coupe fiat 20vt one year on...
Discussion
...i printed an enthusiastic review of my coop a month or so into ownership..but what is the cold, harsh reality of owning and running a 155mph car with a (undeserved??) reputation for fragility 300-400 miles a week, week in, week out....??..read on..
i rarely get to write what is, in essence, a long term test...because i rarely keep a car more than a few months before hankering after something else....that in itself tells its own story...i mot'd my coop last month, so that means iv had it just coming up for a year....some kind of record there for me!!
bodily, the only thing the coop has picked up over this time are a few minor stone chips on its vulnerable bonnet and, one of the coops bugbears, a few more trolley dints on its barrel sided doors....you cant really notice how bad this problem is till you kneel down and look along the flanks, but a coop with no marks on the doors is a rare sight indeed....this said, the old car still shines up a treat, its paintwork still takes on a deep, shiny lustre and the wheels gleam when i can be bothered to give them a good going over....it has survived very well for an 'r' plate car...ANY 'r' plate car, not 'just a fiat'....
mechanically the car is still spot on....it had 114k when i bought it and its now turned 125k...now, bear in mind that i had the car off the road for aproximately 3 months of my ownership so thats 11k miles in 8 months....even with these miles, it still pulls like a train in any gear and never fails to put a smile on my face..the gearbox is still very precise and feels lovely to use, and all teh controls lack the slop usually associated with higher mileage cars...again, a testament to the coops build quality...
..in all honesty, the car could be doing with a set of rear discs and pads so thats next on my hit list..also the front tyres are still legal but i can feel they are not the best, particulalry in wet or slimy conditions, so im sourcing a set as we speak...bearing in mind that i drive this car fairly hard, but sympathetically hard rather than like a demented chav in a corsaxo, i feel thats its 'consumeables' like brake pads, tyres, bushes etc..have lasted very well....
the cars interior again, belys its age..its black leather is unmarked, the only signs of wear after a year of my 22 stone frame are that the drivers seat is maybe a wee bit softer than it once was...the seats have no worn bolsters or anything....incredible...(in all honesty, the one thing id love to change about the car is too source and fit a set of the leather recaros as fitted to the 20vt le as the standard seats are very comfortable but lack outright lateral grip when your really pressing on...)..
costs over the year....ouch!!!....
i paid £1400 for the car 11 months ago....
preventative maintenance as it is MY car and not one im selling....
cambelt and tensioners done
new clutch
new waterpump
new thermostat
new radiator
new wheel bearings/hub (rear)
new oil cooler pipes
new track rod end/ball joint (for mot)
now, before you all start shouting...crikey, thats a lot in less than a year, typical bloody fiat!!....my car didnt NEED most of that work done..it was just the case that the camblet DID need done, i had done particulalry well out of a deal i did on an old range rover and ended up with a rather large profit, so i spoke to my mechanic, went on the fccuk forum and found out what all the cars weak points were....and just got them all done in one go whilst i had the money.....seemed to make sense to me....
all in all, i reckon to have spent, including the fresh mot, labour and parts, almost £1500 on the car....(again, proof i MUST love it haha)..
so..any advice if anyone ios thinking of buying one/running one....
first bit of advice....buy one that has had all the jobs listed above DONE...you are unlikely to be luck enough to find a garage who will touch a coupe 20vt and you may have to travel the lenght and breadth of the country to find a specialist...(powerfiat in essex is THE most quoted specialist by the way, their reputation, service and prices are second to none....)..
i was lucky enough to know a very good mechanic who took on the job..(and if truth be told, did all that work at about half the cost most garages would have taken..)..
if you need parts, buy them from alternative autos..i have found this company to be very knowledgeable, very competitive on price and they even deliver to the frozen north the next day...)...also, if we all buy our bits from aa, it helps keep them going...and with a car as specialised as the coop, specialists are a must if the cars are to survive...
planning on using a 20vt everyday...CHECK THE OIL REGULARLY..these cars used oil when they were new....if you run it dry and utilise the cars perfromance, you will pop the engine...and you wont just find another 20vt lump for £100 from the scrap man...!!!...
