Saucer of milk !
 

Saucer of milk for this one, wife must have run off in a Sammio with a big grin!

Aside from the quality and price debate, why oh why do people persist in dressing up a fifties shape in a sixties/seventies livery?! I know this is very much a personal gripe, but the Gulf colour scheme looks terrible on them! Harrumph!

I think it is one of the few colour schemes that you can get away with on a period car, simply because it is such a nice colour scheme.
It did cross my mind on my 250 but even I though a Forrd colour scheme on a BMW trying to look loke a fauxarri would be a bit much.
Would like to see a Tribute Cobra painted in that colour scheme.

Not a huge fan of Gulf colours on a 50's inspired car myself, but it really is down to personal taste and on that car it actually looks pretty good.

Thing is, you'd have to be a fairly serious motorsports enthusiast to recognise that the livery isn't right for the style of car, and to most people it's just going to look like a really cool and very old racing car.

One of the things I did with my Spyder was to fit a modern wireless, joking that it was there so I'd have something to listen to while I waited for the RAC to come and tow me home.

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...7.jpg~original

The first time I took the car to a show I loitered near it and listened to the opinions of those who stopped to talk about it.

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/...b.jpg~original

One pair of old chaps spent ages arguing about it: one said it was obviously an original, hand beaten aluminium racer that had survived in unmolested condition since the 50's, citing the patina on the paint as evidence of that (I'd sprayed it about a fortnight earlier).

The other insisted that it was obviously not original, but had undergone a recent and expensive restoration, citing the modern radio as evidence that its owner had added 'improvements' it didn't have in 1954. Both, however, agreed that a hi-fi has no place in an old racing car, which is one of the reasons that I removed it, but neither of them even considered that it might be a fibreglass special that the owner built himself.

I think my point is that this class of car is very much one that the owner can put their own stamp on, using non 'correct' colour schemes and detailing, and that Joe Public will still love the car despite it not conforming to the period rules that builders of replica Cobras, GT40's, C-Type Jags etc. feel they have to follow.

Sorry about the images not embedding properly, Photobucket problems today, I'm afraid.

I also find it hard to accept the asking price for these cars considering the underpinnings.
Take a look at a Marlin Cabrio or Sportster which in the case of the former can be had for less than half the price and it's a no brainer.

As this listing is SAMMIO FOR SALE!! I thought I might try and sell one. :director:

I have a customer who's possibly getting banned from driving (to many points), so I waiting for him to decide what's happening to his car and my bill!!:eusa_snooty:.
Because of this I thought I might see if anyone on here might be interested as it would make some one a very nice Christmas present!!!:icon_lol:

It's a Sammio Spyder, on a 1968 Triumph chassis fitted with a vitesse 2lt driving a 4 speed gearbox with a very short exhaust (sounds assume) .
The car is almost complete and nearly ready for an MOT. It's running 14" MG steel wheels, fiberglass seats, full rewire ect.
It is un-painted so will need cosmetic attention.

If it come's up for sale you can take it as-it-is or for a little extra cost it could be sold running and driving with a new MOT and registered correctly with DVLA.

In light of the recent postings I think offers around £14,000 would be about right. How ever I would consider £10,000 in monopoly money and the £4,000 in sterling please. :loco:
Sorry as yet, no photo's but I'll ask if I can post some when I next contact the customer. :boom:

Anyone interested PM me.

In General - I really don’t understand the fuss around someone trying to sell a car. :rolleyes:

There is no requirement to buy any car, so if you think it is not value for money, buy something else.

If you think you could build one to a better standard yourself for less money, then go ahead.

It is largely a free world after all.

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Alan – Sorry to pick on your logic in particular, but we’ve had this debate a number of times before.

Surely the finished car can be worth more than the sum of its parts?

Or should this $200 million painting be described based on its underpinnings, which is just some paint thrown onto a canvas afterall?

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nm42yEEfn...ber%2B_17A.jpg

Its only a ‘no brainer’ if the look of the Marlin appeals to you more than the look of the Sammio.

Seeing a Marlin didn't inspire me to build a kit car, but seeing just photos of a Spyder did! :eek:

Also, I do understand all the arguments about running gear and performance, etc.

But on that basis, my wife’s Kia Picanto outperforms my car in pretty much every measurable area. :icon_sad:

However, her car is completely anonymous, whereas my car turns heads and gets a very positive reaction. :cool:

So I really believe that my car is worth more than the sum of its parts, but also accept it is not for everyone.

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Mike – Follow Mister Towed’s advice and double the price for a quick sale. :icon_wink:

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Peace and goodwill to all, Paul. :)

Well said, Paul.

The original, Marina based Marlin with Alfa Romeo livery was high on my list of desired cars thirty-five years ago, even though its underpinnings were from one of Clarkson's worst cars of all time, solely because it looked like a 30's racing car.

