For Sale OK, let's do this thing. Talbot Solara 4 Sail

[wuvvum]

Before I change my mind again...

 

Most of you probably know the car.  It's the ex-Boobydoo Solara Rapier.  One of the last, on a C-plate, and with a sparkly new MoT as of last Saturday.  Here's a pic:

 

 

I'll take some more as soon as it stops pissing down with rain for long enough.

 

It's done just over 40K miles from new.  I don't have anything close to a full history with it, but judging by the overall condition I'd say it's genuine.  I do however have the original bill of sale, which shows that its first owned traded in a Peugeot 504.  Obviously a man of taste.

 

It's very solid for a Solara, and up until a couple of weeks ago it had never been welded.  It now has a plate on the rear of the offside sill, as MOT man's hammer made a 10p-sized hole which was near enough the jacking point to be a fail.  I've sprayed over the patch in completely the wrong shade of metallic beige, but it's not too noticeable down there anyway.  My local motor factor is crap at mixing up paint for older stuff, so I was buggered if I was going to spend 17 quid or whatever getting paint mixed up when it wasn't going to be a proper match anyway.

 

It has a few cosmetic issues - a patch on the offside C-pillar where the paint / lacquer has gone funny, a length of pinstripe missing on the offside front wing, which also has a dent in it (which could probably be pushed out if you took out the wheel arch liner and went at it from behind, but I've never got round to it  ).  The nearside corner of the front bumper has gone a bit weird, and there is a rust bubble on the leading edge of the front wing.  Overall though it's still a tidy car for its age, and could easily be brought back to vgc by someone less useless than me.

 

It had just had a new battery when I bought it off Boobydoo, and in my ownership it's had a new water pump and one brand new and three nearly-new Goodyear tyres (although I haven't had the rear two fitted yet).  Other than the obvious things like wiper blades, bulbs etc., it hasn't needed owt else.

 

Electrics are all good, with two minor exceptions - the oil light sometimes flashes (dodgy connection on the dipstick) - the car has an oil pressure gauge anyway so not a major issue, and the rear demister doesn't seem to do much.  Also I've had to bypass the screenwash switch and put in a separate button (which I haven't fitted into the dash as I didn't want to start cutting holes).  Oh, and the washer jets are universal replacements as the originals were blocked solid, but you'd have to be proper anal to worry about that kind of thing.  Also the heater is lukewarm at best, although this has improved since I fitted the new water pump.

 

It starts fine, drives well and goes like the clappers when needed.  Clutch and brakes are fine, power steering is good and the gearbox is as good as these 5-speed Peugeot units ever were.  It could probably do with a bit of a tune-up as it can hesitate slightly on a very light throttle, particularly when cold, and the idle can be slightly uneven, but it's still perfectly useable.  TO be honest I think a good Italian tune-up would probably do it a lot of good - I haven't tried becasue a) it isn't taxed and b ) if I start hooning about in it I'll then decide I don't want to sell it again.  Doesn't overheat or otherwise misbehave, and should drive anywhere it's asked to.  Like I say, it isn't taxed, but it's still on my insurance so can tax it if need be.

 

Does £500 sound fair?  Note that I will only sell it to someone who is going to give it the attention it deserves - if it's just going to be left to rot then it might as well rot in my ownership...

 

Edit:  Car is in NE Norfolk.  D'oh.

[Guest Breadvan72]

500 sounds like a barg to me.  V interesting car, GLWTS.

[twosmoke300]

Where abouts are you again?

[twosmoke300]

Oh and how many owners?

[HillmanImp]

He is a free man.

[wuvvum]

Yep, Norfolk.  I keep forgetting to put that in.   So about a squillion miles from you.

 

Oh and how many owners?

 

I'm the 5th.

[HillmanImp]

Yep, Norfolk.  I keep forgetting to put that in.   

 

TBH most people on here have probably bought a car from you or sold one to you so you would expect them to know. I suppose it helps for the few though. 

[eddyramrod]

Oh yes, very good, wait till I buy something, then do this... Looks a right bargain, GLWTS.

[vulgalour]

£500 for all that is super amaze value.  This is obviously a GLWTS post because I'm making it.

[Angrydicky]

Liked because this car is awesome. Dislike that you're selling it. 

 

Wuvvum kindly let me drive this around the carpark at P'boro a couple of years back and it drove very nicely. It's in lovely original condition as well.

[twosmoke300]

Norfolk is a ball ache from Cornwall but dad and I are tempted. hmm

[carlo]

Whatever happened to Boobydoo?  There's been a couple of Tagora threads recently I thought he would have contributed to.

[RobT]

Shame you have to sell it Dave, but let's hope it stays amongst us. I reckon Trig should make this his Acclaim replacement!

[dollywobbler]

Whatever happened to Boobydoo?  There's been a couple of Tagora threads recently I thought he would have contributed to.

 

Aye. Not seen him about this parish for a while, though always say hello when I see him at the NEC.

[trigger]

I reckon Trig should make this his Acclaim replacement!

 

We did have a little chat about it on Thursday but I'm after something with more umph.

[Cavcraft]

£500 seems an utter bargain for that.

[Split_Pin]

I think these are pretty much bona fide classic cars now, due to lots of people who will remember owning them or had a pal whose parents did and due to the fact that there are almost none left.

 

Without the OSF scene tax.

 

Bargain!

[wuvvum]

Couple more pics:

 

Bumper strangeness (I do have the chrome trim, it's in the boot).

 

 

Interior.  Mmm, brown.

 

[RichardMoss]

These cars are the epitome of the autoshite ethic. I had a W reg Solar SX and I can confirm that they really do go like shit off a shovel. The 1.6 engine produced as much power as the contemporary XR2/XR3 (also a good 20bhp up on a 1.6 Sierra) and were also pleasingly economical. The SX was loaded with toys (central locking, electric windows all round and even a trip computer).

 

I hope that it finds a sympathetic buyer

[trigger]

I hope Wuvvum doesn't mind but here's the link to the original advert from 3 years ago, I have to say it's looks fantastic now I've seen more photos of it, I'm half tempted myself!

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/9251-talbot-solara-rapier-for-salenow-sold/

[messerschmitt owner]

Ooh. Mrs MO would say no but I'd say yes. Each cancels the other out. Glwts

[trigger]

[wuvvum]

It looks like this may be heading back north of the border.  To a chap who already has an Alpine and a Horizon.  Will keep y'all posted...

[trigger]

Thank god for that, I was having discussions with the wife about it this afternoon and she said i could have it if i wanted! #dangeroustalk.