1983 Talbot-Matra Murena 2.2 S
Discussion
Matra only made this car for three years, and it became a corporate orphan. About 10,000 or so were made, in 1.6 and 2.2 litre versions. This one is a 2.2 S, which has an additional carburettor and a more racy cam than the standard 2.2. The car was not given the Douvrin alloy DOHC unit, and had to make do with the old fashioned but reliable and long lived Talbot/Simca cast iron SOHC engine. This one has done 212,000 kms, but still pulls along lustily, and is well put together, with good attention to detail inside and out. 143 BHP in a 1050 kg plastic and galvanised steel car makes for a speedy ride. The car has three seats in a row in front of the engine, and a decent sized boot behind the engine . It goes, handles, and stops very well.
http://www.matrasport.dk/Cars/Murena/history.html
http://www.matrasport.dk/Cars/Murena/history.html
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 16th May 06:41
Thanks. The fleet is now completed. I am under strict instructions, on pain of severe marital biffage, to buy no more cars or motorbikes.
I have no immediate plans to sell any of the heaps, but will see how they go. Footman James fleet insurance is very fairly priced, I have a mechanic on hand who charges only £25 an hour, and have got the cars stashed in assorted underground car parks and lockups. The storage cost is the only thing that may signal a reduction in fleet size. Of course, I have already had one weekend when I actually needed a car (living in inner London, most of the time I don't need a car at all), and every car was broken in some way, but one of them was eventually made ready for the weekend.
I have no immediate plans to sell any of the heaps, but will see how they go. Footman James fleet insurance is very fairly priced, I have a mechanic on hand who charges only £25 an hour, and have got the cars stashed in assorted underground car parks and lockups. The storage cost is the only thing that may signal a reduction in fleet size. Of course, I have already had one weekend when I actually needed a car (living in inner London, most of the time I don't need a car at all), and every car was broken in some way, but one of them was eventually made ready for the weekend.
I fell out of love with cars for a while, but rediscovered the lunacy late last year. Sadly, the lunacy has now spread to bikes.
My policy now is to buy no car for more than 12K, and preferably to buy at well below 10K. I could if need be shift some or all of the heaps if I had to, which might not be the case if I had some valuable Ferrari or Aston.
My black JPS Europa is now in a collection in Hong Kong, alas, but I have a yellow Twin Cam that is a medium to long term project. It is road legal and drives well, but it is quite knackered underneath. With a few quid spent on it over a year or two it should end up as one of the best Twin Cams around. All of the other cars in the fleet are more or less OK. None would win a prize, but they only need minor fettling and general maintenance. My Excel SE might be one of the best three of four Excels in the UK. My Jensen should look amazing when it emerges from the paint shop, but then, inevitably, I may have to do the interior to match.
All cars, new or old, are ridiculous money pits. As long as a petrolhead accepts that, then he or she can avoid going completely nuts.
When were you a Friend of Dorothy, Gruber?
My policy now is to buy no car for more than 12K, and preferably to buy at well below 10K. I could if need be shift some or all of the heaps if I had to, which might not be the case if I had some valuable Ferrari or Aston.
My black JPS Europa is now in a collection in Hong Kong, alas, but I have a yellow Twin Cam that is a medium to long term project. It is road legal and drives well, but it is quite knackered underneath. With a few quid spent on it over a year or two it should end up as one of the best Twin Cams around. All of the other cars in the fleet are more or less OK. None would win a prize, but they only need minor fettling and general maintenance. My Excel SE might be one of the best three of four Excels in the UK. My Jensen should look amazing when it emerges from the paint shop, but then, inevitably, I may have to do the interior to match.
All cars, new or old, are ridiculous money pits. As long as a petrolhead accepts that, then he or she can avoid going completely nuts.
When were you a Friend of Dorothy, Gruber?
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 16th May 08:06
1981-84, for me. My Beta was sold in the year that I matriculated, and the Murena when I was in my second year.
I couldn't drive a car back then, and only one person I knew at university had a car - a Mark 1 Golf.
I might re-do the Murena's interior in levva, one of these days, but before then there are more important things to sort out.
The car was either silver or red before it was blue. There are signs of both colours here and there on the car. The blue is probably a BMW colour, and may suffer from the softness of paint sometimes found on metallic blue Beemers.
I couldn't drive a car back then, and only one person I knew at university had a car - a Mark 1 Golf.
I might re-do the Murena's interior in levva, one of these days, but before then there are more important things to sort out.
The car was either silver or red before it was blue. There are signs of both colours here and there on the car. The blue is probably a BMW colour, and may suffer from the softness of paint sometimes found on metallic blue Beemers.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 16th May 10:27
The Murena drives very well indeed. In S spec, it has more raw power than a Europa, and handles in a pleasingly neutral mid engined way, with lots of grip, although it does not grip and corner quite as well as a Europa (few cars, old or new, do). A Murena knocks spots off a Lancia Montecarlo.
My Murena needs attention to its rear suspension, and I might reduce the tyre size on the front wheels. Visibility from the driver's seat is good in all directions. The gearchange is a but playful, but good enough. The ergonomics are mostly OK, but the window button is awkwardly placed at your left elbow, and the stereo is a bit far away when in a normal driving position.
The seats are not as horrid in real life as they look in the photos. They are comfortable, and the fabric is very hard wearing.
