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SambaS in AlpineLE Oh-dearage!


SambaS

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SUNDAY

 

I was at the NEC Classic car show with BenjyP and others representing the FSO UK Owners Club, which was ace.

 

That evening just as the show was winding down my blood pressure was gradually increasing, as a car I had in my eBay watch list was nearing it's final hours.

 

I thought I would bid up to £200. Alas some time on Sunday it went up to £260 and sat for a while so I had some thinking to do.

 

The car looked dog rough even on my phone's screen.

 

Anyway my self couldn't be helped:

 

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Things that didn't help the decision to bid on this car:

 

  • A flipping ace Talbot Tagora belonging to Boobydoo.
  • A mint low mile Alpine SX belonging to a chap from the owners club
  • Talking Simcas/ Talbots for hours on end with guys from the owners club.
  • Loosing out on one earlier in the year
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Talbot-Alpine-LE-1984-LAST-LE-LEFT-IN-UK-/271663224721?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3f4063d791

 

Top bombing!

 

Edit: LOL 2 THE MAX

 

 

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Does this (mingebag) model not even have door rubbing strips?

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FRIDAY

 

By 13:00 my day at work was completed and insurance was arranged for the car. I went to the bank and asked them for some new notes and we set to in the Samba Style.

 

 

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BenjyP?
 
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It rained heavily all the way from North Yorkshire to Ilkston in Derbyshire.
 
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We followed the sat nav to his address and there is was on his drive.
 
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I had a look round the car, which was as bad as I expected. It didn't run well, he drove it off his drive for me, and after brews all round and a spot of paperwork I attempted to drive home.
 
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The first two miles were VERY scary in rush hour traffic, the car steamed up. I had no idea where the choke was, or the heater, it wouldn't stay running, first gear required me to take both hands off the steering wheel and really force the stick hard to the left, second was much the same.
 
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We stopped at KFC, intending to stay there until late evening when the traffic/ my nerves had calmed down a bit.
 
What the fuck have I done?
 
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I was advised not to fill it up as the petrol tank leaks, so I stuck £20 in instead. It then took me ten minutes to get out the petrol station, compared to Tom's 20 seconds in the Samba, as I wan't sure if it was in first or third gear and the road was just too busy. Stress was had, then the sat nav took my to Ikea instead of the M1 North, by which time Tom had long gone!
 
Leaving Ikea I was in the right lane of a dual carriage way, attempting to move to lane one with the indicator on left but no one was letting me pull in and I was nearly side swiped by two cars. I don't quite know how I was meant to have moved into lane one in this circumstance.
 
The real terror started on the M1 North. 20 odd miles of roadworks and NO hard shoulder sent my anxiety through the roof of the car and into the heavens above! As did the stop start traffic with the GR1 gearbox, and the temp gauge gradually rising to above half. It also had a pretty prolific miss-fire and at one point when a Volvo caused me to brake hard the car swerved hard to the left.
 
Between Derbyshire and Woolley Edge Services in West Yorkshire, the next services 22 miles sign, at sub 50mph, made me want to cry, as I needed a wee and it was getting painful to the point I was considering my options, which given the lack of hard shoulder were limited!
 
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Anyway it made it home.
 
I filled the Samba back up, the trip was 100 miles each way give or take which cost me £32.80 in fuel (@ 44MPG) in the Samba.
And the £20 I had put in the Alpine in Awsworth, Nottinghamshire.
 
The seller filled the V5 in dated the correct date but said he'd delay posting for a week in order to allow "his" tax to run on for any ANPR/ DVLA cameras until the MOT runs out on Thursday.
 
I went to bed feeling disheartened.
 
Is this the end of SambaS' eternal optimism?
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

 

So what is a Talbot Alpine LE then?

