Marcos Maniacs

David,

You are correct that there may well be clues when a Marcos is 
converted from LHD to RHD (or vice versa), but it's an easier job 
than most mass produced cars and as the dash is wooden, filling, etc 
is pretty simple as would be cutting and pasting (:^)) the whole 
thing left to right (details like the glove box, etc notwithstanding).

You're also right, of course, that the handbrake would need to be 
relocated (unless you're REALLY friendly with your passengers and 
have long, very flexible arms! :^)).

Cheers,

Mark

--- In MarcosManiacs@y..., David Skora <David@a...> wrote:
> Hello Mark
> Thanks for your response. I have converted a coupe of MGB and 
Triumphs
> myself. If a car has been converted, I usually find brake lines and 
fittings
> have been replaced. Also, tell-tale holes and mountings for the 
original
> hardware are hard to conceal. The original steering column mount 
holes would
> have to be filled. Also on a marcos, I noticed that the glove box
> compartment is unique to the right side to make room for the wiper 
motor.
> Plus on a early Marcos, would the hand brake be repositioned?
> Respectfully
> David Skora (5006)
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:	mark_saxby [SMTP:Mark.Saxby@W...]
> > Sent:	Wednesday, January 23, 2002 1:41 AM
> > To:	MarcosManiacs@y...
> > Subject:	[MarcosManiacs] Re: More historical tidbits - a bit 
long
> > 
> > 
> > I don't know how many Marcos were made LHD originally. Presumably 
all 
> > those bound for the states (mainly Volvo 3 litres) would have 
been, 
> > but it's very simple to convert a Marcos from LHD to RHD and vice 
> > versa (the dash and footwells are symetrical), so there's no 
> > guarantee that a Marcos that is now LHD started that way.
> > 
> > I'd guess that all the Triumph cars were, originally, RHD as 
these 
> > were built by Rob Walker cars to use up parts and sold through 
Rob 
> > Walker dealerships in the UK.
> > 
> > In one of the Brooklands books there's a picture (unless my 
memory is 
> > going completely) of an early-ish 1600 with LHD in London, so 
they 
> > weren't unheard of on the early models, although it's not clear 
where 
> > cars were going. 
> > 
> > In the UK, at least, the Marcos was a VERY trendy car in the 60s 
with 
> > many rock stars and TV personalities owning them The Walker 
Brothers 
> > had two, Rod Stewart (allegedly) went solo to pay for his and 
John 
> > Noakes (British TV presenter - Blue Peter for anyone with 
memories of 
> > British Children's TV :^)) had one. Therefore it's not unlikely 
that 
> > a number were bought by European celebrities and built in LHD.
> > 
> > END_OF_RAMBLE.
> > 
> > Mark
> > 
> > PS My car's currently with Alan Fereday Cars being refurbished 
ready 
> > for a return to the road in the Spring (I hope :^))
> > 
> > --- In MarcosManiacs@y..., David Skora <David@a...> wrote:
> > > Hello Dan
> > > Thanks for the interesting history. This is almost more than 
what is
> > > currently available in print about Marcos cars! Is your car 
left 
> > hand drive?
> > > My car (5006) is LHD. Do you have any idea how many Marcos were 
> > left hand
> > > drive? Were all the Triumph or Volvo 6-cyl. cars also LHD?
> > > Thanks Dave
> > > 
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From:	Dan Orie [SMTP:dorie@s...]
> > > > Sent:	Tuesday, January 22, 2002 6:02 AM
> > > > To:	'MarcosManiacs@y...'
> > > > Subject:	[MarcosManiacs] More historical tidbits - a 
bit long
> > > > 
> > > > Hello All;
> > > >   I had a chance over the weekend to really pour over the 
> > documents from
> > > > my
> > > > build history ordered from Rory. Some of it may be common 
> > knowledge, but
> > > > it's new to me since I haven't read much of the information 
> > available
> > > > about
> > > > our cars - I hope it's not boring.
> > > > 
> > > > Prestige imports of Los Angeles CA. seemed to be the first 
> > authorized
> > > > dealer
> > > > of completed cars in the USA. The biggest problem at the time 
> > (summer &
> > > > fall
> > > > of 1969) was getting the Marcos to comply with smog 
regulations. 
> > They
> > > > pre-sold over 200 cars, but couldn't sell one due to this 
fact. 
> > They were
> > > > almost in a panic to get the cars certified by the EPA before 
> > customs sent
> > > > them back to the UK, and seemed distressed to find out that 
Volvo 
> > engines
> > > > were taking the place of the Fords - maybe they were tied to 
Ford 
> > somehow?
> > > > 
> > > > My car as I mentioned earlier, was ordered by the President 
of 
> > Ford at the
> > > > time. The car was first delivered to a company called Kar 
Kraft, 
> > who at
> > > > the
> > > > time was a performance and tuning specialist working with 
Ford. 
> > Kar Kraft
> > > > was responsible for all of the work in changing regular 
Mustangs 
> > into the
> > > > 'Boss 429 Mustangs'. 'Boss' was how the workers of that 
project 
> > referred
> > > > to
> > > > the President of Ford at the time and the name stuck. It is 
my 
> > speculation
> > > > that having Kar Kraft initially work on the Marcos to comply 
with 
> > the USA
> > > > regulations at the time could have been an informal test and 
> > first step to
> > > > an eventual selling agreement in the USA by Ford.
> > > > 
> > > > There was considerable frustration on the part of the guy 
from 
> > Kar Kraft
> > > > in
> > > > charge of getting my Marcos road-worthy. The correspondence 
> > between him
> > > > and
> > > > a couple of Marcos employees - including Jem Marsh was almost 
> > comical at
> > > > times. Evidently, my car arrived with 'bad engine bearings'. 
Some 
> > thought
> > > > it
> > > > was due to overheating, but Marcos claimed that it was due 
to 'oil
> > > > surging'
> > > > which was purported to be a problem with almost 20 percent of 
all 
> > of the
> > > > Essex engines. The Reliants and TVR's along with the Ford's 
were 
> > claimed
> > > > to
> > > > be experiencing the same problems. A bigger radiator along 
with a 
> > new
> > > > engine
> > > > was ordered for my car.
> > > > 
> > > > Also, it seems that someone from Marcos (I'm almost positive 
is 
> > was Jem)
> > > > was
> > > > trying to get Kar Kraft to be a Marcos distributor for the 
> > central and
> > > > east
> > > > regions of the USA. He claimed that they really didn't have 
any 
> > interest
> > > > in
> > > > selling the Marcos in the UK, and told them that a new 
factory 
> > was being
> > > > built and they could produce around 350 cars per year. Kar 
Kraft 
> > claimed
> > > > that the Marcos attracted considerable interest from the 
public 
> > just
> > > > sitting
> > > > on the trailer. Kar Kraft was almost being begged by Prestige 
> > imports and
> > > > by
> > > > Marcos to provide engineering in helping Marcos pass the 
> > emissions tests.
> > > > 
> > > > In summation, I don't know if the President of Ford got to 
drive 
> > my Marcos
> > > > before he was fired in 1970. However, the considerable 
problems he
> > > > experienced with the car probably soured him on ever thinking 
of
> > > > officially
> > > > importing the cars as part of Ford - if he were thinking 
along 
> > those
> > > > lines.
> > > > The correspondence between Ford USA and Marcos on my cars 
> > indicates that
> > > > there was some confusion as to who was doing what at Marcos.
> > > > 
> > > > Dano
> > > > Essex V6 3M/5463
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > > > MarcosManiacs-unsubscribe@y...
> > > > 
> > > >  
> > > > 
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