"Dear Maserasisti,

Look what I have found on the web! This is where it's all about.

I have spoken Mr. Monty and he told me that he sold the car to a gentleman from Belgium. Now I would like to know who the new owner is, so if anybody has any information as to its whereabouts, plaese let me know!

Regards,

Marco."

diemel1@zonnet.nl

1966 MASERATI MEXICO SPECIAL #AM 112126

One-off hand built aluminium-bodied special built on a shortened Mexico chassis, with all Maserati drivetrain. Rebuilt 4.2 litre V-8 and 5 speed ZF transmission. This beautiful car has covered 11,000 miles since completion five years ago and is a well sorted daily driver.

Built by Monty McGale to showcase his skill as a designer and fabricator, this ‘special’ required two years of full time work to complete. This is not a boulevard cruiser or trailer queen, it was built to be driven with gusto. Reminiscent of the sports racers of the fifties, this is a bare bones, no frills, true sports car. Lightweight, robust, elegant construction and a powerful V-8 combine to make this unique vehicle a joy to drive. Handling is very nimble and remarkably neutral when pushed hard. The all-aluminium engine with four dual throat down draft Webers and free flowing exhaust is remarkably quiet when idling around town, but as soon as you squeeze down the right pedal those eight open throats let out a roar that keeps your hair on end through five gears! (I haven’t been brave enough to drive the car as fast as it will go. At speeds over 150 mph, it starts to feel a little light; there are still a few hundred RPM left in her, but I ain’t gonna see 'em).

I’ve taken the car on a number of long trips over the Rockies of Western Canada and it is very comfortable. There’s room for three sports bags of luggage in the back. A tank of gas will give 400 miles of highway driving, at 26 miles to the imperial gallon. Around town driving gives about 17 MPG.

The engine has been updated with Jacobs Computerized Electronic Ignition and starts easily from cold or hot. When cold the carburettors spit back for a minute or two until awake. Coolant is upgraded to pure propalene glycol (Evans) and as such runs without pressure in the system, allowing the usually puke prone Maserati water pump to be limited to the occasional dribble. Valve covers sweat a little oil, as does the front of the engine, nothing too extraordinary for a four cam alloy engine.

The all aluminium body was hand made by myself using the traditional craftsman methods of panel beating. It’s composed of some thirty-three pieces of aluminium, hand beaten over a leather bag of leadshot and carefully gas welded together, then wrapped around a light tube frame to give it strength. This was the way Touring of Italy made their Superleggera bodies. The nose and tail sections are large pieces that tilt up from the chassis making access to the engine and trunk area quite easy. I can’t decide which is more dramatic, the body open or closed.

The Borrani knock off wheels were rebuilt by Cork Adams in California and have the stainless steel spokes instead of the chrome ones. Michelin ‘MXV4’ tires are on the six and a half inch wide wheels.

The custom made baffled aluminium gas tank in the trunk area holds about twenty American gallons. There are twin Carter electric fuel pumps underneath the tank that are wired into separate toggles on the dash so that you can operate one or the other.

Near the tank in the rear of the car is a separate alloy trunkette that will hold about a sports bag of goods. There is more storage capacity near the rear-mounted battery as well.

The electric system is custom made and features mini sub-circuits that separate with quick disconnectors. This is for easy isolation of a problem, should one occur. These circuits run through automatically resetting circuit breakers instead of fuses. There are three cooling fans on the radiator and are operated manually with toggle switches on the dash.

When the engine is up to temperature I simply turn on one cooling fan or all three depending on conditions. For safety I’ve mounted a dummy key ignition switch into the dash with wires leading off the back that go into the harness and terminate. This is to confuse the enemy. The real master electric switch is under the dash. When activated in conjunction with a toggle switch and a starter button is pushed, this brings the engine to life. For further security the steering wheel is easily removed by un-doing a set screw that fastens it to the column. The wheel is a beautiful wood rimmed three spoke Nardi from a sixties Ferrari.

Inside the cockpit, which you step into, one is surrounded by aluminum. Transmission tunnel, floors, sides, back, foot wells, etc. The car runs very cool. Even on the hottest of days you can place your hand on the front of the transmission tunnel and it’s pleasantly warm. The alloy panels do a marvelous job of whisking heat away. Dash gauges are all from the donor car and have Italian script on the Smith’s units. Central to the cockpit is the handmade alloy gated shifter for the five speed.

Seats are leather clad, non-adjustable units with three inch lap belts. Two windscreens shield driver and passenger from the elements and are quite effective even in heavy rain; as long as you’re moving! There is no top for the cockpit, nor tonneau; like a motor bike, you’re in the elements. I’ve installed a connection near the driver’s seat and on chilly morning drives I plug in my electric vest. This keeps a fellow toasty, that and a vintage helmet to cover the ears and a pleasant spirited drive can happen while lesser mortals and cops are still snoozing.

A bank of toggles on the dash operate everything from ignition, cooling fans, fuel pumps, alternator, running lights, headlights and even a brake light cancel feature for those pursuit situations when you don’t want to give away too much information.

A great power to weight ratio makes acceleration quite brisk and the large four disk brakes haul it down equally quick. All controls are manual; brakes, steering, signals and electric system. This makes for an extremely simple car to maintain. The Weber carbs don’t like to dry out, so even if the weather is too extreme I always start the car every two weeks and let it come up to full temperature. There’s an inline electric block heater that I plug in on cold mornings to bring it up to temperature before starting.