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Panda (Classic) SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica).

Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

I was a passenger in it at the show and is very close to completion now. Power seems good and it makes a great noise. It certainly feels like more than the supposed 85BHP book power. The turbo is a good one. Can't wait to race it down the strip.

Hopefully jets will be nearer by the Halloween event at SCR.
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

umm, you mean 70 surely;):cool:, bit of a typo there..

Ah yes, I mean 70 sorry.....I usually cruize at a steady 60 to save on fuel and occasionally venture up to 70 when overtaking. Maybe I can reach this illusive 90+ when I go to germany (y) At a guess based on what I have found I dont think 100mph would be much of a push.

Thanks for pointing out the typo, I could have got into trouble there.

Cheers,
Si
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

Good evening all,

Some news to report, I decided to take Marbella turbo to Castlecombe on saturday to see what further work needs doing and also to have a bit of fun in it finally!!!

The car is running reasonably, but might be losing power slightly from sooting up the plugs and generally running too rich, but generally pulls ok. A bit of fine tuning of the engine now and that'll be sorted but I have identified that the suspension is miiiiles away from a race car!! I knew it was bad but now I know what bad suspension actually does on the track I might pay more attention to it!! :eek:

Anyway, here is a video I took from inside the car:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q52pGLhLPGE"]YouTube - Seat Marbella Turbo at Castle Combe Action Day[/nomedia]

1 min 45s was the fastest lap time i got i think, but I think I could have done a lot better with a bit more practice. The session was just too short. Still great fun though, can't wait till I can do it again. :slayer:

Si
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

Nice. Certainly a lot of holding on required through the corners! Just as well you had a steering wheel to hold onto I suspect!

In the the vid I can't hear your car, but can hear everyone elses? Can hardly tell when you change gear!
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

Nice. Certainly a lot of holding on required through the corners! Just as well you had a steering wheel to hold onto I suspect!

In the the vid I can't hear your car, but can hear everyone elses? Can hardly tell when you change gear!

Yeah, its a pretty quiet engine really courtesy of the turbo i guess. Amazing that I have a neigbour who's complained to me about the noise it makes! Some people! I think once the scooby shoots off you can hear my engine a bit, but the wind noise drowns it out as the speed goes up :eek:

I felt like I was slipping onto the passenger seat at one point, got some mega road holding with those 185 Falkens :devil:

I've got the bug now though :eek: need more track time!! Any idea what a good lap time at combe is Lewey? Going to ask my Dad at some point but he's been away sprinting at Brans this weekend so I've not had a chance yet!

Si
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

Don't know what a good time is around there. I did it in my Wesfield and found myself in 4th and 5th for most of it. Its a very fast track and I have to say I found it a little boring due to be being a bit easy in all but the fastest cars. I bet it's thrilling in a car with legs.

Or of course a small Panda-based turbo modded car!

If you've got the bug, you should do a full day at a tighter track like Oulton Park, Anglesey or Cadwell Park. My nearest is now Mallory Park, which also looks good for a "less fast" car.
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

Cadwell park looks like the most fun, might try that next perhaps!

On another random note, I decided to weigh the car today using a highly suspect method of bathroom scales!!...773Kg (bit more than I thought but not too bad) and 20 Kg heavier on the drivers side, and 257kg rear weight and 516kg front. Got something to use now for getting the suspension set up. Should be fun :devil:

Si
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

Cadwell park looks like the most fun, might try that next perhaps!

On another random note, I decided to weigh the car today using a highly suspect method of bathroom scales!!...773Kg (bit more than I thought but not too bad) and 20 Kg heavier on the drivers side, and 257kg rear weight and 516kg front. Got something to use now for getting the suspension set up. Should be fun :devil:

Si

looking at it though, some the imbalance could be due to unlevel ground.

BTW where did you get all the scales from? you didn't just go out and buy 6 scales did you :eek: lol.
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

looking at it though, some the imbalance could be due to unlevel ground.

BTW where did you get all the scales from? you didn't just go out and buy 6 scales did you :eek: lol.
I did something similar when I setup my Westfield (now sold). Any incline does have a large effect of course! Scales are so cheap, probably £5 or less each? But at this price they can be pretty wild.

I think this is a useful exercise bearing in mind the limitations of accuracy of course. Given the racing pedigree of Pandas, perhaps this is about right!
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

looking at it though, some the imbalance could be due to unlevel ground.

BTW where did you get all the scales from? you didn't just go out and buy 6 scales did you :eek: lol.

Yeah, think the ground is extremely uneven!...but erm yes I did walk into Focus and buy 6 Bathroom scales!! :devil: They had to order 4 more in as they only had 2 in stock. They asked me what they were for, and I told them I am trying to watch my figure!

They all had to be the same manufacturer to be fair, so I couldnt be discrete about it and shop around. :eek:

I did something similar when I setup my Westfield (now sold). Any incline does have a large effect of course! Scales are so cheap, probably £5 or less each? But at this price they can be pretty wild.

I think this is a useful exercise bearing in mind the limitations of accuracy of course. Given the racing pedigree of Pandas, perhaps this is about right!

Agreed, I think this method is definately in keeping with Panda modification standards. About 10 times cheaper than the demon tweaks alternative LOL!

I think I'll take my many scales to a quiet petrol station fourcourt to avoid too much attention and for a nice flat and level bit of ground. But I've got a good initial indication and 773Kg isnt too far off what it should be I guess.

The reason I think the car is actually heavier on the drivers side though is that the car is leaning quite a bit to that side. Even with new springs on the front. Thats not including me sat in the drivers seat too!!

A bit of fun if not fully trustworthy.

Si
 
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Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

Also just noticed you said about a good lap of combe, I did some around 1.28's running budget tyres and manage some around 1.25 with some R888's with full interior, just decent suspension and brakes and about 10bhp over standard..

The 1.25's were on action days so traffic to deal with and the other times on a full day so sometimes totally empty track!
That was in a Clio mind..

I didn't ever time it when I did Combe in my Cinq turbo as that would of been a good comparision!
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

Also just noticed you said about a good lap of combe, I did some around 1.28's running budget tyres and manage some around 1.25 with some R888's with full interior, just decent suspension and brakes and about 10bhp over standard..

The 1.25's were on action days so traffic to deal with and the other times on a full day so sometimes totally empty track!
That was in a Clio mind..

I didn't ever time it when I did Combe in my Cinq turbo as that would of been a good comparision!

1.25, that makes mine sound a bit slow. I'd like to put it down to inexperience on my part and blame myself not the car at this stage...:devil:

On a plus note, I have improved the handling 10 fold by use of assistor springs on the rear leaf springs:

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Will give the car a wash tomorrow if the weather is good enough, its got a set of shiney new bonnet pins now :devil:

Si
 
Re: SEAT Marbella (Mk1 Panda replica)

Well gave the car a little clean up, removing all the greasy hand prints off...I am reeeally pleased with the shiney stainless bonnet pins!!

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I also might be on to something with the carb jets. Replaced an air corrector jet with a smaller one and its stopped the car from leaning on full throttle and has meant I dont need to set it insanely rich to get it to run!! Excited, maybe squeeze a few more horsies out :devil:

Si
 
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