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Panda (Classic) John Dragon Man's Seat Marbella Fun

Introduction

Well guys and girls. i could not help my self when i saw this come in to our local scrap yard.

1994 Marbella with 20,079 miles on the clock. looks like it has not gone around the clock as the interior and parts of the engine and gearbox still look like new.

heres some pictures of how i came to it at the scrap yard:


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here you can see the melted wire:
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Stand by for some more pictures, and of course online video logs via Youtube!


bit of a story of how i found the car:

A few days ago (on the 23rd) me and a friend, went around another friends house. i parked up and used his (the friend we went around to see's) car to go down to the scrap yard (he is not far from it).
we had a good walk around and my friend found some more sound proofing for Talon (as he is very good at this) and some other odd bits (which i was told i could have for free - best scrap yard ever!).
on leaving the scrap yard a lorry came down the driveway looking for a way through to a business place. we told the lorry driver to follow us to where he needed to go as my friend knew the way to it.

on the way we passed a place i use to work at. as we went past the friend i brought with me noticed a seat marbella parked up in one of the car park bays. i didn't see much of it and only the back of the car, but noted the unusual reg number.
anyway. a day or so later (on the 26th) the same friend who spotted the car went to the same scrap yard we visited on the 23rd to get some bits for his car, and what car just so happens to be sat in the row of cars ready to have all of there vital fluids / environmental hazards removed? the little seat marbella. so he gets on the phone and rings me up.

I then ring up the scrap yard and ask them to hold the car and not to put it through the scrapping process as i would like to know if they would sell it.
they told me that it came in late on the 24th and i was lucky to catch it just in time. they gave me a price of £350 which was quite a bit for me so i was not really that bothered. my friend told me it was in good condition with no rust.
so i was just going to go down after they processed it for scrap as i wanted the rust free doors off it. (i know Sisley owners and Marbella doors.. :rolleyes:)

anyway. this morning (27th) i got a phone call from the scrap yard.
"you were interested in the marbella? i've stuck it to one side for you if you want to come down and have a look at it..."

well i could not resist.. even if it was just to see how good them doors were.. (ohhh those marbella doors..:yum::p:p). i drove right up to the gates and parked up. walked in and was greeted by this happy.. yet sad looking little red marbella.

well i looked around it found i could not get the bonnet open, would not pop up when i tried to open it. i did in the end get it open and soon spotted the "causes of death fault".
a really melted wire leading from the alternator that should of been connected to the starter motor, it somehow worked free and arced to the engine block causing the alternator to lock up and burn the diode bridge out. it also had short run issues like quite a bit of water logged oil in the oil filler (these engines get that, its normal), a smashed front headlight, on the inside the drivers side seat belt has been worn by something causing it to fray, and it is also missing a wing mirror.

inside the car was a notice saying that the car will not start and it was to be towed for scrap at 13:00 on the 24/04/13. i also found some paperwork with the previous owners name and address. (i was later able to track down the previous owner using this and retrieve the super rare parcel shelf! :D)

well despite the niggles that it had.. i just could not help myself... the car was rust free, solid as the first day it was put together.
so i end up talking to the guy on the weigh bridge and he said that i could take it for £325... delivered to my home address.:slayer:

and so, i now own a 1994 Seat Marbella "Fun" :D

it just so happens that my brother is taking driving lessons and i think that it would make the perfect car to welcome him into the life of driving a car.
keep this hush hush.. he does not know yet that this will be his car. ;)

Edits:
As of 17/08/2013 the car is now back on the road after its scrap yard rescue!!! High Five!
soon after the car was put in my brothers name as it made the insurance go down a lot.

Edit: This is a photo of the marbella when my brother sold it:
Good Luck!

here the Marbella's often do not pass MOT because of a malfunctioning electronic carburettor...
Many are scrapped for that, and could have been saved with an injection-swap as you've planned to do.
 
passed, :LOL: had to wait for the cat to warm up but it was good :LOL:

also found out why it was bad on fuel... one of the fuel pipes was perished! (return to tank) cut the bad bit off and put it back on and now its good!





