Marina Shite - Another Wreck Rescued

[MarinaJosh]

Hi all,

 

I'm a long time lurker and finally got round to joining up. Hopefully my collection of six Marinas and two Pug 309s will allow me entry to the chod community.

 

Anyway, on with the shite, we'll go in age order that way I am more likely not to forget something... I have tried to do them all in one post but the forum software said I was trying to post spam so I'll try doing one car at a time...

 

I am a massive fan of early Marinas, in fact I am currently the archivist/chief anorak for the Marina Club and have done a lot of research into the early cars and tracking down the remaining ones. I bought this one when I went down with a mate of mine to see an old boy in Surrey to buy the earliest known survivor. He had about 30 Marinas and Itals scattered around. Some good ones in barns and some totally rotten heaps spread across two enclosures. This one was found in one of the fields, it's the earliest known 1.8 saloon and was built just before launch. It's a total mess but I still paid £150 for it plus money for a mate to bring it up to mine and have spent a fortune storing it since. It will be done... one day....

Sills four layers thick

Fibreglass and aluminium floors

Chassis rail...

 

I reckon it'll be done in a good twenty years or so...

 

 

[MarinaJosh]

We then come onto one of my coupes. I thought this was the only survivor in this colour (Racing Green) but another surfaced this year. It belonged to a friend of mine up in Norfolk. I pestered him to sell it to me, in the end I had to buy him a Triumph Acclaim and he gave me the Marina. It's just been round the clock, the engine is knackered (needs new rings), the gearbox is knackered but it still keeps on going. I have just got another gearbox to go in and have bought an NOS prop as the centre bearing is slowly disintegrating. I use this one quite regularly as a runaround. The wings are totally rotten and I do have a pair of new ones but I quite like the tatty look and having a car I can use without worrying about. It has been through the wars a bit- it has been sent to the scrapyard twice and stolen and crashed once as well. I wrote to the original owner's daughter and she sent me through a massive load of history for it.

On holiday in Scotland, 1973

 

We then come to Huccy. The most expensive car I have ever bought (£1k!). I bought it off the chairman of the Marina Club. Sadly it's not quite as good as I hoped it was. Has done about 40k and has a few crusty bits around the arches and the bottoms of the wings but otherwise it is sound and the interior is excellent. It starts and drives, just got to get round to doing the welding on it.

[mercrocker]

6 Marinas and 2 x 309s?    That IS a community.  

 

Welcome to you and your chod.     That early 1.8 looks a bit needy.   At  least the continued bodgery ensured the car's survival long enough for people to care.   Look forward to seeing more!

[Fat_Pirate]

That looks lovely*.  Being a really early one, is it missing the infamous front anti-roll bar?  

[sierraman]

There was a red Marina similar to that featured years ago in Practical Classics an old boy had restored it. Thought it looked great.

 

Looking forward to seeing the rest of your fleet. I've a soft spot for the Marina/Ital.

[Guest Hooli]

I saw a Marina on the M18 yesterday, four or five up.

[danthecapriman]

Welcome.

I love Marina's so can't wait to see more of this. Great to see such an early car receive some TLC, it'll be well worth saving.

[Jim Bell]

Welcome in fella. Looks you are living life to the full with maximum gusto.

[Split_Pin]

Welcome along. I do like an early Marina!

[crapcarcollector]

Living the dream.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[garbaldy]

I don't usually admit to this but I actually like marina's and I don't even own a piano.

 

More pics please.

[trigger]

Hi Josh! Welcome along mate!

[oldcars]

Welcome  . 6 Marina's = WINNER 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Welcome along. Looks like you've got an exclusive collection - well done for saving the early one as well.

[privatewire]

My first car was a BRG Marina Coupe, therefore sir, you are winning at life! Any chance of some interior pics?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Hi all,

 

I'm a long time lurker and finally got round to joining up. Hopefully my collection of six Marinas and two Pug 309s will allow me entry to the chod community.

 

Anyway, on with the shite, we'll go in age order that way I am more likely not to forget something... I have tried to do them all in one post but the forum software said I was trying to post spam so I'll try doing one car at a time...

