Sold Sold

[brownnova]

Oooh what an awesome purchase!!!

[wuvvum]

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.

Nope, the base models were defo 843cc - I remember reading up on them when they were new.  Basically nicked from this:

 

[Stanky]

And we're off (to work, then) collectioning!

 

emergency kit packed, pictures of the queen extracted, seller briefed on an arrival time. Updates to follow!

 

 

Should be everything we might need in there. Hopefully we won't need any of it!

[oldcars]

Read some lad in Marbella was found kneecapped and with a glasgow smile. Possible a hit and run with this??

[stuboy]

And we're off (to work, then) collectioning!

 

emergency kit packed, pictures of the queen extracted, seller briefed on an arrival time. Updates to follow!

 

DSC_0004.JPG

 

Should be everything we might need in there. Hopefully we won't need any of it!

no straw donkey?

[tooSavvy]

^^ aye, make sure it has pez! Or it'll gan 'pinyatta, pinyatta, pinyatta....' and you will have to walk

[Stanky]

I've got half a can of pez, in an 850cc engine that should get it to Norway and back, right?

[pandamonium]

Yeah, I could have sworn they were the 903 lump. Mine was.

[Stanky]

Weer outta heer

[wuvvum]

I love how that clock has a dedicated button to reset the seconds when it doesn't display seconds.

[Stanky]

Not quite live thread update! Rural Hampshire in shite 3g coverage shocker! Pages 8-11, 37, 396 and 412-1087. I'll be writing to my MP about this.

 

So, knocked off work, jumped in Slarti's lolvo and roved off up the A3 in style. We drove up to Oakhanger, a nice village nestling in the picturesque and frequently remodelled at taxpayer's expense Longmoor Ranges and I expertly naviagted us to some guy with a massive RV's front garden. After a quick phone call, we drove down the road another few hundred yards to where we were actually supposed to be.

 

It was pretty choddy TBH

 

 

SLAMT

 

Slarti enquired about it and was told it had shat its timing chain because plastic. The guy seemed displeased with it. I think it might be donating parts to another less knackered looking one nearby.

 

 

5 (I think) RR classics or whatever they are.

 

We poured dino juice into the SEAT

 

 

Then had some lolz trying to get any kind of phone reception to get Phil_lihp's address to fill in the V5 with. Eventually the guy admitted he had wireless that we could connect to and I got the deets for him. Then we sorted out the tacks for it (the last step) and I checked for fluids after handing over some pictures of the queen.

 

 

recent oil, some coolant, spare tyre under the bonnet like all winner-mobiles.

 

Turned it over and it fired right up. Matey selling it said it ran well, but the brakes "rewarded a good shove"

 

And off we went!

 

The car ran really well, a surprisingly willing engine, powering a light car made progress swift, gears were found in the porridge pot that was connected to the gearstick, including an episode up a hill where I had an awful lot of trouble finding third and by the time it was located had lost so much speed I had to go back into second anyway. Slarti said the reverse lights kept coming on!

 

Indicators worked, I couldn't figure out the lights until Slarti found the rocker switch on the dash which made it all work.

 

Petrel was found!

 

 

And paid for. I also got a scratchcard and won my money back. Cha Ching indeed.

 

Then we set off for the work carpark for the SEAT to call its home for a few days. This involved the A272 which is a cracking road, light was fading and I still hadn't figured out the lights yet so I drove it along as quickly as my knowledge of the road would allow.

 

Soon enough we arrived back at Marbella HQ, having needed only the pez from the emergency kit

 

 

 

 

Overall its a great little car, surprisingly willing engine, great handling if a bit bumpy with the cart springs at the back, light steering, unassisted of course. the lights work. It has a single wiper for bonus DW points and while its a bit crusty (you can see the road through one bit of floor) overal its not bad.

 

What does have to be said though is that the brakes are terrifying, bum-clenchingly, OMGWEREALLGONNADIE ineffective. mashing the pedal to the foor elicits a barely perceptible reduction in motion, think 'driving into a very gentle breeze' and you're about there. Braking requires a lot of forethought and the use of the gearbox, but it does eventually stop. eventually.

 

Luckily the roads were quiet, and I knew them pretty well so we got back without an issue, at one point I was doing a sustained 60mph (indicated) which Slarti reckoned was an indicated 55mph in his lolvo which was following behind. Nothing fell off, and the engine seems happy. It'll stay with us for a little while, and we'll organise the next leg of the journey to chez Phil_lihp.

 

23/11.7. Fun car, would like to drive again, Not on a motorway, or anywhere that sudden braking is required though.

[pandamonium]

Epic. Love it.

 

As for the brakes, TADTS...

[Fumbler]

What a lovely little car, and what a lovely little* yard. Nice that the car co-operated with you.

[Isaac Hunt]

Lucky it isn't the one me and the lads hired a few years ago on the lads holiday to Megamuff. That one had a had a hard life before we got it for three days.

 

I can't remember the brakes, but recall how the little power plant was a revive little engine.

 

You just do't see them over hear these days

[phil_lihp]

Huge thanks to Stanky and Slarti for this, they've been brilliantly helpful and resourceful in the face of my lack of communication due to Scottish remoteness.

 

A brief phone conversation with them last night included the phrase 'absolutely terrifying' so I'm even more keen to get behind the wheel now.

 

More to come once I'm back next week, collection mission stage 2 countdown has begun...

[Slappy]

Brilliant little caper thus far. I'll have to keep an eye out here for a lil Marbella on the move!

[Guest Hooli]

Looks like it'd fit in my topbox next time I ride to Scotchlund!

Smoll car from when smoll cars were smoll.

[Slartibartfast]

I took it for a spin round the block and the brakes were so non-existent and my grasp of the concept of a manual gearbox so much diminished from driving only autos for six months that I headed back to base quick sharp before something went wrong.

 

It's a hilarious little car. Gets up to speed very quickly. Clutch is grabby, throttle is very sensitive. Steering is good. It's very chuckable. I'm rather jealous.

[theorganist]

Looks great, love the colour. Certainly fancy one of these one day.  My July 1991 What Car lists two models the 850cc "Jeans" and 900cc "GLX" which must have been very posh to have three letters making up its trim level! The June 1993 What Car only lists two 900cc versions.

[phil_lihp]

You're both welcome to frighten yourselves senseless with it as much as you like until I can come and drag it home - I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume motorways are best avoided?

[phil_lihp]

My only gripe with it is that really these cars need white steel wheels with centre caps. Those trims are probably original but look like poundshop specials!

[Guest Hooli]

Doesn't sound a difficult system to rip apart, tidy up & rebuild to me.

[plasticvandan]

May be no more than glazed pads/drums and a fluid change needed my 86 panda brakes were shit as well,mind,you so was the rest of it!

[Stanky]

There is plenty of space to work in if we wanted to arrange a more substantial going over before its journey back to the west country?

[phil_lihp]

I'm truly amazed at you lot, I certainly won't stand in your way but don't feel you have to! I would guess lack of use and seized calipers probably a fair bet.

[dollywobbler]

I love how that clock has a dedicated button to reset the seconds when it doesn't display seconds.

 

That's not what it does. It resets the minutes to zero, so if it's 12:25 and is reading incorrect at 12:30, you can reset to 12:00 to save a few seconds of button pressing and get you to the correct number more quickly. Got to love the Japanese!

[hairnet]

shoulda tow poled it behind the lolvo

 

or made slarti put it in the back

[Stanky]

I'm truly amazed at you lot, I certainly won't stand in your way but don't feel you have to! I would guess lack of use and seized calipers probably a fair bet.

 

The braking that happens certainly seems to be even, if not effective. Also there is no binding, with an engine this size it would be very apparent if that was the case. Also dead easy to push around.

[phil_lihp]

That is good news. Probably just hopeless brakes as designed then!

 

I could always just put it in the van I suppose. Might need to fold the mirrors in.

[M'coli]

Does the braking improve by pumping the pedal? If not it's air in the system or rear brakes out of adjustment. The latter can be ruled out by pulling the handbrake on and seeing how that changes the pedal travel.

Next stop is a jar/bottle and a brake bleed hose.