Marcos Maniacs

Hey Group,
         Paul you are right about the screws being frozen ,I was able 
to break them loose by using an impact driver .........I only actually 
 broke 2 screws off (plus 2 cans of WD-40).After the screws are 
removed it is real easy to take off the body.....be careful with the 
shell as the section between the boot and the rear window is very weak 
and flexes badly ...........the frame rails on my car were not that 
bad except for the very lowest frame rails on both sides ........I did 
replace anything that looked suspect though including anything that 
was dented ...the tubing is 1.5"x1.5"x.065 THK ..........I also 
replaced the shock mounts as they looked flimsy next to the frame.... 
 if you do have to replace any steel be sure to fit and weld the new 
steel with the frame clamped to a heavy steel plate to eliminate any 
built in twist........I used a 1" thick plate!!!                      
                      Dave #5577                                      
                                                                      
P.S. I am compiling a sort of diary of my restoration I will post it 
when I get a chance.                                                  
                                                                    
--- In MarcosManiacs@y..., pauldransfield@i... wrote:
> Hi Dave,
> 
> My 'BIG' lost something in the translation. I sent it in a 72 point 
type
> size. 
> 
> I don't recall the total number of self tapping screws that are used 
to
> secure the Marcos body to the frame, but suffice it to say that 
there are a
> lot of them and reports of the language used by those attempting the 
feat
> are unprintable. The biggest problem, apart from finding them 
because not
> all cars were built the same way, is that these Philips screw heads 
tend to
> rust, so a screwdriver cannot get enough traction in the slots to 
break the
> threads free. A large number of them have to be ground out which 
takes a
> considerable amount of time. I've heard of guys spending days 
locating and
> grinding the screw heads off. When you think you've found them all, 
the body
> still won't move because there are 10 more hidden in obscure places.
> 
> There are a number of articles in the Marcos Owner's Club Magazines 
from
> guys who have undertaken a body-off restoration, describing the 
problems and
> the locations of all the screws. One of the biggest concerns is to 
get the
> body off without damaging it at the weak spots. It generally takes 4 
guys to
> lift the body off safely, and it's imperative that ALL the fasteners 
have
> been removed before this is attempted.
> 
> If you're about to undertake this feat, I wish you the best of luck.
> Avoiding the need to do this is the reason I never drive my car in 
the rain
> unless it's unavoidable and I've always inspected the chassis on a 
regular
> basis to ensure that any deterioration is immediately taken care of. 
The
> places to watch in particular on steel chassis cars are the side 
sills and
> the rear end beneath the boot/trunk.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Paul Dransfield
> 3 litre Volvo
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Skora [mailto:David@a...]
> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2001 3:18 PM
> To: MarcosManiacs@y...
> Subject: RE: [MarcosManiacs] Re: V8 Marcos #5577
> 
> 
> HOW Big? BIG or BBBBBIG
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:	pauldransfield@i... [SMTP:pauldransfield@i...]
> > Sent:	Monday, December 17, 2001 12:17 PM
> > To:	MarcosManiacs@y...
> > Subject:	RE: [MarcosManiacs] Re: V8 Marcos #5577
> > 
> > 
> > BIG
> > Paul Dransfield
> > 3 litre Volvo
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > So, how big of a job is it to take the body off of the frame?
> > Dan
> > <<snip>>
> >  Given most of the cars are 30+ yrs > many may need the frame off 
cure 
> > some day and there might be other buyers (give the limited supply 
of 
> > Marcos in the US) who would be interested in your project!  So if 
you 
> > get the time (when you are not heads down 
> > on 5577),
> > > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > MarcosManiacs-unsubscribe@y...
> > 
> >  
> > 
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> > 
> 
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