For those interested in old cars.

[Hobby]

2 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

They were built/converted by Crayfords, as was this:-

 

 

Yes, I saw that, but felt the 3 litre version looked better and showed what could have been done better, that just looked ugly!

[PhilJ W]

The Australians even produced an 1800 Ute that was quite successful and was even converted to van and motorhome versions.

[MrWolf]

The Ute did look nice. They also converted a lot of home market Austins and Morrises. You really can't fault Australian Utes, even the bizarre Triumph Mayflower.

 

Only it's mother could love that 1800 estate though... 

I always wondered if it were possible to do a BMC parts bin special and squeeze the MGC running gear into a Marina coupe to make a Capri basher.

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2021 by MrWolf
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[great central]

^^^  I recall many years ago one of the car magazines, possibly Custom Car(?) did a project of a Rover V8 into a Marina pick up.

There was a Marina saloon around Nottingham that I believe had a Ford V6 in the front.

[Sidecar Racer]

46 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

I always wondered if it were possible to do a BMC parts bin special and squeeze the MGC running gear into a Marina coupe to make a Capri basher.

 

46 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

 

 

 Why use a six when you can have a V8 ,

 

 

[Rugd1022]

4 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

Ian,

 

the MGC has resurfaced and with only just over 9000 built is now very collectable. With modern tyres and minor adjustments to the suspension and setting up it is said that they now handle well and are good long distance cruisers. The engine had only 5 BHP less than the AH 3000 but didn't have the same appeal to the sports car enthusiast. The more impecunious had to settle for the MGB. Perhaps the near identical look to the cheaper model didn't help with the status conscious either.

 

Jol

 

An early primrose yellow MGC GT was used very briefly as a getaway car in an episode of the ITC series 'Strange Report'....

 

 

 

 

[BernardTPM]

4 hours ago, MrWolf said:

The Cadillac lost out because it was built on a seperate chassis for strength, which became a problem as ride height on cars needed to be lower. All of the 1959 GM range had flat cabin floors which led to a lack of legroom, despite the size of the cars. For 1960, the floorpan was modified with footwells between the chassis rails as a major improvement.

Good job I didn't compare it to the earlier one then!

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

 

 Why use a six when you can have a V8 ,

 

 

 

Nice, very nice, not much weight in a Marina shell, might get a bit of performance out of that V8.

 

Subtlety isn't it's strong point though is it? Beige with a black vynil roof and Mk1 trim would make for a wolf in sheep's clothing.

If a V8 fits, I would be much more tempted to fit a small block Chevy V8. They cost half as much to rebuild and put out many more horses.

[rockershovel]

Saw a Mk4 Cortina this morning 

[boxbrownie]

6 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

They were built/converted by Crayfords, as was this:-

 

That’s the special for the TRRL photographic unit, quite hairy standing/sitting atop with a tripod and Bolex H16 strapped to the rack 

[PhilJ W]

The big advantage of the Rover V8 was it weighed little more than the BMC 1800 'B' series engine so  handling wasn't seriously compromised. I too remember the V8 Marina/Ital pick-up and IIRC someone fitted one traversly  into an 1800/2200.

[great central]

5 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

The big advantage of the Rover V8 was it weighed little more than the BMC 1800 'B' series engine so  handling wasn't seriously compromised. I too remember the V8 Marina/Ital pick-up and IIRC someone fitted one traversly  into an 1800/2200.

 

I think, although it's a long time ago, the Rover was quoted as lighter than the 1800. Stand to be corrected by those with more knowledge.

I did also see somewhere on t' internet that someone had managed to shoehorn a V8 into a mini, probably a clubman.

[boxbrownie]

5 minutes ago, great central said:

 

I think, although it's a long time ago, the Rover was quoted as lighter than the 1800. Stand to be corrected by those with more knowledge.

I did also see somewhere on t' internet that someone had managed to shoehorn a V8 into a mini, probably a clubman.

One of my cousins had a Rover V8 in the back of his Mini Van, a mid mounted V8 rear wheel drive Mini......he was a farmer......they’ll fit anything in anywhere 

[PhilJ W]

3 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

One of my cousins had a Rover V8 in the back of his Mini Van, a mid mounted V8 rear wheel drive Mini......he was a farmer......they’ll fit anything in anywhere 

I know of someone who done something similar with an Allegro estate. He also altered the badge on the tailgate to read All-Agro

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

He also altered the badge on the tailgate to read All-Agro

Probably more for the driver than anyone else....

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I know of someone who done something similar with an Allegro estate. He also altered the badge on the tailgate to read All-Agro

 

14 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Probably more for the driver than anyone else....

