RE: SOTW: Fiat Coupe
Discussion
Justices said:
JohnGoodridge said:
Remember falling for a red one of these at a dealership about the time Autocar had one on the cover with a Ferarri 550 and the title 'Same heart, different beat'. Can't buy publicity like that can you?
Yes. Buying both companies has its perks 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CAR-MAGAZINE-AUG-1995-FE...
Nigel_O said:
mr2j said:
I like the look of these. The roadster version seems quite popular in the south of France.
There is no roadster versionI'm guessing you mean the Barchetta, which is a completely different car
sjg said:
My dad owned one just like that - 97, red, 16v Turbo - for quite a few years.
Managed to destroy a tensioner and throw it's cambelt while on track. He spent the best part of £3k on the rebuild at L&M (new valves, pistons, camshafts and getting a few other non-engine bits done) only to sell it about 6 months later for £2200.
Nice cars though, and it's getting very rare to see one now. Cheap future classic in my book.
Was that at Goodwood by any chance, years ago now, maybe circa 1999-2000? If so I was right behind him in my M3 - the Fiat was going stonkingly well right up until it went pop.Managed to destroy a tensioner and throw it's cambelt while on track. He spent the best part of £3k on the rebuild at L&M (new valves, pistons, camshafts and getting a few other non-engine bits done) only to sell it about 6 months later for £2200.
Nice cars though, and it's getting very rare to see one now. Cheap future classic in my book.
Quite taken at the level of performance it had at the time.
nbetts said:
sjg said:
My dad owned one just like that - 97, red, 16v Turbo - for quite a few years.
Managed to destroy a tensioner and throw it's cambelt while on track. He spent the best part of £3k on the rebuild at L&M (new valves, pistons, camshafts and getting a few other non-engine bits done) only to sell it about 6 months later for £2200.
Nice cars though, and it's getting very rare to see one now. Cheap future classic in my book.
Was that at Goodwood by any chance, years ago now, maybe circa 1999-2000? If so I was right behind him in my M3 - the Fiat was going stonkingly well right up until it went pop.Managed to destroy a tensioner and throw it's cambelt while on track. He spent the best part of £3k on the rebuild at L&M (new valves, pistons, camshafts and getting a few other non-engine bits done) only to sell it about 6 months later for £2200.
Nice cars though, and it's getting very rare to see one now. Cheap future classic in my book.
Quite taken at the level of performance it had at the time.
Nigel_O said:
mr2j said:
I like the look of these. The roadster version seems quite popular in the south of France.
There is no roadster versionI'm guessing you mean the Barchetta, which is a completely different car
http://www.fiatbarchetta.com/prototype/birth.html
Went out in mine yesterday morning and realised it had covered a grand total of 470 miles since August 15th last year. Got home this evening and have done 390 miles since yesterday morning. Really enjoyed driving it again!
In terms of the open version, whoever did that is very brave and hopefully added a lot of strengthening before taking the roof off, I have never had a car which flexes as much when jacked up (well, maybe a Triumph Herald), so much so that the doors are very sticky even when it is on axle stands at both sides with the front in the air. If the rigidity is sorted an open version would be excellent, however.
In terms of the open version, whoever did that is very brave and hopefully added a lot of strengthening before taking the roof off, I have never had a car which flexes as much when jacked up (well, maybe a Triumph Herald), so much so that the doors are very sticky even when it is on axle stands at both sides with the front in the air. If the rigidity is sorted an open version would be excellent, however.
I recognise a few names on here from years ago on FCCUK. I had a 16Valve Turbo for 3 or so years, sold it along time ago now but wish I never did!
Standard the 16VT's are a bit lacking but after a few mods they are excellent, I personally preferred the Integrale engine over the 20v unit. I homebrewed a Mitzi Evo front mount intercooler and used the Evo engineering chip which was great, even made a the very respectable on fuel. It was totally reliable, and took a hammering daily running as much boost as my AVCR would let me!
The grip with the slippy diff was surprising, nothing like most of today's FWD stuff out there.
Standard the 16VT's are a bit lacking but after a few mods they are excellent, I personally preferred the Integrale engine over the 20v unit. I homebrewed a Mitzi Evo front mount intercooler and used the Evo engineering chip which was great, even made a the very respectable on fuel. It was totally reliable, and took a hammering daily running as much boost as my AVCR would let me!
The grip with the slippy diff was surprising, nothing like most of today's FWD stuff out there.
ZesPak said:
The one in the garage, the one on the driveway or the one in the parking lot?
What do you expect, to have people taken pictures of their cars while hooning or on track?
I didn't take this but here is mine on a track day at Oulton Park in November 2006 being passed by Tomas Enge in full race prepared V8 something:What do you expect, to have people taken pictures of their cars while hooning or on track?
andyps said:
I didn't take this but here is mine on a track day at Oulton Park in November 2006 being passed by Tomas Enge in full race prepared V8 something:
Kind of stepping on my point there, he was ridiculing it for being in a garage, I replied by saying that's a logical place to take pictures of a car 
.julians said:
terrible cars, I owned a 20v turbo for a year or so back in 2001.
..... Terrible handling, terrible brakes, mine was fairly unreliable (put a conrod through the block at 48000 miles)
Yup. Brembo 4 pot calipers are known for being terrible rubbish, especially for the era of the car........ Terrible handling, terrible brakes, mine was fairly unreliable (put a conrod through the block at 48000 miles)
Also, Its not like a 20vt won TOTB fwd class for handling with less money spent on mods than a set of coilovers alone would cost on an integra for 2 years running....
Oh hang on
Previous said:
Also, Its not like a 20vt won TOTB fwd class for handling with less money spent on mods than a set of coilovers alone would cost on an integra for 3 years running....
I only won it twice running (2008, 2009), but I was placed second either side of the two victories, losing out on my last event (2010) by only 0.08 secondsHowever, your point is noted - the sum total of my handling mods is about £1000 (Osrav shocks, Eibach springs, couple of braces, rear ARB, polybushed front wishbones)
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