RE: PH Carpool: Fiat 500F
Discussion
J4CKO said:
I think poeple love the 500 and think it would be easy to own, they by and large arent, they are all at least 40 years old and werent built to last, I had one chap wanting to buy my car as he thought it "ideal" for his 17 year old daughter, I would recommend against that, they dont have any safety features, tend to break down and sharing the roads with Range Rovers and whatever as a new driver would be fraught, the accident that you walk away from in a Punto or Corsa could conceivably kill you in a 500, not to get all "Police Camera Action" but they are for batting round town in good weather or a ten mile jaunt for a picnic, not schleeping driver and three mates, plus luggage home from uni.
This is what I say about the classic mini, I had one for my first car, it taught me to drive better quickly, because I knew if I didn't I wouldn't survive an accident in it! Classic cars aren't a good choice for a first car for sons and daughters when you see how hectic the roads are now. They were built in a different era when crash safety wasn't such an issue, with so many less cars to crash into!I've had a couple of these, even in the same colour - brilliant things. One was an R, with (oooh!) 21hp as was said above.
Commuted about 6 miles each way to work in one of them for a year or so, great fun. Definitely not a car for long journeys or if you're not in the mood though.
Only time one of them ever let me down was late at night when the electrical contact came off the top of the dizzy rotor. I had no torch, in the middle of nowhere, so couldn't even see to diagnose the problem, but Mr.AA hammered the metal strip back on again in his van and off I went.
There's no oil filter, just a centrifugal gunk remover inside one of the pulleys - during a service, just open the pulley up, scrape out the gunk then put it back. Marvellous.
Sold both for more than I'd paid for them (a few quid spent on welding though!), one day we'll get another.
Commuted about 6 miles each way to work in one of them for a year or so, great fun. Definitely not a car for long journeys or if you're not in the mood though.
Only time one of them ever let me down was late at night when the electrical contact came off the top of the dizzy rotor. I had no torch, in the middle of nowhere, so couldn't even see to diagnose the problem, but Mr.AA hammered the metal strip back on again in his van and off I went.
There's no oil filter, just a centrifugal gunk remover inside one of the pulleys - during a service, just open the pulley up, scrape out the gunk then put it back. Marvellous.
Sold both for more than I'd paid for them (a few quid spent on welding though!), one day we'll get another.
I bought a beige one in the early 90s from an Italian who'd moved to England and worked in the same office. My friends would pick it up and turn it around outside work. This was on a one way street, so I would get parking tickets. Eventually I sold it for some reason that still escapes me.
Later on, I read somewhere that Gordon Murray had a bike engine fitted to his, so I wrote to him at McLaren. Someone from his office very kindly called me back and chatted for ages - apparently it was never a great success. He put me in touch with Jimmy DiCarlo at Ital Corsa. Jimmy restored a car for me in the late 90s. We threw everything at it: tuned 126 engine, original Abarth wheels, big carbs, sports exhaust, Nardi wheel, disc brakes, even an open aluminium gear lever grate. new everything. A permanently open bootlid and Giallo Fly paint. I had to sell it about ten years ago at a terrible loss. It went to a collector on the Isle of Mann, I think he still has it.
Shortly after selling that second car, the prices shot up. Ah, well.
Now we have three children and I take them to school in a Fiat Panda (the old shed like one, not the new James May shape).
Later on, I read somewhere that Gordon Murray had a bike engine fitted to his, so I wrote to him at McLaren. Someone from his office very kindly called me back and chatted for ages - apparently it was never a great success. He put me in touch with Jimmy DiCarlo at Ital Corsa. Jimmy restored a car for me in the late 90s. We threw everything at it: tuned 126 engine, original Abarth wheels, big carbs, sports exhaust, Nardi wheel, disc brakes, even an open aluminium gear lever grate. new everything. A permanently open bootlid and Giallo Fly paint. I had to sell it about ten years ago at a terrible loss. It went to a collector on the Isle of Mann, I think he still has it.
Shortly after selling that second car, the prices shot up. Ah, well.
Now we have three children and I take them to school in a Fiat Panda (the old shed like one, not the new James May shape).
johnycarrera said:
M@1975 said:
I've gone with the modern equivalents.. Panda 100hp and 996. 
Me too, 993 TurboS and Abarth 500, great combination, absolutely love to own an old 500 but the above comments are a little worrying and it could be a pain in the arse to own and use.There's a few of us PH'ers that seem to have a Fiat 500 tucked away somewhere!
Here's ours, currently awaiting better weather before we start work on it, having said that it is currently on the road and really needs minimal bodywork to keep the corrosion at bay...................
That is a genuine 45k on the speedo and apart from the chap we bought it from it's been a one family owned car from a titled owner in London!
It's in pretty good condition given its age/origin/our climate!
By the way, the ribbon has pretty much been there since day one as it was a present to the original owner from her husband.
Oh yeah, and those are genuine teeth marks in the steering wheel, hopefully from a dog and not 'in terror' bite marks from the original owner!!
Stef
Here's ours, currently awaiting better weather before we start work on it, having said that it is currently on the road and really needs minimal bodywork to keep the corrosion at bay...................
That is a genuine 45k on the speedo and apart from the chap we bought it from it's been a one family owned car from a titled owner in London!
It's in pretty good condition given its age/origin/our climate!
By the way, the ribbon has pretty much been there since day one as it was a present to the original owner from her husband.
Oh yeah, and those are genuine teeth marks in the steering wheel, hopefully from a dog and not 'in terror' bite marks from the original owner!!
Stef
Beautifully written and a truly great car, I am alone in really wanting to be 17 again so I can have one and be retro-cool? So much sexier than a vauxhall with a huge exhaust pipe.
(Would put the original seat back in mind, none of his modern nonsense)
http://rjmghome.blogspot.co.uk/
(Would put the original seat back in mind, none of his modern nonsense)
http://rjmghome.blogspot.co.uk/
Website with lots of nice track piccies of our preferred cars. Well worth a look!
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/display/27690342
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/display/27690342
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