Fiat Barchetta....everyday?
Discussion
I've been seduced..... i can't get the thought of a Fiat Barchetta out of my mind
I fancy a change from the Alfa and like the idea of something a bit sportier, something a bit more befitting of a 25 year old unmarried man, and i've noticed how much of a bargain the gorgeous Barchetta is, with my budget getting me a good 40-50K 2001 model.
I haven't been to look at any yet, cos i know if i do my heart will rule and i'll end up buying it (that what happened with the Alfa!) but i want some opinions first, particularly from anyone that has owned one.
a few thing are worrying me though
- Being 6'4" will i fit in the thing? if i do fit will i look daft in a big man small car way?
- will LHD drive me mad?
- will it survive a 50 mile motorway commute every day?
- is it not just a little bit girly?
I fancy a change from the Alfa and like the idea of something a bit sportier, something a bit more befitting of a 25 year old unmarried man, and i've noticed how much of a bargain the gorgeous Barchetta is, with my budget getting me a good 40-50K 2001 model.
I haven't been to look at any yet, cos i know if i do my heart will rule and i'll end up buying it (that what happened with the Alfa!) but i want some opinions first, particularly from anyone that has owned one.
a few thing are worrying me though
- Being 6'4" will i fit in the thing? if i do fit will i look daft in a big man small car way?
- will LHD drive me mad?
- will it survive a 50 mile motorway commute every day?
- is it not just a little bit girly?
MantaMike said:
a few thing are worrying me though
- Being 6'4" will i fit in the thing? if i do fit will i look daft in a big man small car way?
- will LHD drive me mad?
- will it survive a 50 mile motorway commute every day?
- is it not just a little bit girly?
- Being 6'4" will i fit in the thing? if i do fit will i look daft in a big man small car way?
- will LHD drive me mad?
- will it survive a 50 mile motorway commute every day?
- is it not just a little bit girly?
I drove a load of Barchettas a while back when looking for a change:
- I'm 6'3" - it'll be tight for you - but its better than an MX5. Depends how whether you have a long body (not good) or long legs (good).
- With the hood up the visibility isn't great in some situations, but I reckon I could've managed.
- Yes.
- This was the crux of it for me. I think they are great cars and would have one over an MX5 or MGF anyday, but when it came to it, I just couldn't buy one. I bought a Fiat Coupe instead. How about one of those or a GTV?
Ooh let me know the outcome - sold the Celica to buy either an MX5 or Barchetta and ended up with an Alfa!
Saw a Barchetta at our local dealership - wanted 2300 or thereabouts - I stopped to have a look and it was possibly the worst example I'd ever seen - had obviously had a shunt and badly repaired, paint was different colours where panels had been resprayed and other bits were faded, plus it was rusting and needed new wheels. Inexplicably none of the dealers came out to try and sell it to me (I think the Celica made them realise I knew what I was looking at).
Saw a Barchetta at our local dealership - wanted 2300 or thereabouts - I stopped to have a look and it was possibly the worst example I'd ever seen - had obviously had a shunt and badly repaired, paint was different colours where panels had been resprayed and other bits were faded, plus it was rusting and needed new wheels. Inexplicably none of the dealers came out to try and sell it to me (I think the Celica made them realise I knew what I was looking at).
I was knocking off a girl in the summer who had one and it had the build quality of an 80's Ford! I've always loved 'em, but being inside that one really put me off - made my Alfa feel like a BM! Had about 65k on it, and some silly exhaust. It may just have been one of Fiat's Friday-afternoon specials though...
I had a barchetta in regular use for about 2.5 years, I loved it. It was very reliable and nothing broke or fell of other than the digital clock pushing into the dash. Mine had an aftermarket mohair hood which was far better than the original. It was good fun to drive, very chuck-able, from a pure handling, rather than grip, standpoint it was better than my GTV V6. They are not very refined esp if they have a sports exhaust but I used to drive mine regularly to my office(156 mile round trip)with no problems. It was much nicer to drive with the roof off and I used to take it off at every opportunity. Overall for the money they are great and mine got more looks than any other car I have had.( there are very few in Scotland)
My wife had one. Great fun, decent performance. The build quality isn't BMW of course, but it's not horrific. Switchgear and trim can be flimsy and usually expensive to replace if it does break.
LHD - non-issue. You get used to it in no time. Just the classic car park entry situation to be mindful of.
6'4" - Tight squeeze. I'm 6'0" and was OK, you'll need to test drive and judge for yourself.
As for girly, naaah, no more so that anything else.
50 miles commute would be no problem, the car is reasonably refined, not too noisy, and pretty comfortable, assuming your height is not an issue.
