Morris Marina Engine 1300 A Series - Hunting...

[raindancer411]

Hi All

Boyfriends engine went at the last race meeting (the main bearing caps so I am told has cracked in half)

Am now in a hunt to find another engine. Anyone know of anywhere I may be lucky to find one. Am based in North West Kent... Going to be a lot of foning around tomorrow I think...

Thank guys...

[Balmoral Green]

Finding a 1300 (1275) A series shouldnt be hard at all, any breakers yard would be a good starting point.

>> Edited by Balmoral Green on Friday 2nd September 18:59

[docevi1]

A-Series are massively popular, everywhere has them lying around I'd bet! You'll need to keep the backplate off the old engine so that you can marry it up to the g'box mind

Try these guys though:
www.earlpart.co.uk/
http://marina.spares.me.uk/steve.html
www.morrismarina.net/
www.geocities.com/tal_glazer/ (owners club)

[The Boy Lard]

I used this when I needed a Tailgate for my Nissan

[url]www.partfinder.net/[url/]

imply wack in your details and scrappies check through their stock and give you a call...

[fixedwheelnut]

Try 'Zacky Barwicks' a small breakers yard up Maidstone Road Sidcup, there is often a few Marina's in good nick parked up down there, possibly someone who works there? or get the Yellow Pages out and have a ring round.

[heebeegeetee]

Bloody good car, the Marina 1300. First car ever to score a class win on the thousand lakes by a non-scandinavian crew. Won the cyprus rally outright, too.


Not a lot of people know that...

[bmgm3]

Had my first taste of oversteer in a Morris Ital . Great cars ! won't have a word said against them

[raindancer411]

Well, it seems you cant find a 1300 A Series Morris Marina engine for love nor money... Looking a big grim... anyone know of any good classic car breakers????

[w00dy]

Trouble is a Marina needs a longitudinal A series - most in the scrappy’s are of course for transverse installation.

AFAIK you can covert transverse to longitudinal but not the other way around (or perhaps vice versa) I'm sure it’s all in Vizards A series bible.

Maestro’s though, have the longitudinal engine in a transverse installation. They use a (now) conventional FWD set up with a VW gearbox on the end, ordinary sump and are the opposite way around from other transverse A series' with the manifolds etc.. to the front. Also have the big valve (MG metro) head IIRC. I believe you can use the block and head from one of these, but may have to use some bits from the marina engine with it.


>> Edited by w00dy on Saturday 3rd September 13:22

[NiceCupOfTea]

Practical Performance Car May 2005 did a feature on Sprites & Midgets and there's a bit about the engines in there.

Essentially they say 1275 Midget engines are as rare as hen's teeth, so look for a 1300 Marina or Ital (which is obviously what you're doing!)

Apparently the transverse A-series is too much hassle to adapt, but they do suggest the Maestro - apparently the A+ in this was mated to a Golf gearbox and can be adapted much more easily (and benefits from a proper rear crank oil seal) - "Southam Mini Metro centre (01926 815681) sells the conversion, which involves fitting a suitable spigot bearing in the crank and altering the gearbox mounting plate, and also have a limited stock of new engines. It's £450, but someone will probably pay you to take a Maestro away".

The other company they mention are Frontline Spridget (01225 852777) - www.mgcars.org.uk/frontline

You might also try the forums at www.austin-rover.co.uk and some of the Rover breakers (Best of British, Viking)

I suppose if you are racing in a particular class a K-series conversion is out of the question? I rather fancy a Sprite with a K - the one featured in the mag article looks fantastic, and you can't argue with a 0-60 of 4.6secs!

HTH

[Robatr0n]

I think you're 5 years too late..

[Fire99]

I know this may sound bizarre, but what happened to all the Marina's that Topgear have dropped Piano's on etc? Maybe the BBC might have an A-series or two kicking around. (stranger things have happened)

[fikus01]

I realise this may be 12 years too late but I have 1 of these blocks going spare! It has been converted to run transverse but this is he block that swings both ways 😜