Vintage Thing No.166 - Marlin V8

Gareth entered the 2018 Camel Classic and is seen here in his Marin V8 with Roger Hancock's buggy and event scrutineer Adrian Booth

Gareth White’s Marlin runs a Rover V8 and its custom zorst means you usually hear it before you see it.  Marlin Roadsters are typically based on either Triumph or Marina components and evolved over a long production run from 1979 until the present day with the drivetrain out of BMW 3-series. Along the way, the Marlin Roadster also used Ford Cortinas and Sierras as donors, growing slightly in the process to accommodate the wider track.

Not so many V8s were built, however. Most common seem to be the Marina B series variety and with the back axle from a Marina van they make tough trials irons for Class 7. They’re nimble enough for the twisty bits and have a reasonable power to weight ratio. They are also very robust. Marlins don’t need much modification to be competitive in Class 7 but they usually sport 14 inch wheels and twin spare wheels and external toolboxes at the rear.

Another winter morning and another Camel Classic, 2019 this time.

Terry Richards built Gareth’s Marlin as a V8 in 88/89. Although originally intended for the Marina powertrain, any Marlin chassis can easily accept the Rover bent eight and I remember an all ally V8 Marlin around Devonport dockyard in the late 90’s that looked especially bad ass.

Gareth’s car has an SD1 engine with a Weber/Edelbroock 500 4 barrel carburettor and an SD1 LT77 5 speed box. It originally had an English Ford rear axle but the half shafts couldn’t take the strain so Gareth fitted an Atlas item.

I asked Gareth what else he’d done over the five years he’s had the car.

“We've raised the windscreen height by 4inches, cut an inch from the steering arms to increase the lock, lowered and moved my seat back 60mm and had to alter the tunnel and handbrake set up to allow the seat to go back. Raising the front torsion bars by 3splines gains height so it steers much better in the loose but has buggered up road manners somewhat. I’ve also fitted P6 hugger-type manifolds and built pipes to match. Widening the nose cone by 2 inches gave us 38% more air flow to the rad as she was always very, very hot before.”

Compare this view from the 35th Launceston Trial in 2021 with the earlier ones. Gareth has enlarged the grille aperture to improve cooling. Passenger, bouncer, and all round encourager Mark James taps his watch while his driver socialises with their mud brothers and sisters.

So that’s lots of little and not so little jobs in a programme of development that’s now produced a very competitive trials car – so competitive it’s been classified as an all-out Class 8 special. Whilst pleased not be up against it in Class 7, I’m not convinced this is entirely fair for the Class 8s are now so highly developed – especially those we get in ACTC day trials – the bigger, heavier Marlin V8 is at a disadvantage on the devilishly difficult restarts Class 8 entrants have to perform.

This a photograph depicting a ground shaking blip of the throttle

Apparently, the ACTC reclassified V8 Marlins as Class 8 after Terry Coventry enjoyed a virtual clean sweep in his Marlin V8 a few years ago.

It's not often I see this car this car this clean

The Marlin Owner’s Club estimate 2,500 Roadsters of all types have been built to date.  A V8 was a build option at the factory but it’s unclear how many options were taken up.

I remember seeing a silver/bare ally Marlin V8 around Devonport dockyard around the year 2000 and have a feeling it entered trials locally.

Gareth’s machine is now up for sale. As he puts it, it makes a great device for long distance MCC trials such as the Exeter, Land’s End and Edinburgh – certainly more comfortable than some of the Class 8s that you wear rather than get in.  

It shifts a lot of earth, too, no matter how difficult the restarts.