Marcos Maniacs

Hi Mark
Thanks for your comments. It is fun to ponder the unponderable Marcos.
Dave (5006)

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	mark_saxby [SMTP:mark_saxby@...]
> Sent:	Monday, January 28, 2002 6:01 AM
> To:	MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com
> Subject:	[MarcosManiacs] Re: More historical tidbits - a bit long
> 
> 
> David,
> 
> You are correct that there may well be clues when a Marcos is 
> converted from LHD to RHD (or vice versa), but it's an easier job 
> than most mass produced cars and as the dash is wooden, filling, etc 
> is pretty simple as would be cutting and pasting (:^)) the whole 
> thing left to right (details like the glove box, etc notwithstanding).
> 
> You're also right, of course, that the handbrake would need to be 
> relocated (unless you're REALLY friendly with your passengers and 
> have long, very flexible arms! :^)).
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Mark
> 
> --- In MarcosManiacs@y..., David Skora <David@a...> wrote:
> > Hello Mark
> > Thanks for your response. I have converted a coupe of MGB and 
> Triumphs
> > myself. If a car has been converted, I usually find brake lines and 
> fittings
> > have been replaced. Also, tell-tale holes and mountings for the 
> original
> > hardware are hard to conceal. The original steering column mount 
> holes would
> > have to be filled. Also on a marcos, I noticed that the glove box
> > compartment is unique to the right side to make room for the wiper 
> motor.
> > Plus on a early Marcos, would the hand brake be repositioned?
> > Respectfully
> > David Skora (5006)
> > 
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From:	mark_saxby [SMTP:Mark.Saxby@W...]
> > > Sent:	Wednesday, January 23, 2002 1:41 AM
> > > To:	MarcosManiacs@y...
> > > Subject:	[MarcosManiacs] Re: More historical tidbits - a bit 
> long
> > > 
> > > 
> > > I don't know how many Marcos were made LHD originally. Presumably 
> all 
> > > those bound for the states (mainly Volvo 3 litres) would have 
> been, 
> > > but it's very simple to convert a Marcos from LHD to RHD and vice 
> > > versa (the dash and footwells are symetrical), so there's no 
> > > guarantee that a Marcos that is now LHD started that way.
> > > 
> > > I'd guess that all the Triumph cars were, originally, RHD as 
> these 
> > > were built by Rob Walker cars to use up parts and sold through 
> Rob 
> > > Walker dealerships in the UK.
> > > 
> > > In one of the Brooklands books there's a picture (unless my 
> memory is 
> > > going completely) of an early-ish 1600 with LHD in London, so 
> they 
> > > weren't unheard of on the early models, although it's not clear 
> where 
> > > cars were going. 
> > > 
> > > In the UK, at least, the Marcos was a VERY trendy car in the 60s 
> with 
> > > many rock stars and TV personalities owning them The Walker 
> Brothers 
> > > had two, Rod Stewart (allegedly) went solo to pay for his and 
> John 
> > > Noakes (British TV presenter - Blue Peter for anyone with 
> memories of 
> > > British Children's TV :^)) had one. Therefore it's not unlikely 
> that 
> > > a number were bought by European celebrities and built in LHD.
> > > 
> > > END_OF_RAMBLE.
> > > 
> > > Mark
> > > 
> > > PS My car's currently with Alan Fereday Cars being refurbished 
> ready 
> > > for a return to the road in the Spring (I hope :^))
> > > 
> > > --- In MarcosManiacs@y..., David Skora <David@a...> wrote:
> > > > Hello Dan
> > > > Thanks for the interesting history. This is almost more than 
> what is
> > > > currently available in print about Marcos cars! Is your car 
> left 
> > > hand drive?
> > > > My car (5006) is LHD. Do you have any idea how many Marcos were 
> > > left hand
> > > > drive? Were all the Triumph or Volvo 6-cyl. cars also LHD?
> > > > Thanks Dave
> > > > 
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From:	Dan Orie [SMTP:dorie@s...]
> > > > > Sent:	Tuesday, January 22, 2002 6:02 AM
> > > > > To:	'MarcosManiacs@y...'
