And a few more of how i found her
Hi,
Long time no update on here,
Fast forward to the 2024 i am now the owner of a 69v6 Marcos that has sat unused in a garage for over 30 years and in need of a full restoration.
Unsure if i will do a regular update on here re progress but do have special plans re this one and will update on a occasional basis.
Here’s a image still with all the dust on,
Martyn
May 2024
No Super Car yet
Hi,
Long time since any update but have been a little busy, no super car or car project yet as funds not available so enjoying the Honda CB900 despite in the summer the engine throwing a timing chain tensioner all through the engine breaking into little bits and requiring a full rebuild, this took many weeks to resource parts and was finally back on the road 2 days before the TT Races so the journey through the night to catch the ferry without even a test run was a little on the nervous side but it never missed a beat all the way and a great holiday was had.
Have powdercoated a few bits and put some daytime running lights on for safety along with a 4-1 system getting rid of the heavy 4 - 4 exhaust system, the bike is so much lighter now and sounds WoW really meaty and with the engine now run it it's a lot more powerfull than before.
Once winter arrives and the Honda is off the road there are a few minor jobs to do including a small dent in the fuel tank that needs pulling out, the seat recovered in black leather and the rear arms powdercoating and brakes improved with braided hose and discs drilled, that should keep me busy.
In the meantime i have just started on a new MTB project using a Kona Hoss Deluxe frame i purchased some time ago, it has been repainted green, a new Shimano SLX 1-11 Groupset complete with hydraulic brakes arrived this week along with some wheels specially built up for me, looking forward to getting this on a few trails.
Still look our for Marcos cars on the road and hopefully one day the right project will find me,
Martyn
18/10/2017
Good Morning !
Hi,
Just a little update that yes i am getting the "Marcos Pings" which was recently diagnosed by my GP and is a caused by the missing out of a recently departed, extremely rude, loud, uncomfortable, but fast and beautiful sports car and and only be relieved by lots of "there there creme" and the arival of another !
As yet i don't have the storage room to start another project but if a metal chassis, non Q plate came my way looking for a full restoration i am sure i could find a home for it until the welding gloves were ready to come off, you will know from my previous that something very special would come out of the door at the end, move over Mr Potts as i have several ideas bubbling around my head as to what can be done. Please let me know if your tired Marcos needs some zest and want it to go to a good home and be reassured it would be reborn beautiful again.
Anyway, at present to releive me of my petrolhead blues i recently purchased 2 wheels, a Honda CB900 Custom from 1981, this bike is in lovely condition with only 30k on the clock and was never sold in the UK and imported here i guess in the early 80's probably by somebody posted here at one of the US airbases and sold on when they returned home, i will apply to the DVLA to get the history.
It was purchased from a guy in Yorkshire who converts bikes to caferacers and he bought it with the same intention but the condition is so good he just could not take a spanner and grinder to it so he decided to sell it on, there are a couple of mods i want to do to it but at the moment i am just enjoying the sunny days riding,
Martyn
09/08/2016
Just a little update that yes i am getting the "Marcos Pings" which was recently diagnosed by my GP and is a caused by the missing out of a recently departed, extremely rude, loud, uncomfortable, but fast and beautiful sports car and and only be relieved by lots of "there there creme" and the arival of another !
As yet i don't have the storage room to start another project but if a metal chassis, non Q plate came my way looking for a full restoration i am sure i could find a home for it until the welding gloves were ready to come off, you will know from my previous that something very special would come out of the door at the end, move over Mr Potts as i have several ideas bubbling around my head as to what can be done. Please let me know if your tired Marcos needs some zest and want it to go to a good home and be reassured it would be reborn beautiful again.
Anyway, at present to releive me of my petrolhead blues i recently purchased 2 wheels, a Honda CB900 Custom from 1981, this bike is in lovely condition with only 30k on the clock and was never sold in the UK and imported here i guess in the early 80's probably by somebody posted here at one of the US airbases and sold on when they returned home, i will apply to the DVLA to get the history.
