Seen the e bay one,but I just cant be doing with all the finishing ...and then theres the SVA! Apparently,they werent designed with sva in mind,and can be a pain to get through.Ive looked for ages now,and cant find one that is reg'd correctly,a bit tatty and is cheap. Sometimes I wonder how they can justify the prices asked! Theres one up for £1200,supposedly correctly reg'd,in process of being rebuilt . It would be nice to think that it could be finished for a couple hundred quid,but realistically I know it will end up costing £800 to finish. So thats 2K. For around 2750 I could get a reasonable T&T on the road Marlin. P'raps there are people out there ho think it can all be done on a shoestringand thats why there are chancers on the high prices!
There is always the possibility of people taking a chance on doing a marlin on the cheap. And you are right to be cautious. I also think a deciding factor on price is the fact a lot of marlins are indeed trials cars and many run in class 7 and want to stay there, so they have to upkeep full marlin wings if they don't they technically are in to class 8 against fugitives specials and the like. basically then you have no chance.
So M types Marina based marlins will command high prices especially if new like the one on eBay. The T type triumph bassed are cheaper because they dont lend themselves to trials any way as good as the Marina model. So you realy need to be looking at a triumph based car to be in with a chance of getting one cheapish with proper documents.
I buy M types complete but unregistered like the ebay for 500 pound all day long when i am needing parts for repair or rebuild.
That car on ebay if you look at it from the perspective of a trials builder who lets say already has a marlin in good prepared condition and needs a pair of near side wings a near side engine cover door and a bonnet due to a scenery induced transformation
The parts are rare they do come up but not often buying a car helps with available cheap spares this is not a mute point.
So he buys the car for lets say 500. another hundered in fuel to get it home, once home its unused rusty bolts will be hopefully few and far between, and it will fly apart striped in a morning, they are a jig saw puzle and bolt together simple made a landrover look complex.
In a big heap that 1275 ebay start it at 100 but take the backplate off they are gold or may as well be look at my wanteds. the engine will go most probably to either a midget man a mogy though man or a marina man, the midget and moggy wont want the backplate and the marina will stil have his. that engine will do 150 to 175 no worries. the rear axle no use to a trialer they use the 575 axles that will do 100 on ebay caterhams use them and marinas and they do fail.The box 10 to 20, the prop 10 the rack 10 to 15 the tank its imp or esscort 1/2van estate and will do 50 may be more and generally they are brand new.
the colum switches a 10 the column 10 the rad 10 and the alternator starter 10 each you wont need the rack for trials thats another 30 the clocks a 10 and hood and side screens 80 to 100, rear springs a tener 4 new shockers useless to you for trials 20.
Now these are not over enthusiastic prices, but even with a reduction and knocking off ebays fees you are looking at clearing 300 to 350 on the bits any day. So you have a brand new spare body back end doors wings inner tin work bonnet engine covers rack covers grille and surround bulkhead with master and slave s you can use new flexy hose you need and a stainless marlin side exhaust worth 50 you can use pluss all the engine mount plates brackets electrical parts and fixings all brand new for 250 and may be 300 on a bad day. .
Sorry to post a chapter, but its this aspect of marlins and to some extent other kit cars that are as popular in trials, that keep prices looking high.
You need a triumph based car its your best option with economy in mind and they are a very strong chassis and with the screen surround roll bar safe too. .
