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Old 27th December 2018, 03:51
rochdaleGT rochdaleGT is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Towed View Post
Rochdale, I've just seen your Sportster over on the Marlin front suspension thread and it's a nice car.

There are a few things that aren't to my taste - I don't think the acid green over blue colour scheme works too well and I've never liked black wheels - but those are matters of personal taste.

What I'm struggling to understand, though, is how someone who owns a prototype roadster knocked together in a shed from an assortment of Ford, Rover and laying about the workshop parts, and clearly is justifiably proud of their car, can constantly and monotonously blather on about how bad other people's cars are.

Lucky is spot on with his observation above - that video epitomises the hobby, decent people enjoying their eccentric cars to the full, and if someone wants to pay quite a lot of money to join in the fun (which you seem to have done by buying rather than building your Marlin, btw) then that's their business.
now i tell you...again something "negative": (even its MY car)

the car´s (marlin´s ) color scheme is horrible...but that was the choice of marlin during the time they built and improved the car. and its a kitcar without any "real" histotric value or any other value....its a kitcar...so why should i change it...its just wasting money... anyway...there was an owner in-between marlin and me:

when i purchased the car it was the "TYPICAL" Uk -Kitcar purchase: the owner (the one after marlin) advertized it...car did not sell (too expensive)...i told him that already when the advert was active during a long conversation....but he was stuborn....ok, i waited....finally he offered me the car for 2/3rd of the advert price (exactly the price i told him from the beginning)...we agreed a deal...i travelled to him.

it was my FIRST rover v8 powered car, i have EVER seen, heard etc...it took excatly 5 seconds after engine start that is was clear: this engine is not healthy....even my mate, who has hardly any idea about cars told me "hey that car sounds strange"

the seller was shocked...i told him "guy, i drove 1500km to you, for collecting a car and you are presenting me a v8 which runs just on 5 or max. 6 cylinders"...a shame!!!

i aksed him to touch the exhaust manifolds...so he could feel that seveal pipes where cold or only medium-warm...he agreed
(just to repeat : HE owned the car for neraly 10 YEARS!!)

it turned out that 1 spark-plug was damaged and on 2 cylinders the valve-spring retainers where cracked, the valves dropped, hit the piston and got slightly bent.

when i removed the heads and inspected the retainers by x-ray...it turned out that the damage must have accured already years ago (contacted the retainer manufacturer, they confirmed a faulty series in that years).....so the guy drove around for years with a v8 , just running on max 6 cylinders....(just to repeat : HE owned the car for neraly 10 YEARS!!) and EXACTLY this "behavior" from an owner, "living with / ignoring defects" is going through plenty of cars i have purchased in UK ....no matter which brand the car was, or which social-status the onwer had.

the repair was done with 2 new valves, new retainers all around, head gaskets and 1 day of labour....obiously the former owner had to pay for it.

and i could report ENDLESS stories from other cars, purchased over the last 20 years (not only by me....also by friends, club members etc), which show similarities. no matter if the car costs 1000pound or 20.0000 pound.... there was hardly ANY deal which did not turn out to have some severe hidden defects....mostly good for me (us), as the sellers had to pay for it.
by the way: mostly mot-relevant problems...even those cars had a fresh MOT....ALL relevant Mot stations where reported to VOSA and DVLA.


thats why i´m cirtisizing the slightest imperfections seen on web adverts, as behind all "small"defects or "honest" desciptions of defects mostly comes a serious problem...i might often be harsh and not diplomatic (truth is thruth) but my long time expireince has meanwhile come to a status where it hardly fails. maybe sometimes a bit to skeptical...but better safe than sorry.

Last edited by rochdaleGT; 27th December 2018 at 04:31..
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