It was purchased from a guy in Yorkshire who converts bikes to caferacers and he bought it with the same intention but the condition is so good he just could not take a spanner and grinder to it so he decided to sell it on, there are a couple of mods i want to do to it but at the moment i am just enjoying the sunny days riding,
Martyn
09/08/2016
Goodnight !
With some sadness i have to announce that my Marcos Mantula has been sold.
It has been a lot of fun and learning for me during the restoration and driving and have met some nice people in the Marcos world always ready to help each other out and offer advice when needed.
On the posititve side the Marcos has gone to Pierre in France who i am sure a lot of you will know already and is clearly so passionate about Marcos Cars and this one added to his collection now makes it 7, i don't think i have seven pairs of shoes so i am reassured that it has gone to a good home and will continue to be developed and enjoyed.
What's next for me, who knows but i will kinda miss every time i pull up at a fuel station people approaching with dropped jaws and asking "wow what's that" and on the motorway people hanging out of windows taking photographs on their smart phones as we pass, i always give a little nod or wave.
May be a little time but as they say "watch this space"
Martyn
31/01/2016.
It has been a lot of fun and learning for me during the restoration and driving and have met some nice people in the Marcos world always ready to help each other out and offer advice when needed.
On the posititve side the Marcos has gone to Pierre in France who i am sure a lot of you will know already and is clearly so passionate about Marcos Cars and this one added to his collection now makes it 7, i don't think i have seven pairs of shoes so i am reassured that it has gone to a good home and will continue to be developed and enjoyed.
What's next for me, who knows but i will kinda miss every time i pull up at a fuel station people approaching with dropped jaws and asking "wow what's that" and on the motorway people hanging out of windows taking photographs on their smart phones as we pass, i always give a little nod or wave.
May be a little time but as they say "watch this space"
Martyn
31/01/2016.
Curborough Sprint
After many years of watching i finally got to take to the track at the annual Club Marcos day at Curborough Sprint near Lichfield.
There was approx 15 Marcos cars running and the entry was bolstered by a few hot eurobox cars, a Lambo and a D type replicia, it was interesting to see the times between the cars of different era's although the hero of the day was the little yellow 1600, clearly the driver knew what he was doing and he just seemed to glide round the course, smooth being the key to a good time.
For a first time i was pleased with my results although i did leave the track twice and put this down to trying too hard, i certainly had the power and can only compare it to a scalded cat but felt let down by the brakes and think they just need setting up properly, the balance bar in particular, i shall ensure this is done well before next years event.
I did use my go-pro and have uploaded to youtube including the couple of spins onto the grass, no damage caused, all in all a great day and shame there was not more Marcos running,
Martyn
07/06/2015
There was approx 15 Marcos cars running and the entry was bolstered by a few hot eurobox cars, a Lambo and a D type replicia, it was interesting to see the times between the cars of different era's although the hero of the day was the little yellow 1600, clearly the driver knew what he was doing and he just seemed to glide round the course, smooth being the key to a good time.
For a first time i was pleased with my results although i did leave the track twice and put this down to trying too hard, i certainly had the power and can only compare it to a scalded cat but felt let down by the brakes and think they just need setting up properly, the balance bar in particular, i shall ensure this is done well before next years event.
I did use my go-pro and have uploaded to youtube including the couple of spins onto the grass, no damage caused, all in all a great day and shame there was not more Marcos running,
Martyn
07/06/2015
Poster print
Following the recent article in Speedhunters they have released for sale a poster print of my car, ordered mine already, the link is,
Here
Martyn
25/04/2015.
Here
Martyn
25/04/2015.
Magazine article
Just love the headline "Long low and dangerous to know", a feature by Jonathan Moore on my Marcos in Speedhunters magazine,
Magazine Article
Martyn
04/02/2015.
Magazine Article
Martyn
04/02/2015.
Sprint Event
Have just sent off payment for the annual sprint day at Curborough, Lichfield on Saturday 6th June 2015 organised by Club Marcos International.
Having watched this event for several years it's finally time to put the gloves on and take to the track myself, fingers crossed for good weather,
Martyn
29/01/2015.
Having watched this event for several years it's finally time to put the gloves on and take to the track myself, fingers crossed for good weather,
Martyn
29/01/2015.
