Hi Bennett,
Welcome to our list!
The car you are looking at was owned by Tad Todd (sp?) who is also
subscribed to this list. His email is: gtcoastie@...
He can tell you more about it and more about Wire Wheel as he is good
friends with Hayes Harris (the owner) and has bought several cars from
him.
I also purchased my car from Wire Wheel and can tell you that Hayes is a
very trustworthy and honest individual. He worked very hard and went
above-and-beyond to make the experience a pleasant one.
There were some "bumps" in my experienced that you may benefit from
though.
When I received the car (I live in NC and had him ship it to me), it was
missing the gas cap (Somehow it came out on the way?). This had allowed
gas to spill out of the tank and over the trunk lid. After a good wash
to take off all the dirt and oil that it accumulated from being on an
open trailer, I used a mild rubbing compound to take out the stains left
by the gas and it looks great. Hayes over-nighted me another gas cap as
well. Also, several of the electrical circuits did not function (horn,
turn-signals, etc.). I found the problem to be a couple of blown fuses.
Apparently the jarring from shipment somehow caused them to blow.
I would say that these problems were really a worst case scenario as
most shipments go much smoother and Hayes worked with me through it all.
Would I buy another car from Wire Wheel? Sure!!! Like I stated before,
Hayes is very honest, helpful, and loves these cars. You can't find a
better person to buy a British car from than a British car enthusiast.
Since then, I have had other problems to sort that only became apparent
after giving the car some frequent use. This is the nature of the beast
with old British cars (especially when they have sat unused for a while)
and if you keep that in mind, you'll have the right mindset to handle
any issues that may arise.
I would highly suggest inspecting the perspective car yourself if
possible. I had a friend of a friend inspect mine and would not go that
route again. While he was pretty thorough, and Hayes sent plenty of
pictures, nothing is better than seeing it yourself.
Now that I have said all that, let me add that I am VERY happy with the
car a LOVE it! It has great performance, handling, and the looks you get
in it are fantastic!
I'll also add that pictures do not do them justice. I was stunned with
how good these cars look once I saw mine in real-life. Your Porsche
buddies will be VERY jealous. I can't tell you how many Porsches,
Vipers, and Cobras have just about killed themselves checking out my
car. It's great!!!
As far as seating goes, I am only 5'4" (29" inseam).
You have a good 2-3 inches on me so you will probably be fine,
especially if your reach is longer.
I expected some issues as I had read that the GTs were built with Jem
Marsh's 6'4" frame in mind.
I currently drive mine with the pedals all the way back (to the closest
position), a 1" to 2" cushion under the bottom seat cushion, and a bed
pillow behind my back (it doesn't look too cool, but it works). This
seems to lift me up and push me forward enough to reach everything and
see over the hood hump. I can drive the car without these, but I have
trouble getting the clutch down far enough, and reach is also a problem.
I was considering making new pedals for the car but have realized that I
still can't comfortably reach the steering wheel and shifter with no
pillow behind my back. So, I will probably get a seat insert (like race
car drivers use) eventually, so that I can get rid of the pillows.
Marcos made inserts and actually shipped them with new cars back in the
60s and early 70s. You can still get them from Marcos Heritage Spares as
well.
Regarding the chassis, everyone has their own opinion. So, I'll just
suggest going to Marcos Heritage Spares and reading the article there on
the wooden chassis.
http://www.rory.uk.com/Marcos/marcos_wooden_chassis.htm
This was written by Rory MacMath who has worked on Marcos cars for
years.
I also think the advice given by Paul was very good!
Please be sure to check out our web-site!!!! (shameless plug!)
http://www.greyraven.tzo.com/MarcosManiacs/
I have a lot of information on the site that you might find helpful.
Hope all this has helped!
Jeff Caraway
#8052 1984 Ford V6 GT
Show quoted textHide quoted text
-----Original Message-----
From: bennettj62 [mailto:bennettj@...]
Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 1:17 AM
To: MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [MarcosManiacs] 69 3.0 GT at Wire Wheel
Does anyone have any additional info on the 69 GT 3.0 that is
available at Wire Wheel in Florida... or any additional info on the
dealership itself? I've fallen hard for the Marcos'... and would love
to get one, particularly that one. It's BRG, RHD, Ford Essex, etc.
Also, since i haven't driven one yet, I have an easy question for
someone that has a GT already. I'm 5'8"...31" inseam...yes, short
legs. How diffecult is it reaching the peddles. I only ask this
because when I first got my 911, I had to have the seat moved, rails
and all to get it in a comfortable position. I'm not one to use toes
only.
They also have a wood chassis GT undergoing renovation. Would it be
better to consider the wood over the steel chassis???
Any help would be greatly appreciated...
Thanks from this NEW member and MOTORHEAD...
Bennett
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