My new Fiat Coupe.

Alfasudcrazy

Just won this on Ebay. I have been dreaming of a modern classic for a while now and this just fits the bill. OK its only the 2.0 16v but I am not into speed anyway so it will do. Just got the right feeling about this car which is just what I was looking for at a reasonable price.

Of course there are HPI checks etc to be done before collecting but I am happy with the deal.

Its not the Lancia integrale I was dreaming about either but this should be (gulp) easier to maintain and this car has far more passion about it than the teutonic looking Corrado.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270149796904

Owen

It's all good until the timing belt goes - that's an engine out job

Otherwise, enjoy, they're cracking cars to drive!

mike65

This a classic car in what sense?

Mike.

Alfasudcrazy

Alright - go back to sleep lads - sorry i posted it here now,

corktina

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

Alright - go back to sleep lads - sorry i posted it here now,

wait wait.....hers my comment


baby Ferrari....for £1220....got to be a good deal....

tc20

feck the begrudgers Alfasud, i've always admired those Coupes, and yes, they are classics. Only discovered very recently that the Coupe was designed by a certain Mr C. Bangle....was this the original 'flame surfaced' car?

Good luck with it, along with the Corrado VR6, a Turbo Coupe is on my want list....let us know how she goes for you

mike65

I'm not a begrudger its simply in the wrong forum!

Classic = 20 years + really.

Mike.

corktina

it's 11 years old already.....now owned by an Alfa nut who will cherish it and one day it will be a classic.....not a classic now, I agree, but of interest to classic car owners I think

Alfasudcrazy

Thanks Corktina - Ok it was a bit cheeky to post it in the classic section but to me its a classic anyway.
Going over later in the week to collect it and drive it back.

I have ever only owned three Fiats - two 128 3p's and a fiat uno. All were great entertaining cars full of character.:cool:

OK - it won't be screwed together like a BMW or as reliable as a toyota but has more character than a corrado - which was the other possible choice and is - or should be easier to maintain than a lancia Integrale which I was also thinking about.

PaulK_CCI

I think the Fiat Coupe is a superb choice and I would not consider it out of place in the Classic Forum.

It's topping the unofficial listing of 'Future classics' and I think the amount of people that cherish them already, is a sure sign that this car will (or already is, depending on who you're talking to) become a surefire classic... I particularly love the painted dash!

So well done Alfasudcrazy, you've done really well for that sort of money!! I would consider that a downright steal...

starrywalsh

I like it, nice for that money. Oh I have an 11 year old classic myself - toyota cynos convertable :rolleyes: :eek: ahh well maybe it will be a classic someday.

galwaytt

ned78 wrote:

It's all good until the timing belt goes - that's an engine out job

you mean 'if'. And what's that got to do with anything, anyway??

I might as well say 'it's all good until the clutch goes on my 3-series - it's a gearbox out job'

alias no.9

ned78 wrote:

It's all good until the timing belt goes - that's an engine out job

Otherwise, enjoy, they're cracking cars to drive!

It's the 5 cylinder 20v that needs the engine out to do the belts.

Best of luck with the coupe alfasudcrazy.

superboy

don't mind the naysayers, i think its a fab car.theres nothing on the road that looks remotely like it. i also like the barchetta that was on sale at the same time as the coupe. twill probably only rise in value too..... so fair play to ya!!!

RobAMerc

Thats a cracker Alfasudcrazy -
A real future classic.

It looks to be speeding stood still!

Alfasudcrazy

Thanks guys - I am delighted with it. No problems on the way back and just I find myself off to the shops every 30 munutes in it.

Here's my little early review.



I always thought I was fairly ‘worldly’ when it comes to cars but after covering 350 miles in this Fiat I think I must have been living a very sheltered life.

This car has simply demolished all my previous assumptions and expectations on how cars should handle and satisfy its driver. I always liked the Fiat Coupe of course – but it was a car I initially wrote off as just another Italian Capri – all about style and no substance. It gradually grew on me though as I read more and researched it and then just like the Alfasud I just knew I had to have one.

I wanted another car to replace my much missed Alfa GT but didn’t (couldn’t) spend much on a car that was not going to be used that much. The other contenders to the Fiat like the Lancia Delta Integrale and VW Corrado fell by the wayside pretty quickly. The Integrale being too expensive to buy and maintain and finding a good one was fraught with danger. The Corrado - basically for its commonness and its too close relationship to my Mk II Golf Gti.

I always rely on gut feelings when buying cars and its served me well so far. I know its not very scientific and I am probably going to get stung badly one of these days but I got that right gut feeling about this car the minute I saw it on Ebay as I did with my very first classic car the TR6.



This being the base 2.0 16v all I was expecting was a nicely styled good handling modern Italian sports car. It would be a bonus if it didn’t break down and leave me stranded at the side of some UK motorway. What I didn’t expect was the sheer power from this engine. If this is the base engine then I simply must try the turbo’d one once in my life at least.