like i did, buy a car that has had mature owners..(believe it or not, many 20vt are low ownership cars from mature 1st or 2nd owners as the high insurance group scares off younger owners....a car like mine would have cost upwards of 20k when it was new inc. the extras..so the ywerent cheap either....ensure your prospective buy has a fsh and has had the essential manifold upgrade..(20vt are bad for cracked manifolds...)..
one point that most buyers guides DONT mention but i will here, due to personal expericne..the coop 20vt is fitted with an oil cooler..the oil pipes that run to it are quite vulnerably situated and also prone to corrosion..i ran over a paint pot or the like one night and checked for damage the next day to find that one pf these pipes had a hairline crak and was leaking oil..profusely.....check the condtion of these pipes...and if in dount..change them..they aint cheap at £140 but what price peace of mind...you may be driving along quite the thing in your pride and joy blissfully unaware that its lifeblood is quietly seeping out all over the road.....
id say in all honesty, i must have averaged 27mpg or so over the last 11k miles....you will get anything from 280-420 miles from a tank depending on your right foot...thats about 23/24mpg up to 34/36mpg....not bad for a car with the sheer get up and go of the fiat...
in conclusion id say..if you fancy a car that really does stand out from the crowd, has straight line urge few hot hatches can live with even now, neednt cost a fortune to buy/run and has immense feel good factor..buy a coop....
caveat...either buy the best you can afford and stay on top of the maintnence..(as i have done..my car, i would say, was 'worth' about 3k when i bought it..right place, right time....tho used car values, and it seems coop values in particular are on their collective arse at the minute...!!)
OR buy a cheap and cheerful abused example for track day/weekend fun in the full knowledge that if it goes pop, you can probably break it for more than you paid for it!!!
harsh reality is that my car now 'owes' me somewhere near 3k....and in todays market, its probably only worht around 2k....but I DONT CARE...i never bought this one to make profit..i bought it because id always wanted one, and the reality has more than matched the dream..this car has been, thus far, a joy to own...and as i keep telling myself...even if someone said, g., theres 3k..gimme your car....
what could i buy that has the coops blend of pace, looks, rarity, practicality and sheer feel good factor......???.....and im stil trying to come up with an answer to that one....gbn
i rarely get to write what is, in essence, a long term test...because i rarely keep a car more than a few months before hankering after something else....that in itself tells its own story...i mot'd my coop last month, so that means iv had it just coming up for a year....some kind of record there for me!!
bodily, the only thing the coop has picked up over this time are a few minor stone chips on its vulnerable bonnet and, one of the coops bugbears, a few more trolley dints on its barrel sided doors....you cant really notice how bad this problem is till you kneel down and look along the flanks, but a coop with no marks on the doors is a rare sight indeed....this said, the old car still shines up a treat, its paintwork still takes on a deep, shiny lustre and the wheels gleam when i can be bothered to give them a good going over....it has survived very well for an 'r' plate car...ANY 'r' plate car, not 'just a fiat'....
mechanically the car is still spot on....it had 114k when i bought it and its now turned 125k...now, bear in mind that i had the car off the road for aproximately 3 months of my ownership so thats 11k miles in 8 months....even with these miles, it still pulls like a train in any gear and never fails to put a smile on my face..the gearbox is still very precise and feels lovely to use, and all teh controls lack the slop usually associated with higher mileage cars...again, a testament to the coops build quality...
..in all honesty, the car could be doing with a set of rear discs and pads so thats next on my hit list..also the front tyres are still legal but i can feel they are not the best, particulalry in wet or slimy conditions, so im sourcing a set as we speak...bearing in mind that i drive this car fairly hard, but sympathetically hard rather than like a demented chav in a corsaxo, i feel thats its 'consumeables' like brake pads, tyres, bushes etc..have lasted very well....
the cars interior again, belys its age..its black leather is unmarked, the only signs of wear after a year of my 22 stone frame are that the drivers seat is maybe a wee bit softer than it once was...the seats have no worn bolsters or anything....incredible...(in all honesty, the one thing id love to change about the car is too source and fit a set of the leather recaros as fitted to the 20vt le as the standard seats are very comfortable but lack outright lateral grip when your really pressing on...)..
costs over the year....ouch!!!....
i paid £1400 for the car 11 months ago....
preventative maintenance as it is MY car and not one im selling....
