Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

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Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby Rust hater » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:12 am

Hi all,

I am considering buying a Mini Marcos as I am a bit fed up with chasing rust on various classics so like the idea of a fibreglass monococque. I have had a couple of minis in my youth, a rustheap 1959 starter on the floor job and a newish Army mini 850 (a tad noisy for drives from Belgium to Germany) so know that my 6ft frame can fit in those, but how about the Mini Marcos?

From a little research I see that the MK IV was a little taller and longer so I guess it has more headroom. I don't especially want to have extra low seats fitted as although I feel pretty healthy at 63 I have to realise that one day it will seem a bit harder to get in/out !

Any tips?

I have a couple of Series 2 Landrover Bitsas and with those cars originality has a big impact on values, is it the same with the Mini Marcos family?
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Re: Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby Stuart » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:44 am

Hello and welcome to the forum. At 6 feet tall a Mini Marcos is going to come up short in headroom unless all your height is in your legs. I don't think a mk4 is really any taller than the earlier mk3 either. Mini Marcos' have steel bonded into the shell at key points and it does rot out.

There's a forum here http://www.minimarcos.org.uk/

Prices of Mini Marcos are currently 5 to 8 times the price of a Midas. The Midas MK3 will have the most room for you with the floor being 2" lower than earlier models which possibly have a little more headroom than a Mini Marcos. All cars will have extra low seats. Midas' don't have any steel bonded into the shell either.

Here's a buying guide on the owners club page http://midasownersclub.co.uk/buying-and ... g-a-midas/

I guess a period Mini Marcos MK3 or earlier would probably be the most expensive and classic.
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Re: Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby EXCEL,PATRIK. » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:38 pm

Hi.
I have a Midas MK3 and is about 190cm tall. To make it a little nicer in my car, I changed original seats to two in red leather from an Alfa 147. Some modifications before I had these to fit. But now I'm sitting really well in the car. If I had a helmet on me in the car, it would be a problem with the headroom.
I have looked at some Mini Marcos before I bought my Midas and must say that a Midas is a much better car in every way. But still the same concept.
For me, it's a simple answer to the question that is not asked yet. It's a Midas that you should buy.

Regards
Patrik Nilsson
Sweden
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Re: Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby Rust hater » Thu Nov 01, 2018 5:37 pm

Thanks guys, I had been sure that I want a Marcos and not a Midas because at first glance I was not so keen on the looks of the Midas (yes I know, the Marcos is challenged) but on further investigation I do like the looks of the earlier cars though I'm afraid less keen on the headlamp treatment for Cortez or Excelsior ... personal taste. Anyway, looking a bit deeper I do see the appeal of many of the Midas cars, both appearance and strength of construction. As running one will be part of a plan for semi retirement, keeping ongoing costs down matters so my lean will be towards one that is already over the 40 years+ no car tax hurdle or at least getting close to it. I shall browse your for sale ads! Have looked at a few but most don't seem to include vehicle age for tax purposes, a shame.
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Re: Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby Stuart » Thu Nov 01, 2018 5:58 pm

The oldest Midas' out there will of course be VED free from late next year and into 2020, my oldest Midas will be 40 years old in 2021.

I'd say you'll need a ramp in the floor like Midas did for the late Russell Bulgin who was over 6' tall
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Re: Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby fozzza » Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:11 pm

One of the best things about a Midas at the moment for the purchaser is the low price tag compared to that of a Marcos.
Roy
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Re: Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby mellors55 » Sat Nov 03, 2018 8:35 am

I am also 6' tall and have recently retired.
I did build a Mini Marcos as my first kit car in 1978 - bought directly from Harold at D&H.
I fitted in to it with a bit of careful choosing of seats. I can't remember what I used, but nowadays the MGF / TF seats are as good as anything to give more headroom.
However, would I choose to run one in my retirement - probably not because of the ridiculously high purchase costs.

