Andy Seward's 1962 Marcos GT Gullwing Coupe, Racecar Number 7

Andy Seward's 1962 Marcos GT gullwing coupe

Owner: Colonel Andrew (Andy) Seward
City: West Point, NY
Model: 1962 Marcos GT
Engine: Cosworth MAE

The History of Andy's Marcos GT

This Marcos GT gullwing coupe was a racecar from new! It was originally owned and raced by Stephen Minoprio in England. Mr Minoprio was the 1962 Autosport Championship winner in his class with this car, and he continued to race it for many years. The car's international and national (U.K.) race history includes races at Goodwood, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, etc.

Colonel Andy Seward purchased the car in 1994 while stationed with the U.S. Army in England. Andy raced the car in the U.K. and Europe from 1994 through 1997, but his situation obliged him to sell it. The next purchaser relocated to car to Japan, but eventually Andy tracked down the car and arranged to repurchase it.

The restoration shown here was completed in February 2009. General repair and restoration work was completed by the owner. Race prep and final completion of the restoration was by Dave Handy at Sasco Sports in Alton Virginia. The new paint is a Jaguar color called "Cotswold Blue" (circa 1959-1964) and it was applied by Brian Tocke of Fredericksburg Virginia.

Enjoying this article? www.BritishRaceCar.com is partially funded through generous support from readers like you!
To contribute to our operating budget,  please click here and follow the instructions.
(Suggested contribution is twenty bucks per year. Feel free to give more!)

Marcos Cars Ltd., Quartermasters Road, Westbury, Wiltshire, England.
Marcos Cars Ltd., Quartermasters Road, Westbury, Wiltshire, England.
Chassis No. M2006

Features and Specifications

Engine: 105e/109e-based, 1022cc Ford/Cosworth MAE 'red head' engine. Dry sump. Pre-crossflow aluminum manifold. Dual Weber DCOE40 side-draught carburetors. Dave Bean / Lotus Engineering camshaft with a special grind for additional torque. Pertronix Ignitor ignition (inside distributor cap.)
Cooling: custom aluminum radiator. Mocal 13 row oil cooler.
Exhaust: 4-into-1 header with 1.5" primaries and 2" exhaust pipe, all ceramic powder coated.
Transmission: Ford (UK) Cortina "bullet" gearbox (which is a 3-rail design) with 2.5:1 first gear. Trans-X straight cut gears. 105e alloy bellhousing. Alloy tailhousing. Wooler remote shifter. Tilton OTII clutch and pressure plate. Girling master cylinder. Shortened Ford Anglia prop shaft.
Rear Axle: Ford (UK) Anglia 105e rear axle with 4.1:1 gears, Salisbury limited slip differential, and an alloy case.
Front Susp.: Triumph Herald front suspension and (right hand drive) steering rack.
Rear Susp.: trailing arms, Panhard rod, rubber bushings, Spax telescoping shock absorbers.
Brakes: (master) Tokico dual-circuit master cylinder.
(front) Girling alloy calipers with Triumph Spitfire solid rotors.
(rear) Ford Anglia 105e drum brakes.
Wheels/Tires: 13x5.5 Revolution alloy wheels with Dunlop Racing 4.50Mx13 tires.
Electrical: Lucas dynamo with 1960's Cosworth oversize pulley. Odyssey PC680 battery.
Instruments: Smiths chronometric tachometer (driven mechanically from the camshaft), Smiths speedometer, Racetech (made in UK) dual oil pressure / coolant temperature gauge, fuel level gauge, and line-mounted fuel pressure gauge.
Fuel System: Fuel Safe 10 gallon fuel cell. Facet cylindrical electric fuel pump. Filter King serviceable fuel filter with integral pressure regulator.
Safety Eqpmt: full roll cage. 10 pound fire system. Willans safety harness. Custom leather-on-fiberglass seat.
Performance: approximately 110hp, as measured on a chassis dynomometer.
Weight: 1296 pounds wet (with fuel, oil, and coolant but without driver.)
Racing Class: FIA Class F (1961-1965) GTS or SVRA Group 1. (Note: this car has been raced since new in 1962.)



Curtis Jacobson: freelance automotive journalist

Engine Installation

105e/109e-based, 1022cc Ford/Cosworth MAE red head engine.
105e/109e-based, 1022cc Ford/Cosworth MAE 'red head' engine.

Dual Weber DCOE40 side-draught carburetors.
Dual Weber DCOE40 side-draught carburetors.

Weber Carburetor, Made in Italy
"Weber Carburetor, Made in Italy"

Tipo DCOE40151, No. 9K.
Tipo DCOE40151, No. 9K.

0-15psi liquid-filled fuel pressure gauge.
0-15psi liquid-filled fuel pressure gauge.

Distributor, coil, and sandwich plate for oil cooler lines.
Distributor, coil, and "sandwich plate" for oil cooler lines.

