Imhotep’s foray into Italian cars…

[Imhotep]

So what happened was I wanted the Visa. And then what happened was insurance was expensive, so then what happened was I was browsing the ads and saw the Marea Bramz was selling. Mrs Imhotep thought it was a nice looking car and wanted to learn to drive. I don’t think a 155bhp 20v Marea is the ideal learner car of choice but it means my purchase would not be questioned. So off I went to Basingstoke. Much love to @alcyonecorporation for collecting me and dropping me there.

Now I’m on a phone so I can’t seem to manually add photos where I want them to be, only at the bottom of the page. So here’s what’s happened so far:

Bought it and drove it to a pub car park and took some photos, drove home on very old tyres on a flooded M40 which I did not like. 

On the way home I realised it’s a bit hesitant under load. Not overly so but enough to notice, so I changed the plugs. Plugs have a load of oil down the holes so I need a rocker cover gasket. Thankfully being an I5 these are available from a Fiat Coupe for less than £30 so I have one of those on order. After changing the plugs it now starts on 5 again but it’s still hesitating at about 4000rpm. It’s got a VIS but I can’t hear the engine note changing so I’m guessing the VIS motor is stuck. I’ve never rebuilt one before but if it’s anything like a Rover 75 one, it’s doable. For now I’ll deal with it hesitating.

I got some new tyres, nowhere seemed to stock the size so I had to get some Nankang NA-1s as it’s all I could get. All 4 replaced, driving a lot happier now. Tried to mend the radio and found the loom has a loose wire, I can’t exactly find where so I’m just going to get some new ISO plugs with a decent length of wire on, chop the old ones off quite far down the loom and solder new ones on, hopefully this’ll remedy it. 
 

Went to get fuel yesterday, opened the filler flap and the filler flap tried to make a break for freedom. However there’s 4 little holes the filler flap pushes into, these have become warped somehow which is why the thing doesn’t fit properly, I’ve got some very small self tappers I think I can bolt through the hinge and then into those little holes and I might be able to make it look factory fit.

Still to do in the immediate:

Cambelt - it doesn’t look too bad but the car has no history so better be safe than sorry

Full service - See above

Suspension - Quite crashy over bumps. Will look at drop links as the car came with a set. Rear shocks are proving VERY hard to find. 
 

Unsure if true as I am getting my data from HowManyLeft but apparently this is the last Marea ELX 155 20v saloon left, which is kind of cool. 

[Imhotep]

Currently trying to find rear shocks as I’ve got a hell of a banging noise from the rear end every time I go over a bump. Turns out while they don’t exist for a Marea, a Fiat Coupe has the same rear shocks, and so does a Kia Pride, apparently. So that narrows it down to more rare cars. Currently awaiting a logbook arrival so I can tax it, it’s currently hidden away in the corner of a car park near my parents’ house where the DVLA can’t find it until the logbook appears so I can tax it. Starting to grow on me this, I’ve actually missed driving it the last few days while awaiting the logbook. Next plan is to attack it with a dual action polisher and see if I can sort out the key marks and scratches. Discovered the passenger door is missing a check strap too. I’m betting that’ll be Marea/Brava specific so I may have to make that myself.

[Burnside]

Nice! Haven't seen a Marea on the road in a long time. My Sister had a Bravo 1.6 HLX years ago, which serviced us well once we got the injectors sorted. 

Looks in good shape, worth keep a eye on the rear sills and subframes as that's where they can get crispy from memory. 

I've used both these places below for my Stilo, they don't list the shock absorbers but could still be worth a message. 

You searched for fiat marea - Italiparts

Fiat Marea 2.0 20v Parts (shop4parts.co.uk)

[High Jetter]

  On 11/09/2024 at 09:19, Imhotep said:

Bought it and drove it to a pub car park and took some photos, drove home on very old tyres on a flooded M40 which I did not like. 

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Not the best colleckshun fread but I guess you'll be ok!😀

[Imhotep]

Wiring test. Radio didn’t work so a quick test stereo located and hooked up. Looks to be the radio for sure, only thing I can’t test on the aftermarket head unit is the steering wheel controls. Now at least I have some tunes. Old stereo is now on the ‘to mend’ pile. Can of pop on floor has also been digested. Irritatingly I went to change the droplinks today and found they’re 16mm. As in, the only socket missing from my socket set. Arse. Ah well, at least I’ve done something today. Once I’ve mended the VIS motor I might try to clean up the engine bay a bit. 

