Record Grey Abarth 595 Competizione
Discussion
O/P, I did the complte opposite going from grey to red.
4 years and 60k miles in the grey which only let me down once (battery died without any warning). I only had the red one for 7 months; the only reason why I sold it after such a short time was after I was tempted away by my GR Yaris which I got for a very good price.
I'd happily have another Comp though.
4 years and 60k miles in the grey which only let me down once (battery died without any warning). I only had the red one for 7 months; the only reason why I sold it after such a short time was after I was tempted away by my GR Yaris which I got for a very good price.
I'd happily have another Comp though.
Turnip Farmer said:
Yup super confusing haha! Ah wow, never seen a Strada 130TC Abarth in real life, what was that like to drive? How comes you sold it?
It was great fun to drive! You felt incredibly well connected to the road in that you felt every bump, every surface change through the wheel, your backside and your ears. Not a long distance cruiser and only 20mg h per 1k revs in 5th so trying on motorways. It would completely rev out in 5th an indicated 122mph or so. Very responsive and the 2litre Lampredi twin cam breathing through twin 40 carbs (mine had solex some had webbers) sounded superb.It handled really well considering it had very basic rear suspension.
Great cars bur rust was a constant enemy.
In the end it didn’t get used much and I ran out of parking space due to other vehicles.
Feirny said:
Glad you’re happy with it! Looks great in Record Grey!
Cheers buddy, got few little things need sorting on it but yeah it's great to drive.BoRED S2upid said:
That roof tent thing isn’t mine but I presume you sleep up there. Mine is below. Great cars and as a youth of the 80’s with Nova GSI and 205gtis I’m a massive fan.
Looks like it would be quite interesting to sleep in that, more interesting is seeing one of these on top of an Abarth haha!Being born in 1980s too and growing up in the 90s I took big fan of the Nova and Peugeot 205 GTI, used to see loads of them growing up, not so much now,z especially the Nova.
Troka said:
Love these little things. My missis has a normal fiat 500 for driving instructing but she's quitting that soon and is now eyeing up the Abarth as a replacement. I will of course encourage this.
She won't regret it, if she needs any help or advice and if I can be any help feel free to ask any questionspidsy said:
Awesome.
Get yourself into the comp as a daily thread.
Ah yeah I'll check it out cheers for the suggestion. Mine will definitely be used as a daily.Get yourself into the comp as a daily thread.
Roman Moroni said:
O/P, I did the complte opposite going from grey to red.
4 years and 60k miles in the grey which only let me down once (battery died without any warning). I only had the red one for 7 months; the only reason why I sold it after such a short time was after I was tempted away by my GR Yaris which I got for a very good price.
I'd happily have another Comp though.
Ah the GR Yaris is a stunner of a car, many people seem to upgrade from Comps to them, are you enjoying owning the Yaris?4 years and 60k miles in the grey which only let me down once (battery died without any warning). I only had the red one for 7 months; the only reason why I sold it after such a short time was after I was tempted away by my GR Yaris which I got for a very good price.
I'd happily have another Comp though.
In my opinion Abarths ar very reliable cars, much more reliable than people think.
Bright Halo said:
It was great fun to drive! You felt incredibly well connected to the road in that you felt every bump, every surface change through the wheel, your backside and your ears. Not a long distance cruiser and only 20mg h per 1k revs in 5th so trying on motorways. It would completely rev out in 5th an indicated 122mph or so. Very responsive and the 2litre Lampredi twin cam breathing through twin 40 carbs (mine had solex some had webbers) sounded superb.
It handled really well considering it had very basic rear suspension.
Great cars bur rust was a constant enemy.
In the end it didn’t get used much and I ran out of parking space due to other vehicles.
It looks lovely, certainly a rare car by today's standards. Rust always seems constant enemy sadly with cars.It handled really well considering it had very basic rear suspension.
Great cars bur rust was a constant enemy.
In the end it didn’t get used much and I ran out of parking space due to other vehicles.
Turnip Farmer said:
Roman Moroni said:
O/P, I did the complete opposite going from grey to red.
4 years and 60k miles in the grey which only let me down once (battery died without any warning). I only had the red one for 7 months; the only reason why I sold it after such a short time was after I was tempted away by my GR Yaris which I got for a very good price.
I'd happily have another Comp though.
Ah the GR Yaris is a stunner of a car, many people seem to upgrade from Comps to them, are you enjoying owning the Yaris?4 years and 60k miles in the grey which only let me down once (battery died without any warning). I only had the red one for 7 months; the only reason why I sold it after such a short time was after I was tempted away by my GR Yaris which I got for a very good price.
I'd happily have another Comp though.
In my opinion Abarths ar very reliable cars, much more reliable than people think.
Agreed, re: the Abarths reliability. Of course there are bad ones out there but that's the same for all makes & models.
Roman Moroni said:
I love the Yaris. It's bonkers and can be a licence loser if you're careless.
Agreed, re: the Abarths reliability. Of course there are bad ones out there but that's the same for all makes & models.
I bet, don't see many around but would love to test drive one of them one day.Agreed, re: the Abarths reliability. Of course there are bad ones out there but that's the same for all makes & models.