 

I am a massive fan of early Marinas, in fact I am currently the archivist/chief anorak for the Marina Club and have done a lot of research into the early cars and tracking down the remaining ones. I bought this one when I went down with a mate of mine to see an old boy in Surrey to buy the earliest known survivor. He had about 30 Marinas and Itals scattered around. Some good ones in barns and some totally rotten heaps spread across two enclosures. This one was found in one of the fields, it's the earliest known 1.8 saloon and was built just before launch. It's a total mess but I still paid £150 for it plus money for a mate to bring it up to mine and have spent a fortune storing it since. It will be done... one day....

Sills four layers thick

Fibreglass and aluminium floors

Chassis rail...

 

I reckon it'll be done in a good twenty years or so...

 

 

 

You Sir, are a legend. Welcome.

 

I only had one Marina. KPB905K was a 1971 1.3 Deluxe in Black tulip with red vinyls - £20 in 1983. Long dead now though.

[MarinaJosh]

Thanks for the comments folks. It might take me a while to respond to some as being new my posts need admin approval first to make sure I'm not flogging fake Ray Bans. You will need to scroll up to see the pics of the next two, it puts the post up at the time I wrote it rather than the time it got approved so it may end up coming out in a strange order!

 

To answer a few comments- Yes the early ones don't have anti-roll bars, they came out in 75 on the MK2s. The J reg has been fitted with Ital telescopics and a front anti roll bar though. It will be coming off and I will be reinstating the infamous early suicide suspension which got slated by the press and BL promised they wouldn't fit to any final production 1.8s... but they did...

 

The one in Practical Classics was probably JWY 376J (nicknamed 'Joey' for obvious reasons) owned by another Marina hoarder oop north. It's still going but sadly is quite crusty underneath. It probably came from the same batch as mine, it's only 100 or so cars later.

 

Any pics of KPB905K? Always interested to hear of early Marinas alive or dead...

 

Anyway, the next few...

 

Meet 'Spollock'- a Limeflower coupe with Limeflower interior. My favourite BL colour. I bought this sight unseen from Glasgow for £800. It has been restored twice but a more recent owner used it for classic rallying and let the arches etc fill up with mud so the wing tips and rear arches have rotted again. It has an early big valve cylinder head, twin carbs, four branch manifold and an electric fuel pump. Apparently it flies but I have only ever driven it up and down the garden so far. A previous owner spent an absolute fortune totally rebuilding it and at one stage it was one of the best cars out there. Sadly it lost it's original plate of SPO 110K which sold for a fortune. It appeared as a background car in a few BBC programmes. It has lost it's slots but I have recently bought a new set. After all, who cares if the wings are falling off if it has some nice wheels?

In happier times...

 

We then have REW. A 1.3 base model coupe I bought out of a garage in Huntingdon. It was a one owner from new car but sadly the lady who had it had dementia setting in so her son had to sell it to stop her trying to drive it. She was a bit of a hoarder and rather eccentric. It had orange tape over everything inside, a Union Flag made of paper blu-tacked to the boot and flower stickers all over the rear end. I have done quite a bit of work to this one, and half the welding needed (it was far worse than originally thought thanks to some hidden bodges) but lost enthusiasm for it. It will shortly be going to a new home hopefully.

 

Next is the best of the lot, and if I was sane I would sell the others and put my money into this one. It's a 1972 1.3 DL saloon with just over 25k on the clock I bought from a lady with pink hair in 2012. Very original and up until 1998 it had only done 15k. The old boy who had it from 1974 (before that it was a company car at Mann Egerton Norwich) to 1998 only did about 2000 miles in it. Sadly most of those miles were spent crashing into things so the rear end is a bit twisted. It hasn't ever been welded and doesn't need any either. I plan to clean up a few areas of very light surface rust on the sills etc and try and sort out some dents on the rear end but otherwise it will be staying original complete with spidering paint and some areas still in primer.

As found...

Genuine BL build kwolity

 

I then developed a thing for Peugeot 309s (unintentionally). When I passed my test a few years ago my only car was a Marina. I then scrapped that one when I bought the DL saloon above but then found myself with a nice low mileage car I didn't want to risk ruining by using everyday. Fortunately a mate of mine in the Marina Club had a 309 sitting in his garden. He is a postman and this car was on his round, one day the old boy died so he spoke to the solicitor and saved it. It was originally a demo car for Howes of Fakenham. It was still in Fakenham when I bought it so I doubt it has travelled too far. I then did over 30k miles in a couple of years with very few problems. I did some welding, rebuilt the brakes, had a snapped clutch cable to contend with at 1AM on a bank holiday but other than that it has proved to be ridiculously reliable. I felt a bit guilty as when I bought it it was mint but as my daily commute is 30 miles each way of country roads over winter it was getting caked in mud and salt so I decided to find something else really tatty to use daily and make this one mint again. I have been collecting the bits to do it this year. Sadly it won't look quite as good as when I first had it as I did have an accident in it and had to replace a wing. I haven't touched it since June other than starting it up every now and then and hope to get it sorted next year. It has only just run out of MOT.

