Fast Marina Magazine

And this is it..






Looks great don't it..?
Even better in the flesh - so it comes as a great shock to find that the list of defects with this car just keeps growing.
The PO must have had some very bad mechanics - especially as the list of invoices that came with the car total many thousands, and are mostly from an 'upmarket' establishment.
You get the impression that parts of the car were reassembled by someone other than who disassembled it..!

Here is the list so far - in the order I discovered it..

1 Temp gauge not working
2 Oil light not working
3 Gearlever very loose and has too much travel
4 Steering pulling to right
5 Heater not working (pulled over to make sure it had water..!)
6 Right headlight broken
7 Boot lock falling out of bootlid
8 Indicators/dipswitch unit faulty - no high beam
9 Dashboard not fitted correctly and rattling badly
10 Parts of dashboard trim missing because steering column fitted incorrectly so no clearance
11 Drivers air vent not attached to dashboard
12 Battery retaining bracket fitted upside down
13 Parts of airfilter housing missing
14 Large holes in new carpet where it has been cut incorrectly
15 Cambelt too tight
16 Fanbelt too loose

? ? ?
I have never yet found so many things wrong with 1 car - despite looking in far worse condition than this one.
When I removed the grille to replace the faulty headlight, I found a bolt and washer just lying there... didn't seem to be from this car..!
Currently have dashboard out - they even got the mounting brackets fitted to wrong side of plastic - unbelievable.
The heater cables are both wrongly adjusted - so levers do not operate properly - not sure why it has no heat yet.!
Beginning to doubt that it is a genuine HL - does not seem to have choke or handbrake warning lights which I think it should have - yet I found the cable mounted switch for the choke light amongst the spare bits..
Will check to see if wires are fitted to the handbrake switch. The lights are blanked off on the instrument panel - but the panel may not be original.
Gawd.
This one is a challenge.
Despite all this stuff - the car drove well enough for the 100 miles when I collected it - doesn't burn oil or lose water - but how it managed to pass a fitness test beats me.

All that glitters.. etc.

Kilroy

That’s a few faults Kilroy!, Your right I think it’s just a case of bad management on the previous owners part made up by dodgy repairs from lack of knowledge by previous mechanics. The heating matrix may be goosed hence why there is no heat in it. I would go for a full engine flush and clean out the matrix too while the dash is out. At least you have the weather on your side for your winter project unlike us poor buggers over here

Nice little motor though!

Hi Kilroy

If it has been resprayed, then maybe they stripped the car for painting and didn't know how to put it back together again.

Looks good Kilroy! I know that before long you will have it sitting down low with a nice set of Superlites and be asking yourself what all the worry was!

Keep progress pics coming!!

Sounds like you,re the same as me.

It just looks like it,s in the detail.

Nothing there that a couple of afternoons won,t fix and I REALLY like the colour.

Keep us posted.

RALPH.

Hi Kilroy

It is still a sweet looking Marina m8 , I am sure with your smarts it will be sorted very soon

Progress continues unabated..!

Add duff waterpump to the list.
Pulled the dash out yesterday - it would appear that the original colour may have been copperfire - not sure if you had that shade over there - but its the same as my 'choc-bomb' - thats the one closest to camera in the photo...





I have found that the instrument cluster has damage to the circuitry, hence the lack of oil light and temp gauge - so different cluster going back in but with original speedo.
The heater cables were all amok - have sorted those, and repaired numerous half-arsed wiring mods that resulted in connector blocks all over the show.
Gawd - some people are such amateurs - make a real amateur like me look professional..!!
Still wondering about the steering behaviour - but until I get it mobile again, its just ideas and theories.
I imagine the gearbox cure will involve removing the box...
Damn.

Watch this space..



Kilroy

I've seen the marinas in your courtyards a few times but it always amaze me to see so many marinas lined up
How is it with the sun down there , would the interiors easily get damaged ? ?

The most sun damage I've seen was in 'moss' that had sat in a field for 9 years.
Carpets and door cards faded - seats pretty much ok.
Original paints tend to fare well - touch-ups fade quite alarmingly.
I think rust is still the main enemy.
Trying to find a tame upholsterer - as I have cloth seats in need of recovering. The vinyl seats are murder in the heat..!
We fit sheepskin covers to our vinyl seats - but the larger HL seats are very much sought after.
Luxury.
I think I just bought NZ's last O series waterpump.
I shall have to resort to recond units from here on.
Life is full of challenges.
Cheers,
Kilroy

Hi Kilroy,

You can always get one of us to get you parts you need and we can send them over. Most people nowadays have paypal so payment is easy peasy!

Sean

eloues wrote:My MOT fail sheets used to look like that cheky bugger even put a extra 30p on the bill for the pen.

They have computers now...

Nice car.. 8)

Just an update on this beastie.

Been using it for the past week - quite fun to drive now that the handling and exhaust are sorted - lacks compression for some reason, but you can still wind it up as far as you're game to.
I notice with low comp motors, how wonderfully flexible they are. Will pull away from bugger-all revs without complaint, and the lack of play in the drivetrain on this one simply makes all of that even smoother.
Lots left to do - but we're getting there.
The depth of gloss in the paint gets a lot of comments - makes my other cars seem wanting now...

Anyway - here are the latest photos.
Knock yerselves out..

Towbar removed - back box removed, and tailpipe tweaked for ground clearance when reversing...




Obligatory autotecnica classic steering wheel - I must be their major customer...





It is lowered even though you wouldn't think it...





Awww - aint it sweet...





Think I'll go out and drive it somewhere...
Cheers.

That looks bloody lovely Kilroy !!