Built vs Bought
Discussion
The Punto cabriolet parts donor arrived today and...
...well...
...okay...
It was advertised as a "runner" but was out of petrol. No big deal, Can of fuel, primed and the old bus starts first turn of the key.
Also advertised as a "driver" but sadly the clutch master cylinder seals are gone and the clutch arm itself stuck.
The photo's in the advert are ages old as the car is covered in moss now.
None of these are an issue as the parts I need are all fine. One problem is the roof does not open. I was relying on that being functional to get most of the money back. Never mind. The wheels are near perfect and as far as I can tell the front brake calipers are good to go.
If anyone wants any Rialto blue body parts let me know.
...well...
...okay...
It was advertised as a "runner" but was out of petrol. No big deal, Can of fuel, primed and the old bus starts first turn of the key.
Also advertised as a "driver" but sadly the clutch master cylinder seals are gone and the clutch arm itself stuck.
The photo's in the advert are ages old as the car is covered in moss now.
None of these are an issue as the parts I need are all fine. One problem is the roof does not open. I was relying on that being functional to get most of the money back. Never mind. The wheels are near perfect and as far as I can tell the front brake calipers are good to go.
If anyone wants any Rialto blue body parts let me know.
What a pest!
Because it doesn't drive and weighs the same as a small Moon it was a bit of a push to get it on the drive. Washed because I don't like working on or selling parts from a dirty car and ready to start stripping.
I have provisionally sold £300 worth of bits already.
So the parts I need could end up being free.
A spot of Driveway CSI today and the mysterious hood.
https://youtu.be/fUFD2Mm_oTk
Relay, switch or loom issue then. The fuse is fine and the roof works directly from a battery.
A working roof is worth three or more times a non-functional one.
https://youtu.be/fUFD2Mm_oTk
Relay, switch or loom issue then. The fuse is fine and the roof works directly from a battery.
A working roof is worth three or more times a non-functional one.
Don't you just love it when you order a pair of something from a UK supplier, it's takes a week longer than a larger item to arrive from Italy and...
...when they eventually arrive they aren't even a
pair! 
Oh well. One clear and one tinted indicator. Just as well I'm not anal about things like that at all eh?
...when they eventually arrive they aren't even a
pair! Oh well. One clear and one tinted indicator. Just as well I'm not anal about things like that at all eh?
I should have stayed in bed today.
It has been a perfect, sunny, chilled winters day.
Ideal for stripping the Punto Cabriolet; but every single, simple part has had a dozen other things in the way and every nut, bolt or screw has either rusted to crap or inaccessible due to another half dozen things in the way.
I'm glad I am parts harvesting and scrapping the donor car because it would be on fire now if not. Seriously I haven't been this annoyed since the clutch master cylinder job on my Alfa Spider.
I think I'll get an early start at it tomorrow so more neighbours can appreciate my swearing. ;-)
It was the windscreen or the engine block!
Okay I need to calm down and look for something positive.
SuperFIRE HT leads.
They have a little handle to pull them out with.
The first time I have come across it. Brilliant!
It has been a perfect, sunny, chilled winters day.
Ideal for stripping the Punto Cabriolet; but every single, simple part has had a dozen other things in the way and every nut, bolt or screw has either rusted to crap or inaccessible due to another half dozen things in the way.
I'm glad I am parts harvesting and scrapping the donor car because it would be on fire now if not. Seriously I haven't been this annoyed since the clutch master cylinder job on my Alfa Spider.
I think I'll get an early start at it tomorrow so more neighbours can appreciate my swearing. ;-)
It was the windscreen or the engine block!
Okay I need to calm down and look for something positive.
SuperFIRE HT leads.
They have a little handle to pull them out with.
The first time I have come across it. Brilliant!
After a few hours of faff I managed to harvest the parts and a few minutes later the engine was out.
I am very impressed with the SuperFIRE engine. The cam's are a sealed unit...
...once out it was pretty obvious what the issue with the car was.
Driveway CSI and another Punto postmortem.
The thrust bearing was rusted to the gearbox input shaft. Also I read somewhere that gearboxes are supposed to have oil in them. This one didn't.
I am very impressed with the SuperFIRE engine. The cam's are a sealed unit...
...once out it was pretty obvious what the issue with the car was.
Driveway CSI and another Punto postmortem.
The thrust bearing was rusted to the gearbox input shaft. Also I read somewhere that gearboxes are supposed to have oil in them. This one didn't.
The black silicone curse strikes again.
Part 1/ I opened the roof to remove it and because it was colder than it felt the rear screen cracked.
