Marcos now insured for road use at a respectable £393.00 inc breakdown recovery, not that i shall need it !! Not being a risky 21 year old anymore does have its occasional advantages then.
Looking forward to a trip to my MOT station over the next couple of weeks, time permitting,
Martyn
19/01/2012.
Gearbox woes
Having raised the middle silencer i thought that today i could try it out to see if the Marcos could get of the slope on the driveway without it scraping on the floor, slight problem i could not get reverse gear no matter how much i tried so retired indoors to search the www whilst being slightly worried it may be something serious with the gearbox and dreading the thought of having to remove engine/gearbox to sort it all out.
After much web browsing someone suggested it may be nothing more than the reverse switch that screws into the side of the gearbox to trigger the rear lights being screwed in too far and blocking the rear selecter, big YES, phew what a relief.......
Martyn
06/01/2012.
After much web browsing someone suggested it may be nothing more than the reverse switch that screws into the side of the gearbox to trigger the rear lights being screwed in too far and blocking the rear selecter, big YES, phew what a relief.......
Martyn
06/01/2012.
Messing underneath
Got the front of the car up on ramps but it's still difficult to get under the car, how much easier could this rebuild have been if i had a double garage with decent lighting and heating and a 4 post lift.
Anyway back to the car, got a couple of days off work now so under the car I have been this morning and have managed to higher the central silencer by 2cm which i think should be enough, it still sits slightly lower than the seat floor bottoms but i won't be able to measure it until it is sitting 4 wheels back on the garage floor. Also whilst underneath i spotted a slight leak in the clutch system where the banjo bolt meets the slave cylinder, hopefully just needs a new copper washer so off now to my local hardware shop to see if they have one.
This week i treated myself to a GoPro HD2, http://gopro.com/ the motorsport latest version. I have been looking at these for a while and with the new model just being released and a Amazon sale with £40 off i could not resist it, should come in handy for the Marcos club days and as its also waterproof to 60 metres it will be usefull on my next sunny Scotland cycling trip,
Martyn
04/01/2012
Happy new year....
Anyway back to the car, got a couple of days off work now so under the car I have been this morning and have managed to higher the central silencer by 2cm which i think should be enough, it still sits slightly lower than the seat floor bottoms but i won't be able to measure it until it is sitting 4 wheels back on the garage floor. Also whilst underneath i spotted a slight leak in the clutch system where the banjo bolt meets the slave cylinder, hopefully just needs a new copper washer so off now to my local hardware shop to see if they have one.
This week i treated myself to a GoPro HD2, http://gopro.com/ the motorsport latest version. I have been looking at these for a while and with the new model just being released and a Amazon sale with £40 off i could not resist it, should come in handy for the Marcos club days and as its also waterproof to 60 metres it will be usefull on my next sunny Scotland cycling trip,
Martyn
04/01/2012
Happy new year....
Moving forward
Today, i put the car in first gear and yes it moved forward under its own power, might not seem much of an event but for me it was another big step forward but a little concerned about how low the mid silencer is now that i have adjusted the ride height of the car. I shall have to get it up on ramps and see if i can higher the silencer box a little otherwise i will be making sparks as i drive along.
Only had 2 days off for xmas so little free time but have been busy where possible doing the many minor tasks that need doing including playing with the balance bar on the brakes, rubbing down and prepping the inner wings for painting and many other jobs that i can't recall at this time,
Not going to have it on the road by the 31st December as i had promised myself but hopefully not too long now,
Martyn
28/12/2011.
Only had 2 days off for xmas so little free time but have been busy where possible doing the many minor tasks that need doing including playing with the balance bar on the brakes, rubbing down and prepping the inner wings for painting and many other jobs that i can't recall at this time,
Not going to have it on the road by the 31st December as i had promised myself but hopefully not too long now,
Martyn
28/12/2011.
Seatbelts
Ordered a pair of black Willans harness belts which arrived today, previously the car had 4 point fixings but decided to go for a 3 point fixing version this time and with the normal single buckle at the front as opposed to the aircraft style which would have been a pain to keep doing up all the attachments each time i got in the car and probably confuse any passengers as well.
Now realise that i need to move the single rear mounting to a more central position behind the seat so have to cut off the mountng point for the eyebolt and weld in a new one and then send the part off for powder coating which will delay me for a few days but worth it as i want to get it right,
Martyn
13/12/2011.
Now realise that i need to move the single rear mounting to a more central position behind the seat so have to cut off the mountng point for the eyebolt and weld in a new one and then send the part off for powder coating which will delay me for a few days but worth it as i want to get it right,
Martyn
13/12/2011.
More bits
Re fitted the clutch braided hose today as I was concerned that it was running a little too close to the manifolds and for a tidy set up it now goes through the bulkhead behind the dashboard and out again behind the pedal box cover, just need to get some plastic tube so I can bleed the clutch system and then move onto sorting the brakes.
I also let Louis loose with a drill on helping me fit the door mirrors,
Martyn
27/11/2011.
I also let Louis loose with a drill on helping me fit the door mirrors,
Martyn
27/11/2011.
Still working away
Still working away ticking off the many small but time consuming jobs, the steering is sorted, the electrics seem to be working although have not tested the brake lights as no fluid in yet, some sound insulation is in place and probably many more little jobs done but can't remember them, it does seem never ending though.
Just waiting for a couple of small brake line items so I can put in some fluid and bleed the brake and clutch system and I need to paint the inner wings before I fit them and also order some seat belts (£300 for a set of willians harness belts OUCH!).
It's getting closer to the end of year and nearing the deadline I set myself to get the car at least road ready and MOT'd, will I get it done in time, I really don't know but hopefully without any last minute problems, watch this space....
Martyn
22/11/2011.