cambelt and tensioners done
new clutch
new waterpump
new thermostat
new radiator
new wheel bearings/hub (rear)
new oil cooler pipes
new track rod end/ball joint (for mot)
now, before you all start shouting...crikey, thats a lot in less than a year, typical bloody fiat!!....my car didnt NEED most of that work done..it was just the case that the camblet DID need done, i had done particulalry well out of a deal i did on an old range rover and ended up with a rather large profit, so i spoke to my mechanic, went on the fccuk forum and found out what all the cars weak points were....and just got them all done in one go whilst i had the money.....seemed to make sense to me....
all in all, i reckon to have spent, including the fresh mot, labour and parts, almost £1500 on the car....(again, proof i MUST love it haha)..
so..any advice if anyone ios thinking of buying one/running one....
first bit of advice....buy one that has had all the jobs listed above DONE...you are unlikely to be luck enough to find a garage who will touch a coupe 20vt and you may have to travel the lenght and breadth of the country to find a specialist...(powerfiat in essex is THE most quoted specialist by the way, their reputation, service and prices are second to none....)..
i was lucky enough to know a very good mechanic who took on the job..(and if truth be told, did all that work at about half the cost most garages would have taken..)..
if you need parts, buy them from alternative autos..i have found this company to be very knowledgeable, very competitive on price and they even deliver to the frozen north the next day...)...also, if we all buy our bits from aa, it helps keep them going...and with a car as specialised as the coop, specialists are a must if the cars are to survive...
planning on using a 20vt everyday...CHECK THE OIL REGULARLY..these cars used oil when they were new....if you run it dry and utilise the cars perfromance, you will pop the engine...and you wont just find another 20vt lump for £100 from the scrap man...!!!...
like i did, buy a car that has had mature owners..(believe it or not, many 20vt are low ownership cars from mature 1st or 2nd owners as the high insurance group scares off younger owners....a car like mine would have cost upwards of 20k when it was new inc. the extras..so the ywerent cheap either....ensure your prospective buy has a fsh and has had the essential manifold upgrade..(20vt are bad for cracked manifolds...)..
one point that most buyers guides DONT mention but i will here, due to personal expericne..the coop 20vt is fitted with an oil cooler..the oil pipes that run to it are quite vulnerably situated and also prone to corrosion..i ran over a paint pot or the like one night and checked for damage the next day to find that one pf these pipes had a hairline crak and was leaking oil..profusely.....check the condtion of these pipes...and if in dount..change them..they aint cheap at £140 but what price peace of mind...you may be driving along quite the thing in your pride and joy blissfully unaware that its lifeblood is quietly seeping out all over the road.....
id say in all honesty, i must have averaged 27mpg or so over the last 11k miles....you will get anything from 280-420 miles from a tank depending on your right foot...thats about 23/24mpg up to 34/36mpg....not bad for a car with the sheer get up and go of the fiat...
in conclusion id say..if you fancy a car that really does stand out from the crowd, has straight line urge few hot hatches can live with even now, neednt cost a fortune to buy/run and has immense feel good factor..buy a coop....
caveat...either buy the best you can afford and stay on top of the maintnence..(as i have done..my car, i would say, was 'worth' about 3k when i bought it..right place, right time....tho used car values, and it seems coop values in particular are on their collective arse at the minute...!!)
OR buy a cheap and cheerful abused example for track day/weekend fun in the full knowledge that if it goes pop, you can probably break it for more than you paid for it!!!
harsh reality is that my car now 'owes' me somewhere near 3k....and in todays market, its probably only worht around 2k....but I DONT CARE...i never bought this one to make profit..i bought it because id always wanted one, and the reality has more than matched the dream..this car has been, thus far, a joy to own...and as i keep telling myself...even if someone said, g., theres 3k..gimme your car....
what could i buy that has the coops blend of pace, looks, rarity, practicality and sheer feel good factor......???.....and im stil trying to come up with an answer to that one....gbn
Great review there BiggBN.
The value of coupes is pretty shocking really - I reckon mine's probably worth less than £1k - but fortunately there don't seem to be many in the 'wrong' hands.
I've kept all my receipts from 4 1/2 years of ownership and I reckon it's cost about £2,500 and that doesn't include a cambelt change.
Mind you I did manage to spend about £750 on the front brakes as it needed replacement calipers at the same time as I fitted uprated (and expensive) discs and pads.