 

So as I didn't want to use that one daily I bought another one. I got this locally from someone I had been buying 309 bits from for years. He is a serial Talbot and Maestro collector and hadn't used the 309 in years. In the end he sold me a large section of his 309 spares and his 309, a 1.8 GLXDT. This was the top of the range of diesel 309s and aside from the GTis and Goodwoods was probably the highest spec model with electric windows, central locking, digital clock, sunroof, power steering etc. It was MOT'd but had only done a couple of hundred miles per year. He had saved it from the scrapyard and did shedloads of welding to it. Pretty much every panel is dented and scratched so perfect for using/abusing but the decent spec also made it attractive as a daily car combined with the diesel economy and turbo performance (goes like a rocket, when there isn't lag...). I have had to do quite a bit of work on it. Starting with a new cambelt, water pump etc as a precaution but also other jobs like most of the electrics, few bits of trim, some paint touch ups to stop stone chips turning into rust, minor mechanical bits (track rod ends, drop links etc) and the heater matrix. I have now done about 7k in it (I think, the speedo cable was broken and it was a while before I did it) since June and after fitting a replacement heated rear window the other week I think that is the job list largely ticked off for now. I do need to underseal it sometime but that will have to wait until next summer. It is a local car originally supplied by Howletts of Lavenham, the dealership is still there and trading, and I think the signage is from the 90s. I drive past it twice a day, one day I will stop for some photos. Since taking the photo below it has gained a silver Pug Lion badge on the Guttmann grille and a 'Peugeot Sport' badge for XUD related irony.

 

I don't think I have missed any of the current fleet...

 

Josh

[chaseracer]

WINNER: INTRODUCTORY POST CATEGORY, 2016

 

[MarinaJosh]

Some interior shots as requested!

 

Luscious Limeflower first

 

Blaze coupe with random bits stuck everywhere[

 

The J reg with MK2 steering wheel and seat

 

Found this from when I picked it up and hadn't shaved for a while...

 

The dash of the green DL saloon. Love how simple and uncluttered it is. The ergonomics of the MK1 dash were praised by the motoring press, so BL decided to change that with the MK2 and have the radio pointing towards the passenger (a safety feature after their 1974 safety research vehicles)

[sierraman]

Glorious. We used to have a bathroom suite in that colour.

[schonker]

What a great collection!Where  abouts in suffolk are you,i'm in bury st edmunds

[captain_70s]

I've known Josh for many years via forums/facebook. When I buy another rotten Dolomite and my parents flip their shit I point to him and say "look, I'm not crazy. He's crazy". (I can also use the same line for buying knackered valve radios).

 

It doesn't work of course, they remain angry and confused and I drive myself further into financial disaster by using a certified maniac as a benchmark for what is and isn't compulsive British Leyland  hoarding...

[MarinaJosh]

I'm between Stow and Ipswich, I do try and get out and about at shows etc although this year has been a bit more tricky and haven't had hardly any time for cars.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

KPB905K has no pics. I spotted it dumped in Crewkerne train station - it had no engine or box. Realising the cars value* and wanting to do the job properly* I did the right thing and fitted a 1622 cc B Series from a fucked A60. 

 

Whilst Marinas could rightly be described as shite, you can't judge a car now on the standards of 1971. They were no worse than the rest of the Ford/GM stuff.

[Zantimisfit]

You dont do things by halves do you? This is brilliant!

 

Looking forward to many thread/pictorial updates. The Limeflower interior is lovely. Theres a very nice Marina 1.8 for sale in Gothenburg....nobody wants it, price keeps coming down. It also has a Limeflower interior.

 

My impartial advice to you is that you should buy it to introduce a bit of exotic left hookery into your fleet

 

https://www.blocket.se/goteborg/Morris_Marina_1_8_saloon_4d__svensksald__648_64886454.htm?ca=23_11&w=3

[privatewire]

The dashboard of the Mark 1 saloon is amazing, these pics take me right back to January 1980 when I bought my Coupe, cheers!