Just waiting for a couple of small brake line items so I can put in some fluid and bleed the brake and clutch system and I need to paint the inner wings before I fit them and also order some seat belts (£300 for a set of willians harness belts OUCH!).
It's getting closer to the end of year and nearing the deadline I set myself to get the car at least road ready and MOT'd, will I get it done in time, I really don't know but hopefully without any last minute problems, watch this space....
Martyn
22/11/2011.
Gearbox cover
The dashboard is in place now, the are a couple of minor wiring items to sort out but should be able to rectify these with the dash in place.
Now looking at sealing the area around the gearbox/transmission. I keep reading on the Marcos forum about how hot these cars get inside during the summer and i certainly won't be fitting any air con unit so will try to block heat from coming into the cockpit by making a extra layer that will sit under the gearbox cover i already have, will probably reduce the noise levels as well.
I have started with a vertical sheet of fibreglass that i made and now need to make a slightly curved sheet to sit over the gearbox and then glass it all together,
Martyn
02/11/2011.
Now looking at sealing the area around the gearbox/transmission. I keep reading on the Marcos forum about how hot these cars get inside during the summer and i certainly won't be fitting any air con unit so will try to block heat from coming into the cockpit by making a extra layer that will sit under the gearbox cover i already have, will probably reduce the noise levels as well.
I have started with a vertical sheet of fibreglass that i made and now need to make a slightly curved sheet to sit over the gearbox and then glass it all together,
Martyn
02/11/2011.
Purple wire mystery
Windscreen wipers now working, was going to trigger them via the stalk on the steering however have decided for ease of fitment to use the original dash rocker switch for on and off. It seems that my windscreen motor is not the usual Marcos fitted Lucas 14v as used on MG's and many other British cars and it does not appear to have a park switch. Another problem is that there is only one wiper on this car and having sat inside with the wipers on it is now aparant that the wipers do not cover a large area of the screen, probably would have been okay for it's original track days but not sure how suitable it will be for today's busy roads. I will keep the one wiper system at present and see how it is once on the road and see what the MOT man thinks.
Have been puzzled by the interior light not working as i could not get a "live" from the purple wire that the interior light connects too, after much thought and checking the purple wires at the fuse end I just could not understand why it was not live at the fitment end of the wire. After looking at the maze of the wiring diagram from a old manual it appeared that the purple live ran through some of the rocker switches and as I had removed some of the switches such as "heated rear screen" switch i had taped up the wires but in undoing the tape it was now clear that two purple wires needed connecting to continue the live feed through the circuit, result now happy, interior light works and another lesson learned.
Looking forward to screwing the dash back in place soon as I have had enough of looking at wiring and really want to tick the electrics off as another job done,
Martyn
27/10/2011
Have been puzzled by the interior light not working as i could not get a "live" from the purple wire that the interior light connects too, after much thought and checking the purple wires at the fuse end I just could not understand why it was not live at the fitment end of the wire. After looking at the maze of the wiring diagram from a old manual it appeared that the purple live ran through some of the rocker switches and as I had removed some of the switches such as "heated rear screen" switch i had taped up the wires but in undoing the tape it was now clear that two purple wires needed connecting to continue the live feed through the circuit, result now happy, interior light works and another lesson learned.
Looking forward to screwing the dash back in place soon as I have had enough of looking at wiring and really want to tick the electrics off as another job done,
Martyn
27/10/2011
Electrics
The under bonnet wiring is sorted now, the horrible mess of wiring around the steering column is now a nice plug in loom fitment with lights and indicators all working okay thanks to the purchase of a metro stalk unit on ebay.
Next on the list to do is hopefully the windscreen wiper connection to switch and the 6 instrument dials which need connecting, all taking time but a neat safe loom will give me peace of mind, essential on a fibreglass bodied car.
Also recently purchased a extinquisher which sits secure on the parcel shelf and some nice door mirrors, not original but i think suits the style, just need a little help in finding the best place to fit them for the best viewing angle,
Martyn
10/10/2011.
Next on the list to do is hopefully the windscreen wiper connection to switch and the 6 instrument dials which need connecting, all taking time but a neat safe loom will give me peace of mind, essential on a fibreglass bodied car.
Also recently purchased a extinquisher which sits secure on the parcel shelf and some nice door mirrors, not original but i think suits the style, just need a little help in finding the best place to fit them for the best viewing angle,
Martyn
10/10/2011.
A car is reborn
At 11.53hrs Friday 9th september Lara was reborn and spoke her first words "vroom vroom".
The engine ran for about a minute but had to switch off as the oil pressure pipe was slightly touching the manifold and melted. All well and just need to replace the pipe so i can run it up to working temperature.
Another step forward in this project and will try to upload a brief youtube clip once sorted,
Martyn
09/09/2011.
The engine ran for about a minute but had to switch off as the oil pressure pipe was slightly touching the manifold and melted. All well and just need to replace the pipe so i can run it up to working temperature.
Another step forward in this project and will try to upload a brief youtube clip once sorted,
Martyn
09/09/2011.
Fingers crossed
The plan is to have the engine started this Friday.
I have a auto electrician who appears to know his stuff coming to help me with a few wires under bonnet i am not sure about.
My only concerns which might spoil the day are the starter motor and fuel pump that have been sitting for 3 years and may need a little coaxing back into life.
The engine has been primed and just need a little luck, fingers crossed for good weather Friday,
Martyn
05/09/2011.
I have a auto electrician who appears to know his stuff coming to help me with a few wires under bonnet i am not sure about.
My only concerns which might spoil the day are the starter motor and fuel pump that have been sitting for 3 years and may need a little coaxing back into life.
The engine has been primed and just need a little luck, fingers crossed for good weather Friday,
Martyn
05/09/2011.
Exhaust finished
Exhaust finally finished, looks much neater than before and hopefully when I get the beast fired up in a few weeks we can hear how it sounds,
Martyn
27/08/2011.