> > > > > Subject:	[MarcosManiacs] More historical tidbits - a 
> bit long
> > > > > 
> > > > > Hello All;
> > > > >   I had a chance over the weekend to really pour over the 
> > > documents from
> > > > > my
> > > > > build history ordered from Rory. Some of it may be common 
> > > knowledge, but
> > > > > it's new to me since I haven't read much of the information 
> > > available
> > > > > about
> > > > > our cars - I hope it's not boring.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Prestige imports of Los Angeles CA. seemed to be the first 
> > > authorized
> > > > > dealer
> > > > > of completed cars in the USA. The biggest problem at the time 
> > > (summer &
> > > > > fall
> > > > > of 1969) was getting the Marcos to comply with smog 
> regulations. 
> > > They
> > > > > pre-sold over 200 cars, but couldn't sell one due to this 
> fact. 
> > > They were
> > > > > almost in a panic to get the cars certified by the EPA before 
> > > customs sent
> > > > > them back to the UK, and seemed distressed to find out that 
> Volvo 
> > > engines
> > > > > were taking the place of the Fords - maybe they were tied to 
> Ford 
> > > somehow?
> > > > > 
> > > > > My car as I mentioned earlier, was ordered by the President 
> of 
> > > Ford at the
> > > > > time. The car was first delivered to a company called Kar 
> Kraft, 
> > > who at
> > > > > the
> > > > > time was a performance and tuning specialist working with 
> Ford. 
> > > Kar Kraft
> > > > > was responsible for all of the work in changing regular 
> Mustangs 
> > > into the
> > > > > 'Boss 429 Mustangs'. 'Boss' was how the workers of that 
> project 
> > > referred
> > > > > to
> > > > > the President of Ford at the time and the name stuck. It is 
> my 
> > > speculation
> > > > > that having Kar Kraft initially work on the Marcos to comply 
> with 
> > > the USA
> > > > > regulations at the time could have been an informal test and 
> > > first step to
> > > > > an eventual selling agreement in the USA by Ford.
> > > > > 
> > > > > There was considerable frustration on the part of the guy 
> from 
> > > Kar Kraft
> > > > > in
> > > > > charge of getting my Marcos road-worthy. The correspondence 
> > > between him
> > > > > and
> > > > > a couple of Marcos employees - including Jem Marsh was almost 
> > > comical at
> > > > > times. Evidently, my car arrived with 'bad engine bearings'. 
> Some 
> > > thought
> > > > > it
> > > > > was due to overheating, but Marcos claimed that it was due 
> to 'oil
> > > > > surging'
> > > > > which was purported to be a problem with almost 20 percent of 
> all 
> > > of the
> > > > > Essex engines. The Reliants and TVR's along with the Ford's 
> were 
> > > claimed
> > > > > to
> > > > > be experiencing the same problems. A bigger radiator along 
> with a 
> > > new
> > > > > engine
> > > > > was ordered for my car.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Also, it seems that someone from Marcos (I'm almost positive 
> is 
> > > was Jem)
> > > > > was
> > > > > trying to get Kar Kraft to be a Marcos distributor for the 
> > > central and
> > > > > east
> > > > > regions of the USA. He claimed that they really didn't have 
> any 
> > > interest
> > > > > in
> > > > > selling the Marcos in the UK, and told them that a new 
> factory 
> > > was being
> > > > > built and they could produce around 350 cars per year. Kar 
> Kraft 
> > > claimed
> > > > > that the Marcos attracted considerable interest from the 
> public 
> > > just
> > > > > sitting
> > > > > on the trailer. Kar Kraft was almost being begged by Prestige 
> > > imports and
> > > > > by
> > > > > Marcos to provide engineering in helping Marcos pass the 
> > > emissions tests.
> > > > > 
> > > > > In summation, I don't know if the President of Ford got to 
> drive 
> > > my Marcos
> > > > > before he was fired in 1970. However, the considerable 
> problems he
> > > > > experienced with the car probably soured him on ever thinking 
> of
> > > > > officially
> > > > > importing the cars as part of Ford - if he were thinking 
> along 
> > > those
> > > > > lines.
> > > > > The correspondence between Ford USA and Marcos on my cars 
> > > indicates that
> > > > > there was some confusion as to who was doing what at Marcos.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Dano
> > > > > Essex V6 3M/5463
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > > > > MarcosManiacs-unsubscribe@y...
> > > > > 
> > > > >  
> > > > > 
> > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to 
> > > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
> > > > >
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > > MarcosManiacs-unsubscribe@y...
> > > 
> > >  
> > > 
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to 
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
> > >
> 
> 
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> MarcosManiacs-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> 
>  
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
>