Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

New Member from Rome Italy

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • New Member from Rome Italy

    Hi guys

    I'm Simone, 47 years old from Rome, Italy.

    I bought a beautiful red Marlin Roadster (Marina) the 16th of november and I'm approacching tho this world now.

    I'm an Alfa Romeo fan, since 1987 I've owned: Alfa 33 1.5 boxer, Alfa 145 1.5 boxer, Alfa 156 1.6 TS, Alfa 147 1.9 JTD, and now I'm driving a red Giulietta 1.6 Diesel.

    Finally I'v bought a Marlin Roadster as something similar to the old Alfa from 30's, and red of course!!

    My roadster has 1.798 Leyland engine, and.....original tires (dot 1985) size 185 70 r13.

    So my questions are:

    1) which new tires do you suggest (same size)? Someone has installed whitewall tires i.e.?
    2) which is the best engine oil for this car? The previous owner give me on litre of oil (very dark) but in a water bottle, so it's impossible to understand what oil is really (and he didn't know also).

    Thanks a lot.

  • #2
    Re: New Member from Rome Italy

    I would use 20/50 motor oil not any kind of synthetic oil..
    Stick with 185/70/13 tyres...
    Sounds like you need an Alfa engine in her so it completes the 1930 Alfa look..

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: New Member from Rome Italy

      Originally posted by dbazdavies View Post
      I would use 20/50 motor oil not any kind of synthetic oil..
      Stick with 185/70/13 tyres...
      Sounds like you need an Alfa engine in her so it completes the 1930 Alfa look..
      Thanks.

      20/50 oil like Motul Classic or Kroon Classic?

      For the size tyres ok, any suggestion about brands?

      Probably in the future I'll change the leyland engine with an alfa engine, the alfa 1.750 cc myth of course!!!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: New Member from Rome Italy

        Use the same size tyres, no particular make, but tyre pressures will be about 140kpa / 1.4Bar. A lot of the comfort comes from the deflection of the side wall of the tyre and that varies from brand to brand.
        MOC member since 05/97
        1984 Marlin Roadster SWB.
        1800TC, Unleaded ported head, stage 2 cam. Ford Type 9 gearbox, Dolomite Sprint rear axle fitted with MGF disc brakes.
        Three core radiator, Renault Clio vented front discs.
        The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

        Loads of Marlin Reference can be found documents here or there.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: New Member from Rome Italy

          any 20W50 oil will work...even the cheapest one....

          you need to consider that today´s oils are much better than in the 60ies / 70ies when those engines have been constructed.

          what i want to say: even a cheapish modern oil, is much better than a standard quality oil used in the 70ies

          tyres: keep the same size...they work well with the car´s weight and suspension layout

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: New Member from Rome Italy

            WP_20151122_12_21_21_Pro.jpg

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: New Member from Rome Italy

              Here we are......this is a pic of my new car.

              Some things to adjust in the next future:

              1) change the wheels because they're the original ones (dot 1985)

              2) check the speedo because it doesn't work

              3) check the main lights and the clacson

              Other typical things: a good smell of gasoline and a leack of oil from the underside of the engine (clutch bell housing or gear box probably).

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: New Member from Rome Italy

                Depending on your speedometer the cable could, and probably is a custom one. There are several companies who can make a new one in the UK.

                It may be that the drive gear in the gearbox has lost its teeth. This is easily replaced with a Triumph part.

                Usually, 1000rpm on the speedo cable is 60mph.

                A smell of gasoline is important, the carburettors are directly above the exhaust manifold.
                It could be caused by old rubber pipe that does not like the current ethanol fuels.

                Many of the parts, resistant to ethanol are available here. Or from MGB specialists if it is a twin carburettor engine.

                Oil inside the bell housing can only come from two places. The engine crankshaft bearing seal, which means removing the engine, or the bottom bolt securing the gearbox to the bell housing, that should have a copper sealing washer. Other places are possible, but either way, the gearbox must be separated from the engine. Checking the gearbox oil level in a Marlin is difficult if not impossible as it is inside the transmission tunnel.
                MOC member since 05/97
                1984 Marlin Roadster SWB.
                1800TC, Unleaded ported head, stage 2 cam. Ford Type 9 gearbox, Dolomite Sprint rear axle fitted with MGF disc brakes.
                Three core radiator, Renault Clio vented front discs.
                The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

                Loads of Marlin Reference can be found documents here or there.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: New Member from Rome Italy

                  Thanks.

                  The speedometer (or tacho) is a Smiths one.

                  There's a piece of black cable (at least 15 cm) that come outside from it and finishes with a plastic pin behind the dashboard.

                  For sure, at 4500 rpm in motorway I was at 130 km/h so at 208 mph, it means less than 60 mph per 1000 rpm.

                  I'm pretty sure of that because my gf was following me with another car and she get the measure of my the speed with the tacho of her car.

                  For other checkings, I'm an engineer but not a mechanic and so I will find a good one specialized in english classic car in Rome to follow my Roadster.

                  Out of all I can say that the car is really amazing to drive and for people that look at me in the street of Rome, smiling and saying good bye to me.

                  It's like to be a celebrities!!!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: New Member from Rome Italy

                    Hi Simone,
                    I thought to be the only Marlin driver in Rome. Happy to know to be a fault of mine. My Roadster is powered by a 1275 Morris Marina A serie engine dated 1972 and currently, is perfectly driving up and down the 7 hills of Rome.
                    As a new Marlin's driver please be aware that the Marlin in Rome doesn't allow you to: parking it near a passage of Japan tourist; make a bank robbery ; and to be........ unfaithfull to your Lady.
                    If you nlike please contact me [email protected]
                    Ciao
                    Roberto -Rome

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: New Member from Rome Italy


                      Welcome Roberto!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: New Member from Rome Italy

                        Thanks to the forum and to Marlin of course, last weekend I met Roberto and Micaela, a beautiful couple of persons very passionate for Marlin.

                        Roberto in particular knows everything about the car and during the years has bought a ton of spare parts.

                        That's the face to face....

                        IMG-20160417-WA0003.jpg

                        IMG-20160417-WA0016.jpg

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X