We all hate rust, but what about termites? This 1967 Marcos won’t have much of the red stuff to deal with, but the wooden frame may be an issue. Still, how many of these have you seen around for $3,500? It is going to be a big project, but the end result will be well worth it! The owner was going to restore it, but health problems force the sale. Find it here on craigslist out of San Luis Obispo, California. A big thanks goes to Robert J. for the tip!
We were not joking when we said it was made out of wood. Obviously there is some metal in the structure to support things like the suspension and engine, but for the most part the chassis was constructed out of marine grade plywood. So, you had better brush up on your carpentry skills. The engine is a 1.6 liter Ford unit and although not running, it does turn over freely.
Later cars switched to a metal frame, but we like these early ones. Just think of all the jaws that will drop at your local car show when you tell them that the frame is made out of wood? Not only is it be a good conversation piece, but it is also significantly lighter than a steel chassis car.
The fiberglass body appears to be in great condition, don’t let that fool you. This car sat outside for over 2o years so there is bound to be some rot underneath. The seller is up front about this fact though and it probably explains the low asking price. There are specialists out there who can assist you with the rebuild and you can even import replacement chassis from Sweden. This is such a good find we were tempted to scoop it up for ourselves, but it should go to someone with the resources to rescue it!
Someone hit this with an ugly stick, then used the stick as part of the frame. Where the rear wheel arch meet the rear window would have to be one of most most awkward moments in the history of automobile design. Having said that, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I would rather see this on the road than another red stang.
Ouch, I keep getting hit with the naughty stick. Clearly a lot of love for this car.
I’m on the other side of the fence from Don. I’ve seen several in person and find them to be quite nice to look at. The pictures don’t show it correctly but these are very small cars so the wild styling doesn’t jump out as garish.
I’ve always liked these, like TVR’s you didn’t see them very often here in the US but when you did they were a little different & cool.
I want it, to bad the shop is already full of projects. The Marcos is a fun fast little car and would make a great vintage racer
I really, really wanted to drag this home and get to work on it. Luckily, I am 6′ 6″ tall and would never fit in it. As I see it, I have been freed from years of car purgatory spent trying to get this thing disassembled and rebuilt.
Here is an average fellow climbing out of one for reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n73j5oBI6Bs
Beautiful car thanks for showing a finished model. I think access (falling in and crawling out) would be well worth it.
I am SO thankful that this is in CA…the shipping costs would equal such a great percentage of the sales price that I can NOT justify getting it! Phew. Thank goodness. (I don’t think Home Depot even CARRIES marine grade plywood!)
A few decades ago I saw a Marcos that had just been driven across Europe. You could get a variety of engines in these, and the car I saw had a 3 litre Volvo straight six with 4 speed with OD. The owner said that driving it on the Autobahn was fantastic, and I can believe it. The car is handcrafted and looks terrific up close—small, aero, muscular and well finished, especially for a limited production Brit sportscar.
Of course if the wood is bad and maybe delaminating, that’s a big problem and would be a dealbreaker. But if OK this could be a unique car, especially if you like limited production coupes. This is a car I could see buying for a number of reasons.
If… she… weighs… the same as a duck,… she’s made of wood.
And therefore?
Pure lust for this one. Would change the color though. Even the smaller engine models were no slouch. And BTW, around MD coast, Home Depot carries marine grade plywood though not cheap it is not bad. This is hard to resist but I have too many car projects in front before this could be tackled. So tempting.
is that the same engine that ford used in the Cortina GT ?
There are top-tier racing/engineering minds behind these, take a moment & look it up ! Some of the most critical allied fighter planes of WW2 were framed in wood. Amazing.
+2
Agreed, Jem Marsh & Frank Costin—great designers
These are very little known in the US, better known in Canada, where these little jewels show up on British Car Days and similar events, like the Oakville, Ontario event today (http://www.torontotriumph.com/BCD/) and also at events in British Columbia.