[MarinaJosh]

Hooray I can now post without restriction, time to get some really dirty photos up on here, the ones that got away.

 

This was my first car, bought in 2008. A bit of background- I have liked Marinas since I was about five and I don't really know why (still don't!). There weren't any running around in the family, and I didn't see any on the roads when I was growing up either (did see two Itals though). Naturally years of nagging my parents ensued so when I was 15 I bought this beauty for £100. I spent a fortune on it, rebuilt the engine with help from dad (actually it was a replacement as years of hard driving meant the original was toast), redid suspension, brakes etc, pretty much everything. Sadly when I bought the DL saloon I only had space for one Marina so it had to go. I ended up breaking it for spares as I had already stripped it down. It was majorly rotten despite my best intentions...

 

Surrounded by engine donors (no joke, one did end up in there!)

 

This one I owned twice. It belonged to a good friend of mine for ages, he then sold it to somebody who cut up the wiring loom, bodged it about and made it into a bit of a mess... I bought it back, we got it back on the road then it ended up with somebody else who did loads of work but not very well. Brake pipes that weren't flared were a particularly good one... So I bought it back. This time it went to another friend who actually did the work it needed including a nice new inner and outer sill, got it all running again and turned it back into a reasonably good car. It wasn't the same though and he sold it on again soon after. I believe it is now up for sale at a dealer for just over £2k

 

I bought this one at the same time as the J reg. They were parked next to each other. This one wasn't too bad really, and I did have it running. But too many cars got to me and it had to go. Nobody wanted to buy it so I ended up breaking it and it has yielded lots of early trim bits for the others. Shame as it was fairly solid and I do regret it a bit but I would never have gotten round to it. Rare colour as well, Wild Moss

 

This one was more of a success story. It was a bit of a heap when I got it but I really wanted a coupe. I did loads of welding, rebuilt the brakes etc and got it on the road for the first time in over twenty years. I sold it a couple of years ago to buy the Limeflower one. It now lives with a young guy in Huddersfield who has done about 20k miles in it since. It was one of the best to drive I have owned and he is looking after it nicely as well.

The pic is from when I took it down to the site of the original dealership

 

Then we have BOP... I bought this as it's fate was uncertain. The guy had owned it since the late 70s and hadn't had it on the road since 1981. He took it off the road to put a Rover V8 and Jag rear end in it but it never happened, it was a true relic of the late 70s custom scene. Jacked up rear end, spoilers front and back, lit up rear axle, but drums all round and a standard 1.3 A series! It got vandalised in storage so lost almost all trim. After months of doing nothing with it I sold it to a mate who had it on the road in no time as underneath it was a really solid low mileage car.

 

From a few weeks ago

 

I also had a couple of shite bikes. My parents were both bikers (but dad is now a Landy man with an early Discovery I spent most of last summer welding up) so my first vehicle was this BSA Bantam I got when I was about 13. Dad and I rebuilt it, I sold it to pay for my first year of car insurance having never ridden it. Would love another bike sometime...

When I sold it

 

I also had a 1960 Norman Super Lido moped which I bought off eBay. It had no number plate or docs like a lot of old mopeds. I got it back on the road and used it regularly when I was 16. It was the most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned but I loved it. Best moment was when the big end seized up going down a hill at 40mph and I had to push it the three miles home. It hasn't been on the road since I sold it. Last I heard it was part of a large private collection.

[MarinaJosh]

That LHD is gorgeous! If only I had the time/cash etc etc... Or I could sell all my heaps and buy one gorgeous one but where's the fun in that?

[danthecapriman]

Wonderfull collection!

 

My Grandad bought a brand new 72 Marina saloon in dark blue when he was serving at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Cars were cheaper at the time in Cyprus than they were here so he bought it new, and intended to then ship it back home to the UK when his time in Cyprus ended in August 73.

He and my Grandma went out one night to a party at the base and had a bit to drink...

There were no drink driving laws and stuff like there are now and in Cyprus hardly anyone gave a shit anyway, so they tried to drive the Marina home. Grandad lost it on a bend and stacked it straight into a big road sign.

Sadly it was completely written off only a few months away from being shipped back home.

They both walked away from it with minor injuries though!

I saw a photo of it a while ago and it was a lovely looking car.

[Skizzer]

Brilliant. Instant Autoshite legend. Welcome aboard, brother.