Fiat Coupe Turbo, should i take the plunge?
Discussion
Hi,
although im new here, i posted a while ago re a new car for me. I think i have finally settled on a Nissan 370, but.............
The other half has decided that she would also like a coupe of some description.
Funds are limited to 5k, so what should it be? I found a great fiat coupe for 3, which would leave me happy, but what else could anyone suggest?
Im only recently back in the UK after a few years, so any help appreciated.
Would i be mental to go for a 928 or an 8 series?
It will a third car, and cover about 4000 miles per year.
So, do i go down the route of a fiat for a couple of grand less, or blow the lot and risk further ruin on an old porsche or the like?
Any suggestions received with thanks
although im new here, i posted a while ago re a new car for me. I think i have finally settled on a Nissan 370, but.............
The other half has decided that she would also like a coupe of some description.
Funds are limited to 5k, so what should it be? I found a great fiat coupe for 3, which would leave me happy, but what else could anyone suggest?
Im only recently back in the UK after a few years, so any help appreciated.
Would i be mental to go for a 928 or an 8 series?
It will a third car, and cover about 4000 miles per year.
So, do i go down the route of a fiat for a couple of grand less, or blow the lot and risk further ruin on an old porsche or the like?
Any suggestions received with thanks
The FIATs are ok, make a nice noise & are pretty practical. The only other real competitor is the GTV/6, there are benefits & downside to ownership of both.
I haven't owned a GTV6 but I've had 2 20VT Coupes, I'd imagine they would be similar money to keep going. £3k should buy you a nice low miler, maybe a late run special edition LE? Or nicely specced GTV6.
If funds permit, go and get the Porsche, it's obviously what you want & you'll always kick yourself for buying the next best thing.
If you're looking at potentionally ruinous Coupes, then have a look at these
What about an 8 series?
SWB 300ZX?
I haven't owned a GTV6 but I've had 2 20VT Coupes, I'd imagine they would be similar money to keep going. £3k should buy you a nice low miler, maybe a late run special edition LE? Or nicely specced GTV6.
If funds permit, go and get the Porsche, it's obviously what you want & you'll always kick yourself for buying the next best thing.
If you're looking at potentionally ruinous Coupes, then have a look at these
What about an 8 series?
SWB 300ZX?
Would be worth looking at a 968 on a 5k budget. Much less chance of removing your trousers than a 928 and they are a cracking steer. The fiat is quick but has no class IMO where as the Porsche has. That or a 944 Turbo would be pretty safe money and if kept well they both have investment potential.
£5k would get you an excellent Coupe. There's a lot going for them - robust, long-lived running gear, a mixture of well-galvanised steel and fibreglass panels means they only rust if they've been shunted and badly repaired, and the engines are strong.
From what I gathered when I was looking for one (all the best were out of my price range but I saw a fair few, and my Alfa shares most of its guts with it), the most reliable engine is the normally-aspirated 5-cylinder. Turbocharged ones have been known to crack their manifolds if they aren't allowed to cool properly after a hard run, and what with all that power going through the front wheels they're more likely to have disappeared through a hedge at some point too. The Lampredi 4-cylinder twin-cam on the older models is a long-lived engine but servicing intervals including cambelt changes must be strictly adhered to or else they'll give trouble - there's a bloke who lives round the corner from me with one he clearly doesn't care for and it's developed an awful misfire that will surely cost him dearly fairly soon.
The cars built on that platform are far more reliable than anyone gives credit for and are more than up to the task of doing long trips on a whim. Your only main concern day-to-day will be electrics but this will be things like electric windows, rev counters and warning lights staying on despite there being no problem with the system.
From what I gathered when I was looking for one (all the best were out of my price range but I saw a fair few, and my Alfa shares most of its guts with it), the most reliable engine is the normally-aspirated 5-cylinder. Turbocharged ones have been known to crack their manifolds if they aren't allowed to cool properly after a hard run, and what with all that power going through the front wheels they're more likely to have disappeared through a hedge at some point too. The Lampredi 4-cylinder twin-cam on the older models is a long-lived engine but servicing intervals including cambelt changes must be strictly adhered to or else they'll give trouble - there's a bloke who lives round the corner from me with one he clearly doesn't care for and it's developed an awful misfire that will surely cost him dearly fairly soon.
The cars built on that platform are far more reliable than anyone gives credit for and are more than up to the task of doing long trips on a whim. Your only main concern day-to-day will be electrics but this will be things like electric windows, rev counters and warning lights staying on despite there being no problem with the system.
If I had 5k to spend on a car, the last thing I would buy would be a fiat coupe.
