Marlin sportster for sale on e bay

[beattock roadster]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marlin-Sportster-2-5-BMW-engine-kit-car-/162443178194?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

Sportster for sale with BMW engine

[b_caswell]

Re: Marlin sportster for sale on e bay

MOT history makes some interesting reading !!

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

[beattock roadster]

Re: Marlin sportster for sale on e bay

Makes you wonder how the mileage went up so rapidly without an MOT over 6 years ?

[David]

Re: Marlin sportster for sale on e bay

Build looks very 'budget'. Those MOT fails would worry me, what else is not put together well.

The seller says;

"Minor niggles are odometer not working (reads 137000 but has had new clocks and"

Maybe fine, but a close look required to avoid buying a money pit.

[Mike]

Re: Marlin sportster for sale on e bay

Makes you wonder how the mileage went up so rapidly without an MOT over 6 years ?

Very simple answer - the seller has a BMW M52TUB28 engine which has very complex anti theft electronics requiring ECU ignition key/barrel and the dash binnacle all to come from the same donor.
Tim, the seller, was typically mis sold this engine by Marlin who did not warn him of the electrical issues he would face. As a result he built the car and was able to start it only 50 times before the ECU decided there was not the right data being exchanged so shut the system down.
His car was then off the road for 5 years while he searched for someone able to help him.

In my research to use the BMW M54 engine (the successor the M52) I found a very talented BMW specialist who was able to offer a software service re-writing a small section of the programme allowing the ECU to run the engine, exactly as BMW intended, in a non BMW chassis.
I had been aware of the builders problem via Madabout and suggested he explored the possibilities. Tim contacted Ergen Motorsport and had them carry out the revised wiring and programming. This is when the new clocks were installed from a higher mileage second donor. The engine now runs perfectly.

When commenting on the Forum please remember the builder will probably be reading your ill informed comments - and with some justification - be none too impressed by your lack of knowledge yet over eagerness to pour scorn.

Mike

[stevejgreen]

Re: Marlin sportster for sale on e bay

Very simple answer - the seller has a BMW M52TUB28 engine which has very complex anti theft electronics requiring ECU ignition key/barrel and the dash binnacle all to come from the same donor.
Tim, the seller, was typically mis sold this engine by Marlin who did not warn him of the electrical issues he would face. As a result he built the car and was able to start it only 50 times before the ECU decided there was not the right data being exchanged so shut the system down.
His car was then off the road for 5 years while he searched for someone able to help him.

In my research to use the BMW M54 engine (the successor the M52) I found a very talented BMW specialist who was able to offer a software service re-writing a small section of the programme allowing the ECU to run the engine, exactly as BMW intended, in a non BMW chassis.
I had been aware of the builders problem via Madabout and suggested he explored the possibilities. Tim contacted Ergen Motorsport and had them carry our the revised wiring and programming. This is when the new clocks were installed from a higher mileage second donor. The engine now runs perfectly.

When commenting on the Forum please remember the builder will probably be reading your ill informed comments - and with some justification - be none too impressed by your lack of knowledge yet over eagerness to pour scorn.

Mike

So true!

[chris_cussen]

Re: Marlin sportster for sale on e bay

I followed Tim's build on Madabout in the days when the MOC has its old forum. I was most impressed with his efforts, and followed his attempts to sort out his ECU problem.
The Madabout posters on the Marlin topic were universally helpful and never derogatory in their comments.
Similarly I was saddened by the warfare that existed on the MOC website as it went through it's evolution into it's current form.