Back Again: 1965 Mayan Magnum

When this next car came into the DT tips inbox, I had a sense of deja hooptie. We’ve featured this car before when it was listed on craigslist for $25k asking…but it looks nicer than in the previous photos, when it was offered in an estate sale by Halstead’s Helping Hands Estate Sales. It looks like it was picked up by an ebay seller named OregonMotorCompany, who recently tried to sell it on BringATrailer where it failed to meet reserve at a little over $11k bidding, and now has it doing more bucks on ebay. Strange. Find this 1965 Mayan Magnum offered for $16,400 in Lake Oswego, OR via ebay. Tip from Hugh.

From the seller:

Item specifics
Condition: Used Year: 1965
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): DRF58041 Mileage: 68330
Transmission: Manual Vehicle Title: Clean
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty Make: Other Makes
Item description
1965 Mayan Magnum one-off prototype. This Mayan Magnum is a one-off custom coupe built in the mid-1960s by science-fiction writer and engineer, Dean Ing, who died in July 2020 and whose family still owns the vehicle. The car is powered by a Chevrolet Corvair 2.4L flat-six paired with a four-speed manual transaxle. Equipment includes Porsche- and Volkswagen-based brakes and suspension, front-hinged clamshell bodywork, gullwing doors, a double-bubble roofline, 15″ wide-five aluminum wheels, and latch-and-link lap belts. The brakes and tune-up components were serviced in preparation for the sale. A copy of the May 1968 issue of Road & Track magazine which features an article about the car written by Dean Ing is included.

1965 Mayan Magnum one-off prototype. This Mayan Magnum is a one-off custom coupe built in the mid-1960s by science-fiction writer and engineer, Dean Ing, who died in July 2020 and whose family still owns the vehicle. Finished in white over a tan interior, the car is powered by a Chevrolet Corvair–sourced 2.4L flat-six paired with a four-speed manual transaxle. Equipment includes Porsche- and Volkswagen-based brakes and suspension, front-hinged clamshell bodywork, gullwing doors, a double-bubble roofline, 15″ wide-five aluminum wheels, and latch-and-link lap belts. The brakes and tune-up components were serviced in preparation for the sale. The homebuilt Mayan Magnum is offered on dealer consignment for Ing’s family with a copy of the May 1968 issue of Road & Track magazine which features an article about the car written by Dean Ing—as well as a clean Oregon title listing the car as a 1965 Assembled Vehicle.

Using Volkswagen-sourced floor pans and steel subframe components, the Magnum features fiberglass bodywork that originally was green and has been refinished in white. Features include front and rear clamshell bodywork hinged from the front, a recessed driver-side mirror, a 1959 Fiat windshield, and aluminum side pods that cover a custom fuel tank. The body shows wear such as cracking, paint chips and scratches, and windshield-seal repair.

Bright-finished 15″ aluminum wheels feature a wide-five bolt pattern and are mounted with Continental ContiProContact tires. A 15″ steel spare wheel with a whitewall tire is stowed beneath the front clamshell. The brakes and suspension reportedly utilize contemporary Volkswagen and Porsche components, and the brakes have been serviced in preparation for the sale. The gullwing doors were noted in the 1968 Road & Track article to not stay up when opened, and wood supports were used to hold them in the raised position for the photo shoot. The interior features low-back bucket seats trimmed in tan with a matching dashboard and brown carpeting. Interior features include latch-and-link lap belts, a modified white-knob shift lever, a center mirror, and a dome light.

A rear-mounted Corvair 2.4L flat-six sends power to the rear wheels through a Porsche-sourced four-speed manual transaxle. Additional features include dual carburetors and a Holley electric fuel pump. Tune-up components have been replaced in preparation for the sale. The car runs and drives well, but may need further refurbishment.

The May 1968 issue of Road & Track magazine featured a four-page article on this car, authored by builder Dean Ing. A copy of the magazine is included in the sale.

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