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Fantastic cars. I wonder where mine is now
Might be worth asking around on some of the Facebook owners pages.My red I had before (picture on first post) I've sold to someone locally here my local town so hopefully I'll shall still see it around.
My first couple little jobs to my Abarth Comp.
I noticed that one of the little plastic caps was missing on top of the front struts. If you have an Abarth 500/595 you must make sure you have these or something similar to cover it. It's a poor design due to it's concave nature of the top of the strut and as water comes through the scuttle trim it pools in the strut and therefore starts to rust it out as water can't escape. Mine is a little rusty, mainly surface rust but you can see by the design. I've included part number if anyone needs them for their cars.
Next job was to replace the little access cover within the passenger side wheel arch. Mine was missing so ordered that and fitted. But confusing which one fits and if the normal Fiat 500 one would fit but apparently the Abarth ones are slightly different. Anyone ordered up and arrived couple days later. Basically these are used to protect back of the DRL and allow you to change the bulbs if need be. I just didn't fancy this being open to the elements and cause further issues down the line.
The next job is to get the wing mirrors sorted. I knew when I purchased the car that both had small stone chips and idea was to touch them up or at worse get the replaced or repainted. However when washing the car other day, the water from the pressure washer got under the paint and lifted the paint, doh! I wasn't even that close to them when using the pressure washer but hey such is life. I originally looked for replacements but as they are part of the Comp cosmetic pack they cost a fortune so I got it booked in on Thursday for them to be repainted. I did think I could claim on the paint and bodywork guarantee that Fiat have but I think they'll tell me to go away. Anyway here is photo of said damage, I'll up the after photo when I get them sorted.
When I get my wing mirrors done I'm gonna ask him how much it would be to sort my alloys as they've got a bit of curbing on the fronts. I might as well get them all done so hopefully will be rectified later in the Summer.
Just a small update from me.
I noticed that one of the little plastic caps was missing on top of the front struts. If you have an Abarth 500/595 you must make sure you have these or something similar to cover it. It's a poor design due to it's concave nature of the top of the strut and as water comes through the scuttle trim it pools in the strut and therefore starts to rust it out as water can't escape. Mine is a little rusty, mainly surface rust but you can see by the design. I've included part number if anyone needs them for their cars.
Next job was to replace the little access cover within the passenger side wheel arch. Mine was missing so ordered that and fitted. But confusing which one fits and if the normal Fiat 500 one would fit but apparently the Abarth ones are slightly different. Anyone ordered up and arrived couple days later. Basically these are used to protect back of the DRL and allow you to change the bulbs if need be. I just didn't fancy this being open to the elements and cause further issues down the line.
The next job is to get the wing mirrors sorted. I knew when I purchased the car that both had small stone chips and idea was to touch them up or at worse get the replaced or repainted. However when washing the car other day, the water from the pressure washer got under the paint and lifted the paint, doh! I wasn't even that close to them when using the pressure washer but hey such is life. I originally looked for replacements but as they are part of the Comp cosmetic pack they cost a fortune so I got it booked in on Thursday for them to be repainted. I did think I could claim on the paint and bodywork guarantee that Fiat have but I think they'll tell me to go away. Anyway here is photo of said damage, I'll up the after photo when I get them sorted.
When I get my wing mirrors done I'm gonna ask him how much it would be to sort my alloys as they've got a bit of curbing on the fronts. I might as well get them all done so hopefully will be rectified later in the Summer.
Just a small update from me.
Edited by Turnip Farmer on Saturday 25th May 11:00
Edited by Turnip Farmer on Saturday 25th May 11:02
So dropped off the car at the body shop this morning to get the wing mirrors sorted and repainted. I did look round for replacements but was hard to find them. When I eventually did find them they were £150 for brand new set of wing mirror caps.
Will be picking up in the morning so will post after photos of the final result. Just glad it's getting sorted as it's one of the main things that detects away from the car.
I am also planning on getting the alloys sorted this summer too.
Anyway here is before photo and a photo from a quick wash yesterday.
A couple of people have asked about the engine in these. Basically it's a 1.4 turbo. The Competizione spec has the larger Garrett turbo as opposed to my old one and low spec models have the IHI turbo. It produces around 180 bhp from factory although I've been told this can vary out of the factory and some may produce more.
Will be picking up in the morning so will post after photos of the final result. Just glad it's getting sorted as it's one of the main things that detects away from the car.
I am also planning on getting the alloys sorted this summer too.
Anyway here is before photo and a photo from a quick wash yesterday.
A couple of people have asked about the engine in these. Basically it's a 1.4 turbo. The Competizione spec has the larger Garrett turbo as opposed to my old one and low spec models have the IHI turbo. It produces around 180 bhp from factory although I've been told this can vary out of the factory and some may produce more.
Picked up the car this morning from body shop and he's done a grand job, the wing mirrors caps look like new. He said they had been rattle canned before hence why the paint wasn't as good quality. Slightly lighter shade of grey than what previous owner had sprayed them but they it's the original Graphite Grey that these would have been (different grey to my Record Grey metallic paint I've got on the car). Some people have suggested I should have gone red to match my calipers which is great idea and one I may do in future if I get fed up of the colour they are now however I do like th stealthy nature of the grey all round at the moment. Anyway here is before and after photos.
Also if you are looking for a body shop in Yorkshire on the East Coast then check out MW Bodyworks in Bridlington, his work is amazing and I'm looking forward to getting my alloys sorted with him.
Also another development is after driving back from Bridlington this morning I've noticed that I've got small bulge from my drivers tyre, it's near one of the scuffs on the alloys and I'm sure it wasn't there when I purchased the car so may have developed recently and probably due to damage in the tyre. Got it booked in later this afternoon to have 2 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 tyres fitted to replace the two unknown make tyres on front for £233 fitted from etyres so not too bad in price and that should also improve the handling.
I assumed they were both same makes on front but actually two different brands, Dynamo on passenger side and Farroad on the driver's side. To be fair previous owner said she had one replaced due to puncture but then she curbed the front tyres not long after which has resulted in the bulge. Has plenty of tread on it but I'm not risking it and also don't like these non brands. The tyres on the rear are Uniroyal Rainsport 5 which have plenty of life in which is good. When it's due a MOT in September I'm gonna get the alignment checked too on a 4 wheel alignment machine.
Also if you are looking for a body shop in Yorkshire on the East Coast then check out MW Bodyworks in Bridlington, his work is amazing and I'm looking forward to getting my alloys sorted with him.
Also another development is after driving back from Bridlington this morning I've noticed that I've got small bulge from my drivers tyre, it's near one of the scuffs on the alloys and I'm sure it wasn't there when I purchased the car so may have developed recently and probably due to damage in the tyre. Got it booked in later this afternoon to have 2 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 tyres fitted to replace the two unknown make tyres on front for £233 fitted from etyres so not too bad in price and that should also improve the handling.
I assumed they were both same makes on front but actually two different brands, Dynamo on passenger side and Farroad on the driver's side. To be fair previous owner said she had one replaced due to puncture but then she curbed the front tyres not long after which has resulted in the bulge. Has plenty of tread on it but I'm not risking it and also don't like these non brands. The tyres on the rear are Uniroyal Rainsport 5 which have plenty of life in which is good. When it's due a MOT in September I'm gonna get the alignment checked too on a 4 wheel alignment machine.
So just small update, got two front new tyres on and it has made the car handle better, bit more nimble and feels planted more, also less noisy from the tyres. Heard good things about the Assy 6 tyres, they'll probably feel even better once scrubbed in. Whilst the car was having them changed it gave me opportunity to have a quick look in the arches and apart from dirt it looks good. I'm planning on investing in some better detailing bits in order for me to clean around the arches better.
When I turned up there was a Mini JCW having new tyres fitted, I must admit they are nice looking cars and was on my short list but I certainly know I made the right choice with my little Abarth comp.
Ooh Mini JCW Friend! :-)
Also gave me better look at the little area of the front sill that needs attention this summer, all Abarths suffer from paint damage here and as a result get but rusty or crusty. I'm getting this sorted later on in July at the same body shop as I've just got my wing caps sorted (along with the alloys) and then a chap on one of the Abarth owners Facebook groups has designed some Carbon sill protectors (see below) which will protect this area from future damage and they'll look good too.
One last development was that I noticed the other day that my boot carpet liner was damp underneath on the felt part. I've had a good look around but can't see any leaks or where the water is coming in. The only thing I think it could have been is when it was at the body shop I wasn't sure if maybe boot had been left accidentally open a crack. I did bring it in and dry it and popped it in the car again to find it was slightly damp again, so maybe I didn't dry it enough but odd thing was it hadn't rained that day either!?
Doing a bit of research people say it's a failure of sealant on panel joints or it's coming in via aerial and running down on rear of roof liner. I'm monitoring it and got boot liner out so hopefully next time it rains I can see where it pooling.
Anyone else had this issue?
When I turned up there was a Mini JCW having new tyres fitted, I must admit they are nice looking cars and was on my short list but I certainly know I made the right choice with my little Abarth comp.
Ooh Mini JCW Friend! :-)
Also gave me better look at the little area of the front sill that needs attention this summer, all Abarths suffer from paint damage here and as a result get but rusty or crusty. I'm getting this sorted later on in July at the same body shop as I've just got my wing caps sorted (along with the alloys) and then a chap on one of the Abarth owners Facebook groups has designed some Carbon sill protectors (see below) which will protect this area from future damage and they'll look good too.
One last development was that I noticed the other day that my boot carpet liner was damp underneath on the felt part. I've had a good look around but can't see any leaks or where the water is coming in. The only thing I think it could have been is when it was at the body shop I wasn't sure if maybe boot had been left accidentally open a crack. I did bring it in and dry it and popped it in the car again to find it was slightly damp again, so maybe I didn't dry it enough but odd thing was it hadn't rained that day either!?
Doing a bit of research people say it's a failure of sealant on panel joints or it's coming in via aerial and running down on rear of roof liner. I'm monitoring it and got boot liner out so hopefully next time it rains I can see where it pooling.
Anyone else had this issue?
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