Summer Hols
Recently took a family camping holiday in sunny Dorset and late last night got back very tired from this years cycling trip in Scotland (mostly sunny again). Need a couple of days to catch up and will then return to the Marcos project,
Martyn
19/08/2011.
Dashboard
After much thought about how to fit the dashboard I made some right angles and glassed them onto the back of the board, these then screw onto the wooden box unit that sits behind the dashboard. The advantage of this is that there are no screw holes that will be visible from the front of the dashboard. The dashboard will be covered with either leather or carbon but can leave that until I decide on the interior trim to suit.
Finally got all my instruments matching after several returns to CAi Instruments and got to chance to see how they will look in my new dashboard. Really like the layout and can now think about the switches which I will probably mount on the lower panel just behind the gear lever, need to also fit the indicator and full beam lights behind the wheel.
Had a bargain with the momo wheel off ebay, display model and the £££ enabled me to buy a quick release unit, looks much smarter than the original wheel fitted.
Need to look at the spaghetti of wiring now and start connecting wires up to the relevant bits in the car and hopefully the last section of the exhaust "s" pipes I ordered are ready for collection so looking forward to getting the Marcos off the axle stands and back on its wheels for the first time in ages,
Martyn
24/07/2011.
Prescott Revival 2011
Went to the Prescott Revival the weekend and Louis got his first ride in a Marcos courtesy of David Gerald Sportscars
And we got to have a play Saturday night with John Brookes one of the organisers and Charlie joining us on stage for a number,
Martyn
12/07/2011.
And we got to have a play Saturday night with John Brookes one of the organisers and Charlie joining us on stage for a number,
Martyn
12/07/2011.
Dashboard
Dremel returned, actually they sent me a new one as it was still under warranty so back into the garage to do a little more work on the dash, very dusty and being careful not to make a mistake getting all the holes lined up.
Pleased to see online magazine Rv8R have done a little feature on my Marcos in their July issue, mainly stuff taken from this blog, click here to have a read.
Off to Prescott tomorrow for the Marcos annual Rally, weather not looking too good here in the UK this weekend but fingers crossed for a break in the clouds soon,
Martyn
08/07/2011.
Pleased to see online magazine Rv8R have done a little feature on my Marcos in their July issue, mainly stuff taken from this blog, click here to have a read.
Off to Prescott tomorrow for the Marcos annual Rally, weather not looking too good here in the UK this weekend but fingers crossed for a break in the clouds soon,
Martyn
08/07/2011.
Steering
Do you like my new header photo of my Marcos in its early days, a black and white photograph but its not really that old ? Must have been taken during it's track days driven by John Eales.
My Dremel tool has ground to a halt and is being repaired at present so can't continue work on the dashboard until it's back.
The steering wheel on my car is a little worn and would like one of the newer styles offered by either Momo or Sparco and initially thought I would simply be ordering a new wheel and bolting it onto the existing boss however it turns out that my existing Mountney wheel has a 100mm PCD (gap between the screws) whereas most current ones now have a 70mm PCD and after a couple of phone calls to the bigger motorsport companies I was told that the flanges size on the triumph column would also not be compatible with the mounting boss now supplied with these wheels so I was stuck with the jaded Mountney.
Surely not, so I persisted and after more calls was recommended to speak to a Mike at Springalex (01668 219956) who apparently make a conversion boss which bolts onto the triumph column. Postman has just delivered this item and bolts straight on no problem, result !
Now contemplating a new wheel possibly with a flat bottom and also looking at a quick release which as well as offering better security it does also bring the wheel forward slightly, having a flat bottom wheel and bringing the wheel forward may also increase leg room with no up/down adjustment available on the steering column itself,
Martyn
06/07/2011.
My Dremel tool has ground to a halt and is being repaired at present so can't continue work on the dashboard until it's back.
The steering wheel on my car is a little worn and would like one of the newer styles offered by either Momo or Sparco and initially thought I would simply be ordering a new wheel and bolting it onto the existing boss however it turns out that my existing Mountney wheel has a 100mm PCD (gap between the screws) whereas most current ones now have a 70mm PCD and after a couple of phone calls to the bigger motorsport companies I was told that the flanges size on the triumph column would also not be compatible with the mounting boss now supplied with these wheels so I was stuck with the jaded Mountney.
Now contemplating a new wheel possibly with a flat bottom and also looking at a quick release which as well as offering better security it does also bring the wheel forward slightly, having a flat bottom wheel and bringing the wheel forward may also increase leg room with no up/down adjustment available on the steering column itself,
Martyn
06/07/2011.
Dashboard
Have been messing about with some dashboard ideas and still pondering. The original dash was a fibreglass mould and not really good enough in terms of appearance so have made a 9mm ply base to play with and have seen a couple of Marcos where all the instruments have been moved to the middle. There are pros and cons for this and still need to give it some thought along with do I go for a solid wood dashboard, wood veneer covering, or carbon or whatever.
Main reason for possibly moving the instruments are with the steering wheel being quite small and the speedo and rev counter directly behind the wheel I am not sure how well they can be seen so moving them to the middle would give me a clear view of all the dials but then they would be out of direct line of sight when driving looking forward, ah decisions decisions ?
Martyn
01/07/2011
Main reason for possibly moving the instruments are with the steering wheel being quite small and the speedo and rev counter directly behind the wheel I am not sure how well they can be seen so moving them to the middle would give me a clear view of all the dials but then they would be out of direct line of sight when driving looking forward, ah decisions decisions ?
01/07/2011
Roll Cage
Despite sore arms and back after spending the morning digging out a rotten fence stump and the big lump of concrete attached to it, I decided to get in the garage again for a couple of hours.
