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Bringing a Triumph Marlin Back to life


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Well after being off the road for many years my old Marlin, one of the original triumph based ones (without doors) is going to be brought back to life, I ordered the kit in 1979 and fetched it from the factory in 1980 then built it up using a scrap 13/60 estate as a donor car.

Once built it was my everyday vehicle for over 10 years then I got a land rover for winter use as although the front number plate made a good snow plough, I needed a winter vehicle as I was on call for the NHS and often need to go into work in the middle of the night in bad weather, over one winter (1993) the brakes seized up when sat in the garage so I stripped them down ready to refurbish them.

And that's as far as I got as wife and family got in the way, we moved house, the car dumped in the garage and everything else piled round it until my recent retirement and another house move when it emerged blinking in the bright light after so many years in the dark.

Original build is here http://www.jonger.co.uk/Marlin.htm and I will keep updating as things progress.

Jon Geraghty

Marlin emerging.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

Well after a much longer period than I envisaged I finally managed to get a storage container and had the car brought over.

Interesting to note the 40 year old tyres had stayed inflated so moving was quite easy, it rolled and steered ok, though the tyres are very hard due to their age, no brakes so wheels need chocking or it rolls back out the container :D

Its further away than I wanted but all the local storage companies are big on promises but short on coming up with the goods, luckily the storage I eventually got is cheaper so some compensation for the 20 odd mile journey. 

Next step is to get it up on axle stands so wheels can come off and a start made on removing body work and interior that I can take home to work on over winter in the warm and dry.

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Did have a Marlin a few years ago, had lots of kits over the years & the Marlin is well made, my one was Ford Sierra based but the builder had fitted a 4.6 rover V8 to it after getting it registered with the Sierra 2.0 dohc motor.

Rover motor was a bit too much for it really, over 200 bhp in such a light car was a bit mad with very careful driving on damp roads :D

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