I don't have anything againced them, i've been into fiats for years. I also love the fiat 20v engine and with a turbo bolted on, it would be a right laugh.
My problem would be build quality, reliability and running costs. The Coupe isn't exactly known for excelling in either of those areas and there are far better cars for that sort of money.
How about a 5th gen Prelude? Accord coupe? Toyota Celica? Mitsubishi FTO? Audi TT? 406 Coupe? Hyundai coupe? Astra betone?
I don't have anything againced them, i've been into fiats for years. I also love the fiat 20v engine and with a turbo bolted on, it would be a right laugh.
My problem would be build quality, reliability and running costs. The Coupe isn't exactly known for excelling in either of those areas and there are far better cars for that sort of money.
How about a 5th gen Prelude? Accord coupe? Toyota Celica? Mitsubishi FTO? Audi TT? 406 Coupe? Hyundai coupe? Astra betone?
from people i know who have owned Fiat Coupe turbos, mechanically they are pretty good, so long as thye have been looked after. The "niggles" are electrical.
FTOs are nice but tend to be quite expensive to insure for how quick they are due to no equivalent UK model, so parts are pricier.
FTOs are nice but tend to be quite expensive to insure for how quick they are due to no equivalent UK model, so parts are pricier.
I just traded in my 2004 350z for £7K against a new car. If you are not in a hurry, you might find the 2003 cars within your budget in the not too distant future.
[Controversial mode]
You probably wouldn't want her having a nicer looking car than you though would you...
[/Controversial mode]
[Controversial mode]
You probably wouldn't want her having a nicer looking car than you though would you...
[/Controversial mode]
Munter said:
it might have just been the relatively poor quality of the one I drove, but the one that I drove was AWFUL. Boomy, irritating, horrible driving position, gutless and nowhere near as much feedback as I'd been lead to believe by the mate who owned it. My Focus is more fun.Deluded said:
If I had 5k to spend on a car, the last thing I would buy would be a fiat coupe.
I don't have anything againced them, i've been into fiats for years. I also love the fiat 20v engine and with a turbo bolted on, it would be a right laugh.
My problem would be build quality, reliability and running costs. The Coupe isn't exactly known for excelling in either of those areas and there are far better cars for that sort of money.
How about a 5th gen Prelude? Accord coupe? Toyota Celica? Mitsubishi FTO? Audi TT? 406 Coupe? Hyundai coupe? Astra betone?
I don't have anything againced them, i've been into fiats for years. I also love the fiat 20v engine and with a turbo bolted on, it would be a right laugh.
My problem would be build quality, reliability and running costs. The Coupe isn't exactly known for excelling in either of those areas and there are far better cars for that sort of money.
How about a 5th gen Prelude? Accord coupe? Toyota Celica? Mitsubishi FTO? Audi TT? 406 Coupe? Hyundai coupe? Astra betone?
Your username says it all.Even after 12 years they were still better screwed together, had less rust & cost less to keep on the road than my 3 year old VAGs!
Oh, and I never had any electrical niggles- even on the one with 160,000miles on the clock.
Edited by Vidal Baboon on Wednesday 15th September 11:50
Wadeski said:
to be fair, if we are doing the "well my one did..." a good friend of mine's had all sorts of phantom warning lights, and in the end started suffering total electrical failures (dead car, dead steering...) while going down the motorway. He scrapped it.
Other than that, it was great
Yeah, my mate, my mate, my mate Dahn the Pub. Where is he eh?!Other than that, it was great
My mate said never to buy an MR2 Tubby becuase it'll spit me off the road anytime I go near the throttle & kill me to death
One of my neighbours bought one new about 10 years ago and in the 3 years he owned it did more miles in courtesy Puntos than he did in his own car. I'd love one but would be very careful...
...although being a total hypocrite I'd go for an Alfa GTV without a moment's hesitation.
How about this 3.0 v6 for £4.5k?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1933172.htm
...although being a total hypocrite I'd go for an Alfa GTV without a moment's hesitation.
How about this 3.0 v6 for £4.5k?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1933172.htm
Vidal Baboon said:
Wadeski said:
to be fair, if we are doing the "well my one did..." a good friend of mine's had all sorts of phantom warning lights, and in the end started suffering total electrical failures (dead car, dead steering...) while going down the motorway. He scrapped it.
Other than that, it was great
Yeah, my mate, my mate, my mate Dahn the Pub. Where is he eh?!Other than that, it was great
My mate said never to buy an MR2 Tubby becuase it'll spit me off the road anytime I go near the throttle & kill me to death
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