Project 1980 Talbot Solara 1.6 GLS

[Dayno]

Hi everyone,

 

Following on from my introductory post, I have just bought this Talbot Solara. 

 

 

It arrived with a plastic sheet over the passenger side front window as I was told it would not go all the way up by the previous owner. The driver side controls for the passenger window however seemed to work, albeit only slowly so I gave it a hand whilst pushing the switch and I was able to get the window fully up. The controls on the PS do not seem to work so I will have to look into this at some point, I just wanted to make sure it was watertight for now with winter coming. 

 

More importantly, as this is now to be my only car to get me to work and back, I have to try and sort out this fuel related running issue it has. It will run fine from cold, however once fully warmed (a few miles into driving) it will hesitate and splutter, particularly at low revs whilst using little throttle. As you come to a stop the revs sometimes drop off, going below idle and then it'll want to cut out, not good! Interestingly, if let to cut out, it then starts right back up and runs fine.

 

So far, I've tried soaking the idle jets in the carb with cleaner overnight (as mentioned in the previous thread during Squire_Dawson's ownership) and refitting to see if that made any difference however it soon after returned. As far as I'm aware, it has a new carb which was also recently adjusted so it may not be this. I'm thinking there is already dirt/sediment in the system which could be disturbing the flow. 

 

Today, I took off the fuel pump to see what it looked like inside - sitting on top of the filter, there was little bits of rusty sediment, which might have been enough to be causing this issue? I cleaned this up, refitted, and also put on an inline fuel filter between the pump and the carb to see if this made any difference and so I could see if anything gets collected on it's way to the carb.

 

Took it for a decently long drive afterwards to see if this worked and it didn't splutter/cut out at all which I'm happy with! It remains to be seen whether it stays like this though as it didn't used to do it on every drive so we'll see..

 

Overall, I'm enjoying driving her, the seats are comfy, it has a sprightly engine, and although a bit anti social, I like the noise it makes with the sporty backbox which was put on before I got it.

 

Here are some pictures of her:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Skizzer]

Welcome! Great that you’ve signed up so we can folllow the continuing adventures of this excellent motor vehicle.

 

Best of luck sorting out the rough running.

[Cavcraft]

Welcome in, what a great start to your Autoshite career!

[Dayno]

Not sure if the photos worked as the site crashed when I was trying to post the thread so I'll try again

 

 

[dollywobbler]

Full approval granted. Lovely!

[GeordieInExile]

That is gloriously shite. Welcome.

[Dayno]

Thanks everyone! I'm still restricted at the moment so might take a while for me to reply as not everything is showing up or going through quickly. 

[HMC]

Lovely! Thats featured on here before, at the time was spotted on car and classic IIRC.

[HillmanImp]

This has been here a couple of times before hasn't it. Quick google shows Squire Dawson had it a couple of years back.

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/25384-talbot-solara-gls/

[Dayno]

Thanks, yeah I've seen Squire's thread, I bought it from the owner after him.

[bangernomics]

Full winner status has been achieved. That is one sexy beast.

[Matty]

Niice!

[Split_Pin]

Super work! Whats cooler than a Solara with raised digit number plates and a black vinyl roof? Nothing on earth!

[BorniteIdentity]

What a miserable piece of shit.

 

Congratulations.

[davehedgehog31]

That's brilliant.

[Bren]

7 and 18 please.

[Dayno]

What a miserable piece of shit.

 

Congratulations.

 

 

Haha thanks, appreciate it!

[Braddon81]

That is gorgeous. One of the earliest Solaras left and what looks to be Coventry registered too. Join the Simca/Talbot club. There are a few well clued up people on there that can help you with spares and advice. Your wise to put an inline filter in the fuel system, Solara and Alpine fuel tanks are prone to corroding internally with age. Very much looking forward to your adventures with it!

[adw1977]

this is now to be my only car to get me to work and back

Hero.

[Isaac Hunt]

Reminds me again of the Orangey Gold one that a mate of mine Borrowed off his Mum whist we rebuilt the engine in his Dolly Sprint.

 

I remember the gearbox was a bit hit and miss and the camshaft death rattle had not fully matured into the crescendo of another mates Simca.

 

Lasting memory of the Solara was how shite they were and I recall thinking how refined my Dad's BL Princess was compared to the Solara.

 

When you think 81 on the W, they were up against Cortina MK5, Cavalier MK1, Princess, and a load of 'others', makes you wonder how they sold any, were they cheap ?

 

Great to see you running this fine part of our motoring history on a daily basis. It is good that some survive. The Alpine resto at Festival Of Unexeptional was epic, mind you so was the Carmine 2500S estate which in Sallon form predates that Solara by about 4 years. Must have been a different price point when new though. Then they gave the Allpine Solara a last push with those limited edition Rapier models.

[brownnova]

Excellent purchase!!! Happy commuting...

[privatewire]

Man alive, That interior is just splendid !

My old dad had a Horizon with similar looking seats, they are to this day, the most comfortable I ever sat in.

