The mighty blue Marina passion wagon

[Noel Tidybeard]

hey with the shital carpets you could have what the muricans call a triple blue car !!! lol

 

didn't you mention the drivers seat in the van isnt original anyway?

[Guest Hooli]

I thought the van seats were original, but the cover on the driver's side base had been changed for a later one?

[MorrisItalSLX]

The van's seat squab has been reupholstered, and I beleive it has a rubber/lino floor, no carpet.

[Noel Tidybeard]

The van's seat squab has been reupholstered, and I beleive it has a rubber/lino floor, no carpet.

 

yeah the carpet reference was for the new blue passion wagon- triple blue paint, seats & carpet- smooooth

[MorrisItalSLX]

Need some blue headrests?

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-TR7-8-Blue-Headrest-PR/123220412644?hash=item1cb08248e4:g:RqgAAOSw-FpbNnhR

[mitsisigma01]

Ummph to the estate and the van , look after your van , my one took a detour off the A325 near Bordon and parked in a little oak tree , headlights nearly touching each other , engine and box through the floor , my femur nearly out of my arse cheek , head through the top of the windscreen but nicely supported by the steering column. Some good news though I think the back doors and lights were still good . Apparently it looked like it was parked at the side of the road so we weren't found for a couple of hours !

[trigger]

I've been busy on this both Saturday and today, Saturday dad came over and we looked at the brakes, it needs rear cylinders and the pipe work as well as the rear flexi and handbrake cable, fronts needs stripping and cleaning but they are all new by the looks of it, the prop shaft has come off to replace the centre bearing and a few other little jobs completed.

 

Then today I tackled dying the carpet.

 

 

 

 

I gave them a bloody good clean first and hanged the from the washing line.

 

 

Then mixed up 20ml of Rit navy blue dye in a 4 pint milk jug before spraying 3 coats on the carpet throughout the day.

 

 

The improvement was immediate to see.

 

 

A few hours later.

 

 

 

Not perfect but miles better and they still feel just like they did before.

 

 

After giving the seats a bloody good clean too

 

 

Can't get the stain of the rear seat

 

 

 

I refitted the seats and admired my handiwork.

 

 

 

 

I think that's a bit more presentable!

[RobT]

I think that's a bit more presentable!

 

Too right it is, top work Trig.

[Pillock]

Oooh I can just feel the back of my legs sticking to those seats in this weather.

 

"Hey man, nice scars! Were you in the army or Fire Brigade or something?"

"Naaah. Marina Estate, Clacton, 1984"

[RoadworkUK]

Flippin' eck, Trig. Saving Britain's late '70s/early '80s motoring heritage one car at a time.

 

Fantastic.

[Anglevan]

Great job trigs. Im very jealous of this as it shouts everything about seventies motoring. Regards the seats find a sample piece hidden away and send to vinylcote to match it. You should be able to recolour it successfully knowing your skills...

[wuvvum]

Or just find a tin of blue emulsion the same colour and slap some on with a brush.

[oldcars]

That interior is mint. Carpets came up well. What has marked the rear seat?

[trigger]

Rumour has it the car was full of rubbish by the family/council when it was dragged out of the garage and I think something may have leaked out, any paperwork the car has Is sadly badly oil damaged.

 

We have Bradley's around the corner who are excellent at matching vinyl paint, I used them for the Cortinas interior so I'll probably buy another can of them and go over it.

[Split_Pin]

What a find, every surface of the structure looks as though it would squeak if you rubbed your finger on it.

 

That's going to attract a trophy or two at the shows.

[vulgalour]

That stain on the back seat looks a lot like sun damage, vinyl is weird like that and discolours in exactly the right way to look dirty.  For the paperwork, you can sometimes salvage it if you blot it as dry as possible with paper towel and then leave it somewhere out of direct sunlight to dry out.  Wrong time of year to get a radiator (on low) to help you out, but you might have a little luck with a hairdryer/heat gun set on low.  Probably not worth it, drying out oil soaked papers is incredibly labour intensive and rarely 100% successful.

[Felly Magic]

It's looking better already Triggs, I'd say you could well be in for a pot or 2 at shows, as by the time you are finished fettling, it will be concours d'auberegine

[trigger]

Its good but it's not that good! There's a lot of marks from storage and spider legs under the paintwork, that's probably from where it sat in a BL factory parking lot in bare metal whilst they were on strike though to be fair.

[Felly Magic]

Triggs I think personally you are selling it short, it has that patina, and it is a superbly preserved example, and your tweaks will turn it in to a car you can use daily, it will attract a fair bit of attention at shows, because you simply do not see them any more

[wuvvum]

Will you be taking it to the BL day in Peatboghorror next month?

[trigger]

I'm kinda hope too but I've booked my van in and they need the reg for parking and it's £8 to change it so we'll see...

[Shep Shepherd]

Thoroughly enjoying this thread. I've always had a soft spot for the later Marinas ^^

[wuvvum]

I'm kinda hope too but I've booked my van in and they need the reg for parking and it's £8 to change it so we'll see...

Even if Mrs Trig drives it up and parks it in the "main" car park (usually lots of interesting cars on there), it's still worth bringing along.

[bezzabsa]

you tried T cutting the mark on rear seat??

[trigger]

Wouldn't that damage the seat?. My dad's still got the paint left over from when I painted the blue seats in the Cortina that he now owns, I think I might get that back and paint the rear rest.

[oldcars]

I'm kinda hope too but I've booked my van in and they need the reg for parking and it's £8 to change it so we'll see...

I would start walking from Edinburgh now if you let me drive your van to the show 

[Shep Shepherd]

Have you considered using a Magic Eraser sponge? They are just the thing for removing seemingly impossible to remove marks from plastic, vinyl, etc.

[trigger]

So how am I getting on with this? Well things are happening but I've not taken many photos really. I polished the offside and got all the wax off with some panel wipe, bar a few storage scratches it's not coming up too bad.

 

 

 

 

I then turned my attention to the engine bay, I gave that a good clean and polished the inside the bonnet and shuts.

 

 

Then Saturday dad came round and we done a few mechanical jobs, prop centre bearing fitted and the prop put back on, the rear brake lines were replaced, new cylinders fitted and we did try to bleed the brakes but unfortunately I think the master cylinder is knackered as they wouldn't bleed so that has now been sent off to be repaired.

 

 

 

it's actually in good condition and possibly been relined before but there is rust inside it so for the sake of £57 I'm getting it resleeved.

 

 

we also refitted the tank along with a new sender unit so it now runs from its tank for the first time in years.

 

 

 

I do plan on spraying the underneath with waxoyl so that should tidy up a little bit too. I've painted the rocker cover and the air filter cover as they were quite rusty.

 

 

 

 

and I've painted the front wheels and I'm currently stripping back the rear wheels because they've been painted before by the last owner badly, I've ordered some new 165 70 13 tyres for it but they are proper ditchfinders called Roadshine at £135 for 4.

 

 

So as you can see jobs are getting done but nothing exciting yet.

[Brodders]

Good to see it progressing nicely and cleaning up well.

 

I am still amazed at how little rust there is. A true survivor against the odds.

[BorniteIdentity]

I'm kinda hope too but I've booked my van in and they need the reg for parking and it's £8 to change it so we'll see...

 

Tow Marina estate with Ital van?

 

I'd pay to see that TBH.