The rear section of the roll cage I fitted some weeks ago and have been trying to fit the side tubes that run across the top of each door and down each windscreen pillar followed by a centre section above the windscreen. The bolts holes were a couple of mm out so I had a bit of drilling to do and then the most difficult part was closing up the big "U" clamps that hold each section together to get a bolt and nut on each side, after many attempts I used a large cable tie to temporally help close the gap so I could get a nut on. I have done one side so may tackle the other tomorrow morning.
Even though the roll cage sits quite snug to the inside of the bodywork it seems there is not a lot of room head wise so will look at some padding for safety reasons when all fitted,
Martyn
20/06/2011.
The rear section of the roll cage I fitted some weeks ago and have been trying to fit the side tubes that run across the top of each door and down each windscreen pillar followed by a centre section above the windscreen. The bolts holes were a couple of mm out so I had a bit of drilling to do and then the most difficult part was closing up the big "U" clamps that hold each section together to get a bolt and nut on each side, after many attempts I used a large cable tie to temporally help close the gap so I could get a nut on. I have done one side so may tackle the other tomorrow morning.
Even though the roll cage sits quite snug to the inside of the bodywork it seems there is not a lot of room head wise so will look at some padding for safety reasons when all fitted,
Martyn
20/06/2011.
Fuel sender unit
Just had a bit of a game trying to fit the new fuel sender unit that came with the new gauge I ordered. I took the old one out no problem but of course the new one would not fit, I have got to the stage now where I almost expect nothing to fit correctly first time, ah well, the joys of a hand built supercar.
The problem was that the sensor box that sits inside the tank was slightly bigger than the old one and would not go through the circular hole with all the bits attached to it and the 5 screw mounting holes were slightly out of sync as well. So after removing the plumbed in tank from the car and a little to and fro I bent the floating bar to let me just about sqeeze everything in through the hole and then bent the bar back to shape once inside, result !
Another little job done and are slowly getting there,
Martyn
19/06/2011.
The problem was that the sensor box that sits inside the tank was slightly bigger than the old one and would not go through the circular hole with all the bits attached to it and the 5 screw mounting holes were slightly out of sync as well. So after removing the plumbed in tank from the car and a little to and fro I bent the floating bar to let me just about sqeeze everything in through the hole and then bent the bar back to shape once inside, result !
Another little job done and are slowly getting there,
Martyn
19/06/2011.
Front grille
Front grille now finished and pleased with the result, think it sets off the silver colour of the car very well and should stop any leaves or other rubbish getting into the engine bay.
I could not find any ready made solutions as a method of fixing the grill so I cut some small glassfibre strips and glassed in some bolts taking care not to get any resin on the threads, once set and cut to shape I then glassed these small strips with the bolts attached above and below the grill areas, painted black to suit then and cut the grill to shape and held in place with some washers and nuts.
Don't zoom in too close to the body work as I know it needs some attention, current plan is to get the car up and running, let the bodywork settle down on the chassis then off to the painters.
Just had a call from Redditch Shotblasting to say the front section of the roll cage is all black and shiny so off to collect that now and will call in at a timber yard en route as I need a sheet of exterior ply to make a base for my dashboard, the existing dash being a lightweight is a simple, effective but cheapo looking fibreglass moulding which is not up to par so will make a new base and then decide whether I want a veneer top (too many choices of wood is making my head spin) or go for a carbon covering, ah decision decisions,
Martyn
13/06/2011
I could not find any ready made solutions as a method of fixing the grill so I cut some small glassfibre strips and glassed in some bolts taking care not to get any resin on the threads, once set and cut to shape I then glassed these small strips with the bolts attached above and below the grill areas, painted black to suit then and cut the grill to shape and held in place with some washers and nuts.
Don't zoom in too close to the body work as I know it needs some attention, current plan is to get the car up and running, let the bodywork settle down on the chassis then off to the painters.
Just had a call from Redditch Shotblasting to say the front section of the roll cage is all black and shiny so off to collect that now and will call in at a timber yard en route as I need a sheet of exterior ply to make a base for my dashboard, the existing dash being a lightweight is a simple, effective but cheapo looking fibreglass moulding which is not up to par so will make a new base and then decide whether I want a veneer top (too many choices of wood is making my head spin) or go for a carbon covering, ah decision decisions,
Martyn
13/06/2011
Dash instrument frustration
Just received a order today that was placed on the 10th May (4 weeks ago) and it's all wrong so I have to send it all back again wasting time and effort.
I won't mention the company but basically my dashboard contained a selection of different make instruments and looked a bit of a mis-match so decided to order 4 small dials consisting of Oil Pressure, Fuel Gauge, Water Temp, Voltmeter all to match the existing Speedo and Rev counter that I have.
The 4 instruments received today contain a completely different manufacture logo. It appears the company concerned own several different smaller instrument companies and their website pictures are out of date. I also ordered a new bezel (outer rim) for the rev counter as it was slightly scratched and as they supply different shaped bezels i sent them a email with a photo to ensure they got the correct shape and the new one recieved is, yes you guessed, the wrong shape !!!
Moan over, I am now off to work, feel like I need a holiday
Martyn
08/06/2011
I won't mention the company but basically my dashboard contained a selection of different make instruments and looked a bit of a mis-match so decided to order 4 small dials consisting of Oil Pressure, Fuel Gauge, Water Temp, Voltmeter all to match the existing Speedo and Rev counter that I have.
The 4 instruments received today contain a completely different manufacture logo. It appears the company concerned own several different smaller instrument companies and their website pictures are out of date. I also ordered a new bezel (outer rim) for the rev counter as it was slightly scratched and as they supply different shaped bezels i sent them a email with a photo to ensure they got the correct shape and the new one recieved is, yes you guessed, the wrong shape !!!
Moan over, I am now off to work, feel like I need a holiday
Martyn
08/06/2011
Holiday time
Now't happened last week on the Marcos as we had a week away at Harlech in sunny North Wales, it was sunny, I have sunburnt feet to prove it.