Club Event
Have decided to organise my first Club Event with a visit to the Morgan Factory for one of their very popular tours on Monday 15th June followed by a little lunch in the lovely town of Malvern.
It's one of those places steeped in history that I have always wanted to visit but never got around to it, so if you would like to join us please message me, full details are on the Marcos Forum or in your copy of the Marcos Owners Club magazine hopefully just delivered to you,
Martyn
23/01/2015.
It's one of those places steeped in history that I have always wanted to visit but never got around to it, so if you would like to join us please message me, full details are on the Marcos Forum or in your copy of the Marcos Owners Club magazine hopefully just delivered to you,
Martyn
23/01/2015.
Headlight update
Just driven home night time with new headlights for the first time and WOW what a improvement and when switching to full beam on the country lanes a massive improvement, the best mod yet and gave me much more confidence to press ahead round the bends.
Glad I binned those sealed beam units and Happy Christmas,
Martyn
24/12/2014.
Glad I binned those sealed beam units and Happy Christmas,
Martyn
24/12/2014.
Headlight Upgrade
I have been planning on upgrading the sealed beam headlights for some time but after somebody pulled out on me a couple of weeks ago at nightime and missed me by inches i thought it was now time to get them sorted.
After much reading on the Marcos Forum i purchased a set of 4 from Staffordshire Vehicle Components who were quite helpful and local to me in Tamworth so saving on the postage.
A set of 4 headlights cost me £70 with a set of standard H1 and H4 bulbs and have jusr recieved from Amazon some Philips X-treme vision to replace the bulbs supplied. It really is a easy job to convert from sealed units to Halogens and as long as you don't use 100w bulbs and keep to 55w the forum suggests the existing wiring will be sufficent.
The Marcos will be off the road for a couple of weeks while i tend to another couple of jobs so will give a update once these new lights have been tested.
Martyn
01/12/2014.
After much reading on the Marcos Forum i purchased a set of 4 from Staffordshire Vehicle Components who were quite helpful and local to me in Tamworth so saving on the postage.
A set of 4 headlights cost me £70 with a set of standard H1 and H4 bulbs and have jusr recieved from Amazon some Philips X-treme vision to replace the bulbs supplied. It really is a easy job to convert from sealed units to Halogens and as long as you don't use 100w bulbs and keep to 55w the forum suggests the existing wiring will be sufficent.
The Marcos will be off the road for a couple of weeks while i tend to another couple of jobs so will give a update once these new lights have been tested.
Martyn
01/12/2014.
Rain Rain Rain
Rain Rain Rain, will it ever stop ?
It's been a while since i updated this page so thought it was about time.
Not a lot of news on my Marcos at the moment other that it's sitting in the garage nice and snug and have only been using it recently weather permitting so it's all still clean and shiny, this time last year i was polishing it frantically in preperation for the NEC Classic Car show in Birmingham.
I do have a couple of jobs to sort for next season, these being i need to put a smaller cog on the wiper motor as the sweep is too wide and the wiper arm struggles to move smoothly due to the curve of the screen, my single wiper parks in the middle of the screen as opposed to the usual 2 arm system that sits on the opposite side and does not have to cope with the same curve at the side of the screen, if that makes sense ?? and finish the cool air vent system i installed which still needs a little tweaking.
All my spare time at present seems to be cycling (in the mud) playing guitar (lots off) and digging the garden (we had a extension built last year and the lovely garden we had is being redesigned) so trying to get that sorted over the winter.
There are a couple of other Marcos restorations project blogs i am enjoying reading at present and do look forward to their updates, would be nice to see a few more on the road over the next couple of years.
Martyn
08/11/2014.
It's been a while since i updated this page so thought it was about time.
Not a lot of news on my Marcos at the moment other that it's sitting in the garage nice and snug and have only been using it recently weather permitting so it's all still clean and shiny, this time last year i was polishing it frantically in preperation for the NEC Classic Car show in Birmingham.