The Excel is probably the best car that I own, as it is almost completely original, and is the most practical and usable of my classics. There was a green anniversary edition for sale a few weeks ago. The blue one in Kent is good, but overpriced. Matty has a red one that may well be a good buy. Excels ought to be worth 9 to 12K, but at present 6 to 7 K should get you a good one. Avoid the saggy and tired ones.
My Murena needs attention to its rear suspension, and I might reduce the tyre size on the front wheels. Visibility from the driver's seat is good in all directions. The gearchange is a but playful, but good enough. The ergonomics are mostly OK, but the window button is awkwardly placed at your left elbow, and the stereo is a bit far away when in a normal driving position.
The seats are not as horrid in real life as they look in the photos. They are comfortable, and the fabric is very hard wearing.
The Excel is probably the best car that I own, as it is almost completely original, and is the most practical and usable of my classics. There was a green anniversary edition for sale a few weeks ago. The blue one in Kent is good, but overpriced. Matty has a red one that may well be a good buy. Excels ought to be worth 9 to 12K, but at present 6 to 7 K should get you a good one. Avoid the saggy and tired ones.
Cheers!
I have a bit of work to do on the Murena . It is mostly sound, but has the usual Achilles heel of the type: rear suspension arms that are starting to succumb to rust. Why Matra did not fit alloy ones is a mystery to me. This should hopefully be the only expensive job for a while, as otherwise its just a case of tidying up, and renewing worn consumable parts.
The Excel is in absolutely spiffy condition, right down to the original Dellorto sticker in the spotless engine bay, and is that rare thing, a reliable Lotus. In its day, it was overshadowed by the Esprit, and outsold by the Porsche 944 (which is inferior, in non turbo guise). Now it is a very neglected and rarely seen type. I like cars that few other people have.
My Elan Plus 2 looks better in photos than it really is, but it is a good if not great example of the type. It may need its water pump re doing soon, which is a pain, as you have to take the front off the engine, but otherwise it is pretty straight.
I have a bit of work to do on the Murena . It is mostly sound, but has the usual Achilles heel of the type: rear suspension arms that are starting to succumb to rust. Why Matra did not fit alloy ones is a mystery to me. This should hopefully be the only expensive job for a while, as otherwise its just a case of tidying up, and renewing worn consumable parts.
The Excel is in absolutely spiffy condition, right down to the original Dellorto sticker in the spotless engine bay, and is that rare thing, a reliable Lotus. In its day, it was overshadowed by the Esprit, and outsold by the Porsche 944 (which is inferior, in non turbo guise). Now it is a very neglected and rarely seen type. I like cars that few other people have.
My Elan Plus 2 looks better in photos than it really is, but it is a good if not great example of the type. It may need its water pump re doing soon, which is a pain, as you have to take the front off the engine, but otherwise it is pretty straight.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 17th May 08:26
Next up: Vresdestein Hi-Tracs to replace the aged and over large Pirellis (front) and BF Goodriches (rear). I am fitting 185/55 R14s to the front, 195/60 R 14s to the rear. These Dutch (ditch?) tyres are said to be a softish compound, and good for mid engined RWD grippiness.
I am a fan of Mytyres.co.uk. My local tyre bloke quoted me 90 quid a corner, but the tyres are 60 and 40 online (the bigger ones are cheaper than the smaller ones).
Mytyres also delivered new Dunlop SP 9000s in a rare size for my Excel, to Italy while I was on hols there, as my old tyres had passed their life end en route.
Did I post this before?
http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/car-development/d...
I am a fan of Mytyres.co.uk. My local tyre bloke quoted me 90 quid a corner, but the tyres are 60 and 40 online (the bigger ones are cheaper than the smaller ones).
Mytyres also delivered new Dunlop SP 9000s in a rare size for my Excel, to Italy while I was on hols there, as my old tyres had passed their life end en route.
Did I post this before?
http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/car-development/d...
7AM this morning, the B439 (Old Warwick Road), from Hockley Heath, Solihull, to Haseley Manor, Warwickshire, and back again. No traffic, dry road, wooooo-hooooooo!
Weather: fair. Crew: me, on me tod. Sound track : finale of "Le Cinesi" (1754) by Christoph Willibald Gluck, plus four pipe ASBO exhaust.
This random youtube gives an impression, but without the corners or the fabulous Warwickshire countryside (or the extra 24 BHP).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCnA1LOLGiI
Weather: fair. Crew: me, on me tod. Sound track : finale of "Le Cinesi" (1754) by Christoph Willibald Gluck, plus four pipe ASBO exhaust.
This random youtube gives an impression, but without the corners or the fabulous Warwickshire countryside (or the extra 24 BHP).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCnA1LOLGiI
This is a very fine book for anyone interested in these whacky cars.
NB: French text. Great photos.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Talbot-Matra-Murena-d%C3%A...
NB: French text. Great photos.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Talbot-Matra-Murena-d%C3%A...
If this car was good ten years ago, and has been dry, and the engine will turn over, then go for it! The only Achilles heel for the Murena is the rear suspension trailing arms. Check these for rot. Otherwise, these cars are bomb proof, and great to drive. You might ask Roy Gillard to have a look at the car for you. See his website Redwood RS: he is Mr Murena. Parts are gettable, although the trailing arms can be hard to find.
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