Morris Marina - was it really that bad?
Discussion
Sticks. said:
Was it the early cable linkage? Iirc it was one of the first 5 gear cars widely available. It was the first car I remember with a dip-able mirror. A friend has several.
A nice Hubnut review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtihHAa0WmY
Yes early cable linkage with 5 speeds, it made all the more annoying it was an extra ratio to find in the porridge A nice Hubnut review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtihHAa0WmY
hilly10 said:
Sticks. said:
Was it the early cable linkage? Iirc it was one of the first 5 gear cars widely available. It was the first car I remember with a dip-able mirror. A friend has several.
A nice Hubnut review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtihHAa0WmY
Yes early cable linkage with 5 speeds, it made all the more annoying it was an extra ratio to find in the porridge A nice Hubnut review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtihHAa0WmY
right up until the roll pin holding the rod into its socket dropped out at 70 in fifth on the motorway, 30 miles from home!
Guess how I know?
The Marina was a car of it's time, built on Ford principles of simple design, proven units, and cheap to service. (Not something that BMC et al was used to producing ) I had two Marina TC's, from 1972 to 1975, my little black book tells me I did 43K miles and 46K miles in them respectively. Nothing broke, nothing went wrong, and, the only work they had done was normal servicing to the book. I specifically remember what fuel consumption I got, 33mpg on average, because petrol was 33pence per gallon, The coke bottle GXL I had previously could only give 25/26mpg at best. N.B. you could get three gallons for a pound!!! ( 13.62litres for the uninitiated). Performance wise the TC was on a par with the 2 litre Fords, of the time, on cross country 'Blats', of which there were many, you could call it a draw. Just a true reflection of two of my company cars from the early 70's.
I had the misfortune to run a ‘74 1.8 TC saloon in the eighties. Utterly awful handling even when I fitted a Spax suspension kit. Dreadful interior, lumpy gearbox and loved rust (though in truth most cars of this era corroded badly). The only positive I can remember was the exhaust note.
The marina and the Ital that followed were okay for their target audience, that was people trading up from equally horrid BL cars. I worked for Kennings in Rotherham when they were new and the build quality was awful, they leaked like sieves on screens and joints.
The Coupe was spoilt by short doors and if they were fixed and it had better handling it would have sold a lot more. Remember back then there was a lot of loyalty to things made in England but they were a cheap car of it's time.
The vans and pick ups were fine cheap rugged throw away. Previous company I worked for had a 100 or so Marinas, vans and pickups and they were popular with customers
The Coupe was spoilt by short doors and if they were fixed and it had better handling it would have sold a lot more. Remember back then there was a lot of loyalty to things made in England but they were a cheap car of it's time.
The vans and pick ups were fine cheap rugged throw away. Previous company I worked for had a 100 or so Marinas, vans and pickups and they were popular with customers
Gojira said:
hilly10 said:
Sticks. said:
Was it the early cable linkage? Iirc it was one of the first 5 gear cars widely available. It was the first car I remember with a dip-able mirror. A friend has several.
A nice Hubnut review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtihHAa0WmY
Yes early cable linkage with 5 speeds, it made all the more annoying it was an extra ratio to find in the porridge A nice Hubnut review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtihHAa0WmY
right up until the roll pin holding the rod into its socket dropped out at 70 in fifth on the motorway, 30 miles from home!
Guess how I know?
Tony427 said:
Take one Marina 1.8 TC.
Add Marlin Roadster Kit.
Stir well and you have a relatively light 30's looking sports car with Morris Minor underpinnings, and an entry into a life of nailing kit cars together in a shed.
Happy days.
Cheers,
Tony
Didn’t realise the Roadster also used Marina running gear. A chap near us had a late ‘70’s version with Herald drivetrain (and possibly chassis?). From memory, his main grouse was the rather poor and a leaky hood Add Marlin Roadster Kit.
Stir well and you have a relatively light 30's looking sports car with Morris Minor underpinnings, and an entry into a life of nailing kit cars together in a shed.
Happy days.
Cheers,
Tony
It seems that the Marina wasn't totally bad as
- From the various posts, a lot of people had a great deal of enjoyment from them in the day. Some of the fun arose from the car's shortcomings.
- They were essentially a dressed up Morris Minor, which most consider a significant classic (though of couple of decades earlier).
- They provide a cheap supply of parts to restore/upgrade Minors and for building kits cars.
- From the various posts, a lot of people had a great deal of enjoyment from them in the day. Some of the fun arose from the car's shortcomings.
- They were essentially a dressed up Morris Minor, which most consider a significant classic (though of couple of decades earlier).
- They provide a cheap supply of parts to restore/upgrade Minors and for building kits cars.
Well, my orange marina 1.8 was a swap for a a £100 motorbike in 1982. The 1.8 was the fastest car for cheapest insurance, very important when you’re a 18 year old poor apprentice. It would do 100mph.... just! It drank oil for a laugh and understeered for Britain. And the gearbox blew up.
Sold it for £300, so actually made a profit.
My mate had a metallic brown 1.8 TC with a wooden steering wheel. I was so jealous
Sold it for £300, so actually made a profit.
My mate had a metallic brown 1.8 TC with a wooden steering wheel. I was so jealous
My dad was a draughtsman at BL in the 1970s and 80s. He'd get a new company car every 3-6 months. I guess it was a way to keep sales figures up, get employees to have them.
I recall from my childhood our fleet being:
Allegro
Maxi
Mgb Roadster ( yes company car)
Ital saloon
Ital estate
Princess (multiple)
Triumph Acclaims (multiple)
Sd1 Rover
Rover 200s (multiple)
Metros, Maestros and Montegos of all varieties including turbos of all.
He obviously came to his senses at some point, opted out with a string of Mercs, BMWs and Porsche.
I loved them all. However, i pleaded for him to get a company TR7, but he'd seen them designed and built and even he had a limit!
I recall from my childhood our fleet being:
Allegro
Maxi
Mgb Roadster ( yes company car)
Ital saloon
Ital estate
Princess (multiple)
Triumph Acclaims (multiple)
Sd1 Rover
Rover 200s (multiple)
Metros, Maestros and Montegos of all varieties including turbos of all.
He obviously came to his senses at some point, opted out with a string of Mercs, BMWs and Porsche.
I loved them all. However, i pleaded for him to get a company TR7, but he'd seen them designed and built and even he had a limit!
Yertis said:
Raygun said:
That's a rather sweeping statement.
You've got form on being a t
t.
As has been said – the TR7s time has come, at last. You've got form on being a t
t.Escort3500 said:
Phoney styling. Bizarre comment.
I think he's referring to the idea that the TR7 is 'pretending to be mid-engined'. Which it may be and I must agree that the fixed head TR7 looks a bit awkward. Blame US legislators for that. But the TR7 drop-head looks good from any angle. Certainly better than that 'new' MG which I've just realised has passed from everyday sight.
I'm pretty sure the TR7 is a lot easier to live with than earlier TRs, when it's working properly. Driving the TR6 isn't relaxing.
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