Oil system breather tank.
Oil system breather tank.

Fiberglass bonnet.
Fiberglass bonnet.

Cold air induction hose.
Cold air induction hose.

Cooling system overview.
Cooling system overview.

Custom swirl pot, with coolant temperature sensor.
Custom swirl pot, with coolant temperature sensor.

Thermostat housing with filler cap.
Thermostat housing with filler cap.

Ceramic powder coated four-into-oone header with 1.5 inch primaries and 2 inch exhaust pipe.
Ceramic powder coated four-into-oone header with 1.5" primaries and 2" exhaust pipe.

Silencer.
Silencer.

Tokico dual-circuit master cylinder.
Tokico dual-circuit master cylinder.

Odyssey PC680 drycell battery.
Odyssey PC680 drycell battery.

Fire extinguisher pull-handle and emergency kill switch.
Fire extinguisher pull-handle and emergency kill switch.

Starter solenoid switch.
Starter solenoid switch.

Promote Your Business on www.BritishRaceCar.com

Fuel System

Fuel Safe Systems, Hamilton Beach CA.
Fuel Safe Systems, Hamilton Beach CA.

Caution: Use 100/130 Aviation Grade Fuel or Higher, Usable 10 Gallons.
Caution: Use 100/130 Aviation Grade Fuel or Higher, Usable 10 Gallons.

Fuel Safe fuel cell plumbing.
Fuel Safe fuel cell plumbing.

Facet fuel pump. Another fuel pump. Filter King fuel filter with integral pressure regulator.
Facet fuel pump. Another fuel pump. Filter King fuel filter with integral pressure regulator.

Grand Prix Metalcraft Limited fuel swirl tank.
Grand Prix Metalcraft Limited fuel swirl tank.

You get a pretty good insight here into the Marcos GT's plywood monocoque chassis.
You get a pretty good insight here into the Marcos GT's plywood monocoque chassis.


Interior

bantamweight race car
With its full GT body, generous dashboard, and comfortable overstuffed leather upholstered seat,
you might forget this bantamweight race car weighs in at just 1300 pounds!

cockpit
The cockpit of a bantamweight race car? Hmmmm...

Smiths speedometer.
Smiths speedometer.

Smiths chronometric tachometer (driven mechanically from the camshaft).
Smiths chronometric tachometer (driven mechanically from the camshaft).

Intentional Spins Prohibited.
Intentional Spins Prohibited.

Racetech dual oil pressure (0-100psi) / coolant temperature (30-100C) gauge.
Racetech dual oil pressure (0-100psi) / coolant temperature (30-100C) gauge.

Fuel level gauge.
Fuel level gauge.

Control panel.
Control panel.

Custom leather-upholstered racing seat.
Custom leather-upholstered racing seat.

Willans safety harness.
Willans safety harness.

Pedal box. (This is another photo where the car's plywood monocoque construction is quite evident.)
Pedal box. (This is another photo where the car's plywood monocoque construction is quite evident.)

Centralized fire extinguisher system.
Centralized fire extinguisher system (10 pound capacity).


Exterior

Marcos GT front view.
Marcos GT front view.

Marcos bonnet badge.
Marcos bonnet badge.

Emergency switches (fire and ignition/battery).
Emergency switches (fire and ignition/battery).

Marcos gull-wing doors, side view.
Marcos gull-wing doors, side view.

Marcos gull-wing doors, rear three-quarter view.
Marcos gull-wing doors, rear three-quarter view.

Marcos gull-wing doors, rear view.
Marcos gull-wing doors, rear view.

Marcos gull-wing door, close-up.
Marcos gull-wing door, close-up.

Marcos gull-wing door hinges.
Marcos gull-wing door hinges.

Rear window vent.
Rear window vent.

13x5.5 Revolution alloy wheels.
13x5.5 Revolution alloy wheels.

Dunlop Racing 4.50Mx13 tires.
Dunlop Racing 4.50Mx13 tires.

All photos shown here are from June 2009, when we viewed the car at The Heacock Classic Gold Cup at Virginia International Raceway. All photos by Curtis Jacobson for BritishRaceCar.com, copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

If you liked this article, you'll probably also enjoy these:
Bob Polak's Mini Marcos Bob Polak
'69 Mini Marcos
Vic Schuster's Turner MkIII Vic Schuster
'65 Turner MkIII
Pat Ryan's Triumph Spitfire Pat Ryan
'67 Triumph Spitfire
You're invited to discuss anything you've seen here on The British Racecar Motorsports Forum!


Notice: all the articles and almost all the photos on BritishRacecar.com are by Curtis Jacobson.
(Photos that aren't by Curtis are explicitly credited.) Reproduction without prior written permission is prohibited.
Contact us to purchase images or reproduction permission. Higher resolution images are optionally available.


British Racecar (table of contents):        British V8 (sister site)        Motorsports Forum        Vendor Directory:        Contact Us