European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday november 23, 1990 the stars and stripes a Page 13 Wii we i i 11 fourth owner sings its praises old Morris Marina by Dave Diehl . Bureau perhaps too often the likes of High class cars named porsche Bow Lotus and Rolls Royce Grace the motoring pages of this and Many other newspapers. But for Many More modest and far less expensive Means of transportation Are the Rule a cars like the 1979 Morris Marina 1.7 that i just bought. This product of a Semi defunct restructured and renamed British Leyland motor corp., while not a classic can nowadays be billed As Basic transportation. It is a remnant of the car building Era when technological advances came not yearly but once or twice in a decade when car buying meant less than taking out a mortgage for the family rolling Stock. _ with Britain on the Brink of recession the car Market on the big Island is stale. Used cars at All prices Are going for far less than the already Low Book values. Moreover the Dollar Sterling Exchange rate is not leaning in the favor of americans. As a result there Are Only Small spaces on British car showroom floors sporting automobiles for under $10,000. In Short buying a used car now in Britain has rarely been More of a bargain. When i became the Morris marinas fourth owner i picked it up for a Shade under $600 from its previous a a keeper a a modest and honest hardware store clerk from just outside Mildenhall. He was trading up to another classic a Ford Cortina. I wanted to Unen Cumber myself from my tax free car and was in the Market called a something to get me around until my scheduled return to the United states at the end of this year. All my adult life in be been a buyer of new cars. But now in be re Learned the Virtues and the satisfaction of owning a a pre owned vehicle. The Morris Marina can easily be compared to the Chevy Nova or Ford Maverick of the american 1970s. The marinas were built by the thousands and were Little changed from 1971 to the late �?T80s from �?T81 As the ital. And the marinas Are still to be seen with regularity on every Road in great Britain. Thank goodness for that. In addition to my $570 investment i forked out another $100-200 for a few essentials that would make the Marina run better and ensure that it was Safe. For aesthetics not function i plugged a couple of holed fenders with $10 Worth of fibreglass. This 1979 Morris Marina Sedan represents a bargain on Britain a used car Market. A amps Dave Diehl Here is a car that is easy to work on. Nobody will be saying that of the computer designed microchip controlled and Power assisted cars of today All loaded with electrics circuit cards and catalysts which Are As foreign to backyard mechanics As a South korean Hyundai. Marinas therefore Are in abundant Supply and shame on the parts store or junkyard in Britain that does no to have Marina parts in Stock. With new Points plugs and some adjusting coaxing and creative tuning the old Marina starts first thing every morning and runs like a i have to put it like this a a Charm. It is structurally sound and a Safe car for me and my family. More important the car has Given me a better awareness of what the British Call motoring. In be been Able to shed any pretences that come with being perched behind the wheel of a sniffed up Jaguar. I can Park where i want. Go ahead whack your car door into mine. I toil less on weekends nobody expects a chocolate Brown car wearing the spoils of 130,000 Miles to Glisten in any Way. I am not bothered that my headlights and Interior lights go on when i Brake a i did no to pay extra for that feature. My destinations Are reached Only moderately less comfortably than by those in their Ghia styled cars. My immovable Sid View Mirror reflects just As Well As their electric counterparts. Driving now is not a passive affair. Every creak grind sputter and rattle has my attention and later scrutiny. In a tuned into the Road. On the Down Side i have to worry a As anyone should a that something major could break or fall off. With old cars come old driveshafts crankshafts and engines that when grief stricken take the Road going life out of a car. But when one casts off the relative assurances of a new car one also casts off the High insurance payments Basic coverage for me comes to about $180 a Yea High dealer maintenance fees parts costs and insurance. After Selling my three year old escort i figure i came out ahead a few Hundred Bucks. Ill own the Marina for three months and enjoy it As the British would put it a on the in Britain Morris marinas old Ford escorts and those of a similar ilk can be had anytime anywhere from about $300 on up. Sides of tires Are Worth Reading Detroit a the sides of tires do not present the most compelling Reading but they Are Well Worth Reading because the information there can help Consumers be certain they Are buying the right tires for their cars or trucks. All the words letters and numbers on the sides of tires can be As easy to follow As the family tree for a typical consumer. Each tire carries the manufacturers name and registered name of the Model of tire. Usually that a in big letters sometimes in raised White letters. That a easy to understand. A Little More difficult perhaps but also in Large print is the size designation. This can Start with a a a pm for passenger tires or a a Ltd for Light truck. Then there Are three numbers a a the tires Width in Millimetres. After a slash there Are two other numbers representing the height of the tire from the tread surface to the rim measured As a percentage of the tires Width a for example 75. The letter a a re for radial a a by for Bias belted or a a do for Bias Only tires follows to indicate the design of the tire. After that is a two digit number showing the size of the wheel it fits measured in inches. Continuing along that line Are designations of whether the tire meets the tire and rim associations mud and Snow specifications noted by the letters appropriately the last bits of information closest to the tread Are ratings for tread Wear traction and temperature. Tread Wear is rated by a three digit number with 100 As a base. For example a tire with a �?o340�?� rating will last 3.4 times longer than a tire with a 100 rating under the same driving conditions. Traction is rated on an a by scale with a being the Best traction at 40 Mph on a wet surface. Temperature ratings also Are on an a by scale with a being the most resistant to the effects of temperature at 85 Mph. Now the Fine print comes in. Nearly All of the rest of the information is printed on the tire nearest the wheel rim. The longest Section involves tire safety warnings about inflation and what can happen if a tire is under inflated or overinflated. There Are descriptions of what the tire is made of its design the number of plies in the tread and sidewall whether the tire needs a tube or not and the loads the tire can handle. The recommended pressure when the tire is cold is also found on the Side. Much of the information on the tire is required by Law. Other information not required in the . But included Are markings for common Market countries. The code includes references to Load capacity Speed the country giving approval and the tire size and Type All in letters and numbers. All the numbers May not be easy Reading but following the manufacturers recommendations in inflation and care can prolong the life of a s what to Check out in used car if you plan on buying a used car Here Are the major things to look for and Check out. Rust a a Good indicator of big problems is rust at the Bottom of the door Sills. Severely rotted Sills in Britain in some cases warrant junking the car because it wont pass inspection. Suspension drive the car. If it shakes rattles or Rolls excessively have a closer look for larger problems with shocks Springs bearings and steering gear that could be expensive to replace. Use of Oil a Rev the car and watch for Blue Gray smoke issuing from the exhaust. If you see it when the car is idling steer Clear of the Lemon. Pull the dipstick out. If the fluid looks Brown there could be water in the Oil. This is often a sign of neglect and bigger problems inside the engine. Tires Battery worn tires and weak batteries sometimes filled up and charged up just for your test drive could mean expenses right off the Bat. Electrics a make sure everything works. A Small problem like faulty lights could be part of much larger problems in the often Complex wiring system of a car. Exhaust systems Worth a scuff or two on the jeans to Check for dangling bits of pipe or Muffler especially if the car is loud. Brakes a stomp on them Good and hard on the test drive. If they seem weak tend to fade or squeak there could be trouble. Professional advice when in doubt ask for Independent advice. The seller should Nave no qualms about letting you have a Mechanic at a garage or base Hobby shop Check the car out. The $25 or so you spend Here could save hundreds later. A
