Morris Minor Owners Club

This is an interesting site and may be useful for the chaps who are using marina/Ital engines, boxes and running gear. Check out their free workshop manual downloads, their forum is also easy to use as the same as this one.
http://www.cjw-consulting.co.uk/index2.htm

Probably very unfair on the marque, but when I worked for IMI if you had a shunt in your car, you were required to take the pool car as punishment, a 1300 Marina, while repairs were effected.
The difference between the car I shunted, a Cortina MK IV and the Ital were marked.
The cortina engine was bigger,the brakes were better and it felt more solid.
Or........the Marina engine was more responsive,the brakes more progressive and it felt lighter,depending on your stance.
Certainly the Cortina and the Cavalier bossed the company car market in the end.
It must break Ital/Marina enthusiasts hearts, when we talk about breaking them for spares for mogs.

"It must break Ital/Marina enthusiasts hearts, when we talk about breaking them for spares for mogs"

I agree, regrettably I think you are right, my memories of the marina/ital are not good. Rust buckets, under powered, unreliable, un-cool (cant quite believe I've just typed that), even my dad refused to buy one! Any how, there does appear to be quite a following and their site looks OK, they will probably hang me from a tree when they realise I am a minor vulture just keeping an eye on upgrades.