I do have a couple of jobs to sort for next season, these being i need to put a smaller cog on the wiper motor as the sweep is too wide and the wiper arm struggles to move smoothly due to the curve of the screen, my single wiper parks in the middle of the screen as opposed to the usual 2 arm system that sits on the opposite side and does not have to cope with the same curve at the side of the screen, if that makes sense ?? and finish the cool air vent system i installed which still needs a little tweaking.
All my spare time at present seems to be cycling (in the mud) playing guitar (lots off) and digging the garden (we had a extension built last year and the lovely garden we had is being redesigned) so trying to get that sorted over the winter.
There are a couple of other Marcos restorations project blogs i am enjoying reading at present and do look forward to their updates, would be nice to see a few more on the road over the next couple of years.
Martyn
08/11/2014.
Tyre pressures
Messing about trying different tyre pressures to see how it affects the handling and really surprised at what a difference a small increase all round from 25 to 27lbs makes, the car seems to run much smoother on the road and getting around smaller islands is no longer a effort with the steering wheel.
The air flow into the car is also improved having finished increasing the tubes to 3" and with a larger scoop at the front of the car, not that we have much hot weather left this season.
Next to look at is the brake balance bar which i think needs proper adjustment by somebody with experience of these, the brakes are fine as they are even without a servo but feel that with such a light vehicle they could be even better and may be just the balance bar that needs adjusting,
Will these cars ever be finished ? probably not.........
Martyn
26/08/2014.
The air flow into the car is also improved having finished increasing the tubes to 3" and with a larger scoop at the front of the car, not that we have much hot weather left this season.
Next to look at is the brake balance bar which i think needs proper adjustment by somebody with experience of these, the brakes are fine as they are even without a servo but feel that with such a light vehicle they could be even better and may be just the balance bar that needs adjusting,
Will these cars ever be finished ? probably not.........
Martyn
26/08/2014.
Prescott 2014
Finally dry after a very mixed weather weekend at Prescott to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Marcos Coupe.
Saturday was lovely and sunny and took a few photographs of cars parked up and got chance to chat to a few other owners, lots of interest was shown in my car and recall one couple in particular who appeared to be comparing the style of mine with a very early Marcos parked next to me, i got talking to them and asked if they had a Marcos, no they told me but were was looking and had always liked them, the lady asked if she could sit in the the drivers seat, of course i said and when she got out full of praise for the style of the car i asked if she knew much about Marcos, she told me she had come along with her dad Dennis and then it clicked, Dennis Adams who actually designed the car 50 years ago was there for the weekend to hand out a few prizes.
Saturday night was non stop rain and i told myself no way was i going to risk driving up the hill for the first time in the wet however Sunday afternoon the sun eventually broke through and managed a few drives up the hill, much fun but i did take it very very easy,
http://youtu.be/LmY9CEgumbU
This is my new favourite photograph of my car, taken by Gary who was parked up on the hill most of the day, i will be getting this made into a canvas print for the wall.
Martyn
11/08/2014.
Saturday was lovely and sunny and took a few photographs of cars parked up and got chance to chat to a few other owners, lots of interest was shown in my car and recall one couple in particular who appeared to be comparing the style of mine with a very early Marcos parked next to me, i got talking to them and asked if they had a Marcos, no they told me but were was looking and had always liked them, the lady asked if she could sit in the the drivers seat, of course i said and when she got out full of praise for the style of the car i asked if she knew much about Marcos, she told me she had come along with her dad Dennis and then it clicked, Dennis Adams who actually designed the car 50 years ago was there for the weekend to hand out a few prizes.
Saturday night was non stop rain and i told myself no way was i going to risk driving up the hill for the first time in the wet however Sunday afternoon the sun eventually broke through and managed a few drives up the hill, much fun but i did take it very very easy,
http://youtu.be/LmY9CEgumbU
This is my new favourite photograph of my car, taken by Gary who was parked up on the hill most of the day, i will be getting this made into a canvas print for the wall.
Martyn
11/08/2014.
Engine tuning
Just got back from taking the Marcos to a local engine tuner with a rolling road facility, this was a first for me and quite nervous seeing the car strapped down with the rear wheels screaming away on the rollers.