They've since taken the car in a different direction, with powerful BMW drive-trains, big alloys with wide rubber and retro/modern styling similar to some of Morgan's modernised designs.

I know that makes them fast and exhilarating and they have a real fan base who love their cars, but they're no longer the class of car - classic replicas - that I find desirable and really feel a need to build. They also don't stir the emotions as much as something prettier, hence they're competing against second-hand Sevens for sales, which typically attract buyers in the £6-8k bracket.

As for the performance side of things, Paul's right again, my own daily driver, the mighty 2016 Nissan Pulsar 1.2 turbo, has a roof, a windscreen, an efficient heater with aircon, a radio, bluetooth, a professional spray job, is safe, quiet, comfortable, spacious, has cruise control, is very economical, has great brakes, dynamic stability control, and is faster than a mk1 Golf GTI, so it's a 'better' car in almost every respect than anything I'm likely to build, or even an M3 powered Marlin Roadster. So is it a more desirable and valuable car than a Sammio Spyder? No, I keep losing it in car parks, even when it's the only car there.

I think we have a bit of a Brexit style impasse here:

Those of us who 'get' the Sammio thing are like those MP's who are happy with the current deal that's on the table - something that has questionable underpinnings but looks good to those who appreciate it.

Those who'd prefer a Marlin are like the MP's who want a hard Brexit with no compromises - more money left in your pocket in the short-term, performance at any cost and never mind what it ends up looking like.

RochdaleGT is like the DUP - they really don't know what they want but are prepared to shout everyone else down to get it.

Anyway, this debate is likely to be pretty redundant after 29th March next year as instead of enjoying our cars we'll all likely be living rough, wearing loin cloths, wielding stone axes and smearing woad on our faces. :(

I was watching an episode of Wheeler Dealers the other night. They were featuring a Messerschmitt bubble car. Mike found one to restore that cost £18,000. They then spent a fair bit of time and money ( time costs are not factored in remember ) and ended up selling for £25,000. It wasn't to my taste and its not the style of car for me, but it was a cracking car when it was finished. Sold to an enthusiast who wanted a really nice example and that's the going rate for them at the moment.

You certainly got my profile right --I'm very much in the 'out and to hell with it' camp.
My Mx5 does everything that you could probably want in a 'fun' car , but my Alfa powered Marlin provides the grin factor at a lot less money , though I appreciate that they are not to everyone's taste.

Just goes to prove that in todays marketplace what a phenomenal bargain a second-hand Marlin is, particularly roadsters. Entertaining to drive, reasonably comfortable on a longish run, plenty of thumbs-up from fellow motorists and great conversation pieces.

Lucky - those Messerschmitt tandem 'bubble' cars are now fetching serious money despite their obvious shortcomings as a car. I remember seeing one in a custom car mag decades ago that had a ruddy great Japanese bike engine complete with back wheel powering it. The owner said it would hit 60 in less than five seconds but he daren't go any faster than that.

You'll also see one crossing the line at the end of the Mille Miglia in James Martin's 'The Real Italian Job' while the celebrity chef watches on after his million dollar Maserati broke down. If I recall correctly, someone says 'Haven't you got one of those?' to which he solemnly replies 'Yes'. Could've saved himself an awful lot of money and finished the event if he'd just thought to enter it.

A-H, I love the idea of an alfa powered Marlin, I take it it's an old one? Any pictures? I too bought an MX-5 about a decade ago but it wasn't for me as it was just too good at everything. Where's the fun in that?

Just wanted to use this as an example that a car doesn't have to have much in the way of performance, practicalities and the like to be desirable, collectable and interesting.

Ed China found the bubble car a bit small so he bought an Outspan

https://i.ibb.co/dtCqrFT/IMG-3109.jpg
I promise you that I'm not taking the pith.

Beautifully trimmed inside.

Alfa powered Marlin
 

Try this!

Roadster
 

Taken these prior to engine removal to address oil leak.
Engine is taken from an Alfetta 2.0litre and is mated via purpose made adaptor to Ford type 9 gearbox.

You are right, the Cabrios especially. There was a Roadster in Scotland advertised for around £2,500 recently. I was very, very tempted, just to try it out for a few months. But having owned an NG in the past, I know that there is always something more that needs fettling, and that something more can range from a couple of quid to several hundreds.

JagTVR - I understand that the Outspan's performance was quite zesty for its day. So long as it had some juice in it you could peel back the tarmac with its Seville hundred horsepower.

I'll get my coat...

Alan H - very nice looking installation. I Love it.

It's now confirmed this car is for sale.
https://i.imgur.com/rRsQjQNh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Nwm7VTbh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/asqEmAvh.jpg

Still asking £4,000.
PM me if your interested. :director: