no no no....tell me its not true
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From wiki...
BMC developed a straight six cylinder engine based on the B-series engine in the late 1950s. It appeared in the Austin Freeway and Wolseley 24/80. Although successful in Australia, and tried successfully in the prototype MGC, the cost of retooling meant that the engine remained indigenous to Australia. In the early 1970s, a six-cylinder engine derived from the E-series was used in the Australian market for the P76 and Marina.
Its the last bit thats scary - a 6 cylinder MARINA? ..... OMG!
BMC developed a straight six cylinder engine based on the B-series engine in the late 1950s. It appeared in the Austin Freeway and Wolseley 24/80. Although successful in Australia, and tried successfully in the prototype MGC, the cost of retooling meant that the engine remained indigenous to Australia. In the early 1970s, a six-cylinder engine derived from the E-series was used in the Australian market for the P76 and Marina.
Its the last bit thats scary - a 6 cylinder MARINA? ..... OMG!
For a while it was intended to use the Marina as the BL rally tool then they realised the TR7 was the better device. I think some Marinas were built with Dolomite Sprint lumps as well as the A series & V8. The Marina was quite a good rally car in it's day. Car & Car Conversions ran one for a while.
1971 - my company Morris 1000, lacking first and reverse because the layshaft had given in several months before but the company refused to repair it - was changed for one of the first Marinas. 1275cc, "fastback coupé" as they tried to say at the time. Drum brakes and no servo, wipers that were set for LHD, a dashboard to die for - literally it was that bad. I ran into the back of a lorry the second day out and refused to drive it until they put a servo on; the company refused because it would cost £40. Stalemate but in the end I got the servo but they reduced my sales bonus because of the cost. Fast forward two years and the second one arrived in barf beige. I went to pick it up from the garage to where it had been delivered and found the gearbox jammed in first - completely US with 40 miles on the clock. Jesus - to think of a V8 or straight 6 version makes me shudder. Please, please, get this thread blocked; I don't need any more nightmares.
Google [bot] said:
Yep, and 3.3 & 4.1 litre Cortinas.
Usual conversions back in the day were V6 done by Crayford , Broadspeed and Jeff Uren - Savagenot forgetting the factory SA market Mk 5s - XR6 Interceptors , power seemed to be the driving force in the Southern hemisphere.
but at least all these had disc brakes
colin2296fs said:
slightly related, was the original mini not designed for a two cylinder engine, based on the a series, and was the prototype engine not on ebay a couple of years ago, or have i finally lost it and started hallucinating about cars now.
a two cylinder a series was made, but the designers quickly realised that it was junk - it shook like a s
tting dog apperently!i dont think it ever even made it into a car
the remains of one was found in a scrapyard a few years ago - i have a picture somewhere
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