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well i fixed the "corroded" fuel line.. (corroded.. yet none of it is metal :D)

nice and simple, undo pipes, drop tank replace hose, and put it all back together. well i have done it 3 times so im starting to get good at it now heh.

im just rendering a video of a "general vehicle update" of whats been going off around here. so ill stick that in here a bit later.

peace

edit, i was just thinking... if i can get hold of an exhaust gas tester i think i could get the emissions right down. i know the carbie is not set right.
the lambda reads oxygen content right? how can that be a bad thing if a car makes too much oxygen??! guess it measures if you have holes in the exhaust.
i know the joint where the back box and centre pipe needs some exhaust paste around it. it was just slid in without it as i didnt have any at the time. so that could be why.
 
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leaky exhaust certainly dramatically affects the emissions at the tailpipe... had a slight blow on a pipe connection on my seiT and it failed the emissions test. He had done the test before lifting it on the ramp, at that point found the leak and tightened it up and then it passed test. Can't remember the numbers but i remember being amazed how different it was.
 
Stuck the 155 tyres from off bex onto the marbella toady replacing the 135s... my brother is really impressed! :D
my brother has told me that he really likes this car :D

you know (and he does..) that he will miss it when it gets sold on..
Agree, @420 ?
It's true.
 
Well guys. It has come to that time, and I am quite sad to request this.

In a few days time I will be getting back off my holiday, sadly the marbella has ran out of insurance and also the tax has ran out.. My question here is what do you guys think this lovely little car is worth?
My brother has my dad's car now. A new shape suzuki swift with the awesome multijet engine in it.

So guys, the marbella will be being sold very soon.
.
Thing is as I am writing this on behalf of my brother, I am not sure how he wants to sell it.
He may want to ebay it but if anyone wants to make an offer, I guess send him a Pm.

If he chooses to sell it on here I'll stick a forsake ad up.

Hope he does will with the sale though as the money will go towards his next insurance.

I really am going to be sad to see it go.
It's like driving a brand new car.so faultless. I really can't believe I found it in a scrap yard.. What a car..

Man I hope the next keeper loves it as much as I do.
 
Good luck with the sale John and Alex, hope it goes to a forum member with the minimum of hassle.

It's in lovely condition, hopefully you've got MOT left on it, got to worth at least £600 for such a clean little car - no room at my inn though I'm afraid :(
 
MOT is due on the 9th of December. as you can see it had one minor.. that was instantly fixed and whole fuel line checked over for any other hidden perrished pipes when the car got home.

not sure on the taxing laws now.. does a car have to be insured to be taxed??! if not the car will be sold with 6 months of tax on it...

420 you got any input on this?
 
MOT is due on the 9th of December. as you can see it had one minor.. that was instantly fixed and whole fuel line checked over for any other hidden perrished pipes when the car got home.

not sure on the taxing laws now.. does a car have to be insured to be taxed??! if not the car will be sold with 6 months of tax on it...

420 you got any input on this?

The car has to be either taxed & insured, or Sorned John. You need it insured to apply for a tax disc and are meant to Sorn it if the insurance runs out. (y)

Also from 1st October you can't sell a car with tax on it at all - the new owner has to apply immediately for tax or Sorn! This is :nutter: but someone has decided it's a good idea & has probably been promoted out of the way by now knowing Govt departments!! :rolleyes:

Glwts - I'd have thought £500-£600 but you might get more if someone gets excited on fleabay! :)
 
Good luck with the sale, would make a brilliant starter car for someone, make sure you advertise it as such. I reckon £500-£600 if you sell it on ebay.

I agree; and, having seen it in the flesh a couple of times (I particularly remember the headlamp swap at last year's MITCAR...!), it's easily worth this. If I didn't have Pippin for the homewardette, I would have snapped this up.... :cool:

It's a credit to you -- Dragon Man -- that you saw the potential of this; and did such a good job rescuing it. I just hope it goes to someone on here who appreciates it as much as you and 420 do. :worship:
 
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