PRACTICAL CLASSICS NEED A SALOON!

[Number 63]

8) Looks like a good day out. 8)

[Philip]

8) Looks like a good day out. 8)

It was loads of fun! I am looking forward to reading the write up. I think the Marina will recieve a positive one. I think it will be on the front cover going on what they said when looking over the pics. The factory that they took pics by apparantly used to manufacture catalysts and a few of the staff came down and said that a Marina was a test car for a catalyst in 1975! The article will be in the December issue!

[locost_bryan]

The factory that they took pics by apparantly used to manufacture catalysts and a few of the staff came down and said that a Marina was a test car for a catalyst in 1975! The article will be in the December issue!

That would probably have been for the US market. iirc BL had great hopes for the Marina in the US after the oil shock, trying to ride on the coat-tails of the MGB.

One of the reasons for developing the O-series, since they couldn't get the B-series in the MGB clean enough for the upcoming US emissions. Ironic then that the MGB never got the motor that it was the original motivation for. The factory had MGB test mules fitted with twin-carb and multipoint injection versions of the O-series.

[Philip]

Mpi in the 70's? I guess mechanical rather than electric?

[locost_bryan]

Mpi in the 70's? I guess mechanical rather than electric?

There's a pic on this page. Looks like an ITB (indivdual throttle body) setup, but not "productionised". Good for 100bhp vs twin carb's 105bhp.

[Philip]

One more for now. Taken on my iTelephone so not the best quality. The two people are the editor and the writer. The glasses on the chap on the right belong to me. He took one look and said "Polaroids!! How 70's can I borrow them!?"

[Philip]

Mpi in the 70's? I guess mechanical rather than electric?

There's a pic on this page. Looks like an ITB (indivdual throttle body) setup, but not "productionised". Good for 100bhp vs twin carb's 105bhp.

They said it was in 1975 so could that have been an O series?

[Kilroy]

Yes - its an O series - in 2 litre form.
This is what I am doing to my next O series unit. I'm happy that the carb version got more horsepower - I'm sure I can live without the flexibility of injection for the lack of complexity.

I was trying to see what Peter Burgess may have done to O series heads, but there are no details on the site.
I will wing it with local head specialists as far as any flowing goes.
I think the secret is in the shape of the inlet manifold/ports - as they are angled downwards quite a lot towards the top of the valves - so the manifold needs a good curve to take advantage of that, while ending up level for best carb location.

If only one had an unlimited budget...

[James1300]

Nice photos, wierd how the designs of all of the saloons are quite similar, much like cars today follow a similar design pattern, particularly the new fiesta and peugots. When do you think this article will be in practical classics?

[Philip]

They said the December issue which will be on sale from early November.