The intention was for the engine to be taken to about 5500rpm but according to the tuner the wheels started slipping on the rollers at just under 3000rpm as it was producing so much torque at 302lb and being quite light in weight it just would not sit down enough on the rollers to take it any higher.
The power at 2895rpm was showing 166bhp so can only estimate what it would be at full revs, not that i would ever really get the opportunity to have the car at full speed or even want to.
Before putting the Marcos on the rollers the mixture was adjusted as it was running lean at idle and later some adjustments were made to the mapping on the Megajolt system.
Looking forward to Prescott Hill Climb for the annual Marcos Rally this weekend which will be my first proper club event taking my Marcos with me and have booked a couple of runs up the hill,
Martyn
05/08/2014.
The intention was for the engine to be taken to about 5500rpm but according to the tuner the wheels started slipping on the rollers at just under 3000rpm as it was producing so much torque at 302lb and being quite light in weight it just would not sit down enough on the rollers to take it any higher.
The power at 2895rpm was showing 166bhp so can only estimate what it would be at full revs, not that i would ever really get the opportunity to have the car at full speed or even want to.
Before putting the Marcos on the rollers the mixture was adjusted as it was running lean at idle and later some adjustments were made to the mapping on the Megajolt system.
Looking forward to Prescott Hill Climb for the annual Marcos Rally this weekend which will be my first proper club event taking my Marcos with me and have booked a couple of runs up the hill,
Martyn
05/08/2014.
Not much news
Not much news other than just enjoying the sunshine and driving the Marcos whenever possible, i do still find it a little hot inside when really sunny and think i need i fit a larger air scoop at the front of the car to feed in more cool air into the under dash vents i fitted a few months ago.
Looking forward to the Annual Rally at Prescott this year in August as it will be the first time i have attended in the Marcos and have even booked myself a couple of drives up the hill, i am a little nervous about this especially with the last right turn before the finish having a sheer drop on the outside, i will certainly take it easy on this corner however it was a track car originally so it does need the occasionally thrashing in keeping with the spirit the car was built for.
I am just waiting for delivery of a roll cage attachment for my GoPro camera so will make a couple of in car videos soon.
I have the Marcos booked in for a tune on a rolling road the week before the Rally which is something i have been meaning to do for some time but the £££ keep being diverted elsewhere and looking forward to seeing what results can be produced.
Martyn
25/06/2014.
Looking forward to the Annual Rally at Prescott this year in August as it will be the first time i have attended in the Marcos and have even booked myself a couple of drives up the hill, i am a little nervous about this especially with the last right turn before the finish having a sheer drop on the outside, i will certainly take it easy on this corner however it was a track car originally so it does need the occasionally thrashing in keeping with the spirit the car was built for.
I am just waiting for delivery of a roll cage attachment for my GoPro camera so will make a couple of in car videos soon.
I have the Marcos booked in for a tune on a rolling road the week before the Rally which is something i have been meaning to do for some time but the £££ keep being diverted elsewhere and looking forward to seeing what results can be produced.
Martyn
25/06/2014.
Bucket List
Of course finally getting a Marcos after some wanting of 25 years plus was the biggest tick ever on my Bucket List but really pleased yesterday to have made the remaining list now even smaller.
Yesterday i released a single with me playing guitar, an acoustic version of "Over the Rainbow" and excuse the blatent plug on here but as all sale proceeds are to Cancer Research UK i hope you don't mind, it's available for download on i tunes UK. For you non i tunes users it will shortly be available to download on Google Play.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/id880156316
Would really appreciate it if you would spend 79p to download the song and pass on the link to your friends,
Regards,
Martyn
20/05/2014.
Yesterday i released a single with me playing guitar, an acoustic version of "Over the Rainbow" and excuse the blatent plug on here but as all sale proceeds are to Cancer Research UK i hope you don't mind, it's available for download on i tunes UK. For you non i tunes users it will shortly be available to download on Google Play.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/id880156316
Would really appreciate it if you would spend 79p to download the song and pass on the link to your friends,
Regards,
Martyn
20/05/2014.
