What did you do to your Marina today?

[Kilroy]

A wee story.

I have a friend (its true..) who owns a very nice XJS Jag - quite a rare manual version.
We shared driving of it down to Wanaka for the Warbirds weekend one year.
He was rather complimentary about my driving saying I drove his car better than he did.
Two years later when the same event was on, he gave me the XJS and told me I should take it down there.
Which I did.
So that was nice.
I forgot to mention that this XJS had the added benefit of a few Walkinshaw bits which made it rather a delight around corners.
A bit like my Marinas.

One Friday evening a few months ago, I was in the city near my favourite liquor store - as you can be, and for some unknown reason saw no less than 4 Aston Martins in about 5 minutes.
A few days later - my friend phones me and says - I bet you can't guess what I just bought?
I said - well as long as it's not an Aston Martin - they're as common as turds.
He was aghast - don't say that - why do you say that?
Turns out he actually had just bought a DB9.
This one.
I had absolutely no idea - it just came out of my mouth.

Consequently - he came around and told me I had to drive his Aston Martin just to prove they were worth having...

So I did.
Much harder to park than a Marina.
Especially at those speeds....

Faaaaarrrrrrkkkkkkk..!!

[fruity]

Recieved this tie pin from a guy at work today. Lovely jubbly.


Sent from the fruityusbattyus device

[locost_bryan]

A wee story.

...

Consequently - he came around and told me I had to drive his Aston Martin just to prove they were worth having...

So I did.
Much harder to park than a Marina.
Especially at those speeds....

Faaaaarrrrrrkkkkkkk..!!

Aston Martin parking tips... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZGEDjyh6f4

[ClaytonSpeed]

Sealed the exhaust up until I can get it on the ramps to fit the new system. Spotted a small piece of the floor that needs the attention of the MIG. Better do that before the wet weather arrives!

[MarinaCoupe]

My refurb will be £180, for three new UJs, new centre bearing and dynamic balancing. The splined section on the prop I took over is OK, it's the one on the car that is bu**ered.

No postage because I dropped it off and can pick it up myself.

Bailey Morris rang me on the Friday before last to say the propshaft was ready for collection, so exactly a one week turnaround. Price as agreed £180 plus the vat. Persuaded my wife to pick up the propshaft from St Neots during the week.

When I checked the reconditioned one over, I found that they had replaced the sliding spline unit with a new one, which I wasn't expecting, so well pleased with what is effectively a new propshaft.

The only problem is that the captive nuts on the centre bearing are M10 and not 5/16" UNF, but they supplied some M10 socket screws to fit them. It seems their supplier screwed up.

Went to fit the new propshaft today, how long to remove eight nut/bolts and two bolts for the centre bearing? So 20 minutes for six nut/bolts and two bolts and 4 hours for the other two nut/bolts, both on the rear UJ to rear axle.

Nothing that brute force and ignorance together with some PlusGas couldn't sort out.

Needed to fettle the chassis slots for the centre bearing, so that the M10 bolts would fit.

So that's the clonk sorted out on pulling away. Next on the list is checking the condition of the rear brake shoes and rear brake cylinders.

Split old centre bearing, so good timing.

[Morris McKinnon]

I got PTH's clutch working today with a new slave cylinder. Took some head scratching as to how to get the old one out as it was seized in the 'out' position but I remember Josh telling me the push rod had to be bent out the way for the cylinder to wiggle out. It worked and came out without too much hassle Engine runs very lumpy with an uneven idle which I'm hoping is just a carb problem and not head gasket related New exhaust next and it's out with welder

[PHUQ]

Right now I agree David, but for those looking to use their cars daily the extra cost of Super unleaded can be telling. Also the future plans for fuels is that they will all end up with some ethanol. E10 will be standard (10% ethanol) and some will be E15 (10% ethanol).

If you are changing you fuel hose anyway SAE 30R7 hose has to be the way to go.

I have just bought some of this http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/141358335021 for my Pickup.

This stuff is black cotton braided rather than stainless steel braided it's 8mm ID and is only £3.20 per metre.

DIN73379 is the same as SAE 30R7.

Chris, does this stuff seem to be holding up OK- and does it fit through the chassis leg OK? I bought some from Halfords and it was too big to go through the holes, I'm reluctant to drill them out bigger! The (what I assume is probably original) hose on the saloon is suprisingly small, unbraided/ reinforced, and horribly perished

[MarinaCoupe]

Hi Matt seems fine so far and it's narrower than most stuff, I got it though the chassis and inner wing holes.

BTW how did the round Britain rally thing go?

[PHUQ]

Magic, cheers Chris- I'll get some ordered

Made it round the RBRR with no real problems and on time- thought I'd updated the thread on here, will do so

Had both cars out this weekend, the Mk2 went for it's longest trip in my ownership- all the way to Gloucester, must have been at least 5 miles

Still a few things to sort, not least the leaking fuel pipe, but it drives beautifully. Unusual for me to drive a car that doesn't crash and bang over speedbumps!



The reason for our visit to the Big City was to pick up some bling- these will be Mud's silly wheels (with some bigger rubber on- 195/60 probably) when she's done, with a set of TC wheels with standard profile tyres on for "show" and these for "play". Not everyone's cup of tea I know, in fact I'm still not 100% sure they are mine, but they'll definitely be something a bit different & I think the red will work well on a black tulip car.



And just so she didn't feel left out (although she's in regular use currently), Mud went to the pub for lunch. Bit of a contrast with the Dolomite!

[MarinaCoupe]

What's the story with the red wheels? Dimension etc.

[PHUQ]

They are Triumph wheels of some description Chris, I believe they are probably 4.5" with a 1.5" band added, they look about the same width as the slotmags which are 5.5" all in. It's a bit tricky to tell with the tyres on, they could be 3.5" wide (original Herald) ones though in which case they are only 5"- I need to get the tyres off and measure before I come to order new ones, and before deciding what profile tyre I'll end up with.

[locost_bryan]

They are Triumph wheels of some description Chris, I believe they are probably 4.5" with a 1.5" band added, they look about the same width as the slotmags which are 5.5" all in. It's a bit tricky to tell with the tyres on, they could be 3.5" wide (original Herald) ones though in which case they are only 5"- I need to get the tyres off and measure before I come to order new ones, and before deciding what profile tyre I'll end up with.

The beads are 1/2" wide, so subtract 1" from the width you get when you measure between the outside of the beads (lay a straight edge across the inside and outside of the rim and measure through the wheel hole ).

[JubileeNut]

Took the carbs of the TC today as I have been meaning to fit the news ones for a couple of months. Just as well as running car for 3 seconds found another petrol pipe had burst so car was not road worthy. The pipe which bridges both carbs had finally given in.
Spent all day cleaning and tidying up the right side of the engine bay ready for new carbs.
Going to do some phone calling on new petrol pipe to see if I can get branded and marked pipe. If it's not marked you don't know if it is what you need.
So all pipe will replaced, new choke cable and carbs and set up and tune up plus oil and grease service.
We'll that will probably take the rest of the year
New carbs have no poppet valves in the throttle butterflies but the old sets did so guess they won't be needed anymore?

[MarinaCoupe]

Paul how long had the old hose lasted? It can't be very many years.

This is on EBay, good supplier but not a branded hose. This is R6/R7 hose so good for use with Ethanol.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/161245219937

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1414350841.192345.jpg (11.51 KiB) Viewed 10072 times

[david painter]

No Poppet valves is good, they cause unstable idle. Were origonally fitted as an earlt attempt buy BL ,to reduce emmisions on over run. Soldered many up under warranty.
Dave