Morris Marina - was it really that bad?
Discussion
CDP said:
Apparently the 1300 isn't so bad on the handling but is sideways at 10mph on wet roundabouts...
Utter rubbish. I passed my test in a 1.3, which meant for the least experienced period of my driving career I drove too fast in a car I had few skills in. I never got it sideways at 10mph on a wet roundabout. To do that you'd have needed bald tyres. You might have stood a chance in a 1.8 but I didn't own mine long enough to find out.Turbobanana said:
I never got it sideways at 10mph on a wet roundabout. To do that you'd have needed bald tyres. You might have stood a chance in a 1.8 but I didn't own mine long enough to find out.
Had my TC sideways on roundabouts in the wet as default, but such hooligan behavior was at such slow speeds no one paid much notice......on crappy standard size tyres whatever they were, in the wet and sideways could be had at not much above 10mph.Was a very entertaining car to hoon around in from that point of view, as it was so crap. There was very little grip from either the front end or the back end.......and it was a gold medal winner in the Olympic axle tramping competition
aeropilot said:
Turbobanana said:
I never got it sideways at 10mph on a wet roundabout. To do that you'd have needed bald tyres. You might have stood a chance in a 1.8 but I didn't own mine long enough to find out.
Had my TC sideways on roundabouts in the wet as default, but such hooligan behavior was at such slow speeds no one paid much notice......on crappy standard size tyres whatever they were, in the wet and sideways could be had at not much above 10mph.Was a very entertaining car to hoon around in from that point of view, as it was so crap. There was very little grip from either the front end or the back end.......and it was a gold medal winner in the Olympic axle tramping competition
finlo said:
aeropilot said:
Turbobanana said:
I never got it sideways at 10mph on a wet roundabout. To do that you'd have needed bald tyres. You might have stood a chance in a 1.8 but I didn't own mine long enough to find out.
Had my TC sideways on roundabouts in the wet as default, but such hooligan behavior was at such slow speeds no one paid much notice......on crappy standard size tyres whatever they were, in the wet and sideways could be had at not much above 10mph.Was a very entertaining car to hoon around in from that point of view, as it was so crap. There was very little grip from either the front end or the back end.......and it was a gold medal winner in the Olympic axle tramping competition
Too long ago to remember what else I replaced in that time.....might have put on another set of used tyres on the rear, and front pads I suspect....but other than the gearbox change frequency I can't really remember.
aeropilot said:
finlo said:
aeropilot said:
Turbobanana said:
I never got it sideways at 10mph on a wet roundabout. To do that you'd have needed bald tyres. You might have stood a chance in a 1.8 but I didn't own mine long enough to find out.
Had my TC sideways on roundabouts in the wet as default, but such hooligan behavior was at such slow speeds no one paid much notice......on crappy standard size tyres whatever they were, in the wet and sideways could be had at not much above 10mph.Was a very entertaining car to hoon around in from that point of view, as it was so crap. There was very little grip from either the front end or the back end.......and it was a gold medal winner in the Olympic axle tramping competition
Too long ago to remember what else I replaced in that time.....might have put on another set of used tyres on the rear, and front pads I suspect....but other than the gearbox change frequency I can't really remember.
I had a 1.3 coupe from new in 1974. It was in damask red if I remember correctly.
Some guy ran into the back of it when he fell asleep at the wheel.
I prayed for the insurance to write it off but no such luck, they fixed it.
The drivers seat was permanantly bent and the paint was a poor match.
It was nearly the worst car I ever owned, just pipped by it's predecessor, an Austin 1100.
The Marina was okay during it's first year of life but after that it would refuse to start in the morning. No amount of fettling would rectify the fault and in 1976 I got shot of it. I traded it in for a new factory ordered Ford Escort 1600 Sport which was a revelation. One of the best cars I ever owned and I regret selling it. If only I had mothballed it, I could have sold it for a small fortune these days.
Some guy ran into the back of it when he fell asleep at the wheel.
I prayed for the insurance to write it off but no such luck, they fixed it.
The drivers seat was permanantly bent and the paint was a poor match.
It was nearly the worst car I ever owned, just pipped by it's predecessor, an Austin 1100.
The Marina was okay during it's first year of life but after that it would refuse to start in the morning. No amount of fettling would rectify the fault and in 1976 I got shot of it. I traded it in for a new factory ordered Ford Escort 1600 Sport which was a revelation. One of the best cars I ever owned and I regret selling it. If only I had mothballed it, I could have sold it for a small fortune these days.
Did my driving test in a Marina Pick Up that had a big hole in the passenger floor. I think the guy taking the test felt sorry for me and I passed. 1.3 and ultra low gearing I learned more about driving technique with that Marina than any other car I have owned in over 40 years. I learnt how to keep it serviced and how to change brakes etc. Nostalgia certainly brings a mist the eye!
oldmanbm said:
Did my driving test in a Marina Pick Up that had a big hole in the passenger floor. I think the guy taking the test felt sorry for me and I passed. 1.3 and ultra low gearing I learned more about driving technique with that Marina than any other car I have owned in over 40 years. I learnt how to keep it serviced and how to change brakes etc. Nostalgia certainly brings a mist the eye!
I passed my test in my 1.3 saloon. The sills had just been replaced and the rattle can of underseal was still on the back seat (at least until my emergency stop, at which point it flew forward and hit the back of the passenger seat that the examiner was sitting in).aeropilot said:
I only had mine for maybe 8/9 months, and I'd replaced the gearbox twice in that time.......