The acceleration from any speed or in any gear – even fifth is quite stunning. Its accompanied by a very sweet but delicate throaty exhaust roar. Its easy to see why this car is often referred to as a baby Ferrari as the exhaust sound is very similar to a scaled down Ferrari.



This Fiat is no Uno or Punto when it comes to quality. The interior materials are pretty good quality and screwed together well. This car with 89,000 miles has no rattles at all – unlike my 2 year old Alfa GT which had a few when I sold it with only 7,000 miles on the clock.
You get the feeling your in a heavy pretty solid car – another surprise to me as I was expecting Alfasud like delicacy. The doors are big and quite weighty and close with a solid germanic Clunk.

Good quality car – and unlike this WW2 submarine no rust bucket.


The driving position is very comfortable and sporty although you can’t comfortably rest your right arm on the door as I like to do simply because its just too far away from you. I was delighted to be able to see the lovely curves of the bonnet from the driving seat. I had imagined its slope would have made that impossible. Also the neat little Veglia Borelitti guages surrounded by the red metal always tells you this car is something special.



The steering is very responsive and weighs up nicely as you gain speed. This car thankfully has its original steering wheel which is a pleasure to use – although mine was canted slightly to the left in the straight ahead position something that drives me crazy so I will get that fixed.

Small mirrors look cool but make it hard to see what’s coming – now I know how easily all those F1 shunts happen.


The handling on its 15inch Goodyear tyres on its original alloys is limpet like – even though I still have to try it out on wet roads. Its composure at speed is the best I have seen in any car I have driven. It can cruise effortlessly at ….. well lets just say at ‘high speeds’.

This Fiat brings back memories of my little Fiat 128 3p’s and how they were able to bring a smile to my face every time I drove them even if they only had a little 1.3 engine. I will slowly improve this car and just like my TR6 I hope I will still be driving and writing about it in 14 years time.

Dades

Looks like an absolute steal - congrats!

BTW where the heck is that WWII sub?!

Alfasudcrazy

The Atheist wrote:

Looks like an absolute steal - congrats!

BTW where the heck is that WWII sub?!

Thanks - that sub was parked up at Birkenhead near Liverpool. The place was all locked up so I couldn't get near to it. A quick google tells me why.

http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART33950.html

shagman

I couldn't agree more with your decision.....in fact I'm going to pick mine up in two weeks from Leeds.A 97 20V turbo in portofino blue (metallic lilac) with 56K on the clock.Can't wait.

Dades

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

Thanks - that sub was parked up at Birkenhead near Liverpool. The place was all locked up so I couldn't get near to it. A quick google tells me why.

http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART33950.html

"The fate of one of the last surviving German U-boats is unclear after its home at a Merseyside museum has been forced to close".

Maybe Junkyard has some space.

beanderb4

Great choice. Enjoy your new found love!!

1275gt

mike65 wrote:

This a classic car in what sense?

Mike.

Ah c'mon Mike, this is a true 'modern classic'. i believe it belongs in here without a doubt. look how ageless it is, looks like it rolled off the production line last week

great stuff man. we need a boards meet to check out all these new cars :cool:

neacy69

Congrats on the new coupe alfasud looks lovely and seems to have been quite the bargain at that price also!!!

egan007

A real beauty, Never mind the FIAT bashers (i.e. Corolla drivers), you know something they don't
Good Luck with it i'd buy it off you if I have the cash lying around!

RobAMerc

Alfasud does the paint on that car look as good in real life as it does in the pictures ? Its a stunner

BTW can anyone put into words how they know a car is a future classic (modern classic) - I was trying to explain to someone why mk1 MX5's and Pug205 Gti's are already but sounded like a muppet.

unkel

For just over a grand sterling :eek:

The Coupe has got to become a classic at some stage. Beautiful, rare and a great drivers car

Alfasudcrazy

RobAMerc wrote:

Alfasud does the paint on that car look as good in real life as it does in the pictures ? Its a stunner

Well No it doesn't. Pics are great at hiding the small details.

The bonnet is riddled with stone chips and the bonnet, roof and wings are faded quite badly. Still the car is 99% rust free so after its mechanical overhaul - which will include all new belts in the engine along with a major service its going in for a full respray and new exhaust. I am also getting the alloys repainted and re lacquered.

This time next year I hope to have it looking as good irl as it is in the pics.

Motormouth

Beautiful car, always loved 'em. Have driver the 20v and the 20v Turbo, never a 16v though. definitely a future classic. I have a Barchetta and it'll be joined by a 20v Turbo at some stage...........

david1two3

Refering to this Fiat as a classic is dead on,I didnt realise it was this one till I saw the side view.The first time I saw it was in Faro in Portugal ,outside Seu Cafe in one of the main squares near the post office. There were at least 12 and possibly 20 people surrounding a brand new canary yellow coupe.Im not easily awed but this one did it for me.