Mother in Law
Had a little sunshine today so decided to take Margaret for a little drive, had been promising this for some time so it had to be done.
Some years ago she was the Secretary for the Jensen Brothers at the West Bromwich factory so knows a great British sports car when she sees one, I think my Marcos passed the "smile" test,
Martyn
23/03/2014.
Some years ago she was the Secretary for the Jensen Brothers at the West Bromwich factory so knows a great British sports car when she sees one, I think my Marcos passed the "smile" test,
Martyn
23/03/2014.
Tv Cars
I had heard the story about John Noakes from Blue Peter owning a Marcos but thought it was just a tale.
Just been sent this video clip, wonder if the car is still going ?
http://youtu.be/p2FZLBp_BLk
Martyn
11/03/2014.
Magazine feature
Just received the latest Marcos Owners Club magazine "Torque" and they have done a feature on my car following the recent NEC show, didn't quite make the front cover so i will have to get my new (old) Nikon camera out and take some moody photographs to send them, shame about all the salt on the roads now stopping me from taking her out.
Martyn
12/01/2014.
Martyn
12/01/2014.
Air filter
Seasons Greetings to everybody..........
Not much chance to drive the Marcos recently due to the lousy weather but hoping for a little sunshine on Christmas Day as i am working in the morning and need to get home quick for dinner so might take the Marcos out with me.
Never really been happy with the original air filter fitted as due to clearance problems it sat very close to the bonnet which must have restricted the air flow into the Edelbrock carb so after much www searching and measuring for clearance i have gone for a different set up which sits lovely in the bulge of the bonnet, i am also going to take out the choke as i never use it and again this is supposed to give a slightly better airflow.
Here is a photograph of the new filter in place which will also give me cool air from the front of the car as there is plenty of airflow coming over the top of the radiator into the engine bay, i have not had chance to drive the Marcos yet with this set up and are now looking at different engine tuners who are familiar with the Rover V8 and Megajolt system to get the best set up, the carb rods may need changing too so lots of reading up to do especially on this page as the writer seems to know what he is talking about.
Not much chance to drive the Marcos recently due to the lousy weather but hoping for a little sunshine on Christmas Day as i am working in the morning and need to get home quick for dinner so might take the Marcos out with me.
Never really been happy with the original air filter fitted as due to clearance problems it sat very close to the bonnet which must have restricted the air flow into the Edelbrock carb so after much www searching and measuring for clearance i have gone for a different set up which sits lovely in the bulge of the bonnet, i am also going to take out the choke as i never use it and again this is supposed to give a slightly better airflow.
Here is a photograph of the new filter in place which will also give me cool air from the front of the car as there is plenty of airflow coming over the top of the radiator into the engine bay, i have not had chance to drive the Marcos yet with this set up and are now looking at different engine tuners who are familiar with the Rover V8 and Megajolt system to get the best set up, the carb rods may need changing too so lots of reading up to do especially on this page as the writer seems to know what he is talking about.
Martyn
23/12/2013
Fame at last
Speedhunters.com give my car a complimentary mention and a couple of nice photographs in their review of the NEC Classic Car Show, have a look here and view the "Barn Storming at the classic Motor Show" page "British Brutes"
Martyn
22/11/2013.
Video clip from the NEC
Here is a brief video clip during one of the quieter moments at the weekend,
http://youtu.be/2joDraWsKG4
Martyn
19/11/2013.
http://youtu.be/2joDraWsKG4
Martyn
19/11/2013.
NEC Classic Car Show 2013
Just returned home tired and hungry but what a fantastic 3 days i have had, many thanks to John and Isobel from the respective clubs who put in so much work to make these events happen and to all the other Marcos owners and enthusiasts i met. The Marcos recieved nothing but praise especially the interior, a few photo's below,
Martyn
17/11/2013.
Martyn
17/11/2013.
Shiny shiny
Just started the big clean/polish in preparation for the NEC Classic Car show in a weeks time, might even have a bath myself, hope the rain keeps away,
See you there and please come and say hello,
Martyn
07/11/2013
See you there and please come and say hello,
Martyn
07/11/2013
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