[Cento16v]

If you do this, you might not need to listen to the radio!

https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/air-box-modification.7540/

 

[Volksy]

I used to work for Fiat when these were new. 

Always really liked them, plenty of torque from the 5 pot, and a lovely noise. 

The original stereos had a flap covering the tape deck, these normally broke within a few days.. You could get a proper Fiat surround for aftermarket stereos IIRC. 

Rear lights misted up. Which could be resolved with silicone sealant around where the perspex cover glass joins the main unit. 

Cambelt 'can' be done with the engine in, Fiat book time was around 9hrs, as you were supposed to basically take the engine out to do it. This was certainly the case in the 5pot Coupes but the Marea/Brava Bravo shell gave you a little more wiggle room. 

ALWAYS check the aux belt, and replace it even as a precaution. These had a habit, even when only a couple of years old, to break up on the inner edge. This would cause the outer part of the belt to wind round the crank at the back of the bottom pulley and throw the cambelt out.

I think the Cambelt interval is supposed to be around 80k, but I wouldn't run them past 60k or 4 years. We saw a few come back in at Fiat with snapped belts around 70k.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

That is fabulous. I don't remember when I last saw one. 

Where is the rest of the navigation system? 

[Imhotep]

Took this out today to kick its head in a bit as I’ve been using the BMW all week. It’s running better and better every time I use it. I’m going to change the oil and filter and front disks and press it into daily service for a few weeks to get it regularly used. It still feels extremely slow however so at some stage I really need to try to strip down and repair that VIS motor (or ask a garage nicely)

[Imhotep]

Guess I’m keeping it now - just sorted out a cambelt change as I have no history for one and anyone who has or has had a 5 pot Fiat will know that ain’t a cheap job. Got a specialist local-ish (well, in Bloxwich, so 10 miles away) called Italia Autos who will take it on in two weeks. 

[gelertd]

If it’s the same place, I believe Neil at Italia Autos has a YouTube channel called, rather unsurprisingly Italia Autos.

Certainly knows his way round Alfas and Fiats

[Imhotep]

  On 24/09/2024 at 21:31, gelertd said:

If it’s the same place, I believe Neil at Italia Autos has a YouTube channel called, rather unsurprisingly Italia Autos.

Certainly knows his way round Alfas and Fiats

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It is, that’s how I found him funnily enough, I was trying to see if the engine on a Fiat Coupe was the same and stumbled across his videos and thought ‘Hmm, he has a Black Country accent, I wonder if he’s local’, did a google and here we are

[Imhotep]

See almost daily updates on this thing. 
 

Unfortunately my brother is quite poorly and has had to go to hospital today, so while that’s happened my old man has the BMW, so I’ve now HAD to press the Fiat into daily service. It’s not bad. #2 daughter seems to like it, #1 daughter wanted to know where her window switch had gone but otherwise likes it. I’ve not actually driven it at night as yet but I have just discovered green dials and red needles and now that’s sold me on the idea of having it permanently on fleet, I am a sucker for green dials and red needles. Part of me wants to keep it as the permanent daily driver but I might need to be assessed if I sell a 2014 BMW to keep a 1999 Fiat. 

To add, I don’t normally look that rough, it’s been a long day! 

[High Jetter]

Wait till you drive it...

[Spiny Norman]

  On 25/09/2024 at 20:47, Imhotep said:

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A whole quarter of a tank?

What is this sorcery?

[Imhotep]

  On 25/09/2024 at 23:22, Spiny Norman said:

A whole quarter of a tank?

What is this sorcery?

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Living 1.89 miles away from some of the cheapest E5 in England helps!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

What the fuck did the Gulf do to sell cheap E5 and still earn a 1.5/5 rating? 

[Imhotep]

  On 26/09/2024 at 16:03, Conrad D. Conelrad said:

What the fuck did the Gulf do to sell cheap E5 and still earn a 1.5/5 rating? 

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Not sell E5, for some reason they just say they do. They only actually sell E10, that’s their price for E10 fuel, people are very unhappy about this as you can imagine, thankfully I can get into Costco so I just use their fuel station 

[Imhotep]

Can you have nice things in a shit part of Birmingham? 
 

No, no you can’t. Come back from picking up sprog #1 from school and some fucker has bent the top of the door back to try to get into it. I can’t be arsed with this bullshit again, I’m gonna try to tidy it up and hope if the scrotes don’t think it’s a snotter then they’ll leave it alone, if not I’ll (very sadly) likely move it on towards the end of the year. Not that I want to in any way, shape or form, the 5 cylinder noise is great, but I’d rather it went to someone who will enjoy it without the risk of it being stolen/torched/smashed up. 