[Cavcraft]

A Solara AND a Corsa? Now that's just showboating.

[Zelandeth]

Just get in there as soon as you can to try to halt the rust...these cars do like to corrode in some very exciting places and more rapidly than would seem possible.

[Fumbler]

Dacia steering wheel. How gloriously cheap and shit. Eleventy out of ten.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Solara, the power to light up your life

[Noel Tidybeard]

When you think 81 on the W, they were up against Cortina MK5, Cavalier MK1, Princess, and a load of 'others', makes you realise how modern they were what with eclectric windows, trip computer & 5 yes 5 speed gearbags

 

 

EFA

[Squire_Dawson]

Okay, I'm probably expected to say something. Though all this is in my old thread. I bought the car from a gentleman who had collected a few interesting vehicles, it was for sale on Car & Classic for not a lot of money, I could see it was a rare early car and very well proportioned design so I arranged to have a look. Present with the car was some early history/paperwork. I had some work carried out (corrosion) to get it through an MoT test and bought a brand new carburettor for it which cost nearly as much as the car. I serviced it, changed all fluids etc and ran it for a few enjoyable months.

 

It needed more work than I was able to do it justice, if I had the space indoors it would never have been sold. The early Solaras are nicer than the common Series 2. I hope you will continue to give it the care it deserves, a shame to see its had a towbar fitted as previously it escaped this ignominy. The idle speed always did dip slightly when coming to rest, I just put it down to a quirk of the design.

[Dayno]

That is gorgeous. One of the earliest Solaras left and what looks to be Coventry registered too. Join the Simca/Talbot club. There are a few well clued up people on there that can help you with spares and advice. Your wise to put an inline filter in the fuel system, Solara and Alpine fuel tanks are prone to corroding internally with age. Very much looking forward to your adventures with it!

 

Thanks, good idea I'll probably do that. 

 

 

Reminds me again of the Orangey Gold one that a mate of mine Borrowed off his Mum whist we rebuilt the engine in his Dolly Sprint.

 

I remember the gearbox was a bit hit and miss and the camshaft death rattle had not fully matured into the crescendo of another mates Simca.

 

Lasting memory of the Solara was how shite they were and I recall thinking how refined my Dad's BL Princess was compared to the Solara.

 

When you think 81 on the W, they were up against Cortina MK5, Cavalier MK1, Princess, and a load of 'others', makes you wonder how they sold any, were they cheap ?

 

Great to see you running this fine part of our motoring history on a daily basis. It is good that some survive. The Alpine resto at Festival Of Unexeptional was epic, mind you so was the Carmine 2500S estate which in Sallon form predates that Solara by about 4 years. Must have been a different price point when new though. Then they gave the Allpine Solara a last push with those limited edition Rapier models.

 

Thanks, yeah the gearbox is a bit slack but easy enough to use once you get familiar with it, rattle doesn't seem so bad with this one although it's probably in part masked by the backbox lol. Saw pictures of the Alpine you mention last night, looks beautiful.

 

 

A Solara AND a Corsa? Now that's just showboating.

 

Bit different aren't they? Corsa is my Mum's and she hates the Talbot with a passion, says it's an old dog, she's kind of right I suppose (at least in appearance). 

 

 

Just get in there as soon as you can to try to halt the rust...these cars do like to corrode in some very exciting places and more rapidly than would seem possible.

 

Definitely, don't know where to start as it's gone in a lot of places already but at least it looks solid underneath. It's also had a lot of welding done recently. 

 

 

Okay, I'm probably expected to say something. Though all this is in my old thread. I bought the car from a gentleman who had collected a few interesting vehicles, it was for sale on Car & Classic for not a lot of money, I could see it was a rare early car and very well proportioned design so I arranged to have a look. Present with the car was some early history/paperwork. I had some work carried out (corrosion) to get it through an MoT test and bought a brand new carburettor for it which cost nearly as much as the car. I serviced it, changed all fluids etc and ran it for a few enjoyable months.

 

It needed more work than I was able to do it justice, if I had the space indoors it would never have been sold. The early Solaras are nicer than the common Series 2. I hope you will continue to give it the care it deserves, a shame to see its had a towbar fitted as previously it escaped this ignominy. The idle speed always did dip slightly when coming to rest, I just put it down to a quirk of the design.

 

Thanks Squire, found some useful information on your old thread which I appreciate. I would like to at least stop the rust from attacking it any more as it seems largely solid now, I wish I could keep it indoors but future plans will be to hopefully find some storage for it locally. The towbar was used by Jo for her vintage caravan which she took to shows but I have no use for it anymore so that'll be coming off It normally does dip when slowing to idle which I'm okay with if it's just a trait however sometimes it will drop completely which causes it to cut out so there's something not right. Once I drive it more I'll be able to tell whether that's been sorted or not.

[timolloyd]

Look forward to reading more about this. I've loved cars since I was a toddler in the early 80s, but Talbots passed me by completely, except as campers.