Fast Marina Magazine

Tried to start Mud. Didn't want to know. Further investigation (2nd attempt, I'd already checked that I hadn't taken the rotor arm out) showed that the king lead was AWOL. That might explain it. It's 7 miles away and attached to the mk2, which rather scuppered my plans.

Busy afternoon in the loft/ shed and garage packing up the bits and pieces that are going with the 2 Marinas that I've sold. Once they are gone which will be later this week I will officially be Marinaless and the end of my marina chapter but not classic car ownership as I still have my classic mini which is begging to be put back on the road. The sale of the Marinas was hard but it had to be as I simply wasn't using them and lost interest so the best solution to prolong their life was to move them on. I'm sure the new owners will take good care of them and enjoy them as much as I did

Took Reynard on his final drive to the MOT station. He drove beautifully as usual and passed the test with a clean sheet! Will really miss this wee guy when he's away which will now most likely be tomorrow he leaves the fleet The new owner really has bagged a bargain with Reynard

Sean, I know how you feel buddy had some laughs and met some really nice people over the years yourself included and all because of a shared passion for the humble marina, it's been 6 years since I sold my last one which at the time was to fund my business start up and am now contemplating buying one again. I love all sorts of classics but the marina has all the childhood memories of both my grandads it kind of sticks with you, keep in touch and good luck with your mini's.

Stu

Indeed Stu, I've met some wonderful people in the Marina community in all the years I've been part of it. Its the end of the chapter for me and the Marinas and I've enjoyed every single minute of it and in all honesty Reynard has been the best BL car I have had. He hasn't always looked his best but his mechanicals were spot on and under his rugged skin lies a great car. I'm sure the new owner will have him looking like new eventually and he's an enthusiast so that seals the deal for me as I didn't want a lot of money for it but instead wanted it to go to someone who actually wanted a Marina to restore and spend a bit of time on.

All I will have left in the classic fleet will be a 1977 mini 1000 and just having 1 car will make it easier for me to maintain when I get the chance. Most of my time is now taken up by work and fixing other peoples cars on my days off. I will still be hanging about the forum

Today's an orange day

You've been tangoed!

Got a week off before starting my new job next week so fitted a new steering rack gaiter to the Racing Green coupe today and cleaned up and readjusted the front drums, can't see anything else it needs for an MOT so should finally get round to booking it in this week. Been nearly two months without a Marina on the road now

It's a pain in the backside having to move Huccy around at the moment as the clutch is stuck so moved that onto the concrete so I can have a go at freeing it off tomorrow. Might even get a chance to get the few bits of MOT welding it needs done and then free the brakes etc off and give it a good service (wouldn't start today- condensor fried, new one fitted but still not running right yet) and stick it in for an MOT.

Also need to decide whether or not to MOT Ducky again yet. Unlikely to use it again this year but there shouldn't be any issues getting it through. May be getting some new storage soon so would help to have as many as possible road legal so I can move them there easily!

Well Huccy's clutch free'd off beautifully. Jacked it up, started it in gear and away it went! One rear brake is partially seized so that could have helped I guess. Took it for a drive round the garden to celebrate Time for a thorough service!

Hey well done - another one on the road soon?


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Maybe! Depends how well it goes with the other two, plus Helen is getting another car and I will be on less money in my new job so might not be able to afford to MOT it etc just yet but may as well get it ready!

Battened down the hatches ready for Abigail.



Hopefully these crappy covers and bungee cords will be a thing of the past soon though - building a new shed big enough to take 4 Marinas!


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Took CVF for MOT this morning. Had a bit of a last minute panic, on a test up and down the driveway the right hand front brake was pulling badly. Readjusting and sanding off the leading edge of the shoes didn't help then I remembered back in the summer it was that side the wheel cylinders sprung a leak. When I replaced the cylinders I cleaned up the shoes and refitted them and all was well, I guess it has taken all this time for the shoe to absorb the liquid fully and expand. I chucked a new set of shoes on this morning and it passed with the usual advisory on the exhaust (stainless steel tail pipe bodged together from various bits of pipe by a previous owner- it leaks on the welds. Must put some paste on it sometime!). Then treated it to a full tank of petrol!


The even better news is my MOT tester now has a spray booth and a tyre machine so I'll be able to use him for everything now. I know there aren't many people local to me round here but worth a recommendation anyway, MPA Classics near Stowmarket, Suffolk.

What did I do to my Marina today?

I found out my front bushes are due for replacing at the last Warrant of Fitness.

So where in NZ can I get some - I see a guy on TradeMe has some but they only go to 1974 and mine is a '79. (Apparently the ones on Trade Me won't fit, is there really a difference between '74 and 79 struts).

The bushes are the one that fit on the struts that run forwards from the bottom suspension arm..

They are all the same throughout the range.