I now have a Midas - A Mk3 convertible that i picked up as an unfinished project a couple of years ago. The donor was a low mileage 1275 A+ Metro. It is now IVA'd and registered and has been on the road for 12 months. If I am honest, I would have preferred a Mk3 coupe but these are really quite rare and demand a higher price. I too am not too keen on the look of the Excelsior but the choice of later engines does have it's advantages.
I will have 39 years to wait for Historical status with my Midas but I would think that the running costs will work out at about the same as a MM (My fuel consumption is always in excess of 50mpg - My Mini Marcos struggled to get more than 40mpg - probably something to do with the gearing. So what you lose in road tax (£155) you will probably gain in lower fuel costs)
The quality of the Fibreglass on my Midas is easily as good as the MM and, has as already been said, it does not have steel plates embedded. So no rust problems there. Mine also looks great in it's original red gel coat so no problems with paintwork re-sprays etc.
For me, it is a simple choice for a daily driver.
John
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Re: Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby benofbrum » Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:37 pm

As the owner of the first Midas out of the production moulds and the last Excelsior out of the Redditch factory, may I add my sixpenneth to the discussion.
Firstly, I have just be out to the cars to measure the headroom. In both, there was about 4inches of clearance between the top of my head and the roof. I am 5 foot 5. Getting in and out, there was about 2 inches space going through the door aperture in the Mark 1 and my head almost brushed the hood on the Excelsior. The Cortez would
have an extra 11/2 to 2 inches through the door aperture.
Of the 2, the Excelsior is by far the more civilised car which is why the mark 1 will be for sale when my Cortez is ready for the road.
In the 10 years and 14,000 miles that the Excelsior has been on the road it has been to the French Alps, South West France, Germany and Belgium and has let me down 3 times. The first time the indicators stopped working after 2 hours of heavy rain, and then resumed normal service the next day. The next time the coil failed. it was from the original 1990 donor Rover Metro. The third time, the replacement coil failed because I had been given a coil for a ballast resistor car. it took about 2 hours running to cook it into submission, en route to Shepton Mallett.
As for the headlights, to me, the important thing is what are they like to drive behind at night, not what do they look like when standing in front.
But I do agree that the prettiest is the Gold Couple
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Re: Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby Rust hater » Mon Nov 05, 2018 2:22 pm

Thanks all, I am finding these responses very helpful. Something that will be useful is for me to try getting in/out of something in this range, to use as an indicator of whether I need a different car or a different body! My guess is that 6ft will fit but that getting in/out might not be that graceful ... but as long as I don't think it would put my back out over a few years I reckon I'd be game!

So does anyone have a car in reasonable distance from TA10 9JX (which is between Yeovil & Taunton in Somerset) that I can have a try with please? It doesn't need to be running, I am already convinced that they drive and handle well.
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Re: Is a Mini Marcos OK for a 6ft driver?

Postby Rust hater » Tue Nov 06, 2018 12:41 pm

mellors55 wrote:I am also 6' tall and have recently retired.

I will have 39 years to wait for Historical status with my Midas but I would think that the running costs will work out at about the same as a MM (My fuel consumption is always in excess of 50mpg - My Mini Marcos struggled to get more than 40mpg - probably something to do with the gearing. So what you lose in road tax (£155) you will probably gain in lower fuel costs)

For me, it is a simple choice for a daily driver.
John
This is very useful to me, I'd like a car that feels fast rather than necessarily IS fast (I have one of those and will sell it in a while). The Midas MPG v Marcos MPG is boringly interesting to me. Is this perhaps due to Midas generally using a Metro engine and 5 speed box but Marcos a revvier smaller Mini engine with 4 speed box? I learn that a classic Mini 5 speed is rare due to not being very strong (and lets not talk about the highly desirable 6 speed, not in my wallet's league at full price).

I guess that without re-engineering the classic mini subframe a metro engine & 5 speed box in a Marcos or early Midas is not realistic? (I know, anything is possible). I ask as I'd like to keep mechanical things replaceable off the shelf within reason.
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