1988 Seat Marbella from UK and Ireland - Comments

This car is about as basic as they come, but has been just about the most fun I've had since purchasing my first car 25 years ago.

It's extremely economical and cheap to run and has not cost me a penny in unexpected repairs, only costs have been for the usual wear and tear service items.

It's also very versatile, the front seats slide out and the back seat (well hammock really) can be unclipped and removed. I was able to load a full bathroom suite into it with the rear seat and the front passenger seat removed and was still able to close the tailgate.

Luxurious it's not, not even really comfortable and there's little instrumentation, but although I'm not using it at the moment (and haven't for a few months now) I just can't bring myself to sell it. I reckon it's more rust resistant than the Fiat Panda it's based on and must be one of the simplest cars to repair.

I was told by a main dealer that 100,000 miles is no problem at all for these cars as long as oil changes have been carried out regularly, and the 5 speed larger engined (well by about 100cc) would be a little more versatile on the road.

If you're not into image and you get the offer of one of these on the cheap, then buy it.

I had a SEAT Marbella as my first car as it was group 1 insurance. It was a great little car (I had very little street cred at college though!) and very fun to drive. I even took it across Europe with a friend, although it does prove quite unstable on wide motor-ways due to cross winds and it's lack of weight. Since then I have owned an Ibiza and now the Toledo V5. SEAT make some great value cars that are well worth considering.

Quite interesting comments. I do not own a Seat Marbella, but a friend of mine has got one. It's actually a very interesting car (economic, reliable and just fun). It is just too loud... especially from 110 km/h on :- (

I have owned a G reg Seat Terra van, this is derived from the Marbella car. I have had it for five years now, it cost me £500 and I have just blown up the engine. I will replace it either with a scrap yard engine or another cheap second hand van.

This little van has given me no problems all the time I have had it. It has been my best friend for the last five years. RIP little van!! I have had loads of little vans in my 30+ years of driving, but only this one am I sad to get rid of (if I do).

I have had "Yampy" for 3 years now and we are nearly up to 100,000 (will he self destruct when he gets there??) A Marbella is the most fun car you can have on a low budget and great fun for rallying on country lanes providing there is nothing else on the road... at all!!! But I am feeling blue as my Yampster has a hole in his petrol tank which will cost more to repair than he is worth. Does anyone have any suggestions where I can get a very cheap tank from?

I am now on my second seat marbella, both of which have been limited edition Marbella "Blacks". Number one was killed by a Rover, and number two is still going strong. I can testify that the Marbella is capable of long distance motorway travel, cruising at 80mph, and reaching 95 if you are brave. As for the noise, I have a loud CD player in mine which, with the help of funk, goes some way to blocking it out. I can honestly say it is the most entertaining vehicle I have ever driven and will never die if I can help it.

I have a G reg Seat Terra Van and love it to bits, but am having problems with the brakes. Does anybody know why the brakes go hard and fail when I start out to work in the morning. When I have been driving for about ten minutes the brakes are reworking and I am rather concerned as to why this keeps happening although it does not happen all of the time.

I have a seat marbella fun. it is very slow when starting cold and when you are on incline of a road it slows down to 20-30 mph. any advise please.

I have a SEAT Marabel-la 'K' reg and I love it for economy and versatility, but regarding problems to date.

1. The gear cables fell out on the road. With a welding job at a local garage its going again.

2. Every now and then it looses power and stops. After halting 10 minutes it goes again (this happens on average at around every twenty miles.

3. There is also an oil leak which I've put in three times for repair. On the last occasion, they replaced the sump gasket, but it still leaks. They have now given it the death sentence saying that the leak is coming from the crank shaft and would therefore involve taking out the gear

box and therefore major surgery. This would be far more in labor costs than the £450.00 I paid for it over one year ago. I love this little car, it has great character.

Anyone any hints of how I might keep it? At the moment its leave its oil calling card everywhere I go. Its taxed to the end of July and MOT until next January (03)

Have just finished restoring a marbella, to useful condition, its got a new wing, sill welded and various holes, speedo cable, exhaust pipe, and tailgate closure lower cross section welded in, derusted and totally resprayed in gold includes bumpers etc.

This one is the 850 junior 1989 and it goes if you thrash it, but you have to have strong legs to stop it! it runs for ever on £20 petrol, and you hold your breath on fast corners.

My experience with fiats that loose oil is usually a blocked breather from the rocker box pipe. take out the flash protector inside the pipe also.

I have a Marbella second hand really nice car bearing in mind that I am 17 first car and all with a nice new parcel shelf full of speakings, but have one huge problem driving down the motorway the other day when my exhaust blew now the muffler is clean in half and half the pipe is missing anyone got any ideas how much its gonna cost me to get a new one fitted on?

I have had a Seat Marbella for about a year now as my first car, which my sister had before me and our next door neighbour's before that. Not much has gone wrong until now! Having had a cooling problem checked (it was over-heating) and given the apparent all clear I was surprised when the car began to fade away whilst driving, it was the head gasket, it was no more. A hefty job to replace in itself was made worse by the discovery that one of the pistons had a great chunk out of it (any clues as to how that happens?! My mechanic certainly doesn't have any!) Think it is time to retire the Seat given a garage bill that could go on forever. Anyone need any parts!

I've just bought a blue Seat Marbella, and it's incredible fun! The car was used by an old lady, and had only run 75000 km. A cheap car to drive, and the amount of space in the car surprises me every time. OK, the car is not very fast, but I don't need that for now.

I'm going to treat this car like a child:)

I've had an L Reg 1994 SEAT Marbella Fun for 5 Yrs now and the gearbox failed a few weeks ago. I need a 5 Speed Gearbox for about £50 please. Would the person who said anyone need any parts please email me : easiclene@aol.com. Thanks :-)

I have just got one of these for my gf to learn to drive in. Problem is it just doesn't want to start very often and its putting her off. Any ideas we have changed the points and the HR leeds etc, but is there a nack?

I bought my little brother an L-reg when he first passed his driving test. It was the "Special" with alloy wheels! It had a bizarre fault that made a warning alarm sound intermittently whilst driving, we just learned to ignore it as the car ran fine! Top speed was 92mph (upset an MG driver).

Sadly it got killed off seven days later by failing to stop at a junction using those ever so powerful brakes. The rear axle absorbed most of the impact and the drivers door wouldn't open. At the time if I had been able to get hold of a rear axle for it, we would have had another 11 months out of it as that's how much MOT she had. Excellent car, I've just bought one myself!