1979 morris marina l

[Olde faithful]

Originally Posted by jonc3725

£4K

Blimey my old man had a Marina then an Ital. They Both rotted out from under him after a few years of ownership. I could never understand growing up in my teens back then why he went BL.

These must be rare as hen's teeth or Alfasuds

These Morris Itals go like the clappers too with a light body shell! It goes every where , thinks nothing of taking to Scotland or Berwick on tweed for 300 miles one way, it does it too, no problem. He does look after them though. He was approached by a film company last year to sell one of them, but he did not.

I like the A reg one 1983 the saloon... that one drives real neat and period radio with MW wave wow!! all marked as British Leyland still...

I can honestly say they drive fantastic too.

There are only 32 Morris Itals still fully operational, out of 175000 built of the Morris Itals

[jonc3725]

Originally Posted by Olde faithful

These Morris Itals go like the clappers too with a light body shell! It goes every where , thinks nothing of taking to Scotland or Berwick on tweed for 300 miles one way, it does it too, no problem. He does look after them though. He was approached by a film company last year to sell one of them, but he did not.

I like the A reg one 1983 the saloon... that one drives real neat and period radio with MW wave wow!! all marked as British Leyland still...

I can honestly say they drive fantastic too.

There are only 32 Morris Itals still fully operational, out of 175000 built of the Morris Itals

Good to know some have survived and are being cherished. It is part of our motoring history after all

[Olde faithful]

Originally Posted by jonc3725

Good to know some have survived and are being cherished. It is part of our motoring history after all

Yes i believe they are the rarest Motor car on the British Roads is Morris Ital. I remember the TV advert that the Morris was quicker off the mark than a German/Italian car, can't remember the brand, and i thought no!! but its true they are nippy off the mark, cant believe its just a 1.3 A series plus engine, what a fantastic British engineering engine that still is designed in the 1940s, was still being made in 2000. laugh you might think, but by god are the bullet proof and fixable.

As i say i dont drive them so much now, but he keeps both on the road taxed all year around no nonsense, both operational

[marinabrian]

Originally Posted by Olde faithful

These Morris Itals go like the clappers too with a light body shell! It goes every where , thinks nothing of taking to Scotland or Berwick on tweed for 300 miles one way, it does it too, no problem. He does look after them though. He was approached by a film company last year to sell one of them, but he did not.

I like the A reg one 1983 the saloon... that one drives real neat and period radio with MW wave wow!! all marked as British Leyland still...

I can honestly say they drive fantastic too.

There are only 32 Morris Itals still fully operational, out of 175000 built of the Morris Itals

The estate, van, and pick up are the only Ital derivative I would consider.....I did have a 1700 auto HLS saloon in Sombrero metallic with Paprika seats......I chopped it up with a plasma cutter and saved the good bits for my 575 pickup "Douglas"

The Mk3 Marina was the best of the bunch, the Ital was dreadful in comparison in terms of build quality, the boxes let into the inner wing to accommodate Austin Ambassador headlights being the worst rot trap of all time.

However I will say this, the A Plus twin branch manifold does give the car a sweet baby version of the T.C. B series exhaust note.

Brian

[Olde faithful]

Originally Posted by marinabrian

The estate, van, and pick up are the only Ital derivative I would consider.....I did have a 1700 auto HLS saloon in Sombrero metallic with Paprika seats......I chopped it up with a plasma cutter and saved the good bits for my 575 pickup "Douglas"

The Mk3 Marina was the best of the bunch, the Ital was dreadful in comparison in terms of build quality, the boxes let into the inner wing to accommodate Austin Ambassador headlights being the worst rot trap of all time.

However I will say this, the A Plus twin branch manifold does give the car a sweet baby version of the T.C. B series exhaust note.

Brian

I had the last surviving Morris Ital 575 British gas board van i saved in 1998, spent a few grand on it restoring it and took it to shows, came second in the 2000 Londons Alexandra Palace car show only to the Sweeney police car ( the real one) in the awards, I sold the 575 back to the gas board in 2004 for a small profit for there collection. Then i think in 2014 the gas board sold it back out to a private collector. It still lives on (stored) it was a final batch of Morris Ital 575 vans heavy duty gas board vans delivered to British Gas Solihull Birmingham in 1984/1985 all B registrations starting at B160 TO B190. The only survivor was the one i found in garden beaten to almost death, i saved it and brought back to glory B164 AOX. PROUD OF THAT.

B164 AOX STILL LIVES..The only survivor in existance

[marinabrian]

Originally Posted by Olde faithful

I had the last surviving Morris Ital 575 British gas board van i saved in 1998, spent a few grand on it restoring it and took it to shows, came second in the 2000 Londons Alexandra Palace car show only to the Sweeney police car ( the real one) in the awards, I sold the 575 back to the gas board in 2004 for a small profit for there collection. Then i think in 2014 the gas board sold it back out to a private collector. It still lives on (stored) it was a final batch of Morris Ital 575 vans heavy duty gas board vans delivered to British Gas Solihull Birmingham in 1984/1985 all B registrations starting at B160 TO B190. The only survivor was the one i found in garden beaten to almost death, i saved it and brought back to glory B164 AOX. PROUD OF THAT.

B164 AOX STILL LIVES..The only survivor in existance

Nice, my last Ital commercial was A178 AWA a 575 pickup registered in Feb 1984, stolen and never recovered unfortunately

I still prefer the Marina to the Ital......I do have an Ital Suntor camper though

Brian

[Olde faithful]

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Nice, my last Ital commercial was A178 AWA a 575 pickup registered in Feb 1984, stolen and never recovered unfortunately

I still prefer the Marina to the Ital......I do have an Ital Suntor camper though

Brian

Thats the one Brian, yeap B164 AOX, Drove great, i must say i prefer the Morris Itals.. those square headlamps will give even the modern day halogen ones a run for the money never had better headlamps until these very modern types come out ! as good as the Morris Ital on full night beam... they could light up the moon.
great cars designed on £4.50.....

[Phil th Barrow]

Th Ital stories are very interesting but for me been a purist th Mark 1 1-8 is and has to be th best... I had 5 and my farther had 2 estates. One been a particular pretty one in Tulip, go faster strips, genuine BL spot lights and a luverly black vynal roof ("Which was nice"). I keep promising ill scan a fotoe of it and post here. I wish id got th car now.

Ps. Th red ones were th fastest. I once had a very nice floaty, valve bounce experience on th A522 straight just buy th Consul turning. (aaaaahhhh) Happy daze them.. Around 13 1/2 DBTDC..

[Comfortably Numb]

Never seen a Marina landaulette before! How many were ever made and sold? Some things are rare for a reason!

[Rich in Vancouver]

Here in Canada we got quite a few Marinas in the mid-70s.
Mostly sedans with a percentage of coupes and very few estates. We never
got the vans or pick-ups. There are very few left here although I did see a
coupe parked outside of a house during a drive in the country last summer.
I wouldn't mind one myself. Simple and easy to work on, and best of all they can be registered as "Collector Cars"
(over 25 years old and visually totally stock) to qualify for very reduced (-80%!) insurance.
The perfect retirement car!