No problem my uncles are upholsterers and it's a fairly simple job.
Part 2/ The roof was stuck down with it so the material ripped as soon as I tried to take it off.
I have taken the rams and pump off so I could get £30 or so for those to someone restoring a Punto or £100 to a chav who wants a low rider bonnet lift.
Part 1/ I opened the roof to remove it and because it was colder than it felt the rear screen cracked.
No problem my uncles are upholsterers and it's a fairly simple job.
Part 2/ The roof was stuck down with it so the material ripped as soon as I tried to take it off.
I have taken the rams and pump off so I could get £30 or so for those to someone restoring a Punto or £100 to a chav who wants a low rider bonnet lift.
Today I have been asking my local MOT guys if the scratch that has been an advisory for the last two MOT's on the windscreen would be a fail.
It's where the car has been used with a broken wiper blade and is a resounding fail from all who I have asked.
So new windscreen to take from the budget this month but...
...it does give me an excuse to get my welder out.
It's where the car has been used with a broken wiper blade and is a resounding fail from all who I have asked.
So new windscreen to take from the budget this month but...
...it does give me an excuse to get my welder out.
I thought I would take the last of the Bravo bits to a mate who has two Bravo's and a collection of FTO's. The git!
Anyway on the way back the little metal clip that broke on my Bravo last time I went that far south went today on the 145 because I had no wipers and was looking for somewhere that sold cable ties (I didn't have any tools or stuff in my Alfa at all) I hit a pot hole and burst a tyre.
Then I managed to break the tyre lever. I would like to think it was my shear physical prowess but more likely the tyre fitters using an air gun at too high a torque setting.
So tyre swapped and limited to 50mph (officer) I managed to get home just after seven. Should have been home by four. Just as well the spare set of wheels that came with my 145 haven't sold on eBay. Looks like I'll be needing them.
Anyway on the way back the little metal clip that broke on my Bravo last time I went that far south went today on the 145 because I had no wipers and was looking for somewhere that sold cable ties (I didn't have any tools or stuff in my Alfa at all) I hit a pot hole and burst a tyre.
Then I managed to break the tyre lever. I would like to think it was my shear physical prowess but more likely the tyre fitters using an air gun at too high a torque setting.
So tyre swapped and limited to 50mph (officer) I managed to get home just after seven. Should have been home by four. Just as well the spare set of wheels that came with my 145 haven't sold on eBay. Looks like I'll be needing them.
Payday is today and as I'm having a little trouble bonding with my Cinquecento as the old kart is in full on daily mode right now I thought I would take the project to work with me and paint the cam' cover.
As it's payday today I wasn't able to do anything too bold. Italian flag cleche' or something like the violet and silver MX5 cover I did before...
...I had the primer and lacquer already but could only afford one tin of paint.
So as I'll need to colour match the windscreen frame repair soon...
...yellow.
I think it'll look pretty nice in there.
As it's payday today I wasn't able to do anything too bold. Italian flag cleche' or something like the violet and silver MX5 cover I did before...
...I had the primer and lacquer already but could only afford one tin of paint.
So as I'll need to colour match the windscreen frame repair soon...
...yellow.
I think it'll look pretty nice in there.
Again little in the way of progress while I have been at work.
Every single "Yep I'll definitely have it" message referring to the Idea has been a waste of time.
In the spirit of the "invisible car" I have added a supplementary red reflective strip to the bottom of the tailgate.
I'm thinking some kind of 80's graphic to break it up a little.
For now though I'm concentrating on getting the Punto HGT home from Brighton and possibly a different "built" car as well.
Every single "Yep I'll definitely have it" message referring to the Idea has been a waste of time.
In the spirit of the "invisible car" I have added a supplementary red reflective strip to the bottom of the tailgate.
I'm thinking some kind of 80's graphic to break it up a little.
For now though I'm concentrating on getting the Punto HGT home from Brighton and possibly a different "built" car as well.
I have a 1242 with 866 cam in my shed and the 145 could be for sale thanks to this...
...hang on a minute...
...that's better and that's also how you should clean your vehicle before driving anywhere.
Nice looking, reasonably tidy HGT not in yellow, red/faded pink or blue for rarity sake.
Familiar territory. It's a Bravo HLX engine with VFD written on it.
VFD is Variable Frequency Drive, or in English fly by wire throttle body. More about that later as if I mention it now it will involve swearing.
Time for more usual suspects.
Cloudy headlight plastic with no side light bulbs. I guess it had chav spec leds like innit and they were kept.