Harlech is a little hilly and on arrival we were met with a 25% incline to get up to the cottage which I thought was quite steep and then having a walk around the village the next day we came across this, yes a 40% incline and saw a couple of cars make the hill (going down) I kept thinking about it all week but eventually thought I would give it a miss.
Whilst in Wales we spent the day at Portmeirion the Italian Village which is probably best known as the 60's film location of The Prisoner but did not see any Mini Mokes, Lotus 7's or large balloons to chase us across the beach.
Now looking forward to getting back to the Marcos,
Martyn
04/06/2011.
More exhaust stuff
Spent the last couple of days trying to connect the manifolds to the mid silencer box. Bought 4 x 2" pipes with 45 degree bends in them however it was not quite so straight forward in fitting them as the manifolds pipes under the car were not parallel and both at slightly different angles. So to rectify I cut off the single pipes from the "Y" pieces and tack welded on new sections at slight offset angles so that they ran parallel again, not a easy job trying to do this when the car is only slightly off the ground and must admit it took me several attempts to get the angle right. I also discovered that the single pipes into the "Y" pieces from the old exhaust system had been pushed in too far and both were stopping the exhaust gasses from flowing freely, soon sorted that out with a hammer and old screwdriver.
Glad to have finished this section with a sore back and cut hands and will now be able to order some more bits to plan and fit the rear exhaust section,
Martyn
24/05/2011.
Glad to have finished this section with a sore back and cut hands and will now be able to order some more bits to plan and fit the rear exhaust section,
Martyn
24/05/2011.
Exhaust
Rear section of the roll cage now secure, just waiting for the front bits which are being powder coated at present so I can tick off another job done.
With the manifolds now fitted I can turn to sorting the exhaust out, lots of recent talk on the Marcos forum re different options and despite being one of the first things I look at when I see another Marcos I think there is still work that can be done to tidy up the rear end.
So, my brave attempt so far is to use the small area in between the two seats underneath the propshaft where I have managed to find a two in and two out silencer from Custom Chrome that is 16"x7" and more important only 3½" deep, it part fits into a gap of 17" between the gearbox support and a chassis rail and I have just temporally hung it in place with some cable ties so that I can work out the bends required to connect this silencer to the manifolds and make some brackets to secure it properly. Initial thoughts are 2 x 45 degree mandrel bends each side to bridge the gap.
Initially the silencer looks like it will hang down approx 1" below the the seat base line and whilst not being much higher than the previous silencers at the rear of the car I think it will be more out of sight. Not sure if any other Marcos owners have tried this option and would be interested to hear to see how well it works (or not?)
 |
| View from the rear |
The plan for the rear section is then is to guide the pipework approx 1ft apart to miss the rear axle and each side of the axle fit two slim Cherry bomb silencers before the pipework comes back together again for one centrally mounted oval exhaust tip neatly sitting under the spare wheel bulge. I am hoping that the two rear silencers will sit far enough in so that they will be out of sight. I have seen some round 3" silencers so will be gaining 1½" more clearance over the previous 4½" thick rear boxes fitted.
I now have two surplus silencer boxes with twin 3" pipes if they can be of use to somebody,
Martyn
20/05/2011.
Problem Manifold sorted
Problem exhaust manifold now finally sorted and fixed in place.
I had to send one of them back to Guaranteed Exhausts as it was slightly catching on the chassis, not blaming Guaranteed Exhausts as it was always going to be a tight fit and fitting new engine mounts the new engine was probably not sitting exactly the same as the old one hence the problem. Anyway got a phone call several days ago to say the adjustments had been made and was being sent out to me, anyway I left it a few days as getting on with other stuff and on making enquiries it turned out that Business Post had apparently tried to deliver the item to me on two consecutive days and posted a card through my door telling me they had been, slightly annoyed as clearly this parcel company didn't post any card through my door and therefore sent the manfiold back to the sender after a week as I had not collected it from their depot causing much inconvenience. Thanks to Guaranteed Exhaust systems for sorting the problem and sending the manifold back to me next day delivery with another courier, a company I can recommend.
Have just fitted the manifold in place (fingers now v-sore) and would suggest anybody else on a rebuild to fit the engine and manifold in place before the body as it was really awkward to attach the bolts with very little room to work. I can now give some serious thought as to what I am going to do about the ideas I have for a different exhaust system and this will have to be sorted before I can get the car back off the ramps.
Other jobs done are new horn fitted, went for a Stebel Nautilus which are apparently very loud and mounted it as near the front as possible, being very low down and easy to miss I thought this would be a good safety factor as many near misses previously in my little MG. Windscreen washer bottle fitted, windscreen wiper motor now back in place and various other little jobs done that I can't recall at the moment.
Martyn
13/05/2011.
I had to send one of them back to Guaranteed Exhausts as it was slightly catching on the chassis, not blaming Guaranteed Exhausts as it was always going to be a tight fit and fitting new engine mounts the new engine was probably not sitting exactly the same as the old one hence the problem. Anyway got a phone call several days ago to say the adjustments had been made and was being sent out to me, anyway I left it a few days as getting on with other stuff and on making enquiries it turned out that Business Post had apparently tried to deliver the item to me on two consecutive days and posted a card through my door telling me they had been, slightly annoyed as clearly this parcel company didn't post any card through my door and therefore sent the manfiold back to the sender after a week as I had not collected it from their depot causing much inconvenience. Thanks to Guaranteed Exhaust systems for sorting the problem and sending the manifold back to me next day delivery with another courier, a company I can recommend.
Have just fitted the manifold in place (fingers now v-sore) and would suggest anybody else on a rebuild to fit the engine and manifold in place before the body as it was really awkward to attach the bolts with very little room to work. I can now give some serious thought as to what I am going to do about the ideas I have for a different exhaust system and this will have to be sorted before I can get the car back off the ramps.
