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Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

2018-10-14 by hide809rig169@...

Body work is nearing completion on #8001 USA. Body is off chassis, undercoat has been removed from under body (this took forever and was arduous). Chassis has been abrasive blasted and is off for repairs (mostly rust, no collision damage, poor welds from Marcos and engine mountings). Questions; Steel chassis ride height, I need a measurement from bottom of chassis to road. This measurement could be different front to back? Guessing around 4 1/2 inches? How much clearance between bottom of oil pan to road surface? New engine mounts need to be done hence the ride height and oil pan clearances. Marcos engine mounts for this engine, are a poor design. Need measurements from other cars if possible. Also recommendations for a radiator. Car is a, V6 Ford Cologne (Capri, Pinto, Mustang 2, Ford Ranger). Installing a Ford Mustang T5, five speed transmission also. Appreciate the advice and information on ride height and radiators. Radiator needs to fit between the front chassis rails. I assume the bottom of the radiator would be same height as chassis bottom rails to prevent damage? Modifications to aluminum radiator is not a problem. Car will have air conditioning.

Thank you in advance. Steve V. Marcos in Arizona USA

Re: [MarcosManiacs] Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

2018-10-15 by larry meadows

Good morning, Steve,The clearance to the bottom of the rocker covers is 7" front and rear, and the bottom of the radiator is the same, however, the lower radiator mount and head of the attach bolts reduces that to 6" from ground to bolt head.The roof height is 42" as advertised.The Volvo powered Marcos used the Jaguar E type radiator. There are several race car and street car radiator fabricator out there that can design and build aluminum radiators at reasonable cost.  I had one custom built for the Gull wing for less the 400.00. It was sized for the 1600 Cosworth engine to fit the space allotted.
Regards,
Larry 

    On Sunday, October 14, 2018, 7:59:36 PM EDT, hide809rig169@... [MarcosManiacs] <MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:  
 
     


Body work is nearing completion on #8001 USA.  Body is off chassis, undercoat has been removed from under body (this took forever and was arduous).  Chassis has been abrasive blasted and is off for repairs (mostly rust, no collision damage, poor welds from Marcos and engine mountings).  Questions;  Steel chassis ride height,    I need a measurement from bottom of chassis to road.  This measurement could be different front to back?  Guessing around 4 1/2 inches?  How much clearance between bottom of oil pan to road surface?  New engine mounts need to be done hence the ride height and oil pan clearances.  Marcos engine mounts for this engine, are a poor design.  Need measurements from other cars if possible.  Also recommendations for a radiator.  Car is a, V6 Ford Cologne (Capri, Pinto, Mustang 2, Ford Ranger).  Installing a Ford Mustang T5, five speed transmission also.  Appreciate the advice and information on ride height and radiators.  Radiator needs to fit between the front chassis rails.  I assume the bottom of the radiator would be same height as chassis bottom rails to prevent damage?  Modifications to aluminum radiator is not a problem.  Car will have air conditioning.

      Thank you in advance.  Steve V.  Marcos in Arizona USA
    

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Re: [MarcosManiacs] Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

2018-10-15 by larry meadows

Steve,The actual cost of the radiator was 495.00 plus S&H. And the company is PRC. http://prchotrod.com/

Regards,
Larry 

    On Sunday, October 14, 2018, 7:59:36 PM EDT, hide809rig169@... [MarcosManiacs] <MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:  
 
     


Body work is nearing completion on #8001 USA.  Body is off chassis, undercoat has been removed from under body (this took forever and was arduous).  Chassis has been abrasive blasted and is off for repairs (mostly rust, no collision damage, poor welds from Marcos and engine mountings).  Questions;  Steel chassis ride height,    I need a measurement from bottom of chassis to road.  This measurement could be different front to back?  Guessing around 4 1/2 inches?  How much clearance between bottom of oil pan to road surface?  New engine mounts need to be done hence the ride height and oil pan clearances.  Marcos engine mounts for this engine, are a poor design.  Need measurements from other cars if possible.  Also recommendations for a radiator.  Car is a, V6 Ford Cologne (Capri, Pinto, Mustang 2, Ford Ranger).  Installing a Ford Mustang T5, five speed transmission also.  Appreciate the advice and information on ride height and radiators.  Radiator needs to fit between the front chassis rails.  I assume the bottom of the radiator would be same height as chassis bottom rails to prevent damage?  Modifications to aluminum radiator is not a problem.  Car will have air conditioning.

      Thank you in advance.  Steve V.  Marcos in Arizona USA
    

|  | Virus-free. www.avg.com  |

Re: [MarcosManiacs] Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

2018-10-15 by hide809rig169@...

Thanks Larry, I was hesitant to contact because of the hurricane. Hope you are well. I need about seven inches from the bottom chassis rail to ground. What about oil pan ground to pan clearance minimums? Radiators, have been looking at the Jaguar "E" type cross flow and modifying. You using copper or aluminum for radiators? Will look into a custom radiator. Once again, thank you. Steve V. Arizona USA

RE: [MarcosManiacs] Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

2018-10-15 by David Rattee

Larry, Steve,

Sorry to be contradictory concerning the radiator on the Marcos 3L Volvo.

Only the prototype rolling chassis which appeared in November 1969 had a modified Jaguar E-Type radiator.

When the 3L Volvo Marcos went into production the radiator was fabricated for the Marcos and was not an E-type or a modified E-type radiator.

