RE: Fiat Strada: PH Ad Break

[gemini]

Pass the wrench Bob
I havent got it, Bobs got it.

Built by Roberts!

Class stuff.

[petrolpat]

My first new car was Fiat strada 130 Abarth back in 1985 August 1st think reg was C334 AHT metalic grey wonder if its still about

[hawox]

apparently the robots never learned to spray the protective paint!
i had the ritmo as company car and it immediately start to rot, plus it was really ugly! on the good side it had a good acceleration to be a 1.1. the talbot horizon was much better quality but also slower.

[900T-R]

hawox said:

the talbot horizon was much better quality

That's as damning a verdict as anything I've heard...

[mickyveloce]

best car advert ever.
I was/am a huge fan of 70s and 80s Fiats and drove several over the years. All possessed a joyful spirit and lousy quality !

[viggyp]

Had four Stradas.

WRK 788X - burgundy Mk1 65CL with beige interior and put Lancia Beta rims on it. Revved and revved with a great engine.
DLT 113Y - black Mk1 105TC which was sold to a mate.
A465 HLH - red Mk1 105 TC which was lowered with 130TC cams. Sold to a mate.
C354 HMC - black Mk3 130TC Abarth with bolt on filters, and Leda adjustables up front.

Other that rot (apart from the 130) and electric probs, and certain gearbox probs they were really reliable. Engines were peaches and handling from all of them were spot on.

[Lloydie33]

Had a orange 75cl Auto back in the late 80's, bought for £75 from an auction with 6months ticket. Then it passed it's MOT again without any aggro so was staring down the barrel of another years cheap motoring... Generously gave it to my girlfriend who seemed to quite like it and even agreed to marry me. Happy days. It was a a close run thing between that and my Alfasud which was the more disprin like. Shocking rotters.

[Octoposse]

I had an 'A' reg Strada 70 (facelifted - twin headlamps, ring pull door handles, numberplate between rear light clusters rather than in the bumper).

It is the only car I have owned I look back on with genuine love.

Did 100,000 miles in it without major problems (couple of wheel bearings at about a tenner each, and the clutch cable went three times - looked like a right-hand-drive design fault, with the wire cable going round a too-small pulley just in front of the bulkhead).

It was a joy to drive, looked handsome in red, and did not rust! Stone chips seemed to take off the red but leave visible undercoat underneath. Non slip vinyl in the boot a touch of genius compared with dirt-attracting carpets. Fabulous fabulous car . . . .

. . . . replaced by a 'D' reg Escort Mk 3 1.4 GL 'lean burn' that was a miserable slow rust-prone horror by comparason.

[Mouse1903]

JeffC said:

dont suppose it will still be around now but it used to make a great noise and was faster than most of the hot hatches back in the day. 85 130 tin can , keep having a look on the bay but havnt seen a one come up for sale in a good while, to be fair rewind 20 odd years ago and it was as rotten as a pear back then :-(

Love it. There was one featured on here only a few weeks ago

[Mouse1903]

petrolpat said:

My first new car was Fiat strada 130 Abarth back in 1985 August 1st think reg was C334 AHT metalic grey wonder if its still about

No details at all on DVLA so either wrong reg or not looking good.

[Mouse1903]

viggyp said:

Had four Stradas.

WRK 788X - burgundy Mk1 65CL with beige interior and put Lancia Beta rims on it. Revved and revved with a great engine.
DLT 113Y - black Mk1 105TC which was sold to a mate.
A465 HLH - red Mk1 105 TC which was lowered with 130TC cams. Sold to a mate.
C354 HMC - black Mk3 130TC Abarth with bolt on filters, and Leda adjustables up front.

Other that rot (apart from the 130) and electric probs, and certain gearbox probs they were really reliable. Engines were peaches and handling from all of them were spot on.

WRK 788X - Not taxed since August 1994, lasted 12 years
DLT 113Y - Not taxed since September 2000, lasted 17 years
A465 HLH - Not taxed since May 1999, lasted almost 16 years
C354 HMC - Not taxed since May 2004, just over 18 years

[Escort Si-130]

They were so damn ugly then and still now. I hated those cars, glad I no longer have to see them. Most of them vanished from the streets in the 90's goes to show what kind of car it was.

[viggyp]

Mouse1903 said:

JeffC said:

dont suppose it will still be around now but it used to make a great noise and was faster than most of the hot hatches back in the day. 85 130 tin can , keep having a look on the bay but havnt seen a one come up for sale in a good while, to be fair rewind 20 odd years ago and it was as rotten as a pear back then :-(

Love it. There was one featured on here only a few weeks ago

Lovely. My mate has almost completed the restoration of his 130TC. Typing this from my iPad so only have these pics to show, which I've posted elsewhere on PH.

[Mouse1903]

Give me a shout in a few years if he still has it and wants to sell up ;-)

[viggyp]

Mouse1903 said:

Give me a shout in a few years if he still has it and wants to sell up ;-)

Will do. He's got a single headlamp conversion from a mainland European diesel model going on as well as a set of 16" Alfa 155 dark 5 spokes albeit he is spraying them in integrale quartz grey with polished rim. Should look pretty good.

[whiteonyx]

Loved my 85 Super (VBY 948X) it thought it was a Ferrari in a hackbacks body, many good time with no rot, electrical or engine problems.

[viggyp]

The first one I stated on my first post was bought by my dad brand new in 1982 which we then shared when I passed my test in 1991. My dad only covered 27k miles up until I started driving and I notched it up to 70k +..........and it started puffing out blue smoke due to lack of oil changes (back then I knew more about car stats then maintenance).

The Abarth I had was very reliable apart from needing an alternator and new carb mounting brackets. I did over 30k in under 3 years. Loved it.

[gl20]

TPW 89W was my Mum's Bronze coloured 65CL that was financed by my Dad's football pool's win. Well, you've got to live to dream, right?

[Octoposse]

whiteonyx said:

Loved my 85 Super (VBY 948X) it thought it was a Ferrari in a hackbacks body, many good time with no rot, electrical or engine problems.

Exactly that with my 70CL . . . A514 RFM from memory. Best car I have ever owned!

[lbc]

I always remember the Strada adverts...

Built by robots...driven by morons!