There is a very unusual Marston carb on Ebay, it's the normal Amal Marston type carb but with a bottom fuel feed.
This is something none of the Marston collectors have ever seen it looks like the carb came off an early Brittania (excuse me if I spelt that wrong) but with a "buy me now" price of £100 I don't expect the Marston boys will be beating a path to his door.
It's the cylinders that die on Marstons from the lack of flushing salt water corrosion, all the other parts seem to last for almost ever with the minimal amount of care.
So as with all things on Ebay it's buyer beware & try John first because his descriptions are accurate & his prices are often much less than Ebay.
"Marston" Carb on Ebay
Moderators: John@sos, charlesp, Charles uk, RickUK, Petergalileo
Interesting. The vendor claims that it came of a 1933 engine - in the same description he's saying he doesn't know much about Marston Seagulls.
I sincerely hope he hasn't got an original Marston in the same condition as the carb in question and broken it for spares! But as you say, Charles, it is an unusual carb.
I agree with everything you say about eBay. I'm getting very wary about buying stuff from people on there that I don't know. I have a private list of vendors I consider to be, well, dodgy. Some of the post and packing is outrageously expensive, too.
I sincerely hope he hasn't got an original Marston in the same condition as the carb in question and broken it for spares! But as you say, Charles, it is an unusual carb.
I agree with everything you say about eBay. I'm getting very wary about buying stuff from people on there that I don't know. I have a private list of vendors I consider to be, well, dodgy. Some of the post and packing is outrageously expensive, too.
Marston Carb
The carb could be not from a Marston but from a late model ON/DON, at the start of the war Seagull used an Amal carb with a bottom feed, nice carb but for that money you'ld expect the whole motor.
There's the whole early Seagull problem in a nutshell...
But I still have bad vibes about the engine this one came off - what happened to it?
Are we going to see the block next, then the fuel tank, then the gearbox...?
I suppose human nature being what it is there are people out there who mercilessly 'break' motors for spares, as a hard headed business venture. Shame for the rest of us who like to preserve what remains, but inevitable I guess.
But I still have bad vibes about the engine this one came off - what happened to it?
Are we going to see the block next, then the fuel tank, then the gearbox...?
I suppose human nature being what it is there are people out there who mercilessly 'break' motors for spares, as a hard headed business venture. Shame for the rest of us who like to preserve what remains, but inevitable I guess.
My earlier post was of course in error. The motor from which this carb was taken is in fact 1937 - which corresponds to Charles' estimate.
In fact the motor in question is an OP - manufactured between 1937 and 1941; it could indeed be a Marston or it could be a British Seagull. Either way, save for the decals on the tank, they're identical.
Scott Cresswell apparently has other bits of this example available.
In fact the motor in question is an OP - manufactured between 1937 and 1941; it could indeed be a Marston or it could be a British Seagull. Either way, save for the decals on the tank, they're identical.
Scott Cresswell apparently has other bits of this example available.