 

Well it was the base model Talbot Alpine and wasn't very popular, hence was always rather quite rare in the first place. Sold almost ubiquitously with the 1294cc engine and a 4 speed gearbox, mine had the bigger 1592cc option ticked with a 5 speed box. The LE had no side rubbing strips and no chromework anywhere to be seen. It has no center console, no radio, and subsequently no ariel in the roof just a blanking plate. This car has grey chequers seats. The exterior is Talbot's Baltic Blue non-metallic. It has no power steering, no tachometer and no hubcaps.

 

I can't actually find the LE referenced in any of the ten brochures or more I have for this car dating from the Chrysler years right up to the end of Talbot Cars in the UK.

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SATURDAY SERIES 2

 

So what does [see text below copied direct from the advert] look like in real money?

 

"SPARES OR REPAIR BODYWORK VERY ROUGH ON DOORS AND WHEEL ARCHES ETC HOLES IN SILLS INNER REAR WHEEL ARCHES REAR SUSPENSION ARM AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE STICKING ON SLIGHTLY FUEL TANK LEAK SLIGHTLY WHEN TANK FILLED.CAR MOT`D UNTIL THE 27TH NOVEMBER TAXED TILL END DECEMBER CAR RUNS WELL USED DAILY .ENGINE WELL WITHIN EMISIONS."

 

"HERE IS MY 30 YEAR OLD TALBOT ALPINE WITH USUAL TATTY BODYWORK  .THE LAST LE IN THE UK ACCORDING TO HOW MANY LEFT WEBSITE.YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE A FAIR BIT OF WELDING DONE TO KEEP IT ON THE ROAD .I HAVE REPLACED TOP AND BOTTOM BALL JOINTS AND CV BOOTS THIS YEAR .I USE THE CAR DAILY IT GETS ABOUT 27 MILES TO THE GALLON AND HAS BEEN VERY RELIABLE FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS .HAPPY BIDDING.ANY QUESTIONS ?RING ME ON **REMOVED**.SERIOUS BIDDERS ONLY PLEASE!!!!

 
 
By the way just found out both rear wheels have slow punctures , also there are some holes under the battery ."

"Q: hi, how much structural welding is needed ? cheers john
15-Nov-14
A: hi john it needs 4 6-8inch plates on the sills 2 8-10inch plates on the rear inner wings 2 6inch plates under the battery and a 6inch plate on the rear passenger side suspension arm .thats it for welding but front passenger side brake is sticking on a bit .thanks for asking. Adam"

 

 

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Rear suspension arms need a bit of metal letting in.
 
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Inner arch needs a repair
 
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...both sides
 
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OS sill needs replacing
 
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Further along OS sill
 
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OS rear quarter needs replacing
 
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NS rear quarter may be saveable with a new arch let in and some work below the rear quarter glass
 
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Inner rear of sills/ inner arch surprisingly still in tact
 
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NS sill needs repairing
 
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An old repair to the floor
 
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The next few pictures show areas of the floor I expected to be as terrible as the rest but weren't.
 
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Apart from the battery tray which I haven't checked, under the bonnet is rather nice.
 
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Now THAT'S a collection saga. Tension, moody lighting, leaking petrol, jeopardy, fried chicken... Well worth the wait :-)

Well bought. Sounds like it'll be a lot better after some reasonably straightforward fettling - hopefully the gearbox struggles aren't a biggie.

 

EDIT:  Obviously it took me so long to type this that I missed the posts about scrapyards and epic amounts of rot underneath.  Bugger.

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As far as a 30 yr old Alpine gos, in reality the work that needs doing on the car isn't so horrific just time consuming. The main structures on Alpines used to last better than their reputation suggested and the main rot spot always used to be on the inner wings adjacent to the optional rear seatbelt mounts.

The Le spec on the series 2 cars was effectively the same as the pre October 82 facelift Ls. No centre console, no digital clock, no rear wiper, and no external rubbing strips either.

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SATURDAY (NOT MUCH LATER)

 

John: "That got tax and test?"

Me: "yep"

John: "Right we're off for luch in it"

 

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I'd say my rigger-booted scrapyard friend approves!

 

A REAL HONEST WALK AROUND THIS CAR

 

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How they all end up:
 
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