Matra Murena 1983

[Lennart Sorth]

(this is an entry destined for the "My Cars" category, but how the %"#¤ do I move it there )


Bought it in 1995 when I lived in UK, and mainly because I wanted to import it to Denmark, I went for the 1.6 with no gadgets. In other words, no tinted glass, no electric windows.

Used it every day for transport in the years to come, but by 1998 I had a list of things that was gone wrong with my engine, and in particular carburettor jets, gearbox and bell housing that I decided to have MatraMagic convert it to Peugeot 1.9i.
I chose the 8-valve engine, with the "longest" available gearbox - and the result was very convincing - cruising in fifth with about the same revs as the 2.2 with the high fifth gear. 

In 2006 I realized that the custom designed air filter had cracked where I couldn't see it, and this unfortunately let too much dust and gravel into the engine, and it suffered conrod bearing failure.

I then had the engine completely rebuilt by experts in Denmark, who turned out to have had a long career rebuilding and tuning Peugeot 205's for rallies, so it was in the best of hands.

The result was a *very* strong engine, with a lot of torque all across the range and a max power rating of 136HP (205Nm torque). Much better than the when it was first installed.

In 2007 I celebrated having owned her half of her life, and expect/hope  keep her for years to come.