Fiat Coupe 20v na

[vitessetony]

So lately I've been a bit down about cars but I decided to snap myself out of it by selling my modern reliable daily driver and buying a notoriously unreliable car with zero service history that a friend of mine found out that a guy he knew was selling.

Great idea I hear you all shout and I will start a thread on this newest of folly's but until then I'll just put this up and see how long it takes for someone to guess what it is.

first fix was taking out the heater control/radio/clock/ assorted buttonage console out of the car. It was afflicted with the curse of the 90's plastic rubber and as such it had started to peel and go sticky. To add to it's hideousness the previous keeper had decided to paint over said mess but it seems he contracted the job out to a chimpanzee who looks as though he had used his tail to brush copious amounts of a black paint like substance onto it.

No before pics but this is after wet sanding it down in preparation for a hydro dip in gloss carbon. (any suggestions of who to use in Manchester area)

Extra points for the first person to guess what car it came out of.

[Thrasher]

Fiat Multipla ?

[vitessetony]

Nov 29, 2018 18:54:26 GMT Thrasher said:

Fiat Multipla ?

No, but good guess

[turbotechnics]

Fiat coupe

[steveg]

I'm going to say Vauxhall Zafira as I still have nightmares about scrubbing the coating off that. I used brake cleaner but had to scrub it.

[willcox]

I hope it’s the turbo version fiat coupe

[vitessetony]

Nov 29, 2018 18:58:17 GMT turbotechnics said:

Fiat coupe

Winner!! 20v non turbo pictures will follow tomorrow

[vitessetony]

Nov 29, 2018 19:12:06 GMT willcox said:

I hope it’s the turbo version fiat coupe

Sorry, alas its the 20v no turbo version but it is a 5 cyl

[Thrasher]

Brilliant, more pics please.

[vitessetony]

Nov 29, 2018 19:43:29 GMT Thrasher said:

Brilliant, more pics please.

I'll take some tomorrow when my fingers have stopped bleeding!

[Thrasher]

Nov 29, 2018 19:47:01 GMT vitessetony said:

Nov 29, 2018 19:43:29 GMT Thrasher said:

Brilliant, more pics please.

I'll take some tomorrow when my fingers have stopped bleeding!

No idea, but that sounds like a standard FIAT comment ?

[vitessetony]

Nov 29, 2018 20:15:28 GMT Thrasher said:

Nov 29, 2018 19:47:01 GMT vitessetony said:

I'll take some tomorrow when my fingers have stopped bleeding!

No idea, but that sounds like a standard FIAT comment ?

It might be a sign of things to come but every button on the dash is pristine with the exception of the hazard button which has the triangle picture worn out, presumably through use.

Probably the most used button on a fiat so you think they'd make it out of sterner stuff!

[vitessetony]

A few more pictures before I get stuck in to it proper








I think it still looks amazing and it has to be the cheapest coupe with an mot in the uk so i'm chuffed!

[Maxxxer]

Love it - still kicking myself for selling mine (Sprint Blue 20V Turbo, sadly written off/parted out many years ago by the new owner  ).

I could list the usual 'you must check this' but there's a wealth of knowledge out the on FCCUK.org.

And in Portofino Blue (or murple) - very nice!

*Edited to add - I had the same issue with my dash, however after trying to soak it in meths overnight (nope - didn't work) I sacked it off and bought one from an LE for an eye watering amount of money, for what is essentially a bit of plastic 

[b3nson]

I think i’m in the minority of people that love how these look, especially from the rear. Nothing else really like them in my opinion. Bet it sounds nice being a 5 cyl, i know the turbo ones are meant to be silly fast (and laggy), how does the NA feel?

[vitessetony]

Nov 30, 2018 12:24:42 GMT b3nson said:

I think i’m in the minority of people that love how these look, especially from the rear. Nothing else really like them in my opinion. Bet it sounds nice being a 5 cyl, i know the turbo ones are meant to be silly fast (and laggy), how does the NA feel?

I would say adequate, the sound track helps you sound like your going faster than you are!

[vitessetony]

Nov 30, 2018 12:10:48 GMT Maxxxer said:

Love it - still kicking myself for selling mine (Sprint Blue 20V Turbo, sadly written off/parted out many years ago by the new owner  ).

I could list the usual 'you must check this' but there's a wealth of knowledge out the on FCCUK.org.

And in Portofino Blue (or murple) - very nice!

*Edited to add - I had the same issue with my dash, however after trying to soak it in meths overnight (nope - didn't work) I sacked it off and bought one from an LE for an eye watering amount of money, for what is essentially a bit of plastic 

I wasn't even looking for one but when this came up for a stupidly low amount of money, I thought I might as well run it until it's mot runs out in July and take it from there.

So I'm trying not to spend too much on it and just enjoy it for what it is a 134000 mile fiat with no history. Everyday is going to be exciting!! I can always walk to work it's only 4 miles away

[vitessetony]

Update time, the sticky rubbery nightmare continues and it is worse on the ashtray than anywhere else in the cab, unfortunately for me it seems the engineers at Fiat designed the car around the ashtray and not the other, more helpful way round.



To my amazement there are 5 screws holding this puppy in, 5!

2 you can easily get to from the front but please don't think it's that easy,there are 2 on the back of the ashtray which can only be accessed by folding yourself into each foot well upside down, torch in mouth. That is the easy part now you have to find the little blighters!

Tiny screws barley perceptible to the human eye obscured by Fiat's spaghetti wiring looms now stand in your way.

With that conquered you head back round to take out the ashtray, but wait, it still won't budge, all the time your hands are being covered in a sticky sludgy mess that used to be the ashtray's covering. Stop, compose yourself but of course there is an even smaller, some might say minute screw in the centre of the housing and of course it is facing away from you not visible from either direction. Genius!

With the ashtray now out I present it to you in all its disgusting glory.



Cleaned up by putting it in a bowl of boiling water and scraping and sanding it into submission once the sticky mess was more pliable.



I had a look in the garage and found some full dip aerosol so gave it a few coats. It's not amazing but it's a lot better than before.



In other news the coupe was once apparently owned by a renowned jewelry thief, I wonder if they are missing this gem?



That's all for now, it doesn't look like much but it took me most of the day just to clean it up.

Cheers.

[turbotechnics]

Great cars these. Still on my radar...

[legend]

great cars, totally underrated, i wanted to swap the 2.4 tdi in from the alfa range, but sold it due to too many kids