Other jobs done are new horn fitted, went for a Stebel Nautilus which are apparently very loud and mounted it as near the front as possible, being very low down and easy to miss I thought this would be a good safety factor as many near misses previously in my little MG. Windscreen washer bottle fitted, windscreen wiper motor now back in place and various other little jobs done that I can't recall at the moment.
Martyn
13/05/2011.
Bits & Pieces
Sorted out the offending corner brace on the chassis that was blocking the fitting of the roll bar bolts by cutting it out, bit of a delicate job with the angle grinder as i did not want to scratch anything and not a lot off room to work on, all done now with a sigh of relief.
Looked at getting a few more bits from the loft and came across the inner wheel arches, noticed there was a cut out on one of them, wondering if it was cut out at some stage as if it was rubbing on the wheel, I certainly can't leave a unsightly hole there some have started on glassing it in, a bit tricky getting the curve right.
Rear lights are now refitted and sit even between the rear number plate and also the front indicator lights are now in place after repairing the fibreglass that they bolt onto.
Recently I met with a upholsterer whose work I have been impressed with and talked to him about some ideas for my interior, I know it would be easy enough to hand over the car and cheque book to Marcos Heritage but have a few little tweaks I want to include, nothing drastic but feel that I just want to add a few little touches that I have not seen before, all rather exciting but will keep this under wraps for the present time.
Martyn
23/04/2011.
Looked at getting a few more bits from the loft and came across the inner wheel arches, noticed there was a cut out on one of them, wondering if it was cut out at some stage as if it was rubbing on the wheel, I certainly can't leave a unsightly hole there some have started on glassing it in, a bit tricky getting the curve right.
Rear lights are now refitted and sit even between the rear number plate and also the front indicator lights are now in place after repairing the fibreglass that they bolt onto.
Recently I met with a upholsterer whose work I have been impressed with and talked to him about some ideas for my interior, I know it would be easy enough to hand over the car and cheque book to Marcos Heritage but have a few little tweaks I want to include, nothing drastic but feel that I just want to add a few little touches that I have not seen before, all rather exciting but will keep this under wraps for the present time.
Martyn
23/04/2011.
Rear Screen
Have just refitted the rear screen and wow it is light at 4½ pounds in weight. The screen is held in place with what can only be described as nylon or plastic number plate type screws 20 in total and sealed with some black compound which I ordered from a windscreen supplier and recommended best as not being a glue but a water sealant. I went for this option as I am not sure if the rear screen needs to come out again when the interior is being trimmed, if not it will be really awkward to fit the interior behind the seating area, we shall see.
Also returned to the rear lights, I did purchase some classic round style rear lights but could not really get them to sit in place with a finish I was happy with so after much time wasted I have decided to refit the original lights. I have cleaned them up and are in the process of making some brackets to secure them to the bodywork. I have slightly repositioned them as each reversing light was slightly tucked behind the number plate and not really a good fit.
Really struggling at present to make any head way as I keep coming across minor frustrating problems that seem to take up any spare time, e.g. went to fit the roll bar and a small cross brace I had inserted into the chassis is blocking the access area where the nuts fit onto the rollbar bolts doh !!! might have to cut the brace out. So many minor jobs to do and really must return to sorting out the one offending exhaust manifold I put to one side.
Martyn
11/04/2011.
Also returned to the rear lights, I did purchase some classic round style rear lights but could not really get them to sit in place with a finish I was happy with so after much time wasted I have decided to refit the original lights. I have cleaned them up and are in the process of making some brackets to secure them to the bodywork. I have slightly repositioned them as each reversing light was slightly tucked behind the number plate and not really a good fit.
Really struggling at present to make any head way as I keep coming across minor frustrating problems that seem to take up any spare time, e.g. went to fit the roll bar and a small cross brace I had inserted into the chassis is blocking the access area where the nuts fit onto the rollbar bolts doh !!! might have to cut the brace out. So many minor jobs to do and really must return to sorting out the one offending exhaust manifold I put to one side.
Martyn
11/04/2011.
Fuel lines
Almost finished installing the fuel lines, after much deliberation over what to use I have gone for 10mm copper pipe and have secured it using P clips and held onto the chassis using some left over body to chassis screws from Marcos Heritage, which seems to have done the job. Apart from the problem of getting the copper pipe under the car and bent to follow the contours of the chassis at the rear the only problem encountered was the output size from the petrol tank which was a unusual 16mm so after a few false starts with some metal joiners with stepper sizes I have removed the fuel tank and taken it into Rad Tec who are going to fit a new 10mm output, its ready for collection and will pick it up tomorrow. Have also used some braided hose but only on short straight sections for connections under the bonnet and fuel tank at the rear, also fitted a in line on/off tap, filter and a fuel pressure regulator.
Martyn
03/04/2011.
Martyn
03/04/2011.
Busy but not much to show
Covered the passenger side battery box/footwell top cover and nice it looks too.
Decided to return to a couple of problems I got previously stuck on. I knew from the start of this project there were always going to be a few snags in such a one off car, however I have always put things to the side and returned to them at a later date with fresh enthusiasm and ideas. One such problem was that having installed the engine and gearbox I found that it was fouling the chassis on the clutch cylinder housing, after rummaging through my box of bits to fit (which is getting smaller now so I must be making progress) I found a 1/4" engine mount spacer so loosening of the drivers side mount and carefully jacking the engine up from underneath I managed to slide the spacer in place and heh presto problem solved, what was I worried about after all.
Next problem was the new exhaust manifolds, one of them on the drivers side was slightly touching the chassis also however with the engine now sitting slightly higher on the driver side the problem rectified itself, result ! However, the passenger side is also a problem in that again one of the manifolds is touching the chassis as it curves underneath the bottom rail at the front of the footwell, having got the car high up on ramps and axle stands and having a good look there was no way around this problem other that cutting the manifold off at the bottom and welding in a fresh extension piece, i've done the cutting but run out of time and need some argon gas and stainless steel wire for my mig welder so will have to complete this job next week,
Martyn
18/03/2010.