Too long ago to remember what else I replaced in that time.....might have put on another set of used tyres on the rear, and front pads I suspect....but other than the gearbox change frequency I can't really remember.
Mine was delivered new from Edinburgh to Leicester in 1974 and when I went to get in it and drive it the gearbox was already screwed! Stuck in 1st gear! God how I hated the two I had as company cars!Too long ago to remember what else I replaced in that time.....might have put on another set of used tyres on the rear, and front pads I suspect....but other than the gearbox change frequency I can't really remember.
I had a 1.8 BRG Marina Coupe as my 2nd car in 1985. It was fast (to me), it would do 90 mph! Especially since my first car has beeen a Hillman Avenger Estate.
But handling was so poor. I had to put a garden slab in the boot to help road holding on roundabouts. I hadn't realised at the time that lever arm shocks up front and leaf springs at the back like the Morris Minor it replaced were so poor...
I part exchanged it for a 1981 W reg Cavalier 1600 LS in 1986, that was more like it, proper carpets and drove like a proper car.....
But handling was so poor. I had to put a garden slab in the boot to help road holding on roundabouts. I hadn't realised at the time that lever arm shocks up front and leaf springs at the back like the Morris Minor it replaced were so poor...
I part exchanged it for a 1981 W reg Cavalier 1600 LS in 1986, that was more like it, proper carpets and drove like a proper car.....
I've had so many cars, ranging through a 348TS and an M6 down to a beaten-up moggie when I started my business, but one of the most impressive, bought when I was buying my offices and sold the Beemer, was an 1800SRi Cavalier. For me, compared to the opposition, it was light years ahead.
lowdrag said:
I've had so many cars, ranging through a 348TS and an M6 down to a beaten-up moggie when I started my business, but one of the most impressive, bought when I was buying my offices and sold the Beemer, was an 1800SRi Cavalier. For me, compared to the opposition, it was light years ahead.
My first car was a Mk2 Cavalier 1.6GLS. It was so far above my contemporary friends, Escorts, Cortina’s, Solara’s etc. I was a little disappointed with a late model (94) 2.0 GLS that I owned. There didn’t appear to be much progress from the MK2. Rob 131 Sport said:
lowdrag said:
I've had so many cars, ranging through a 348TS and an M6 down to a beaten-up moggie when I started my business, but one of the most impressive, bought when I was buying my offices and sold the Beemer, was an 1800SRi Cavalier. For me, compared to the opposition, it was light years ahead.
My first car was a Mk2 Cavalier 1.6GLS. It was so far above my contemporary friends, Escorts, Cortina’s, Solara’s etc. I was a little disappointed with a late model (94) 2.0 GLS that I owned. There didn’t appear to be much progress from the MK2. In some respects it was good, decent seats and that 1600 was a good little engine but the steering was pretty numb and it really liked understeer. It felt like it was made of tin foil compared with the Princess and rusted to bits very quickly; the Princess outlived it by decades. Admittedly the Austin was from a class above but it felt like it was in a completely different league from the little car.
Rob 131 Sport said:
lowdrag said:
I've had so many cars, ranging through a 348TS and an M6 down to a beaten-up moggie when I started my business, but one of the most impressive, bought when I was buying my offices and sold the Beemer, was an 1800SRi Cavalier. For me, compared to the opposition, it was light years ahead.
My first car was a Mk2 Cavalier 1.6GLS. It was so far above my contemporary friends, Escorts, Cortina’s, Solara’s etc. I was a little disappointed with a late model (94) 2.0 GLS that I owned. There didn’t appear to be much progress from the MK2. 
ttest dampers - I once very nearly crashed it on a slip road onto the M20. My driving was a bit ham fisted but that's not the point; it just started pitching, yawing and generally bucking all over the shop.I detested that car as much as I'd liked the 1st get fwd one I used to happily pedal about in.
Anyway, I changed jobs got shot of the GLS and ordered a 200SX. Imagine my joy when they gave me a Cavalier CDX as a stop gap. The thing is, it was a run out model with SRi engine & suspension plus a nice array of toys. It was like night and day compared to the GLS.
The GLS's in white, blue of red were fleet specials so I guess the costs and the kit were pared to the bone.
lowdrag said:
That's like the first one I drove. To cut a long story short I got posted to Brum for a few months and got given one of them. I negotiated a contract which meant I could down tools at 12.00 on a Friday. At which point I was instantly to be found on the M6 doing 90mph north on my way to a weekend in Edinburgh or 90 mph south for a weekend in London.It was good at motorway munching (no s
t, Sherlock).....but I also found it quite handy when I turned off the M74 at Moffat and headed up the Beeftub.Certainly waaay better than a Sierra.
AC43 said:
lowdrag said:
That's like the first one I drove. To cut a long story short I got posted to Brum for a few months and got given one of them. I negotiated a contract which meant I could down tools at 12.00 on a Friday. At which point I was instantly to be found on the M6 doing 90mph north on my way to a weekend in Edinburgh or 90 mph south for a weekend in London.It was good at motorway munching (no s
t, Sherlock).....but I also found it quite handy when I turned off the M74 at Moffat and headed up the Beeftub.Certainly waaay better than a Sierra.
They were all equally good repmobiles doing over 100k miles each without any serious complaint. What I can say is they were all better than a Marina by a country mile.
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