The V8 Owners Forum -

Hi Guys,

I had a P6 Rover for many years - two engines and two gearboxes (converted it from auto to manual), but that had to go and now have three V8s :

Land Rover 110 V8 - an original 1988 V8 emergency response vehicle - but now with tuned 3.5 V8 and Holley Commander fully programmable Efi

Marcos Mantula V8 - but now with 4.5 JEE V8 replacing original 3.9, but still 14CUX ECU. Ex Benetton F1 mechanic.

Vauxhall Monaro 6.0 V8 - but with Harrop 112 supercharger with intercooler so about 550bhp (dyno'd 480 bhp at rear wheels - the rest you can argue about).

So - Hi !
I like V8s.




Landy engine with throttle body Holley Efi on Edelbrock manifold

Welcome to the forum mate, with that collection u will fit in ere no worries

As you are In Oz I think the Monaro is known as the HSV VZ GTO Coupe, and you will know about the Harrop stealth systems, AP racing brakes, ripshifters, pedders suspensions mods - as I think they all come across from Oz.

The HSV is fantastic - but the Marcos is seat of the pants and about the same power to weight ratio as the HSV, but with no ABS, no airbags, no crumple zones, no LSD, in fact just you and the devil.

I love them both. Marcos is racetrack, HSV is GT car.

Steve

Love the Marcos. A friend of mine had a factory 68 with an essex v6 in it, his brother had one similar to yours but with a full stage 4 v6, t'was a beast.

That Marcos is sweet - I think that's what the yoof of today would say.

Mike

The Mantula brings back memories.
One of my lectureres years ago had one of those and he used to bring it to work on occassion and I loved it.
What it must be like with a V8 in one can only guess and

Cheers
Paul

Its nice to have some good votes for the Marcos.

Half the current Marcos owners must be people who fell in love with them way back, and got one when the kids had grown up. They were the subject of bedroom posters. It was quite a car in 1965.

The V8 version is brisk, the engine is lighter than the Ford V6 and the power is higher, first 3.5, then 3.9i, though mine has been stroked to 4.5.

The Marcos Mantula is light, fast and you are really in touch with every corner (especially as the back end of mine has a rose-jointed IRS from a Mantis race car). The steering is so direct, that it will change lane with a twitch, the exhaust note is pure NASCAR.

The Marcos was once described as teetering on the edge of vulgarity. If I had known that I would have bought one sooner ! For all its raw qualities I will happily drive it 250 miles, and get out with a big smile.

Steve

I'll further the votes for the Mantula, what a belter! As you say Steve I think we fall in love with them as teenagers, they seem to have that element of being a bit different and also slightly mad that I guess we look for at that age. I remember seeing a Mantis at a show when I was about 12. It left a strong impression I'm now 30 but haven't had kids yet so I look forward to owning one in, I guess, about 25 years time!

Welcome to the forum,

James