P.S. Writing this blog on my 2004 computer and apparantly there's something called a ipad2 out next week, might have to dip into my funds a little.
Pedal box Surround
Finally happy with the carbon fibre sheet I was playing with after several attempts, laid the first cover and then ripped it off again as I struggled folding the edges over neatly, then laid another and sealed the edges with some masking tape, then applied 2 resin coats but the 120 wet and dry was too abrasive so I had to apply more resin top coats and this time started with 240 wet and dry and went upwards finishing with 1200 and some rubbing compound, such hard work for such a small piece which is almost hidden anyway but it's all part of the learning curve.
Tried to take some decent photographs but not too clear, actually looks a lot better than the photographs show.
A few other shiny bits ordered from Demon Tweeks so looking forward to fitting those as well,
Martyn
Tried to take some decent photographs but not too clear, actually looks a lot better than the photographs show.
Now need to make a start on the actual pedal box cover and the battery tray on the passenger side, hopefully will not take quite so long although some more curves to get around this time so will be interesting.
Martyn
02/03/2011.
Fuel Filter, Expansion tank and messing about with Carbon Fibre
Busy couple of weeks with the Band so not as much done in the garage as I would have liked but we had a couple of great gigs so the effort was worth it.
The Alloy Expansion tank finally arrived taking a little long than expected and when received decided that the lower tube connection was not really in the best place so another trip to Cannock and they adjusted it while I waited. Now bolted in place it fits exactly where I wanted with just enough room to clear the alternator and fan belt. To complete the cooling system I am just waiting for some flexi Silicon hose and have ordered 2 metres which will be plenty but still have not made up my mind about whether I am fitting a heater or not, need to decide very soon.
Also arrived in the post was a shiny new Filter King fuel pressure regulator, have struggled to find a suitable place to fit this as the instructions recommend being as far away from heat as possible, the ideal place would be near the outer wings mounted onto a chassis rail but for safety reasons don't think this is a good idea so the only place is just behind one of the rocker covers above the bell housing and having looked at various under bonnet Marcos photo's on the www this seems to be the popular place, I will fit it there and make a heat shield to protect it at some point.
Also decided to have a play with some Carbon fibre much to the annoyance of the good lady (due to the smell) There is a small flat piece but with lots of corners that sits between the top of the drivers foot well and the pedal box so thought this would be a good place to see if it works, I have layered a piece of Carbon sheet over the top, folded the edges over and are just waiting for it to dry so I can flat it off with some 120 grit and apply another coat of resin, again flat but with 1200 and then polish or lacquer, not sure it this will work but fun trying anyway and will post a photo of the finished article if successful, thinking carbon fibre dash, hmmm,
Martyn
24/02/2011.
Pedal box cover
Whilst waiting for some bits to arrive in the post thought I would attack the pedal box cover with the Dremel. Previously I had tried to do a refit of the pedal box and found it was not really a good fit (traditional Marcos I suppose!), it was too long in that there were slight marks on the bottom front curve where the front wheel had rubbed and both sides were bending out at the bottom making it a poor fit.
So, after cutting approx 1 inch off the length so it no longer fouls by the wheel I then cut off each side panel and will reglass them back on straight, there are also a couple of holes cut into the cover which appear surplus so will fix those as I assume it needs to be a good fit with no gaps/holes etc to stop fumes from the engine bay coming into the car.
Still temped by the Carbon Fibre look and may consider this option for the pedalbox cover instead of the usual black paint to see if it's as easy as it looks and how good the end result is,
Martyn
03/02/2011.
So, after cutting approx 1 inch off the length so it no longer fouls by the wheel I then cut off each side panel and will reglass them back on straight, there are also a couple of holes cut into the cover which appear surplus so will fix those as I assume it needs to be a good fit with no gaps/holes etc to stop fumes from the engine bay coming into the car.
Still temped by the Carbon Fibre look and may consider this option for the pedalbox cover instead of the usual black paint to see if it's as easy as it looks and how good the end result is,
Martyn
03/02/2011.
Odd jobs
Not much to report other than having ordered a Alloy header tank from Radtec (same Co that made my radiator) hopefully that will be here later this week, I found sorting out the route for the cooling system quite confusing and did slow me down by a couple of weeks however Radtec have given me the info I need to plumb everything in, they are also making me a fresh set of alloy pipes for the cooling as the ones I previously fitted did not have any beading on each end and suggested they might not seal properly with the silicon hose.
Also on the list of things I did not understand fully was the PCV valve (positive crankcase ventilation) which apparently is quite important on these engines, however after many conversations (thanks Chris) and also to Jim of JVR8 in Ireland he told me about their solution to the problem, see photo, which plugs straight into a cut down flame trap and then onto the Rocker cover, I can then feed it straight into the PCV valve on the Edelbrock carb and the vent system finished of by a small cone air filter on the other rocker cover.
Also on order is a Filter King pressure regulator for the fuel lines which should be here in just over a week, having spoke to Steve of Regent Hose who is another Marcos Owner and a bit of a expert in this field he will be supplying some fuel line to me however need to wait for the Regulator to arrive to make sure I order the fuel line with the correct fittings.
Any finally I recovered from the loft the pedal assembly cover which as you can see is a bit of a mess, will be spending some time thinking how I can bring this up to standard, perhaps carbon fibre ?
Martyn
01/02/2011.
Coolant hoses
Haven't done much over the past few weeks, been really busy and a bout of Sinitis over xmas time meant I just could not make the effort to get back into the garage.
