Morris Marina - was it really that bad?
Discussion
CDP said:
blueg33 said:
Ok.
I was pretty sure we had these in our Itals and Princesses, as used across the whole of BL bit it was a long time ago. My dad ran the parts auditing system. I would ask him, but sadly he has Parkinsons and is unable to communicate.
You maybe right though, were they more like toggle switches? They were rockers in the Ital
The Princess had toggles. I've also noticed the same switches in coaches of the 70's so clearly a standard part.I was pretty sure we had these in our Itals and Princesses, as used across the whole of BL bit it was a long time ago. My dad ran the parts auditing system. I would ask him, but sadly he has Parkinsons and is unable to communicate.
You maybe right though, were they more like toggle switches? They were rockers in the Ital
liner33 said:
I remember rocker switches in my MK2 Marina and Ital , the former obviously had a fault because the lights switch would get unbearably hot after a long drive at night , used to have to stab at it to switch them off
Because the whole of the lighting current went through the switch which was only just man enough. Something a 50p relay would have fixed if BL weren't so tight. Same on my 78 Midget, hence the relays and extra fuses I've given it.
60s/70s auto wiring was woeful and in some cases arguably unsafe.
Error_404_Username_not_found said:
Because the whole of the lighting current went through the switch which was only just man enough. Something a 50p relay would have fixed if BL weren't so tight.
Same on my 78 Midget, hence the relays and extra fuses I've given it.
60s/70s auto wiring was woeful and in some cases arguably unsafe.
My A40 Farina had two fuses, through which everything went.Same on my 78 Midget, hence the relays and extra fuses I've given it.
60s/70s auto wiring was woeful and in some cases arguably unsafe.
Error_404_Username_not_found said:
liner33 said:
I remember rocker switches in my MK2 Marina and Ital , the former obviously had a fault because the lights switch would get unbearably hot after a long drive at night , used to have to stab at it to switch them off
Because the whole of the lighting current went through the switch which was only just man enough. Something a 50p relay would have fixed if BL weren't so tight. Same on my 78 Midget, hence the relays and extra fuses I've given it.
60s/70s auto wiring was woeful and in some cases arguably unsafe.
Saying this comedy electrics were a feature of a lot of cars prior to the 90s. (Our VWs had a fair few issues, some down to 6V in the older cars). Don't get onto anything East European...
Error_404_Username_not_found said:
liner33 said:
I remember rocker switches in my MK2 Marina and Ital , the former obviously had a fault because the lights switch would get unbearably hot after a long drive at night , used to have to stab at it to switch them off
Because the whole of the lighting current went through the switch which was only just man enough. Something a 50p relay would have fixed if BL weren't so tight. Same on my 78 Midget, hence the relays and extra fuses I've given it.
60s/70s auto wiring was woeful and in some cases arguably unsafe.
blueg33 said:
Miglia 888 said:
Gary C said:
Morris Marina - was it really that bad?
Yes, it really was.
This.Yes, it really was.
It was dire. Much preferred a Viva or an Avenger. The handling was terrible. No feel, lot of windup then a nasty roll oversteer moment.
Thats if you could get it started. The Chevette that followed was far superior.
Ill own up.
My first car.
Marina Van 1.3.
Rustbucket that was salvaged from a scrap yard ( yes I should have left it there) but youthful exhuberence and a licence meant I was doomed to entrap myself.
I ditched the 1.3 and installed a 2.0 litre pinto with a weber dgav carb and a modified prop that vibrated so bad at 45 it made your eyes blurry.
It did have quite a decent turn of speed off the line but would easily get the back end out at even the slightest provocation in the wet, it was lethal.
After about 6 months it got kerbed so heavily that the front suspension buckled and it had a list to port that was most unseemly.
Sold it for 100 quid to some guy who really wanted one despite the state it was in, never saw him again.
Then had a princess with the 2.0 litre O series lump, 98 ripping horsepower supposedly.
Comfy but crappy.
Mea culpa, forgive me my sins and so on.
My first car.
Marina Van 1.3.
Rustbucket that was salvaged from a scrap yard ( yes I should have left it there) but youthful exhuberence and a licence meant I was doomed to entrap myself.
I ditched the 1.3 and installed a 2.0 litre pinto with a weber dgav carb and a modified prop that vibrated so bad at 45 it made your eyes blurry.
It did have quite a decent turn of speed off the line but would easily get the back end out at even the slightest provocation in the wet, it was lethal.
After about 6 months it got kerbed so heavily that the front suspension buckled and it had a list to port that was most unseemly.
Sold it for 100 quid to some guy who really wanted one despite the state it was in, never saw him again.
Then had a princess with the 2.0 litre O series lump, 98 ripping horsepower supposedly.
Comfy but crappy.
Mea culpa, forgive me my sins and so on.
Edited by Dastardly Dick on Wednesday 22 December 13:50
Gary C said:
blueg33 said:
Miglia 888 said:
Gary C said:
Morris Marina - was it really that bad?
Yes, it really was.
This.Yes, it really was.
It was dire. Much preferred a Viva or an Avenger. The handling was terrible. No feel, lot of windup then a nasty roll oversteer moment.
Thats if you could get it started. The Chevette that followed was far superior.
blueg33 said:
I disagree, but I can only go on the comments from my parents and their friends. Neighbour hated his Avenger, other neighbour had a Dolomite Sprint and loved it. Didnt see many Viva's in Coventry, but the one I got lifts in to school was horrid.
Its harsh to judge any car of that era but I found Marina's to be too heavy for the ancient suspension. As just a drive they were ok, quietish, plush velour etc, but when you wrung their necks, the cracks started to show. The Avenger just held together better, and a Chevette with its panhard rod and double wishbone front could be made to handle quite nicely.
blueg33 said:
I disagree, but I can only go on the comments from my parents and their friends. Neighbour hated his Avenger, other neighbour had a Dolomite Sprint and loved it. Didnt see many Viva's in Coventry, but the one I got lifts in to school was horrid.
The Dolly (let alone the Sprint) was in a totally different league.LuS1fer said:
Error_404_Username_not_found said:
Because the whole of the lighting current went through the switch which was only just man enough. Something a 50p relay would have fixed if BL weren't so tight.
Same on my 78 Midget, hence the relays and extra fuses I've given it.
60s/70s auto wiring was woeful and in some cases arguably unsafe.
My A40 Farina had two fuses, through which everything went.Same on my 78 Midget, hence the relays and extra fuses I've given it.
60s/70s auto wiring was woeful and in some cases arguably unsafe.
CDP said:
The evil Lucas Prince of Darkness had a wicked German cousin Bosch the Count of Insufficient Light.
Lucas patented the 3 position headlight switch !It had dim ,flicker and off positions..
sometimes on cars of the sixties and seventies you could see what looked like smoke coming from wiring harnesses,fuse boxes etc in actual fact it wasn’t smoke but escaping electricity!!
9xxNick said:
Contemporary BL film about quality The quality connection
This one is much better: Also a BL film about quality!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU-tuY0Z7nQ
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