The curved ribbed side tanks on the Jaguar E-Type radiator are the “giveaway” as the Marcos in production had squared off side tanks and sloping tops to the side tanks. Of course it may be that over the years some people in search of a replacement radiator may have fitted one from an E-type however they were not original fitment.

Attached are some pictures including the aluminium radiator that I had made to replace my original Marcos radiator.

The original radiator design and the shape of the bonnet create an inherently inefficient cooling system when the car is not moving.

The shroud behind the radiator is essential if using the mechanical fan mounted on the Volvo water pump.

I had information direct from the engineer at Kenlowe fans who worked on how to improve the cooling system on the Marcos 3L Volvo back in 1970. Their solution was to keep the mechanical fan and to add two small electric fans on the front of the radiator. I have seen only one car with that arrangement. The Marcos suffered from the same poor airflow through the radiator as the Corvette of that era.

Modern radiator cores are far more effective than the old technology used on the Marcos – hence the aluminium one made for me by Radtec.

Kenlowe actually carried out various fan tests on my original Marcos 3L Volvo radiator before I decided to get a new aluminium radiator.

Hope this helps.

Regards

David

From: MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: 15 October 2018 12:24
To: hide809rig169@yahoo.com [MarcosManiacs] <MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [MarcosManiacs] Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

Good morning, Steve,

The clearance to the bottom of the rocker covers is 7" front and rear, and the bottom of the radiator is the same, however, the lower radiator mount and head of the attach bolts reduces that to 6" from ground to bolt head.

The roof height is 42" as advertised.

The Volvo powered Marcos used the Jaguar E type radiator. There are several race car and street car radiator fabricator out there that can design and build aluminum radiators at reasonable cost. I had one custom built for the Gull wing for less the 400.00. It was sized for the 1600 Cosworth engine to fit the space allotted.


Regards,
Larry

On Sunday, October 14, 2018, 7:59:36 PM EDT, hide809rig169@yahoo.com [MarcosManiacs] <MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Body work is nearing completion on #8001 USA. Body is off chassis, undercoat has been removed from under body (this took forever and was arduous). Chassis has been abrasive blasted and is off for repairs (mostly rust, no collision damage, poor welds from Marcos and engine mountings). Questions; Steel chassis ride height, I need a measurement from bottom of chassis to road. This measurement could be different front to back? Guessing around 4 1/2 inches? How much clearance between bottom of oil pan to road surface? New engine mounts need to be done hence the ride height and oil pan clearances. Marcos engine mounts for this engine, are a poor design. Need measurements from other cars if possible. Also recommendations for a radiator. Car is a, V6 Ford Cologne (Capri, Pinto, Mustang 2, Ford Ranger). Installing a Ford Mustang T5, five speed transmission also. Appreciate the advice and information on ride height and radiators. Radiator needs to fit between the front chassis rails. I assume the bottom of the radiator would be same height as chassis bottom rails to prevent damage? Modifications to aluminum radiator is not a problem. Car will have air conditioning.

Thank you in advance. Steve V. Marcos in Arizona USA

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Attachments

RE: [MarcosManiacs] Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

2018-10-15 by hide809rig169@...

David, Thank you for the reply. Would it be possible to have measurements of the radiator shown in pictures posted? Was the radiator made in the UK or? What about a filler cap? Radiator works well or could use improvement in any way? The Ford V6 sits back in the chassis, will not be using the engine driven fan for cooling. Marcos assembly instructions list the, "E" type radiator as a choice, no idea what my car came with.
Steve V. Arizona USA

RE: [MarcosManiacs] Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

2018-10-15 by David Rattee

Steve,

I think we are at risk of getting our wires crossed.

There is little or no point in copying the Marcos 3L Volvo radiator if running a Ford V6 engine, even though the original Marcos radiator for the Ford 3L V6 was notoriously ineffective in keeping the coolant temperature down in hot conditions. The picture shows the engine bay of a wood chassis 3L V6.

There is no filler cap on the 3L Volvo radiator because

(a) there is not enough headroom between the top of the radiator and the underside of the bonnet and

(b) because on the Marcos 3L Volvo a header tank was fitted alongside the engine and the filler pressure cap was on the header tank.

The aluminium radiator works well.

It was made by Radtec in the UK;

http://www.radtec.co.uk/

The configuration of the chassis mounting framework on the 3L Volvo Marcos is totally different from the 3L V6 and on the Volvo engined car the radiator is held in place with four captive engineering screws that are built into the radiator framework. I have not worked on a 3L V6 Marcos so cannot comment on how the radiator is held in place.

I will send details of the radiator measurement later when I have the time to get in the garage and check.

If you are building your own cooling system then it would make sense to install a closed system.

On the early Marcos cars the cooling systems vented to air so if the pressure cap opened coolant would be lost through the overflow pipe rather than reclaimed as in a closed system.

Regards

David

From: MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: 15 October 2018 20:36
To: MarcosManiacs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [MarcosManiacs] Steel Chassis ride height and radiator recommendations

David, Thank you for the reply. Would it be possible to have measurements of the radiator shown in pictures posted? Was the radiator made in the UK or? What about a filler cap? Radiator works well or could use improvement in any way? The Ford V6 sits back in the chassis, will not be using the engine driven fan for cooling. Marcos assembly instructions list the, "E" type radiator as a choice, no idea what my car came with.

Steve V. Arizona USA

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