However have made a little progress over the past couple of days with the coolant hoses. I made the mistake when ordering the radiator in not specing the input and output sizes from the radiator and when collected realised they were 41mm whereas the engine sizes were 38mm. Having searched the web I came across Goodflex Rubber Company near Evesham, Worcs and a very helpful Mike who also runs Auto Adrenalin who soon sorted me out some nice blue silicone hose with a step in size at each end.
Just returned from work and rushed into the garage to fit them and are pleased to find the angles and lengths are fine with a little trimming. I have read up that several Marcos owners have had problems with the fan belt and or steering column catching on the hoses however for the bottom hose I have taken a slightly different route to the one that was fitted before on this car. Need to give some thought now to a expansion tank for the cooling system, might go for a shiny alloy one made to fit once I've had a chance to look at some other Marcos engine bay photo's on the www.
Whilst this is another job ticked off the list, there still seems many to do before I can start it's heart beating again including, fuel line fitting for which I need to raise the car to get underneath for this job, electrics as the loom is still just laid out loose in the car and engine bay, brake pipes in that I need to connect the copper tube to the flexi hose, refit Starter motor, refit Clutch cylinder, sort out the exhaust system, interior including dashboard and probably a 1001 other little jobs I haven't thought of yet,
Martyn
15/01/2011.
However have made a little progress over the past couple of days with the coolant hoses. I made the mistake when ordering the radiator in not specing the input and output sizes from the radiator and when collected realised they were 41mm whereas the engine sizes were 38mm. Having searched the web I came across Goodflex Rubber Company near Evesham, Worcs and a very helpful Mike who also runs Auto Adrenalin who soon sorted me out some nice blue silicone hose with a step in size at each end.
Just returned from work and rushed into the garage to fit them and are pleased to find the angles and lengths are fine with a little trimming. I have read up that several Marcos owners have had problems with the fan belt and or steering column catching on the hoses however for the bottom hose I have taken a slightly different route to the one that was fitted before on this car. Need to give some thought now to a expansion tank for the cooling system, might go for a shiny alloy one made to fit once I've had a chance to look at some other Marcos engine bay photo's on the www.
Whilst this is another job ticked off the list, there still seems many to do before I can start it's heart beating again including, fuel line fitting for which I need to raise the car to get underneath for this job, electrics as the loom is still just laid out loose in the car and engine bay, brake pipes in that I need to connect the copper tube to the flexi hose, refit Starter motor, refit Clutch cylinder, sort out the exhaust system, interior including dashboard and probably a 1001 other little jobs I haven't thought of yet,
Martyn
15/01/2011.
Radiator in
Radiator now secure in place and just looking at various options for connecting the hoses, for the top hose I will probably use a polished alloy 38mm tube and some blue 90 and 135 degree silicon hoses each end. The bottom hose looks a absolute nightmare in that there appears to be so many twists and turns it needs to take to avoid the chassis, steering and suspension. I have read up on some tubing called "superflex" and need to make some enquiries to see if this will do the job rather than buy lots of different angles to join together.
Martyn
Martyn
14/12/2010.
Exhaust Manifolds
Yesterday, went to the platers to collect some shiny bits and also managed to collect my radiator brackets all painted now to match my chassis.
Today spent what seems like an eternity trying to fit the new manifolds, basically you need fingers the size of a 2yr old to get the bolts in and having now finally fitted 3 out of 4, I am finding the last one is rubbing on the chassis where it goes down and under the rail that runs along the front end of the footwell. Options are to tease it slightly with a tool to make a crease ( hit it with a hammer basically) or send it back but it will be difficult to explain exactly where it needs adjusting and getting the angle right.
Martyn
08/12/2010.
Update,
Just popped back in to the garage and looked again and are confident that if I extend the down tube where the pipe goes from two into one by approx 5mm this will be enough to clear the chassis therefore I have just ordered on ebay a short piece of Stainless Steel tube already with a 45 degree bend in it so I can cut out a section of the manifold and fit a new piece slightly longer and at a slightly different angle, just got to wait a few days now for delivery.
Trial fit of radiator and new Exhaust Manifolds
Ordered a couple of sheets of steel which took a week to arrive, then took another week before I could get some spare time to get into the garage and now having made some brackets to fit the radiator I have to send them off to be powder coated to match the chassis which will take another couple of weeks, no wonder this project is taking so long.
Over several cups of coffee whilst wondering how best to fit the radiator I finally settled on making two "L" shaped brackets and bolting them to some existing mounts each side of the chassis, the previous radiator did not use these mounts and are not really sure what they were for as they sit at a unusual angle and certainly do not line up with the angle that the radiator sits, so after making cardboard templates and cutting and welding and much filing later and working exactly where the holes had to go I now have two unusually shaped but workable brackets that will sit at each side which hold the radiator securely in place, hence me wanting them in the same colour as the chassis to blend in. I may make some more brackets for the top of the radiator as per the original fitting but can wait until I fit the expansion tank which sits in the same area.
Arrived today earlier than expected was the exhaust manifolds that I ordered, in end the material used was 409 grade stainless steel as the company I used told me that whilst 304 grade was better they used different tools for the bending and could not get the tight bends in 304 material, saved me a few £££ anyway. I presume to fit these manifolds I will have to lift the car up high on axle stands to insert them from underneath the car, will look at that another day,
Martyn
29/11/2010.
Radiator collected
Just been to RadTec of Cannock to collect my shiny new alloy Radiator and it does look nice. I will have to make up some brackets to fit the locating threads they have put in for me and also specified was for the inlet and outlet tubes to be angled slightly so that they are sitting horizontal as the radiator is at a slight angle when on the car. Also fitted were brackets to hold the twin fans secure and two separate plugs to hold the sensor switch so that I have a choice of either before or after cooling to switch on the fans.
Martyn
12/11/2010.
Martyn
12/11/2010.
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