The Gullwing is mechanically completed!
2009-01-07 by Andy&Alison Seward
Fellow MarcosManiacs,
UPDATE: The mechanical work on HOO144 is finally done.
I hope you'll enjoy the photos. I learned a lot restoring HOO144... both about fabrication/engineering + I learned some things about myself too. I'm glad I did it but I shouldn't want to repeat it. Nor would Alison, my wife.
After more than ;3 years and many, many hundreds of hours of restoration and race preparation, HOO144 was up and running again. I picked her up from Sasco Sports Racing (www.sascosports.com) at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA USA a few weeks ago. So she's now back home in our garage. We plan to have her professionally re-painted as a final step but mechanically and chassis-wise she is completed.
I've attached photos of her + all my racing results research from Stephen Minoprio’s 1962 racing season and Tim Lalonde’s 1963 racing season so far. I’m certain there is more information to be discovered for Lalonde’s racing of HOO144 in 1963 + 1964.
These are small photos I'm sending to you today. When I have more time in the next few weeks I'd like to put the photos up on the MarcosManiacs website server (if you have room, Mike?).
Here are some details about the restoration:
Car was located in Japan (don't ask me how she got from the UK [Chris Alford sold her for me] after I sold her on in 1997) and shipped to me in Arizona USA in an enclosed metal shipping container. It arrived at Port of Long Beach, California and was brought by a truck --still in container -- to Arizona.
The all-steel Stuart Rolt-built 1300cc pre-crossflow (711M block) that I raced her with when I owned her the FIRST time from 1994 - 1997 was damaged (thrown center thrust bearing, damaged Cosworth A6 camshaft, broken lifter) when inspected upon arrival from Japan. This engine is currently being rebuilt at Quicksilver Racing Engines in Frederick, MD .
An original Cosworth MAE Formula 3 1000cc engine was located and purchased to bring her back to her period spec + FIA historic regulations legal. This 3-bearing, rope-seal race engine was completely rebuilt in wet sump form by Sandy at Quicksilver Racing Engines ( http://qsraceengines.com/ ) up in Frederick, MD USA with many new parts. It is all-steel with gear-driven camshaft (Dave Bean special 098 grind), new J&E forged pistons and Cosworth steel crankshaft, etc. It made 105HP on the dyno at 8500 RPM but the dyno software stopped at 8500 so we don't know the final max horsepower. The HP line was still rising slightly at that point, so probably 108-110 is a decent estimate. The motor is built to handle 9,000 RPM steady (redline) and can probably take 9,500 if necessary for short bursts (by why would you?). The straight-cut 4-speed gearbox is a 105e "bullet" 3-rail with 2.5:1 first gear. It has alloy bellhousing, aluminum rear extension and a Wooler/speedograph remote shifter. The rear axle is Anglia-based 4.5 ratio with the original four Marcos trailing arms (still rubber bushed), panhard rod, and alloy nose diff carrier. Brakes in front are period Girling alloy calipers and in the rear they are standard Anglia 105e with the 1.25" wide brake shoes (pre-Cortina). Wheels are 108mm PCD all around (Ford Anglia/Cortina/Escort).
The car was extensively repaired and prepared for racing.
The total weight is 1296 lbs. The corner weights are pretty well balanced; please see the photo of the weights when the car was on the scales.
New brake lines, new fuel lines, new hoses, new clamps, almost every single screw, bolt, nut and washer replaced with Grade 8 or AN parts and stainless screws.
New brake master cylinder, new hydraulic race clutch release and hoses, new aluminum swirl pot and oil catch can, new Weber carb linkage and throttle cable, Smiths 1960s 10,000 RPM Chronometric tach, tach drive and cable to engine front plate, custom Lucas C40 dynamo with ball bearings + 1960’s Cosworth oversized alloy 116e pully to prevent overcharging, new Odyssey dry cell battery with aluminum fabricated mounts and quick-connector, new Petronics distributor, new Lucas sports coil, replaced all lights + lamps (Wipac & Lucas), new(!) Smiths instrument panel switches. New oil cooler on a custom aluminum mounting plate and race hoses. New rear Anglia 105e brake drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, etc. Rear axle seal leak repaired. Front rotors turned, cracked front caliper mount found and welded to repair. New front brake aeroquip hoses. Redline synthetic gear oil, Mobile One synthetic motor oil and AP Racing 600 brake fluid used.
Seat was removed, strengthened (fiberglass), cut and re-shaped to mount 6-point harness, recovered in new black leather (quilted and stitched on a special sewing machine by a friend). New Sparco FIA harness, new eye-hooks for mounting the harness.
Many electrical and hydraulic lines were either re-located for ease of repair or to make the chassis more tidy.
The metal motor mounts were welded with additional metal and powdercoated. The rear shock upper mounts were also redone, and the rear trailing arm metal mounts (where the rubber washers are located) were strengthened and coated, as were the trailing arms themselves + new Metalastic bushings.
Under the front nose, the wood was replaced to hold the new tow hook and to repair 45 years of racing damage.
Almost ALL brackets were removed, shotblasted and then powdercoated or made from scratch. You would not believe some of the pieces in HOO144 when I got it from Japan: very thin aluminum pieces for the back-side mounting plates of the rollcage! And thin aluminum plates to secure the race harness! Large holes in the footwell by the driver’s foot. All of this had to be designed, fabricated and repaired.
Lots of fabricated aluminum pieces and welding such as front and rear tow hooks, rain light mount, door strut bases, engine compartment cladding, steering column bearing mount, fuel cell base and fixed mounting points, etc.
I stripped the chassis down to the wood basis in several key places so the beauty of the original wooden chassis can be seen. I also found the original Vauxhall Silver-Grey paint from when Stephen Minoprio raced this car in 1962. And Tin Lalonde’s “Bottle Green” paint on top of the silver-grey.
I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot but now you can understand why it took almost 4 years worth of weekend work and the Quicksilver Racing and Sasco Sports (www.sascosports.com) expert team to reach this point. J
Enjoy the photos and please write to me with your questions.
Best Regards,
Andy
Andrew Seward
Woodbridge, VA 22192 USA
Send e-mail anywhere. No map, no compass. Get your Hotmail® account now.
Send e-mail anywhere. No map, no compass. Get your Hotmail® account now.
It’s the same Hotmail®. If by “same” you mean up to 70% faster. Get your account now.