Fast Marina Magazine

Had some visitors over today which turned my street into a classic car show

Is that a Viva further back? I like Vivas.

mickthefitter wrote: Sun Sep 03, 2017 4:36 pm Is that a Viva further back? I like Vivas.

Yeah, beautiful car. I've always liked them myself. I almost bought a two door version of it years back.

I had an N reg Yellow Gold 2 door 1300L, with a black vinyl roof, and two fog lamps (one clear, one yellow) bought for £895 from a dealer in Chilwell in October 1979, when I was still 17, paid for by me but with the assistance of my stepfather as guarantor, test driving etc. The K reg Electric Blue Cortina 1600L I'd up to that point been learning to drive in, was taken in p/x. We'd had the Cortina 11 months and I felt it was too big to learn in. I was after a Mini but saw the Viva which seemed very new and chose that instead. I passed my test while owning the Viva but passed in a driving school Mini Clubman in Feb 1980. I think I only kept the Viva till September 1980 but I had the summer of 1980 with that Viva, then went through a number of old bangers only kept for few weeks or couple of months at a time till I bought another Carnival Red 1976 Cortina from a Renault dealer in April 1981, but soon after purchase I discovered accident repairs on the Cortina I wasn't happy with. Unsuccessful in trying to get some satisfaction with the dealer, six months on I p/x'd it for my 1975 Marina 1.8 automatic, which I kept for three and a half years. But I did my first solo driving in a Viva. So I've a particular soft spot for Mk3 Cortinas, HC Vivas and Morris Marinas, particularly 1.8 automatics.

What's the secret to that memory of yours? I remember my first car was a purple mk1 Escort but have no idea when I bought it or how long exactly I owned it! I think I paid £90 for it. Can't find mk1 Escorts for that price any more! My first Marina was an orange mk2 saloon bought sometime in the late 90's. I can't even remember what year it was

The aqua marina looks nice aswell, did that used to belong to a member on the forum a while back?

Morris McKinnon wrote: Sun Sep 03, 2017 7:23 pm What's the secret to that memory of yours? I remember my first car was a purple mk1 Escort but have no idea when I bought it or how long exactly I owned it! I think I paid £90 for it. Can't find mk1 Escorts for that price any more! My first Marina was an orange mk2 saloon bought sometime in the late 90's. I can't even remember what year it was

The secret is, I'm getting like Grandpa Simpson, reminiscing about President Eisenhower and the days when everyone travelled by airship, then forgetting my spectacles are on my head and nodding off mid sentence! I dunno. I guess cars just seemed so important to me when I was younger that they kind of bookmarked certain periods in my life. You had a purple Mk1 Escort? Sounds like a 1300E!

I nod off mid sentence Now and I'm only 39! The Escort I had was a 1300 XL and very rotten.
This pic was taken sometime in 1995 not long after I passed my driving test. The headlining fell down on top of us that day I remember driving up to Pemprokeshire!

I had a workmate with a red XL when I was an apprentice. Nice car.

lock1506 wrote: Sun Sep 03, 2017 7:56 pm The aqua marina looks nice aswell, did that used to belong to a member on the forum a while back?

I did post a pic of it a few weeks back when I went to a local car show. Someone on here recognized it but I can't find the post now.

Belongs to Mark. Nice car. Bro nearly bought that car a few years back but it was in a bit of a state then.

balmy wrote: Mon Sep 04, 2017 7:18 am Belongs to Mark. Nice car. Bro nearly bought that car a few years back but it was in a bit of a state then.

Yes, that's the guy. The car seems pretty good now though the o/s wing needs the usual repair sections.