Cars That Used Chevy Power
- Thread starter Chuffer
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Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Not Chevy powered but another British glass fibre V8 powered wonder , the 1968 Marcos Mantis XP1 . Built specificly 
by Marcos to go racing it had a 3 litre Brabam Repco formula one engine . In 1970 it was fitted with a Buick V8 and Marcos co founder Jem Marsh used it as a road car . Imagine turning heads on public roads in such an extreme machine 53 years ago !! It then went to the USA for many years and only returned to the UK after carefull restoration in California . It arrived just in time in 2009 for the Marcos 50th Anniversary Celebrations at Prescott Hill Climb which I attended . Seeing it in the flesh was awesome and I have some colour print photos I took stashed awat somewhere .
by Marcos to go racing it had a 3 litre Brabam Repco formula one engine . In 1970 it was fitted with a Buick V8 and Marcos co founder Jem Marsh used it as a road car . Imagine turning heads on public roads in such an extreme machine 53 years ago !! It then went to the USA for many years and only returned to the UK after carefull restoration in California . It arrived just in time in 2009 for the Marcos 50th Anniversary Celebrations at Prescott Hill Climb which I attended . Seeing it in the flesh was awesome and I have some colour print photos I took stashed awat somewhere .
Roscobbc
Moderator
Ex-next door neighbour had one too and sold during covid for silly money........whilst it needed some paint and an interior tidy, chassis-wise and mechanically it was perfect. Seems it had done some hill climb work and had a block heater which to me is indicative of good care from someone.......and it had a totally reconned iron cylinder head with triple carbs and was mechanically the quietest Zody engine I'd ever heard......which is very uncharacteristic.With you on the SE4's Rosco. I spent many months looking for one before buying my C3. Although they're quite rare now I found a few - all V6's unfortunately and all either very rough or very modified - and in the end gave up the search and bought the 'Vette instead. A few weeks later I was talking to a local enthusiast I hadn't met before - he lives only a couple of miles away - who told me he'd just sold his SE4a with the 2.5L straight 6 Zodiac Mk4 engine...for half what I'd have paid for it! Just goes to show, it's only a bargain if you find it...
phild
CCCUK Member
Oh yes, on my wish list as well. Was drooling over one at the Heacdord meeting last Sunday.
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
How about a Jensen Interceptor with the 7.2 Litre to go with it ??Oh yes, on my wish list as well. Was drooling over one at the Heacdord meeting last Sunday.
phild
CCCUK Member
How about a Jensen Interceptor with the 7.2 Litre to go with it ??
Love them but still prefer the CV8. It reminds me of a TV series some years ago called The Baron.
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Have to agree , there is a certain ` something ` about the CV8 and I thought the side stakes were dead cool as a lad . Remember the Baron too .
antijam
CCCUK Member
There have been several british car Marques over the years featuring american muscle under the bonnet - most of them now long defunct; names like Railton, Atalanta, Allard and Bristol spring to mind. In recent years there has been a trend of reviving these lost names with a 'new exciting' model; most, if not all, have been quietly sunk without trace.
Jensens attempt with the S-V8 was a stylistic insult to the glory years of the Interceptor....
"Continuation" models are generally more successful emphasising the belief that modern car design has become so constrained by safety and pollution legislation that the highlights of style peaked back in the last century.
Jensen International will now build you (for a price!) a 'new' Interceptor complete with Chevy LS3 or LT4 V8 retaining the form but bringing the engineering up to date...
Personally I think I'd prefer the original with all it's limitations and foibles. The total package made a statement of its era.
Jensens attempt with the S-V8 was a stylistic insult to the glory years of the Interceptor....
"Continuation" models are generally more successful emphasising the belief that modern car design has become so constrained by safety and pollution legislation that the highlights of style peaked back in the last century.
Jensen International will now build you (for a price!) a 'new' Interceptor complete with Chevy LS3 or LT4 V8 retaining the form but bringing the engineering up to date...
Personally I think I'd prefer the original with all it's limitations and foibles. The total package made a statement of its era.
antijam
CCCUK Member
Heard today from my friend that he's finally finished the build of the Costin Nathan and has it up for sale with HPC Classics in Eastbourne.
