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Hi, I am now the proud new owner of a 1984 Marlin roadster. Looking for some information on upgrades for the ital based roadster. Can anyone tell me what running gear I can use to upgrade the front and rear suspension and change the rear brakes to disc. Any help will be gratefully received. Thanks David
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Re: New Member
Hi David,
There's a mountain of information on topics like this in these forums, and in the members area most if not all of the back issues of the club magazine covering useful topics. I've managed to find most things I need, then if not someone will almost certainly point you at the data you need.- 9th owner of T693 SSC possibly a factory built Ford based V8 Sportster
- 4th owner of Q309 RNV, an early Cabrio built by Bob Copping, owned Doug & Liz Billings for 16 years
- 9th Custodian of JRR 929D, Triumph Vitesse based special Paul Moorehouse built prior to the Triumph Roadster kits.
- 8th owner of Roadster chassis number 2395. Now owned by Barry!
- Builder of chassis number 2325 (PKK 989M) in the mid 80's. Now owned by Eric & Lynne. -
Re: New Member
Welcome .My advice would be, first join the club,second get to know your car. Is everything working properly. Learn about it before you spend money. Remember a Roadster weighs a lot less than an Ital. Spend time reading the articles in the forums (Fora?).Comment
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Re: New Member
The underpinnings of an Ital are fundementally identical to a Morris Marina. Unfortunately there are not that many mods you can make without significant chassis modifications.
My initial suggestion would be to have a close look at what you have. Replacing all the suspension bushes with Superflex ones is a good start, and then invest in Spax adjustable shocks front and rear. Tyre pressure is significant to handling 20psi is a good place to start.
Then drive the car and find out where you think the shortcomings are.
It's a lot lighter than an Ital so by comparison it is already over braked.
Front discs can be changed to Clio Vented or you can use Princess Calipers. It is possible to fit MGF disks to the rear axle but you will need to fabricate new caliper brackets.Comment
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Re: New Member
Dear Friends
Can anyone recommend a good engineer and coachworks for my 73 engines Berlinetta? I've neglected her and she needs to be repaired and fettled. Electrics are dodgy too.....Comment
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Re: New Member
I have a 1983 built SWB Roadster with Marina running gear so similar to your ital running gear and I love it as it is.Handles really well,brakes are good as they are,corners well and just a treat to be out driving in the old beauty,first question to me off a bloke was why don't you put twin carbs on it,my reply was why ?,it goes fast enough as it is on one carb.if I were you I would just enjoy the car as it is for a while before getting into loads of unnecessary work which may lead to problems and a lot of expense,you may find that you love it as it is.best of luck whatever you decide and I am sure you will love the attention from people who see you out and about driving in it.Originally posted by davy66 View PostComment
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Re: New Member
Edwardgibbon, If your car is taxed and tested, drive it. Is there a reason why you can't overhaul it yourself? There are enough helpful people on this forum if you get stuck. Rebuilding, restoring whatever you call it should be a Zen type experience, enjoy the doing then enjoy the result even more. Fix a bit at a time, then you don't get swamped by the enormity of your task. If on the other hand you have enough money to pay someone, fair enough. Your car your choice. Good luck.Comment
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Re: New Member
It would be really helpful to know where Edward..... Comes from.
We each have favourite local mechanics etc, but the UK is a big place.Last edited by stevejgreen; 03-09-16, 07:33 AM.Comment
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Re: New Member
The world is an even bigger place !Ben Caswell probably not the last word on anything here!!Comment
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Re: New Member
Unless already done it would be nice if club members could edit their personal profile to show their nearest town / city. It would make answering posts more relevant and help those trying to organise local events and welcome new members. Has anyone any suggestions how we could encourage this?Originally posted by stevejgreen View PostComment
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Re: New Member
There is a members map in the members only section, but you have to ask admin to be put on it or to have your details changed, which to me seems a bit archaic.Originally posted by greyV8pete View Post
All forum users have access to add their location in the My Profile-About Me section, but not everyone seems to get that far.Comment
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Re: New Member
That bit of your post is what I was meaning Steve. It's only a few clicks to update a personal profile but how do we encourage people to do that? I did put a request in Pitstop some while ago for people to do that (and to have their details put on the map) so I could see likely areas to choose for the SW Meets. However I guess that the "Pitstop only" people who don't use the forum will still not do it. Maybe one day! Peter.Originally posted by stevejgreen View PostComment
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Re: New Member
Yes Pete I agree, but there are some people who are shy about admitting where they live. Maybe the computer person could make it a condition of forum entry that you register a town name. Or is that a bit Orwellian?Comment
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Re: New Member
I do not think it should be compulsory, but how you encourage it, is to continually raise the subject and its benefits.
We frequently see similar posts 'my car has a problem' without it being clear what the car is. That makes giving help almost impossible without repeated questions. It does make the whole process decidedly laborious.
The forum signature is in my opinion an ideal location, all the information you want to share can be entered there, though there is a size limit.
But the information provided is only of value if it is kept updated. The map is currently more workload for admin, it's not in the users control.Comment
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