First Morris Marina - 1975 model owned 1981-1985

[mickthefitter]

I thought I'd post a picture of my first Marina. Not a lot unlike the one I bought as a classic in April, in that this one was a 1.8 auto. Yes, it is a bit dented at the front. That's the reason for the photo. My first accident, four months after I bought the car in October 1981 (Deans of Nottingham, Queens Road, Beeston, £1095) and the 2nd anniversary of passing my driving test, to the very day - 18th February 1982. There's a very good chance that when I took this photo, the front carpets and underlay were out too, due to rain leaks. Bare tin Glacier White floor. It seemed a wreck so soon after I bought it! Then it went on to be the car I kept the longest, until a Fiat Punto (1998-2004) and a Mercedes C200 (2004-2013) beat it. Most of my cars till then, and some after, lasted merely months in my ownership. The first remedy for rain leaks (after propriety clear silicone sealer did nothing) was a frost cap over the car when parked, and two sandwich boxes, one either side, on the under-dash parcel shelf to catch water when the frost cap couldn't be fitted (like when at work), emptied out before driving off. The final 'cure' was a fillet of black Bostik along the top and sides of the front and rear screen rubbers, sealing the gap between rubber and metal, though I needed to do it again annually to keep the seal up, and I don't think I ever completely stopped water getting into the boot.

I did very briefly own a Teal Blue Marina 2 1.8 in 1987, a proper banger bought cheaply and not very good. Best forgotten that one. But KRB 158P was a special car, and it's really because of that I went after the automatic Marina HL I saw in ads for an auction in April. Because it was a 1.8 auto, plus low miles, plus a really cool colour and trim combo (Jade Green with Almond trim). I never really expected to be a Marina owner again, but how many show up in proper auctions? I can proudly say my Marina has nothing to do with eBay! Most of my previous classic cars have. And I wouldn't say that's a good thing.

KRB 158P ended up being sold to a workmate for £200 with a short MoT and a seized trunnion on the same side for a second time. Yes I did grease them, but I hadn't got a good grease gun. But I thought it was doing the job. I was due to get a £400 p/x against a Mk1 Astra (Deans of Nottingham again) but my mate said he wanted the Marina and I managed to get £200 off the purchase price of the Astra. I'd previously been to a Rover garage looking at cars and just got laughed at when I asked how much the Marina was worth in p/x! My mate fixed the trunnion, kept the car nice but didn't keep it long, then sold it to another bloke in our workshop. It took a nosedive after that. It was getting old and a bit rusty but after that, it never got cleaned and just fell apart. We were in our 20s and early 30s then. My current dentist has turned out to be the son of the last man to own my Marina!

[Morris McKinnon]

That's a late mk1. Would have been interesting to see if it had any mk2 bits fitted as they were starting production of the mk2 around the P plate. I think some late mk1's were fitted with mk2 rear lights from factory!

[mickthefitter]

I don't actually know the difference between Mk1 and Mk2 rear lights! If it's to do with integral reversing lights, the white one had them. Put it this way, nothing has struck me as different about the tail lights on my new Mk2. No idea what else could be different. I do know this car had the Borg Warner Type 35 box. I can still find 'KRB' on the DVLA register. The last tax was due 1st Oct '88. But as I had suspected but couldn't remember for sure, it was registered on 1st August '75 so yes, late '75.

[Chicken Hawk]

I have a TC registered 15th June 75 and that has MK2 rear lights because of the later rear valence and also had plastic inserts around the front and rear glass instead of the stainless trim.

[mickthefitter]

I think I'm going to be learning a lot of detail stuff now that I didn't previously know. Fortunately my new car seems to have all its bits. I think its biggest issues are from lack of use, in-expert repairs in some respects and a few too many car park dinks.

