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Locost Bryan's 1972 Morris Marina TC Coupe


locost_bryan

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I have a soft spot for the Marina, we had one as a family car from 1980 until 2001. It was an Aussie assembled 6, and went like the clappers.

The 6 was seriously under-rated, lighter than a Torana, accellerated and stopped better.  A mate raced one at Ruapuna, went pretty good as a club car.  iirc OSCA champion John Osborne had an auto one after he broke his legs at Pukekohe.

 

Would love one myself - met a guy in Huntly a few years back who claimed he had a 6 Coupe in a shed in Auckland (Mt Albert iirc).  Wish I'd bought it. :(

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  • 1 month later...

Just had a look at your pictures, interior door handles are the same as my 1995 LDV van, as I had been told! No doubt other Marina parts fitted to it too.

 

One of my best friends' mum had a TC Coupe when I was a very young lad, I really liked that car.

 

I did not realise they were built in OZ with a 6!

 

Didn't BL build a Marina coupe with Rover V8 to evaluate for a possible rally contender? 

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Just had a look at your pictures, interior door handles are the same as my 1995 LDV van, as I had been told! No doubt other Marina parts fitted to it too.

 

One of my best friends' mum had a TC Coupe when I was a very young lad, I really liked that car.

 

I did not realise they were built in OZ with a 6!

 

Didn't BL build a Marina coupe with Rover V8 to evaluate for a possible rally contender? 

 

BL built a few V8s, read about them here http://www.cjw-consulting.co.uk/v8_route/v8_route.htm

 

One competed on the 1974 London - Sahara - Munich marathon rally - was running third when the axle broke in the desert.

V8_Marina_rally_engine.JPGV8atSpeedsmall.JPG

 

The "spare" ended up as a Sport Sedan in West Australia.

mitchjun79ok800.jpg

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That Aussie one looks the business. The front reminds me a bit of the Firenza Can Ams that we had back in Africa. They were GM's answer to the Ford Capri Peranas that were also a South African developed car. Sadly most of those Can Ams are long gone now.

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That Aussie one looks the business. The front reminds me a bit of the Firenza Can Ams that we had back in Africa. They were GM's answer to the Ford Capri Peranas that were also a South African developed car. Sadly most of those Can Ams are long gone now.

 

http://www.africanmusclecars.com/index.php/chevrolet-holden-opel/chev-firenza-canam

 

http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/chevrolet-firenza-can-am-south-africas-muscle-car/

 

Chevrolet Firenza CanAm Race Retro 2013 Pure V8 Sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMbRn3si_BY phwoar! :-D  :-D :grin:  :-D  

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That's them Bryan. I read an article in a magazine a good few years ago about two brothers who each bought a Can Am brand new and still owned them. The cars were absolutely original and they were getting offered big cash to part with them from an Aussie collector. Both brothers were in their late 50s or early 60s at that stage. I wonder what became of those cars.

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Nice mate.

Heres a picture of my old Marina.

Sold it a few years ago, was great fun hooning round the Otago peninsula with no exhaust/open header. Sounded like a tractor on P.

It had an 1800B and a 5 speed box in it too.

Have to say the understeer was a bit of a joke though.

101_0678.jpg

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  • 5 years later...
18 hours ago, Kiwibirdman said:

It wold look pretty cool with a set of Minilites on it.

Sure would.  On the future upgrade list. 

49 minutes ago, browndog said:

I think the 4 cylinder could be trouble, just jam an RV8 in there! ;) 

RV8 might have been cheaper than rebuilding the 4, would be tempted to do a V8 van if I had the room and money (and could find a good one).

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25 minutes ago, locost_bryan said:

Sure would.  On the future upgrade list. 

RV8 might have been cheaper than rebuilding the 4, would be tempted to do a V8 van if I had the room and money (and could find a good one).

as long as you don't have to rebuild the RV8, 'cos they are bloody expensive to rebuild too! :) Or I guess, in keeping it "Oz" spec. you could jam a P76 V8 in there?! :)  

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  • 6 months later...
  • 2 years later...

And again, good too see progress :lol:

@locost_bryan are you replacing the rear QTR window seals? If so, what have you purchased for them? The seals from the donor car for my windows were stuffed, but were a weird rubber seal with an insert in it (which i didn't keep due to them being stuffed).

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