Costin Nathans are rare but this particular one is unique being the only one built on a steel space-frame chassis rather than the typical Costin wooden frame of the others.
OK, it's not Chevy powered but with an estimated 188mph from a 1300cc Ford Crossflow it really demonstrates what Frank Costin could achieve by optimising weight and aerodynamics.
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
That is some going to get 188mph out of a 1300 cc Crossflow !! But Frank Costin sure knew a thing or two about aerodynamics and low drag coefficients . Amazing looking rarity though .Heard today from my friend that he's finally finished the build of the Costin Nathan and has it up for sale with HPC Classics in Eastbourne.
View attachment 28350
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Costin Nathans are rare but this particular one is unique being the only one built on a steel space-frame chassis rather than the typical Costin wooden frame of the others.
OK, it's not Chevy powered but with an estimated 188mph from a 1300cc Ford Crossflow it really demonstrates what Frank Costin could achieve by optimising weight and aerodynamics.
Visiting the factory in the mid 90`s you may have seen my car in production . It was a 1995 Mantara V8 Spyder chassis number 15 of just 121 built by the factory and the only one in Mauritius Blue to the original owners spec . It had the 3.9 Rover V8 ( Buick based ) . I had a fast road cam fitted and a cold ram air PiperCross induction system , it was rather quick with great handling on Koni adjustable suspension . I never have any concerns about the space frame welding though ,especially compared to iffy quality of Corvette C3 welds that look like a camel spat welds at the joints !! The Marcos tubular space frames were heavier and less rigid than the previous laminated ply frames but cheaper to manufacture . I can remember Marcos being derided back in the 60`s as " Wooden " cars but Frank Costin had it right all along having worked for De Havilland and look what an aircraft the wood frame Mosquito was ! The space frame tubes are very prone to rust as only powder coated externally and many body off restos go for hot dipped galvanised .
The `wide body ` you saw would either LM 400`s with the 3.9 litre Rover V8 same as the Mantara or the LM500 with the 4.6 Rover V8 . The LM600 `s had the small block Chevy and were a real beast with only 4 built I think in road going form .
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Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Maybe a bit of Jem Marsh`s talent for being liberal with Marcos cars performance figures rubbed off on Frank Costin !! Even the 2 Litre Ford Duratec powered racer ( the Martini liveried car )Wow, 188 mph from 1300cc
I remember my friends 1300GT capri ( all show, no go) struggled to get up Muswell Hill with four people in it.
that resides in the workshop with my Vette wouldn`t hit 188 mph .
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
I thought there was something familiar about this design , almost a dead ringer for a Chevron B8 !!!Heard today from my friend that he's finally finished the build of the Costin Nathan and has it up for sale with HPC Classics in Eastbourne.
View attachment 28350
View attachment 28352
Costin Nathans are rare but this particular one is unique being the only one built on a steel space-frame chassis rather than the typical Costin wooden frame of the others.
OK, it's not Chevy powered but with an estimated 188mph from a 1300cc Ford Crossflow it really demonstrates what Frank Costin could achieve by optimising weight and aerodynamics.
Forrest Gump
CCCUK regional rep
The Costin-Nathan looks very much like a Lotus 23 but with a roof…the Lotus 23 was styled by Costin several years earlier in fact. My Dads company Merlyn Racing Cars, produced the Merlyn Mk6 which is virtually identical to the Lotus 23! Racing car designers will shamelessly copy each other if they think there is speed in a particular shape or feature of course. With no wings creating drag they can be surprisingly fast top speed with relatively low power.
To link this back on topic, Merlyn then made a beefed up version and put a small block Chevy in the back. Two were made and sent over to the US to compete with McLarens and Lolas etc in sports car racing. A Merlyn Mk8-Chevy took part in the very first CanAm race in 1966. I love the exhaust pipes sticking straight up in this original photo…imagine the noise!
To link this back on topic, Merlyn then made a beefed up version and put a small block Chevy in the back. Two were made and sent over to the US to compete with McLarens and Lolas etc in sports car racing. A Merlyn Mk8-Chevy took part in the very first CanAm race in 1966. I love the exhaust pipes sticking straight up in this original photo…imagine the noise!
Chevrolet
CCCUK Member
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