, ferry passengers.
     
     I've not yet traced the problem with the vibration. I suspect it may 
     be a failing rear axle, as the diff's been growling for a couple of 
     years now, so I'll probably need to have that attended to in the near 
     future.
     
     Overall, the experience was wonderful. The car drew admiring glances 
     and interested questions from all sorts of people all weekend. Despite 
     the problems I encountered, there was little doubt that'doing' Le Mans 
     in a sportscar adds to the pleasure of the event and  I plan to take 
     the car again next year, but this next time I'll check I can get the 
     wheels off without resorting to a third party!
     
     Mark

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% Subject: Trip to Le Mans 1996 with a Marcos