Knackered engine mount so those (now) 78,000 miles have probably been tough or it was broken by whoever did the belt change six months ago.
Dirty, rusty, pitted rear brake discs after a two hundred and something mile drive home? Calipers need reconditioning then.
Finally...
...and for comedy sake a factory sub box...
...with a three inch woofer? Glad I listened to Classic FM on the way back from Brighton (via Kent for a mate) my ears would be bleeding from the bass from that monster if I had one of my Hardcore CD's with me.
So the good.
The engine is perky and the car is easily as fast as my Bravo was when she was stripped out.
The bad.
The fly by wire throttle is garbage. What were they thinking? There's an over rev' blip every change up and a noticeable delay no matter what you do with the pedal. It's as if they are using "Internet Explorer 2.0" to run the bloody thing. The ABS is horrid and useless. In the dry it's fine but if you're braking normally in adverse conditions and have full control all of a sudden the ABS kicks in and you are literally not braking at all.
The surprising.
Every single Mk2 Punto I have ever driven has had the same problem. The electronic power steering. At best it's total crap, at worst it is the single most dangerous thing ever put on any car; ever. I have driven all the Mk2 Punto's now and can honestly say the HGT is the best of the bunch. With the others the power steering is like an on/off switch. When negotiating a bend the steering kicks in making the wheel light, due to being under load it moves more than you need it to so instead of a smooth round line you end up taking a tetracontagon one. This is true of most electronic power steering vehicles I have driven including the last generation Porsche 911 so it's not just a Punto thing.
With the HGT I don't know if it's the extra weight of the engine, the wider tyres or bigger brakes increasing rotating mass at the hubs but the steering was pretty okay. A little skippy now and then but nowhere near a bad or dangerous as other vehicles.
...hang on a minute...
...that's better and that's also how you should clean your vehicle before driving anywhere.
Nice looking, reasonably tidy HGT not in yellow, red/faded pink or blue for rarity sake.
Familiar territory. It's a Bravo HLX engine with VFD written on it.
VFD is Variable Frequency Drive, or in English fly by wire throttle body. More about that later as if I mention it now it will involve swearing.
Time for more usual suspects.
Cloudy headlight plastic with no side light bulbs. I guess it had chav spec leds like innit and they were kept.
Knackered engine mount so those (now) 78,000 miles have probably been tough or it was broken by whoever did the belt change six months ago.
Dirty, rusty, pitted rear brake discs after a two hundred and something mile drive home? Calipers need reconditioning then.
Finally...
...and for comedy sake a factory sub box...
...with a three inch woofer? Glad I listened to Classic FM on the way back from Brighton (via Kent for a mate) my ears would be bleeding from the bass from that monster if I had one of my Hardcore CD's with me.
So the good.
The engine is perky and the car is easily as fast as my Bravo was when she was stripped out.
The bad.
The fly by wire throttle is garbage. What were they thinking? There's an over rev' blip every change up and a noticeable delay no matter what you do with the pedal. It's as if they are using "Internet Explorer 2.0" to run the bloody thing. The ABS is horrid and useless. In the dry it's fine but if you're braking normally in adverse conditions and have full control all of a sudden the ABS kicks in and you are literally not braking at all.
The surprising.
Every single Mk2 Punto I have ever driven has had the same problem. The electronic power steering. At best it's total crap, at worst it is the single most dangerous thing ever put on any car; ever. I have driven all the Mk2 Punto's now and can honestly say the HGT is the best of the bunch. With the others the power steering is like an on/off switch. When negotiating a bend the steering kicks in making the wheel light, due to being under load it moves more than you need it to so instead of a smooth round line you end up taking a tetracontagon one. This is true of most electronic power steering vehicles I have driven including the last generation Porsche 911 so it's not just a Punto thing.
With the HGT I don't know if it's the extra weight of the engine, the wider tyres or bigger brakes increasing rotating mass at the hubs but the steering was pretty okay. A little skippy now and then but nowhere near a bad or dangerous as other vehicles.
Vitorio said:
I really like that punto (although i might be partial to dark green cars since getting my dark green alfa...), and with the 1.8 lump under the bonnet it should be properly quick.
As for that 145, if i lived in the UK i'd be biting your arm off, sadly living in the netherlands its not a viable idea..
I'm headed out that way fairly soon. A chap with a Punto Sporting hit a traffic island and needs my spare block. Ferry and petrol worls out about half the shipping cost so...As for that 145, if i lived in the UK i'd be biting your arm off, sadly living in the netherlands its not a viable idea..
Road Trip!
Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff