brownnova Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 Oooh what an awesome purchase!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 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: ProgRocker and dollywobbler 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanky Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 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! RobT, Slartibartfast, theorganist and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcars Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 Read some lad in Marbella was found kneecapped and with a glasgow smile. Possible a hit and run with this?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuboy Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 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? oldcars, theorganist, tooSavvy and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooSavvy Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 ^^ aye, make sure it has pez! Or it'll gan 'pinyatta, pinyatta, pinyatta....' and you will have to walk egg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanky Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 I've got half a can of pez, in an 850cc engine that should get it to Norway and back, right? phil_lihp, theorganist, Talbot and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandamonium Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 Yeah, I could have sworn they were the 903 lump. Mine was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanky Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 Weer outta heer RobT, M'coli and Jim Bell 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 I love how that clock has a dedicated button to reset the seconds when it doesn't display seconds. GeordieInExile 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanky Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 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. Spottedlaurel, Skut, Dirk Diggler and 30 others 33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandamonium Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 Epic. Love it. As for the brakes, TADTS... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fumbler Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 What a lovely little car, and what a lovely little* yard. Nice that the car co-operated with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Hunt Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_lihp Posted September 15, 2018 Author Share Posted September 15, 2018 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... Slartibartfast, DVee8, theorganist and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappy Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 Brilliant little caper thus far. I'll have to keep an eye out here for a lil Marbella on the move! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 Looks like it'd fit in my topbox next time I ride to Scotchlund!Smoll car from when smoll cars were smoll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 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. phil_lihp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theorganist Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_lihp Posted September 16, 2018 Author Share Posted September 16, 2018 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_lihp Posted September 16, 2018 Author Share Posted September 16, 2018 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 Doesn't sound a difficult system to rip apart, tidy up & rebuild to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticvandan Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanky Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_lihp Posted September 16, 2018 Author Share Posted September 16, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 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! wuvvum 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 shoulda tow poled it behind the lolvo or made slarti put it in the back Slartibartfast 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanky Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_lihp Posted September 16, 2018 Author Share Posted September 16, 2018 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. Jim Bell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M'coli Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 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. Slartibartfast 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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