1996 Fiat Cinquecento Soleil

[Chrisoleil]

After the daihatsu cuore failed it's MOT and then started producing blue smoke I thought enough is enough and lets get myself a different car - a cinquecento as I adore them to bits and have one going to scrap already, ENDLESS SPARES.

So with the winter coming, a full fabric sunroof seems like the sensible choice. I've always fancied a Soleil and they don't come for sale often, saw one pop up on gumtree and collected it 3 days later..

Some photos from the advert:









Tax and MOT'ed till July 14.

So l left the 7 hour round trip (Bristol to Hastings) to collect it, half way there the seller contacts me to say he locked the keys in the car and now the battery has died. Arrived at 1030 to break into my own car, jump it and sign all the paperwork.
 
First thing when I got home was to get rid of the steels, whack on some speedlines that I had in the garage and begin lowering it. I also put in the interior from a Cinquecento Sporting.





Rear spring/shock setup going on this weekend

I'm also semi-tempted by Cinquecento S bumpers - black and purple combo.. maybe a set of Hayashi Steets that I have recently come into ownership of..

[jiminwatford]

Wow never seen a soleil outside the green colour

I can't see the plain black bumpers improving it much

[Chrisoleil]

Car is now lowered all round and looks great. Plan is to finish swapping my sporting interior round, give it a good clean and get some photos done.

Will be getting spax adjustables after christmas so I get some ride comfort back too.

[qwerty]

I definitely vote for black bumpers! I put black plastic bumpers on the sporting goods briefly owned. Looked great. Would do it again if I ever bought another!

[Chrisoleil]

I should really update this - car is finished and used daily now.

List includes:

Lowered on new suspension
Sporting interior inc. door cards
Waxoyled
Polybushed
Braided lines
Fitted new roof from a seicento soleil - better material and cleaner look
New steering wheel


Plans now are just fit a upper and lower brace along with a polybushed ARB too.

Engine - i'm keeping it as an 899. It's a momentum car and it's a riot just keeping up with the speed limits.

[Chrisoleil]

Also have black bumpers to fit while I get the rear repaired.

Will upload photos later and probably start a thread for my alfa 155 2.0 16v!

[grifterkid]

You can't tell us all that and not show us how this little gem looks now!!!

Pictures please...! Ta...

[markgenesis]

Agreed, i love these things, had a Sporting for five years (same colour as yours), loved it.

[Chrisoleil]

Here's some old photos..

Picture of the new roof



At work when it was -3 - started first time once I managed to get in..




People saying it needs lowering - I disagree, I have a bit of arch gap, but I've got enough clearance to fly over speed bumps which is important when I'm keeping momentum!

[Chrisoleil]

Jan 31, 2015 10:16:45 GMT markgenesis said:

Agreed, i love these things, had a Sporting for five years (same colour as yours), loved it.

I thought mine was imola blue - turns out its not. Mine is a lot more purple.

I love how the tax and insurance monthlty costs less than my phone.

[markgenesis]

I lowered mine, cant remember how much by, remember the handling in the wet was shocking, used to understear like crazy on wet roundabouts, even with good tyres, was controlable though so wasn't a problem.

Mine was Imola blue, was a non sunroof shell too, 98 MY but no airbags.

[Chrisoleil]

Fairly sure no cinqs ever had airbags!

It's a fun car for sure - but wouldnt want it to be my only car! 41bhp is only so much fun.. although I reallllly want a 126! Car is constantly available for swaps.

I've got it to the point where I could give the car to anyone and wouldn't need to say 'jiggle it to make this work' or 'don't hold this down'

Everything works as it should.