As long as nothing too major goes wrong I can't see the car being replaced unless it's for a newer, lower mileage Electric Blue coupe.
The value of coupes is pretty shocking really - I reckon mine's probably worth less than £1k - but fortunately there don't seem to be many in the 'wrong' hands.
I've kept all my receipts from 4 1/2 years of ownership and I reckon it's cost about £2,500 and that doesn't include a cambelt change.
Mind you I did manage to spend about £750 on the front brakes as it needed replacement calipers at the same time as I fitted uprated (and expensive) discs and pads.
As long as nothing too major goes wrong I can't see the car being replaced unless it's for a newer, lower mileage Electric Blue coupe.
"Coop" is common fccuk.org (owners club) term.
Nice write up biggbn - I had an R-plate 20vt for 3 and half years (just sold) used as a daily driver by my wife, and agree wholeheartedly with your experiences and thoughts.
Powerfiat are now PowerItalia (Alfas and Fiats) - truly excellent specialists.
Coupés are a fantastic performance bargain. They need some love, sure, but are, if looked-after, very reliable and pretty cheap to run. Low value means cheap-ish insurance too.
scotal said:
_Neal_ said:
"Coop" is common fccuk.org (owners club) term.
Coop is a common term amongst alot of Car enthusiasts, and its s
t. Comes from America... as in "little Deuce Coop" simple mispronunciation.
I suppose it is somewhat apt for the Mk2 though.
Edited by Mr2Mike on Thursday 20th November 09:30
scotal said:
_Neal_ said:
"Coop" is common fccuk.org (owners club) term.
Coop is a common term amongst alot of Car enthusiasts, and its st. Comes from America... as in "little Deuce Coop" simple mispronunciation.
I am new kid in this little forum so didnt want to be my usual mouthy self but it makes me shiver-cringe every time I hear the word.
blindswelledrat said:
Pretty sure its spelled 'Coupe'.
'Coop' is something you keep chickens in.
'Coop' is something you keep chickens in.
Yup, I hate the saying too. And I was a fccuk member for a year or so.
The Coupe is a stunning car. 2nd to my Cerbera, its the best car I have owned. And I will have another one day, no question.
Glad its still making you grin.
Thanks for the review! I'm looking at getting one of these as my next motor. Want something lightweight and turbocharged as currently running around in a big barge that drinks the juice but doesn't really give thrills.
One thing I do wonder about is.. I run about on the motorway at 80mph quite a lot. How's the fuel consumption when doing that? I hope it's better than what I have as its about 250kg lighter, but just thought I'd ask someone who knows!
One thing I do wonder about is.. I run about on the motorway at 80mph quite a lot. How's the fuel consumption when doing that? I hope it's better than what I have as its about 250kg lighter, but just thought I'd ask someone who knows!
If you're doing a lot of motorway miles then try to get one of the 6 speeders (LE or Plus) as it'll drink less.
At about 80 the 5's are just coming on boost, so thirstier than you'd expect for a 2L I reckon.
You'll get about 350 miles out a 45 quid tankful on a long run, more like 250 with town miles.
Maybe 400 if you're grannying it, which is hard.
Difficult to get something that looks better for as little money.
At about 80 the 5's are just coming on boost, so thirstier than you'd expect for a 2L I reckon.
You'll get about 350 miles out a 45 quid tankful on a long run, more like 250 with town miles.
Maybe 400 if you're grannying it, which is hard.
Difficult to get something that looks better for as little money.
My 98's 20VT with a 5 speed box gets 28-30mpg on a 60 mile daily commute of very fast dual carriageway and fun B roads. It's rarely dropped below 28, even when having a lot of fun, and 30mpg is achievable with just "normal" driving rather than economy driving. I've about 25k in it since I bought it, and whilst I have spent quite a lot on parts, I went in with my eyes open (it had a melted piston when I bought it!) and I've never regretted it. That said I still have a hankering for a 3.0 GTV 
350 out of a 45 quid tankful sounds pretty good. I currently get about 350 from a £70ish tankful so thats a lot better. Currently get 23.7 ave with a lot of babying it, some thrashing. Car is a bmw 540i. I'm definitely on the hunt for a coupe now!
Edited by swiftpete on Friday 6th March 16:42
Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff