Fiat 500 - anyone owned one?!!
Discussion
I've always fancied a Fiat 500, slightly below the Murcie's power output and not quite the torque curve but has anyone had one? There's still dozens flying about in Italian cities so they must be reliable. Plus one turned up at Le Mans last year stickered up as a 'Pace car'. Any advice?? 
Never owned one. But there is a lovely little original one in Portsmouth, which attracts more attention in a car park, than most exotics.
Simon. Let's face it, for the price of a decent service on your Murci, you could probably buy a decent 500 and run it for a year.
Simon. Let's face it, for the price of a decent service on your Murci, you could probably buy a decent 500 and run it for a year.
Edited by 360boy on Sunday 31st December 11:26
360boy said:
Never owned one. But there is a lovely little original one in Portsmouth, which attracts more attention in a car park, than most exotics.
Simon. Let's face it, for the price of a decent service on your Murci, you could probably buy a decent 500 and run it for a year.
Simon. Let's face it, for the price of a decent service on your Murci, you could probably buy a decent 500 and run it for a year.
Edited by 360boy on Sunday 31st December 11:26
Thanks for the pic..Would it still pull the birds do you think?
Definately a lady pulling machine. Possibly more so than your Murci. My girlfriend has one which is a uk car and lovingly restored a few years back. not driven it myself but a very cool little car.
A Friend who works for Ferrari F1 has a little red 500 with a ferrari sticker on it. he takes it to goodwood festival, its usually parked next to their paddock tent. He had a mint 246 Dino but sold it last year but would never part with the 500.
Super fun and about the size of a subway. go for it sir.
A Friend who works for Ferrari F1 has a little red 500 with a ferrari sticker on it. he takes it to goodwood festival, its usually parked next to their paddock tent. He had a mint 246 Dino but sold it last year but would never part with the 500.
Super fun and about the size of a subway. go for it sir.
_tc said:
Definately a lady pulling machine. Possibly more so than your Murci. My girlfriend has one which is a uk car and lovingly restored a few years back. not driven it myself but a very cool little car.
A Friend who works for Ferrari F1 has a little red 500 with a ferrari sticker on it. he takes it to goodwood festival, its usually parked next to their paddock tent. He had a mint 246 Dino but sold it last year but would never part with the 500.
Super fun and about the size of a subway. go for it sir.
A Friend who works for Ferrari F1 has a little red 500 with a ferrari sticker on it. he takes it to goodwood festival, its usually parked next to their paddock tent. He had a mint 246 Dino but sold it last year but would never part with the 500.
Super fun and about the size of a subway. go for it sir.
I saw that car at this years event, and took a few pics of it. Love the 500's. A car on my 'must own' list. I'd get one from Italy and not change the plates over for added chic
Edited by elms on Sunday 31st December 12:32
I had the use of a 126 for a few months, one of the earlier air cooled ones which are very similar under the skin to the 500.
Bags of character and very entertaining handling. It is possible to get them to oversteer believe it or not! Braking is on a par with acceleration i.e. pretty poor. It was reliable, never letting me down. Though once the MOT was due it was going to cost a lot more than the £50 paid for it to get it through so we got rid.
Bags of character and very entertaining handling. It is possible to get them to oversteer believe it or not! Braking is on a par with acceleration i.e. pretty poor. It was reliable, never letting me down. Though once the MOT was due it was going to cost a lot more than the £50 paid for it to get it through so we got rid.
My parents had one for a while and I used it every now and again - only car I've ever spun coming out of a wet roundabout with four people in it. Ended up mounting the central reservation (all grass so no damage) much to the entertainment of the following traffic.... Damned unreliable from memory though...
Thanks for that! I was stunned by the amount of them flying around in Italy at least 20 years after they stopped making them..
One more question. Does anyone know what the 3 wheeled vans you see also in Italy are? They have a cab for 1 person and a variety of body's - either pick up's, van body etc. Again they are everywhere over there, why not here?? Looks like they be based on a motorbike? I'd like one of those too please
One more question. Does anyone know what the 3 wheeled vans you see also in Italy are? They have a cab for 1 person and a variety of body's - either pick up's, van body etc. Again they are everywhere over there, why not here?? Looks like they be based on a motorbike? I'd like one of those too please
Very cool cars indeed :-)
Mate of mine has had about 10 of them and I was chilling down Oxford Street in it recently and we had masses of waves from people and smiles and most importantly very nice totty loving the car too. They are a pulling machine I kid you not! You can go 4 up in one and I am 6'3" and have no problem in it at all. Lets put it this way, it’s a "leisurely" drive when you drive one-it’s certainly not quick, but who cares. Perfect London car, rather have it than a Smart. Great MPG too. Spare parts are plentiful too.
Downside. Brakes. God they are awful, dreadful in fact. Gearbox is a little notchy (what do you expect though for a 30yr + car). Original engine is very under powered, so it’s very common to see the air cooled 126 engine ones. Problem is the 126 Air cooled are in short supply now as they have been stripped and so have now become very valuable as spares. Also now they are "cool" again prices have rocketed. Yes you can still get a bargain on Ebay now and again, but they require VERY close examination as they rust like you would not believe and many have been lashed up and had a quick paint job. Expect to pay £1500 for a LHD one and anything up to £10,000 (!!!!) for a mint mint RHD restored one. Suicide door ones now also command a massive premium. Gone are the days too of the streets of Italy being littered with them, abandoned everywhere. No chance of that.
Probably going to get one next year (in Yellow!) and matched with one of these, which needs to be finished off, in Yellow too ;-)
Now that little bad boy is THE pulling machine :-)
My friend might have a couple for sale (500's) soon so drop me a PM if you want.
Peter
Mate of mine has had about 10 of them and I was chilling down Oxford Street in it recently and we had masses of waves from people and smiles and most importantly very nice totty loving the car too. They are a pulling machine I kid you not! You can go 4 up in one and I am 6'3" and have no problem in it at all. Lets put it this way, it’s a "leisurely" drive when you drive one-it’s certainly not quick, but who cares. Perfect London car, rather have it than a Smart. Great MPG too. Spare parts are plentiful too.
Downside. Brakes. God they are awful, dreadful in fact. Gearbox is a little notchy (what do you expect though for a 30yr + car). Original engine is very under powered, so it’s very common to see the air cooled 126 engine ones. Problem is the 126 Air cooled are in short supply now as they have been stripped and so have now become very valuable as spares. Also now they are "cool" again prices have rocketed. Yes you can still get a bargain on Ebay now and again, but they require VERY close examination as they rust like you would not believe and many have been lashed up and had a quick paint job. Expect to pay £1500 for a LHD one and anything up to £10,000 (!!!!) for a mint mint RHD restored one. Suicide door ones now also command a massive premium. Gone are the days too of the streets of Italy being littered with them, abandoned everywhere. No chance of that.
Probably going to get one next year (in Yellow!) and matched with one of these, which needs to be finished off, in Yellow too ;-)
Now that little bad boy is THE pulling machine :-)
My friend might have a couple for sale (500's) soon so drop me a PM if you want.
Peter
Edited by yellowtr on Sunday 31st December 15:40
Edited by yellowtr on Sunday 31st December 15:42
simonspider said:
Thanks for that! I was stunned by the amount of them flying around in Italy at least 20 years after they stopped making them..
One more question. Does anyone know what the 3 wheeled vans you see also in Italy are? They have a cab for 1 person and a variety of body's - either pick up's, van body etc. Again they are everywhere over there, why not here?? Looks like they be based on a motorbike? I'd like one of those too please
One more question. Does anyone know what the 3 wheeled vans you see also in Italy are? They have a cab for 1 person and a variety of body's - either pick up's, van body etc. Again they are everywhere over there, why not here?? Looks like they be based on a motorbike? I'd like one of those too please
Here we go
www.3wheelers.com/piaggio.html
Looked at bringing a few back when I was in San Remo a few years ago, but decieded it was a bloody long drive back in one. But you never know..
yellowtr said:
simonspider said:
Thanks for that! I was stunned by the amount of them flying around in Italy at least 20 years after they stopped making them..
One more question. Does anyone know what the 3 wheeled vans you see also in Italy are? They have a cab for 1 person and a variety of body's - either pick up's, van body etc. Again they are everywhere over there, why not here?? Looks like they be based on a motorbike? I'd like one of those too please
One more question. Does anyone know what the 3 wheeled vans you see also in Italy are? They have a cab for 1 person and a variety of body's - either pick up's, van body etc. Again they are everywhere over there, why not here?? Looks like they be based on a motorbike? I'd like one of those too please
Here we go
www.3wheelers.com/piaggio.html
Looked at bringing a few back when I was in San Remo a few years ago, but decieded it was a bloody long drive back in one. But you never know..
Thats a damn good idea. I wonder how much you can buy them for?
simonspider said:
yellowtr said:
simonspider said:
Thanks for that! I was stunned by the amount of them flying around in Italy at least 20 years after they stopped making them..
One more question. Does anyone know what the 3 wheeled vans you see also in Italy are? They have a cab for 1 person and a variety of body's - either pick up's, van body etc. Again they are everywhere over there, why not here?? Looks like they be based on a motorbike? I'd like one of those too please
One more question. Does anyone know what the 3 wheeled vans you see also in Italy are? They have a cab for 1 person and a variety of body's - either pick up's, van body etc. Again they are everywhere over there, why not here?? Looks like they be based on a motorbike? I'd like one of those too please
Here we go
www.3wheelers.com/piaggio.html
Looked at bringing a few back when I was in San Remo a few years ago, but decieded it was a bloody long drive back in one. But you never know..
Thats a damn good idea. I wonder how much you can buy them for?
I think I have found one just for you...
http://tinyurl.com/stg5m
Needs a black strip and away you go ;-)
Now need to get one in Yellow for me.....
Simon,
You can buy Piaggio Apes here in the UK via the official importer: -
www.piaggioape.co.uk/
If these don't take your fancy you could always try one of these: -
www.mega-vehicles.com/
These will make a great advertising vehicle and are quite reasonably priced.
Regards
Tim
You can buy Piaggio Apes here in the UK via the official importer: -
www.piaggioape.co.uk/
If these don't take your fancy you could always try one of these: -
www.mega-vehicles.com/
These will make a great advertising vehicle and are quite reasonably priced.
Regards
Tim
A friend of mine Lambo Simon bought a 500 at coys silverstone auction a few years back. Beautiful car slow as hell and brakes non existent but what a design. I tried to sell him another friends car, this was a 650 abarth that is yellow and stunning. I'll try and get some piccies as it is an amazing looking little car with campagnola wheels and the 60's triangulated headlights. If I had had the money at the time I would have bought it just to stick it in my lounge to look at as it is a pure work of art. Happy New Year to you all, Graeme
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