[Morris McKinnon]

Yes, rear lights on mk1's were re-tooled to incorporate a reverse light where the reflector is. The stainless trim around the windows had gone and possibly things like the petrol tank, rear view mirror and washer bottle would have been a mix of left over mk1 and new stock mk2 until full mk2 production! I wouldn't be surprised if some early mk2's left the factory with some mk1 bits!

[mickthefitter]

When you are talking about the stainless trim around the windows, are you on about the inserts in the groove in the rubber on the front and back screens, or trim on the side windows? My old SDL auto had painted window frames apart from the base of the side windows that had bright metal trims, although I'm not sure what the material is. My present HL has got full brightwork around the side windows and opening quarter lights. Until I first sat in it, I never realised they did opening quarter lights on Marinas! I assumed they, and the full bright work, were because it was a top of the range car. From my collection of brochures (I've got quite a lot covering various British and European makes, collected a decade ago) the Mk3 HL cars look a lot plainer inside compared to mine, and the quarter lights were gone. Again, until I began comparing details, I never realised the Mk3s had one piece opening front side windows and no quarter lights.

I remember quite well that the reversing lights on 'KRB' went on the blink, and I caught a reflection of the car at night when I was reversing, and the white lights were flickering on and off randomly. Probably the inhibitor switch, but I never worried about it and never checked it out. It was just one of those things. I also made the front side lights work, when the bulb holders had deteriorated a bit, by adding some silver foil from a Breakaway biscuit, and at least once, maybe twice, soon after starting off from home, the flasher unit was going 'tink tink tink tink tink tink' in rapid succession indicating a dead bulb. Cure? Jump out and thump the rear lamp unit. 'Tink tonk, tink tonk, tink tonk...' Job done.

Oh dear. What was I saying about bodged repairs on the Mk2? I was young then!

[Morris McKinnon]

Hahaa! good old foil in the sidelight fix! Got to love the mechanical sound of the flasher relay too. I don't know a whole lot about trim levels but I think quarter lights were an Australian/New Zealand feature, maybe they could have been a special order here? As far as I know stainless side door trim was a mk1 TC feature (correct me if I'm wrong anyone) I have seen many mk2's with black painted door frames and side vents (I had one) and the stainless windscreen surround was fitted to all SDL mk1's
As production went along the chrome trim that runs along the gutter changed a few times.. early cars were stainless with a finisher piece at the B pillar, that disappeared around 1972 but stainless was still used until mk3 I think? (I'm sure mk2 used stainless) when it changed to chromed plastic which crumbles after a few years.

[JubileeNut]

HL and GT MK2 had opening quarters with corner cut off. MK1 Jubilee UK, USA, Australia Exports had the MK1 full opening quarter. MK3 full opening window.

[mickthefitter]

Yep. Quarter light with a corner off, and lots of shiny metal. Only HLs and GTs eh? I feel privileged!

[Morris McKinnon]

Beautiful, My favorite of the mk2's. HL in Met green with brown vinyl roof.. and it's auto an acquired taste though I love automatics.

[JoshWard]

the stainless windscreen surround was fitted to all SDL mk1's

Changed in mid to late 75 to the plastic trim that was used in DLs.

As production went along the chrome trim that runs along the gutter changed a few times.. early cars were stainless with a finisher piece at the B pillar, that disappeared around 1972 but stainless was still used until mk3 I think? (I'm sure mk2 used stainless) when it changed to chromed plastic which crumbles after a few years.

Stainless gutter trim dropped around the same on late MK1s. MK2 used plastic as well. Didn't know the usually missing clip was dropped, I know they were used well into 1973.

[mickthefitter]

It's nice. As usual, photos make a car look better than it looks to the naked eye and hide blemishes, scratches and touch-ups, and I've got some running and driving issues to work through, but its a sound car with low miles, it's got a nice interior and its on the road. The last owner had been a club member as his welcome letter is in the history folder with the car.

[Morris McKinnon]

I was a year out on that then Never seen them on cars after 72!

[Pont.skins]

I wish my Jade Green HL looked as nice as that!