[Imhotep]

Whoever it was came back again last night to have another pop at it, this time instead just trying the door handles and trying to force the window down. Neighbour caught them and scared them away. Car is gonna be moved to my parents’ tonight, but that doesn’t have a great track record of being a safe place for it to be either. I’ve got the AX GT in the garage and no storage. I’ll have the cambelt done next week and then I’ll have to have a think about what to do with it. In the meantime if anyone wants to offer me monies, talk to me. 

[IronStar]

What the fuck is wrong with people? Police are probably not interested, despite having all they really need to ID the miscreant? 

Is it parked on the street or on the drive? If it's the drive, maybe have a cheapo camera pointing in its general direction? 

 

[Imhotep]

  On 02/10/2024 at 12:42, IronStar said:

What the fuck is wrong with people? Police are probably not interested, despite having all they really need to ID the miscreant? 

Is it parked on the street or on the drive? If it's the drive, maybe have a cheapo camera pointing in its general direction? 

 

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I live in a part of Birmingham that’s largely ignored due to the social problems sadly. Police aren’t and will never be interested. 
 

It’s not on a drive unfortunately, I live in a complex of flats so it’s in the car park downstairs. All the CCTV where I live isn’t real, all dummy cameras. There’s no CCTV for the entire block.

[Imhotep]

Hilariously, it’s now been reported abandoned by some curtain twitcher near my parents. The world does not want me to own this car it seems. I can’t store it anywhere at the moment so with that in mind, to prevent it being damaged etc, the belt will be done Tuesday and it’ll be for sale. I’ll do a proper for sale thread later when I’m home from work. I’ll basically be looking to just recoup what I’ve spent on tyres and cambelt etc, so it’ll be for sale for more than originally but still at a heavy loss. (Looking about £900) though if anyone wants to bid me to get it gone, feel free. I’m not gonna entertain offensively low offers though. 

[wesacosa]

I'd be more inclined to keep it to piss them off

[Imhotep]

  On 04/10/2024 at 15:13, wesacosa said:

I'd be more inclined to keep it to piss them off

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I used to, but then I found them having windscreens smashed and doors kicked in etc. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

  On 02/10/2024 at 12:47, Imhotep said:

I live in a part of Birmingham that’s largely ignored due to the social problems sadly. Police aren’t and will never be interested. 
 

It’s not on a drive unfortunately, I live in a complex of flats so it’s in the car park downstairs. All the CCTV where I live isn’t real, all dummy cameras. There’s no CCTV for the entire block.

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somewhere around neechels then?

[Imhotep]

  On 04/10/2024 at 22:45, Noel Tidybeard said:

somewhere around neechels then?

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Erdington, I’m not sure Nechells is any better mind

[Lacquer Peel]

  On 01/10/2024 at 15:45, Imhotep said:

Can you have nice things in a shit part of Birmingham? 
 

No, no you can’t. Come back from picking up sprog #1 from school and some fucker has bent the top of the door back to try to get into it. I can’t be arsed with this bullshit again, I’m gonna try to tidy it up and hope if the scrotes don’t think it’s a snotter then they’ll leave it alone, if not I’ll (very sadly) likely move it on towards the end of the year. Not that I want to in any way, shape or form, the 5 cylinder noise is great, but I’d rather it went to someone who will enjoy it without the risk of it being stolen/torched/smashed up. 

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I am interested if you decide to move it on. Hope you can enjoy it and it stays unmolested though. 

[Imhotep]

Belt and water pump changed. Decided we'll keep this as a middle finger to everyone that reports it abandoned, and we're going to get a company to fit an alarm of some sort in case it gets broken into again. We've managed to find a source of (some) parts in case stuff gets broken. 

Only thing to remedy now is something I forgot - When stone cold the car runs like arse (as in, can hardly move itself along in second gear) - as soon as it warms up even a tiny bit it runs absolutely fine. If anyone has ANY idea, I'd be interested to hear it.

Now I need to mend the fuel filler cap (some NOS ones on ebay atm) and fit a check strap to the passenger door because I'm genuinely terrified Mrs Imhotep or one of the sprogs will let the door blow away and then dent it. Thankfully there's also check straps on ebay. I'm also going to try to G3 the paintwork to see if I can get rid of the scratches in the door and rear quarter. If I'm able/depending on cost, I may have the bodyshop try to pull the dents out of the bonnet too.

[AnnoyingPentium]

I am very very glad you've decided to keep this. This Marea needs to survive.