Drivers of cars behind him used to laugh at it, until he pulled away and left them standing.  In fact the handling was very well set up, it was quite the sleeper. 

[MrWolf]

3 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

The big advantage of the Rover V8 was it weighed little more than the BMC 1800 'B' series engine so  handling wasn't seriously compromised. I too remember the V8 Marina/Ital pick-up and IIRC someone fitted one traversly  into an 1800/2200.

 

It was until recently the easiest V8 to get hold of, the more tuneable and lighter still Daimler 2.5 V8 wasn't that common and favoured by drag racers, so got snapped up. The big improvement for custom cars was the introduction of a converter intake manifold to give better breathing and the ability to fit a cheap, reliable Edelbrock or Holley pumper carburettor.

Over 20 years ago a friend fitted an ex Jensen Interceptor Chrysler Hemi into a Ford Pilot body, that was we, interesting. The Ford was a down at heel 70s custom with a busted Rover bottom end under the bonnet and the Jensen was a shovel it out of a bramble bush job.

ISTR that the last Ital commercials had an updated front suspension with coil overs instead of the original setup. That might have been an easy fix for a custom job, they all got stripped out of scrapyard cars by the kit car fraternity. 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2021 by MrWolf
PostScript!

[PatB]

Australia did get a 6-pot Marina, although I don't think it was a commercial success. IIRC it got the Oz only 6-cylinder B-Series variant from the local Wolseley 24/80/Austin Freeway riff on the Farina Oxbridge theme. I don't think I've seen a single one in the wild. 

 

Then, of course, there was the Chrysler Somethingorother, which was a 180 with the 4ish litre Hemi 6 jammed against the bulkhead but still requiring a nose extension to fit it all in. I have seen a couple of these and, whilst I haven't driven one, they look like understeer on a stick. 

[Hobby]

6 hours ago, PatB said:

Australia did get a 6-pot Marina, although I don't think it was a commercial success. IIRC it got the Oz only 6-cylinder B-Series variant from the local Wolseley 24/80/Austin Freeway riff on the Farina Oxbridge theme.

 

I understood the Aussie Marinas got the 4 and 6 cylinder E series engine from the Maxi/2200?

 

https://www.aronline.co.uk/cars/leyland/marina_/

[MrWolf]

The 1800 / Marina / Maxi got me thinking of the various incarnations of the Austin Kimberley and the Morris Major that were built by and specifically for Australia. Parts of which didn't appear on UK cars and probably should have.

[russ p]

Australia used the six pot E series far more than we did here. The top of the range marina used it in 2.6 form and according to hubnut on YouTube it was a decent car for its time.

Not sure if there was ever a 2.6 kimberley 

Interestingly the six cylinder SD1s in South Africa also used the 2.6 E series 

Leyland was very odd having models built at foreign plants such as nomad,Victoria/ apache and kimberley that would have been good sellers here

[MrWolf]

I'd forgotten about the Austin Apache, ADO platform wasn't it? The beginnings of Holden have always interested me, there's that odd crossover point where they were building their own models but still turning out the Vauxhall badged (but on a Holden made model specific chassis) Caleche (L series Velox) and Vagabond (E series Velox) convertible coupes, which judging by the rather 1930s looking side screens, were designed to be driven with the roof down. Vauxhall really should have made these for the UK market with wind up windows...

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by MrWolf
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[russ p]

8 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I'd forgotten about the Austin Apache, ADO platform wasn't it? The beginnings of Holden have always interested me, there's that odd crossover point where they were building their own models but still turning out the Vauxhall badged (but on a Holden made model specific chassis) Caleche (L series Velox) and Vagabond (E series Velox) convertible coupes, which judging by the rather 1930s looking side screens, were designed to be driven with the roof down. Vauxhall really should have made these for the UK market with wind up windows...

 

 

 

 

Apache was a ADO16 platform,  not sure if  it got its own ADO number.  To me it looked like a small triumph 2000/2500

[russ p]

18 hours ago, great central said:

 

I think, although it's a long time ago, the Rover was quoted as lighter than the 1800. Stand to be corrected by those with more knowledge.

I did also see somewhere on t' internet that someone had managed to shoehorn a V8 into a mini, probably a clubman.

 

I saw this in a magazine some years ago  it was actually transverse sitting on a princess gear box. It was rather heath Robinson and I imagine i wouldn't have lasted too long and would expect a lot of oil leaks.

I saw a kit some years later from a Swedish engineering company using the same components. 

Must have been room at all in the engine bay

[MrWolf]

I recall a Mini Clubman with a Maxi engine fitted. It went straight ahead at a corner once too often.