I'd recommend one, they're a bit unusual and really good to drive.
LHD - non-issue. You get used to it in no time. Just the classic car park entry situation to be mindful of.
6'4" - Tight squeeze. I'm 6'0" and was OK, you'll need to test drive and judge for yourself.
As for girly, naaah, no more so that anything else.
50 miles commute would be no problem, the car is reasonably refined, not too noisy, and pretty comfortable, assuming your height is not an issue.
I'd recommend one, they're a bit unusual and really good to drive.
Edited by xxplod on Saturday 20th January 18:15
Well i'm going to go down to DTR sportscars this weekend and try one out for size, lets see whether i fall for it's charms.
I'm convinced it's up to it as far as reliability is concerned, but i need to try one out to see if i'm comfortable driving it, both physically and mentally, it will need to pass the plate glass window test!
I'm convinced it's up to it as far as reliability is concerned, but i need to try one out to see if i'm comfortable driving it, both physically and mentally, it will need to pass the plate glass window test!
I owned a Barchetta for a couple of years and actually signed up to spout forth a few days' ago only to discover there's some sort of delay before you can post.
- Being 6'4" will i fit in the thing? if i do fit will i look daft in a big man small car way?
Don't know, I'm only 5ft 10
- will LHD drive me mad?
No, it took me a while to get used to and to be honest I was never completely at home with lhd. Nearest analogy I can think of is being in a car with slightly tinny radio speakers - you can get used to it to the extent that it doesn't bother you but you're always aware that it's there. You do just learn position the car slightly differently to have good visibility.
- will it survive a 50 mile motorway commute every day?
Yes, mine always started first time and drove like a modern, normal car, which it is. No classic car temperementality. You can get it looked after at a Fiat garage if you have no alternative. Personally I always stuck with DTR who know Barchettas like the back of their hand.
- is it not just a little bit girly?
I don't think so but you have to decide this for yourself. I think it looks a bit harder and less bland than a Mazda MX5. But that could simply be because of the relative rarity. If you took the badges off most people wouldn't know what it was.
In terms of styling, I loved that the Barchetta had no quarter lights (a la MX5) and a hood cover so when the hood was down the lines were very clean. There is (was) no option of an electric hood so the design means you have to stop and get out to put the hood up or down.
Interior is a bit plasticy and the floor covering is rubber not carpet but that just fits in with the simplicity and lets you drive in the rain with the top down.
The door handles are a work of art but a delicate work of art. Check that they haven't been bent out of shape and go back in on their own.
Only mechanical foible is the cam variator. Ask if this has been changed and use to negotiate.
Lots of information here:
www.fiatbarchetta.com/club/uk/
But to sum up, your're 25. Look at a few as there are some dodgy ones, buy it and if you don't like it you just sell it. If you don't buy a 2 seat soft top sports car you'll always wonder what you missed...
- Being 6'4" will i fit in the thing? if i do fit will i look daft in a big man small car way?
Don't know, I'm only 5ft 10
- will LHD drive me mad?
No, it took me a while to get used to and to be honest I was never completely at home with lhd. Nearest analogy I can think of is being in a car with slightly tinny radio speakers - you can get used to it to the extent that it doesn't bother you but you're always aware that it's there. You do just learn position the car slightly differently to have good visibility.
- will it survive a 50 mile motorway commute every day?
Yes, mine always started first time and drove like a modern, normal car, which it is. No classic car temperementality. You can get it looked after at a Fiat garage if you have no alternative. Personally I always stuck with DTR who know Barchettas like the back of their hand.
- is it not just a little bit girly?
I don't think so but you have to decide this for yourself. I think it looks a bit harder and less bland than a Mazda MX5. But that could simply be because of the relative rarity. If you took the badges off most people wouldn't know what it was.
In terms of styling, I loved that the Barchetta had no quarter lights (a la MX5) and a hood cover so when the hood was down the lines were very clean. There is (was) no option of an electric hood so the design means you have to stop and get out to put the hood up or down.
Interior is a bit plasticy and the floor covering is rubber not carpet but that just fits in with the simplicity and lets you drive in the rain with the top down.
The door handles are a work of art but a delicate work of art. Check that they haven't been bent out of shape and go back in on their own.
Only mechanical foible is the cam variator. Ask if this has been changed and use to negotiate.
Lots of information here:
www.fiatbarchetta.com/club/uk/
But to sum up, your're 25. Look at a few as there are some dodgy ones, buy it and if you don't like it you just sell it. If you don't buy a 2 seat soft top sports car you'll always wonder what you missed...
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