A 1981 Classic?

[mikesumner]

Firstly, I know this is nothing to do with DeLoreans (apart from being from the same year), so apologies for that to start with.

Basically, we have a 1981 Talbot Solara in our garage that hasn't been on the road since 1991 and is in pretty much immaculate condition.

Recently I have been getting what can only be described as a "classic car itch" and it seems obvious to get this car out of the garage and back on the road, if possible.

Obviously I expect the brakes to be seized on and possibly the engine won't turn over with just a new battery, but it's in such good nick and is so rare these days that it seems a shame to leave it there without at least trying to ressurect it.

If anyone on here knows anything about getting a car back on the road after it's been sat for that long, or even better if anyone knows anything about this model in particular, then please get in touch as I haven't been able to find any Talbot contacts on the internet as yet.

Thanks in advance.

[NickT]

I learnt to drive in a Talbot Horizon and know the simca pushrod engine OK.

The top end rattles like a tin box full of nails but this is the normal sound.
Biggest thing on talbot cars were rust. Anything else can usually be fixed.

Let me know what engine size it is and I can get you the engine setup info and carburettor info.

Good luck with the project.

NickT.

[TheOriginalMrP]

Isnt a Talbot Solara the same as a Talbot Alpine Minx only booted instead of a hatchback? I had friends in the early 90's who had both of these models. These were good car's, but used to suffer corrosion like anybody's business. But they were well equipped with PAS etc and usually front wheel driven which wasn't so common for a bigger car in it's day. They are like rocking horse poo now, no doubt, and i'll be the first to praise you if you get it back on the road!

[A Van]

Hi Mike

Yes they are getting very rare now these Solaras..

http://www.simcatalbotclub.org/tsolara.htm

If it was a Talbot Tagora, the later ones had carbed Douvrin V6..our old friend.

I would contact the guy on the list and see what they recommendation is....but you need to look at fuelling...clean tank and lines..carbs can be easily cleaned so no trouble there.
Change oil/filter get a battery and turn it over...if it starts great...progress with the rest brakes etc...

Have you got a Haynes manual for this?

You might be able to pick one up somewhere pretty cheap/

Nick T putting the 'T' in Talbot

Cheers

[Chris Hawes]

Following on from above, if you can get the car up on axle stands and treat the underside to underseal once any corrosion has been dealt with. This will help preserve it once it is out in the elements.

My Dad had the Chyrsler/Talbot Alpine (red, hatch). It was a company car and being a T reg would have made the year 1979! Obviously made an impression on a 5 year old

[Tourettes Tony]

i remember the cars when they first came out and they did rattle bad its funny thats the main thing that i do remember about them oh and rust TT

[stunned_monkey]

A Van Wrote:If it was a Talbot Tagora, the later ones had carbed Douvrin V6..our old friend.

Not just any old PRV either, this was the only PRV in a production car to get the triple weber setup used in the racegoing Alpines, and with the exception of throttle bodies, still -the- way of getting the most power from a naturally asp PRV.

[A Van]

Didnt the Lancia Thema also have the same PRV set-up as the Alpines?

[mikesumner]

Thanks for all your help and info guys.

I didn't expect to get so much input and knowledge after such a short space of time.

As far as I'm aware it is indeed the equivalent of the Alpine but with the saloon boot as opposed to the hatch.

I think I've seen the Haynes manual for it knocking about somewhere so I can at the very least study that a bit before starting anything practical with the car.

As far as I can see there's no rot on the car at all, which is obviously down to the fact it's been in the garage since 1991 and not down to the car being really well-built.

Nick T, the spec of the car is the 1.6 LS with the 4-speed Simca gearbox, if that helps.

I had another look at it today and apart from about an inch thick covering of dust there's an immaculate car under there with its blue paintwork still shining and not at all faded.

I think it's got to be worth at least exploring the possibility of getting it running again. Not least until I hit a problem, as just looking at it it's like what I've heard people refer to as a "time warp car".

[Guinney1971]

Funnily enough we were behind a blue Talbot Alpine in Heanor on Friday.

I can remember a mate of mine once having a brown B-reg Talbot Horizon - it made a hell of a row (compared to the B-reg Fraud Escort that I had), but it was dead comfy and was about half the price of my car.

I think there's a Solara in the front drive of a house in Shipley (nr Ilkeston). Will keep a look out for it next time I'm passing.

[Dodgy Motor]

Just to let you know the reason the old simca engine would rattle was that it suffered from poor lubrication around the push rods, and the cup at the top of the rod would wear distorting the cup and the rocker would not sit in it properly,,, just a bit of usless knowledge :oops:

[Chris Hawes]

For nostalgia here is an overview:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talbot_Alpine

I can't remember the last time I saw one, suffice to say it was a loooong time ago. I see more DeLorean's about

[mikesumner]

I've been thinking about the Solara again today, and a couple of things occured to me that I hadn't previously considered, and which might be a problem.

The first thing is that the car has been off the road for so long now (17 years) that it's fallen off the DVLA radar. What I mean by that is that putting the reg into any of those websites that tell you what kind of car it is haven't got a clue what the reg relates to.

What this makes me wonder is if the car can be got back onto the DVLA radar with its original reg or if it would need a "Q" plate reg allocating to it.

The other thing is that it's a leaded engine, and I've heard varying reports about LRP and additives that you can get hold of these days, and obviously I don't want to spend lots of time and effort getting the Solara back onto the road and then muck it up by running it on the wrong sort of stuff and ruining the engine.

As always all advice is greatly appreciated.

I'll try and get a photo of it in the garage at some point as well along with one of when my Dad picked it up brand new back in 1981. I wouldn't be lying if I said it looks the same in both pictures.

[Chris Hawes]

It could be worth seeing if there is an owners club of the marque, or if not find enthusiasts that own different cars with the same problem i.e. engine was never designed to run on anything but leaded fuel. LRP (Lead Replacement Petrol) I think has been phased out but I did hear some reports that it did not 'protect' the engine enough over long distances when working hard and engine wear was the result.

Some types of engine benefitted from being around for a long time and evolved to run on unleaded. It could mean that by just changing the heads over(?) and/other bits would give long term reliability opposed to the extremity of a full engine swap.

I guess you might not use the car too much so as to keep it in great nick. If annual mileage is going to be low I think there are additives you can drop in that allow you to run unleaded and this would be by far the most cost effection option long term...

[Guinney1971]

I used to buy an additive from a local motor factors for the Rapier so that I could run it on 95RON unleaded - I bought a crate of it, lasted me nearly a year, for about £30. I *think* you might have to adjust the timing slightly because it may well start "pinking" when running on unleaded (even with an additive), but its just a case of trial and error. I doubt you'll do the car any lasting damage whilst setting it up right.

I would have thought tho, that if you put a good battery, give it a oil/filter and fluids change (incl brake and clutch fluid) and overhaul the brakes, that will be a good starting point. I would also have thought, that after all this time, possibly rubber bushes and possibly rubber gaiters (ie CV boots) will probably need replacing too.

The best place I have found for parts for cars like this is Speedy Spares in Shorham (near Brighton). They do mail order. I used to get all my Rapier stuff from there, and it was usually sent in original Talbot packaging (Sunbeam were part of Rootes, who became Chrylser Europe, who became Talbot, who became Peugeot.... - not exactly correct I know, but close enough :wink: )

Here's the link - give them a ring, they are really helpful http://www.speedyspares.co.uk/n1stpage.htm

Good luck matey, looking forward to seeing some piccies