*** WHEN IS A T.C NOT A TC, that is the question? ***

[The original northen boy]

:roll: A few weeks ago i wrote of a 1300 super de-luxe coupe that was garaged only yards away from where my pick-up is stored (see post "the rarest car in Britain,another one found) for the full story.

Well to day i have seen what has happened to the car since it was bought,the Marina has a pretty good re-spray In Damask red in 2-pack paint (including the engine bay and boot) All the original 1300 parts/interior have been removed and replaced with full 1800 T.C mk 1(a) parts and interior/this is running gear,engine,gearbox and interior fitting,all the correct items have been used,(as well as tinted glass) The T.C wheels have been bead-blasted and lacquered and sit on four new economy tires,a new clutch and full exhaust system have also been fitted and the interior as well as the head lining has had a full valet, the car has had a complete waxoiling (in black underneath/clear inside) this car now looks very well..
The asking price is In the £2850 o.n.o region,and goes into the classic car papers some time next week.
What i ask is this car a "REAL" Marina T.C coupe ? and really worth the money! or only worth what someone is willing to pay for for a T.C replica?

For more details or contact number please p.m me

Beckett Bros "cool for cats"

[The General]

at £2800 he's having a laugh. i have been asked to see if anyone is interested in a mk1 tc coupe that is 90% finished with the asking price around £800. Pm for more details.

[Clan Chieftain]

Surely it is still a replica whatever way you look at it. It is worth what someone wants to pay for it. The V5 will be different.Unless he has changed the lot including the horn and all the different trimming then only someone into TCs would be able to tell.
This goes on with many makes of cars more so the Escorts and wont make any difference to the untrained eye.But to make a normal 1300 coupe into a TC doesnt make sense money wise. 1300 coupe is a better and nippier car anyway. And with the cost of fuel now who would want an 1800 anyway and with the chancellor saying today that large engined vehicles over 7 years old will pay up to an extra £240 per year on road tax, unless your TC is tax exempt it will hardly be worth owning. can of worms opening springs to mind here. whats better 1300 or 1800??

[The original northen boy]

Must agree Larry it's not a conversion i would under take,but this swop over has been done simply to make a quick buck,as the Marina T.C coupe is the car that makes the money out of the Marina/Ital range,as for the V5 log documents (i'm guessing that a Marina T.C coupe exists/or has existed if only in paper form,hence where the parts,trim and interior have come from)
i bet the total cost of the job even with the outlay to buy the car will be well under the £800 (not including labour) mark showing in theory a potential profit of over £2000 :roll:
And again with the ever increasing cost of fuel and the twin carbs ability to put the stuff away, the potential "old car levy"thats being talked about at the moment.
This would be enough in it's self to start the warning bells ringing about paying out towards three grand for what i see as a replica car (even though i bet any prospective buyer won't be told that (ok i know there's room to haggle over the price as it's an o.n.o)
I wonder how long before this car appears on Flea-bay when it fails to live up to the new owners expectations?

Beckett Bros" up the junction" :roll:

[JubileeNut]

1800 TC is better! 1300cc hardly powered my mini when I had it and that was tuned!!

I think if we all club together and pop a pound in a jar we can get Mr Brown assassinated :shock:
Come to think of it I think most of us will do it for free so forget the jar 8)

[Uncle Frank]

:? I think everyone is getting a bit confused about what the new tax will actually mean to any of us with Marina 1800`s, if you check i think you will find that the extra fee will only apply to vehicles registered POST 2001...(ie built since 2001)...last time i checked the last Marina was built in the 1980`s so the law will not apply to us 1800 TC owners...or 1700 owners come to that!, so no need to panic chaps :roll:
As for 1300 versus 1800TC well iv`e had em both over the years in all their various guises, the 1300 is a lovely lively little package that handles better and yes gives you better mpg, BUT for sheer driving pleasure, give me a TC any day, they are better equipped, better looking, faster and best of all they have that wonderful TC throaty roar that no 1300 can hope to copy, so say what you like guys..i`ll be keeping my TC ! 8)

[The original northen boy]

In my opinion it's got to be the Marina Mk3 1700,drive the best,handle the best,look the best,and with out a shadow of a doubt the best interior and dash set-up,only a second slower than the 1800TC (if that) respectable fuel economy,sadly don't sound anywhere as nice as the T.C (saying that the Itals drive just as well :roll:
Mind you i've had a couple of 1.3 "A"plus Itals that have gone pretty well,and gave really good mile to the go-go juice...and sounded rather good also..


Beckett Bros " Just another manic Monday"

[Clan Chieftain]

You are correct Frank.It is for cars registered AFTER March 2001.

[Clan Chieftain]

8) I agree that the TC is good on the open road and has a lovely sound to it .....so why fit a different engine.????Oh no here I go again

[Uncle Frank]

8) I know you love your Mk3`s Russ , but i think most cars look best as God intended...in their Original form (Mk1 with clean lines and thin bumpers), this i think certainly applies to most cars including Mini`s, Porsche 911`s, 924`s Fiat 500 (not the boxy 126!), Ford Granada, Escort, there are of course a few exceptions such as the Sierra (which in my opinion looked its best just as they stopped building them), the Vauxhall Viva looked best in HC form, the Cortina was best as the Mk2 1600E or perhaps as a Lotus even!, but you get the gist of what i mean i hope , at the end of the day, i think it really comes down to personal choice, after all it would be a bit boring if we all liked the same things ay!

[The original northen boy]

Well said Frank,i can see your point but,on this occasion we must go our separate way's on car styling evolution, and once again as you said it's important that we all have our individual tastes and opinions,for without that life would be very boring indeed..
(best no say too much as i'm aware of "The Phillips Dark Side"

Beckett Bros "Yu know wat i mean Harrie"

[JubileeNut]

I agree with all of you! If you like your MK1 , 2 or 3 thats great! But can we still do this Brown guy anyway? :twisted:

I just really don't like him! I can probably list a few reasons but that just fogs the issue!

[norway_triumph]

:What i ask is this car a "REAL" Marina T.C coupe ? and really worth the money! or only worth what someone is willing to pay for for a T.C replica?

As already said this go on all over the classic scene, as it did when the car were new- I remember i modded my everydayhatc 1800 back then with tc wheels and grille from a scrapped car.
As long as he sells is as a non-original/replica it would be ok . Selling it off as a genuine would be conning people in my book :twisted:

[The General]

well i can get a reshelled coupe but it is a mk 3 shell although the car is on private plates it will still classed as a mk1 as it was registered in 72.

[The original northen boy]

i've just received a phone call from Mr Jarvis the seller of the ""MARINA T.C"as it now apparently is,the seller went on to tell me that he had been on the fastmarina web site and had read my comments on the the car in question,he went on to say.....
This was not a way to make a quick buck,the re-spray that i said was pretty good "was a top-notch job and would cost a man on the street over a £1200 for the same job,The engine has had a full overhaul,head gasket,rings,head de-coke,all new copper brake pipes,new rear brake cylinders,new drums,discs shoes and pads new bearings all round,a FIVE set of new Firestone tires,new valves and balanced on re-furbished wheel rims and new chrome wheel trims,the exhaust is a full Bosal one,new front wings and sills had been fitted,as well as a new petrol tank and fuel lines.A new battery had been fitted and a full service had also been carried out,as well as new washer-pump and wiper arms and blades,as well as the three gallons of waxoil used to treat the car.The car comes with a full twelve months test and six months tax
In his words " NO EXPENSE HAS BEEN SPARED" so the "quick buck thing is "B*****S"
The Marina was to be his sons car after passing his driving test,but it wasn't to his liking so thats way it was being sold.He also told me all he has done is re-shell one Marina to another,and happens all the time and is perfectly legal to do this as far has he's concerned it's "NOT A F*****G REPLICA " as the donor car still exists all it is now is a "F*****G RE-BUILT CAR" this happens all the time he said,and to stop being a "C**T"
Mr Jarvis has told me if i carry on "SLAGGING OFF HIS CAR" he take action against me via the courts...
" Well Mr Jarvis,you are free to do what you want,the choice is yours,but rest assured as i said to you on the phone, i won't roll over and die.

Beckett Bros " are we bovered?