Marcos Maniacs

Hi all,

During a number of exchanges with Don Lattimer recently regarding wheels and
tires, he suggested that maybe my shocks were shot, and I thought maybe he
was right and I should probably look at the springs as well. I must admit
that the ride has been noticeably harsher over bumps and dips the last few
years which I put down to the poor road surface in the subdivision I moved
to 6 years ago. The car has only done 30,000 or so miles since they were new
but that was over 21 years, so maybe I should bite the bullet anyway,
especially after having just replaced my wheels. I use my car regularly in
the summer so you can see the trips are generally quite short. The Ancaster
show in the Spring has the longest round trip at around 140 miles. 

Anyway, I thought I'd verify that the spring rates for the 3 litre Volvo are
the same as those for the 3 litre Ford (they are), so I sent off the email
below to Marcos Heritage. I was also curious whether the shocks used for
their Active Handling Kit were adjustable and it turns out they're not. At
£600 plus shipping, the kit is pricey too. A set of shocks and springs from
AVO cost £345.18 plus shipping. However, it doesn't look like the AVO shocks
have adjustable seats. As I currently have Konis with adjustable seats and
ride, I thought I'd check out the Koni web site (www.koni-na.com) to see
what was available. Their US operation is located in Kentucky. It turns out
that they provide a refurbish service with a 3 to 4 week turn around so I'm
awaiting a reply from them regarding price. It would be a project I could do
over the winter and have everything ready for spring.

Maybe other owner could consider refurbishing their shocks rather than
buying new ones. It's useful to know all your options.

Does anyone know of a North American supplier of 2.25" ID x 12" springs,
170lbs and 250lbs?

Regards,

Paul Dransfield 
3 litre Volvo

-----Original Message-----
From: Pike Associates [mailto:sales@...]
Sent: October 10, 2003 3:54 AM
To: Paul.Dransfield@...
Subject: Re: 3 litre Volvo spring rates


Dear Paul Dranfield,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding the springs on your 3 Ltr.

The spring rates are as follows:

Front                250lbs
Rear                 170lbs

The price of the Active Handling Kit is £600.00 + VAT which includes 4
damper / spring units and all fittings. The dampers are not adjustable, they
are manufactured and set up to give the optimum fixed ride height etc....

Regarding the life expectancy of the dampers, this all depends on the use,
like any other damper.

If you need anything else, please contact us.

Regards

Emily
Marcos Heritage.




----- Original Message -----
From: <Paul.Dransfield@...>
To: <info@...>
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 8:50 PM
Subject: 3 litre Volvo spring rates


> Sirs,
>
> Could you please supply the front and rear spring rates for the 3 litre
> Volvo Marcos.
>
> What is the current price of the Active Handling kit and what is the life
> expectancy? Are the shocks adjustable for ride height and stiffness?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Paul Dransfield
>
> 3 litre Volvo #5838
>