Fast Marina Magazine

Whilst looking up some data today in one of my many workshop manuals I noticed this. 1973 fully revised edition, covering all models including the 1.3 TC!

Well spotted!
Actually it would've been a good idea if BL had produced a I.3 TC ! If only, eh?

Other than just the title on the dust cover, does it say anything about it inside the manual?

Only three listed in the specifications section,1.3,1.8 & 1.8 tc . I was looking up the static timing ,which tells me 7 deg BTDC. Does this need adjusting for unleaded?
Having given up work in 2019 my company car has gone back ,and now the coupe is the daily driver. It’s running much better with fresh petrol in. I kept the receipt in the ashtray from the last fill up........ 2016 , no wonder it coughed and spluttered.

Well it’s interesting, when unleaded fuel was introduced, the general consensus was that timing should be retarded 2-3 degrees. Then when ethanol was introduced the recommendation was that timing should be advanced 2-3 degrees, which I guess brings us back to square one.

In practice I would set it up as standard and then swing the distributor a few degrees either way until it is running the most smoothly.

I like the 1.8TC grill for sale on ebay at the moment which is actually just a 1.8 grill

JubileeNut wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:52 pm I like the 1.8TC grill for sale on ebay at the moment which is actually just a 1.8 grill

Yes Paul, the one with the white bar! Doh!

BL really did miss a trick though, not producing a 1.3 TC, given that the 1.3 coupe in modified TC rally form was the most successful sporting Marina! Typical of BL not to cash in on that success! Even though it could be done by using BL ST kits i'm sure there would've been a market for 1.3 TC straight out of the showroom.
Interesting that both Oselli and Janspeed both saw that opportunity and were quick to produce modified tuned 1.3 coupes. Both were produced in 1971, the Janspeed version must've been an early car as even with mods "the handling was diabolical to say the least"!

I suspect that BL marketing would have said that it would take away 1.8TC sales because performance must have been similar, although that’s not the real problem, it’s that the profit margin per car would probably been less.

It probably would have muddied the model structure too, the Deluxe/Super/TC pecking order was nice and simple. BL might also have seen it as competing with the Triumph 1300 TC and Austin/Morris 1300 GT.

I did a quick comparison, assuming a 1300 TC would use the 70bhp 1300 GT specification, then it would have the same power/weight ratio as the 1800 (81bhp/tonne vs 82 bhp/tonne) but with a much lower torque/weight ratio (86 lb-ft/tonne vs 104 lb-ft/tonne). But the handling advantage of the lighter engine would have been useful, perhaps if it had been based on the Deluxe and called the "RAC" or "1000 Lakes" or "Sprint", it might have been a good niche model for club racers like the Escort Sport and Mexico were.

BL also produced the 1800s twin carb Landcrab alongside the 1300GT which, engine wise would've corresponded with a 1300TC and 1800TC Marina.
I reckon marketed properly a 1.3TC coupe would've sold well in the rally obsessed 70s. Rather than take sales away from other models in the range it would've appealed to a different demographic.