Sold Sold

[phil_lihp]

Right, I've been a twit again and won a car off Ebay with no real idea of how to collect it within the seller's 1 week time frame.



Before I resort to Shipley, anyone near Oakhanger in Hampshire fancy acting out their Spanish hire car fantasies and collecting/looking after a 1991 Seat Marbella for me for a couple of weeks? Or even delivering it to Devon?

Link for the curious :

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-SEAT-MARBELLA-3-DOOR-HATCH-850-MANUAL-ONE-OWNER-FUTURE-CLASSIC/232915859218?_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1

I'm mildly annoyed with myself as I really shouldn't have bid, the timing could be better but this is a bucket-list car I've wanted since I almost got one as my first car 16 years ago so I couldn't miss the chance, even though the colour is slightly hideous.

Yours optimistically....

[bramz7]

Possibly yes. As long as you insure it and tax it....I'll have to check my calender though!

[phil_lihp]

Good lord that was fast!

 

Of course yes, I'll tax and insure it before anyone goes near it.

 

Thank you, give me a shout if you can!

[Stanky]

Likewise, just up the road from where I work, and could feasibly be stored in the work carpark for a bit (like 2 weeks) if that helps? Work is in Petersfield, or it could potentially come to Fareham instead?

 

How drivable is it?

 

Edit to add - I could collect one evening I reckon?

[Wingz123]

If you get stuck or need a hand - drop me a pm,

 

Thanks,

 

 

James

[phil_lihp]

Amazing, thanks also!

 

It does run and drive, I'll fill in details once I've made contact with the seller.

[phil_lihp]

I have just noticed it has bull bars. Any doubts as to the wisdom of this decision have been laid to rest.

[DSdriver]

That looks cute. Citroen did a Splash edition of the Mk1 AX as well. Must be a smoll car thing.

[SierraMikeHotel]

Well bought sir!

 

Sadly I'm really booked up for the foreseeable but I'd love to do a delivery mission like this - shiters should certainly always ask.

[Jim Bell]

You have done it right again. Looks like a canny Marbella fella.

[wuvvum]

Looks like a canny Marbella fella.

Would one pronounce that "Looks like a canny Marbayer fayer"?

[pandamonium]

I love it! Roffle?

[Jim Bell]

Would one pronounce that "Looks like a canny Marbayer fayer"?

The rayer in spayer falls mostly on the player.

[phil_lihp]

There are some very nice people on this forum, I'll say that much. We'll disregard that if it weren't for this forum I wouldn't have found this car in the first place; sometimed the poison and andidote are in the same glass.

 

Anyway, anyone owned one of these before? It clearly has had rust issues according to the MOT, I always assumed these were a slightly less high quality Panda with a happier face, louder colours and plastic cladding, anything else to add? Note that I have never driven either a Panda or Marbella so I have only vague ideas and assumptions to go on.

[pandamonium]

I've owned both, and I'd say one thing. 

Imagine the most basic and agricultural vehicle you can imagine and then forget about it this will be worse. Bloody loved mine, wish I'd kept it. 

[Wingz123]

Don’t the speedo’s on these go up to 160mph? Lol I’m sure I remember peering through the window of one of these when I was a boy as there was one parked near my aunts house. Definitely mph not km/h

[blakey79]

Willing and able here, from Basingstoke.

[phil_lihp]

Collection is being organised, huge thanks to all who offered! Further updates will be provided as they occur.

[Skizzer]

Anyway, anyone owned one of these before?

 

No, but four of us rented one for a week’s holiday in the Pelopennese in about 1996. We were staying in a tiny villa (more of a hut really) at the top of a hill, a 5-mile 1-in-4 donkey track away from the village / beach / tar road.

 

My ears didn't stop bleeding until 2003.

 

It was great fun though.

[phil_lihp]

A most helpful shiter has stepped in and saved the day, collection is on for tomorrow. I'm slightly apprehensive about its true condition but excited!

[phil_lihp]

No, but four of us rented one for a week’s holiday in the Pelopennese in about 1996. We were staying in a tiny villa (more of a hut really) at the top of a hill, a 5-mile 1-in-4 donkey track away from the village / beach / tar road.

 

My ears didn't stop bleeding until 2003.

 

It was great fun though.

I'm going to have to hire this out I reckon, it's what they were made for. Unofficially of course.

 

Also these are getting proper rare, I read somewhere that there's only about 120 left. Might be wrong but I haven't seen one in real life for years.

[dollywobbler]

YES! Not sure how I missed this, but you win again.

[skattrd]

That looks GR9.

It's a posh one, it's got 2 speakers, I  bet it has a clock as well.

[bramz7]

I bet this is a brilliant thing to drive round town in. And non NSL A roads.

 

I'd say 120 is more than I expected to be left, I haven't seen one for ages.

[phil_lihp]

That looks GR9.

It's a posh one, it's got 2 speakers, I bet it has a clock as well.

It's really posh, it has a sunroof (masticked up I believe ).

 

Random thought, 850cc makes this the smallest engine I've had in a car, 954cc in my AX was the previous winner. I think these are some ancient powerplant Fiat had long since thrown away, from what little info I've seen.

[phil_lihp]

YES! Not sure how I missed this, but you win again.

It will of course be available for Hubnut assessment if desired.

[skattrd]

The Panda was available with a 750cc motor, my local garage had one I used to borrow frequently, it was very slow.

It generally ran on "mix" basically anything drained from petrol/diesel cars filled with the wrong fuel, but it would run. It was bogo spec, 1 speaker, no clock, and possibly drum brakes all round (I'm guessing here) but the brakes were utterly shite.

 

To me that was a proper drivers car, to make progress you had to change gear at the perfect time, keep momentum, and plan everything well in advance.

[dollywobbler]

Thought Marbellas were all 903? Could be wrong. I was a mere 12 when we had one as a hire car in Mallorca. Best holiday ever! It had 55 miles on the clock.

[Simonsays]

I had one of these as my first 'new' car.

 

It lasted a couple of years and about 50k miles before the first rust bubbles appeared on the wings and the bottom of the doors.... It had a new clutch fitted because it had started to slip and was then chopped in against a new Micra.

 

I'm amazed that there are any still left in a working condition.

[Skut]

Anyway, anyone owned one of these before? It clearly has had rust issues according to the MOT, I always assumed these were a slightly less high quality Panda with a happier face, louder colours and plastic cladding, anything else to add? Note that I have never driven either a Panda or Marbella so I have only vague ideas and assumptions to go on.

Marbella has cruder rear suspension and road manners. Pandas from 86 on got the coil sprung omega rear suspension off the Y10. 4x4s kept the cart springs. Marbella are more rust resistant. It wasnt unusual to see Pandas running around with Marbella doors to replace the frilly originals. I bet your bull bars are worth a lot to the Panda 4x4 crowd.

 

The Panda was available with a 750cc motor, It was bogo spec, 1 speaker, no clock, and possibly drum brakes all round (I'm guessing here) but the brakes were utterly shite.

Discs at the front M9. Servos however reserved for 4x4s and Selecta until very late on. 750 was gone from price lists after 92