Irene's Scottish Marina Hoard
This featured car edition should really be called a featured family. The collection itself is probably similar to many members - you know - get one car and start the restoration process, get another to stay on the road. Get known in the area, get given a free car. See a car on eBay and buy it sight unseen (that's what I did too). Irene has been collecting Marinas now for a couple of years and her dad's got one as well.
Blaze 1.3 super Saloon Mk2
"This was the first in the collection about 21/2 years ago my then partner gave me a set of Marina keys for my Christmas and told me to go to the garage. One of the best presents I ever had!
I’m only its second owner since new and with it came a full, and I mean full service history. Down to every little detail of checking the oil. It’s really still in pretty good condition, not on the road yet, but all it seems to need is front floor pans which I have in waiting. It looks a bit sad in the photos as we had to borrow one of the headlight units for the estate and haven’t yet put the grill back on".
Pageant Blue 1.8 Estate Mk2
"This was number 2. Big Blue!. Couldn’t wait for the saloon to be fixed so when this came up locally I had to have it. It’s been on the road for a couple of seasons now and has only had sills for MOT. Its spent all its time outside so its starting to get a little tatty round the edges, and it wasn’t painted terribly well the last time, but nothing that cant be fixed. It’s a joy to drive and really holds its own in modern traffic much to the surprise of modern car drivers. We’ve nearly been written off a couple of times as people think they can pull out in front of that old slow car, well they can't have missed that coming towards them!"
Green 575 Pick-up Mk3
"Dad was speaking to an old guy who had seen my estate at a vintage rally. ‘Marinas’ says the old guy ‘ there’s one sitting in my shed, come and get it’, so we did. The pick-up had been owned by his brother from new and had been lying in a shed since he died a few years ago. Its not in the best condition in the world, but its unusual and deserves to be preserved. The bed cover is the original made by a coachworks in Linlithgow when it was new. I’ve now got all the panels needed and work is due to start soon. To be seen at a rally or three in Scotland next year".
I know that Irene has sourced at least one difficult panel for the pickup via a club member, to help her complete the restoration - a classic example of club membership paying off!
Teal Blue 1.3 super Coupe Mk1
"This is the latest addition to my collection. Bought on e-bay and towed back from Birmingham on an a-frame. A 600 mile round trip in 15hrs. It came with MOT and tax so I drove it for a couple of weeks in the winter until the radiator hose burst (not frozen, just very old). The body work is solid, but has been painted with a yard brush! It has unusual blue seats with a white chain link pattern unfortunately the rest of the interior is a mustard colour!"
