Abarth 595 Competizione as a daily?
Discussion
brownspeed said:
PS;- DonkeyApple; JFDI! (do you still have your TVR?)
No!!! Sold the Typhon a few years back. Having moved out of London to the Cotswolds I assumed I'd be using it much more but it was the opposite. As much as I loved it the car ended up dictating terms so rendered itself pointless as it wasn't bought to be part of a collection. Keep being tempted to go back to a Griff as that was by far the best TVR but I'm just not sure when I'd use it. Hence the Abarth. It appears to have silly TVR qualities but in hot hatch form. Have spoken to a couple of people recently who have owned one and all the things they didn't like about theirs are things that I'm looking for in a car. Bit of torque steer? Absolutely, a nice bit of retro. No 6th gear? Brilliant. Has an old fashioned handbrake. You'd pay a premium for that option on other cars. Cabin tech is rubbish. Shouldn't have any as it's all tremendously annoying.
Still aiming to take Pidsy up on his kind offer as I'm concerned re seating position and needing excessively short longs and gibbon like arms as is the norm with French or Italian hatchbacks but all remains chaotic at present.
DA i agree with everything you have said about the Abarth. Especially the lack of distracting tech. I love how bloody basic it is. I love that I can heel and toe in it, I love how it goes from a docile little city car to a stupid hooligan, I love the stupid shouty decals. It makes me laugh out loud when I drive it. It makes me grin like I have a flip top head when I look back at it in the car park. I had an Alfa Guilia before this. Gorgeous car, but just not me. This car is the closest modern car to my old school Mini, and I bloody love it. Can you tell? : hehe:
I am doing a 500m round trip next week and I am quite looking forward to it.
The other half is 6ft with long legs and a short body and is fine driving it, and being a passenger he fits but hates how crashy it is for the passenger. My brother is 6ft 3 with shorter legs and a longer body and he doesnt actually fit in the passenger seat without having to tip the chair right back due to the sunroof. I am a short arse at 5ft6 with classic Italian shape long arms and short legs, so the driving position is totally fine for me.
I am doing a 500m round trip next week and I am quite looking forward to it.
The other half is 6ft with long legs and a short body and is fine driving it, and being a passenger he fits but hates how crashy it is for the passenger. My brother is 6ft 3 with shorter legs and a longer body and he doesnt actually fit in the passenger seat without having to tip the chair right back due to the sunroof. I am a short arse at 5ft6 with classic Italian shape long arms and short legs, so the driving position is totally fine for me.
brownspeed said:
sorry for nor wading through the previous tranche of pages. Just to add further positive comments on how much fun these are- reminds me of my R5GTt from wayyy back. and...
Quick question; timing belts? at which point do these need replacing? is it a ball ache to do at home? how much to get done at a garage? thanks in advance
PS;- DonkeyApple; JFDI! (do you still have your TVR?)
Should be every 5 years. Water pump needs to be done at the same time. I don’t spanner so no idea how difficult.Quick question; timing belts? at which point do these need replacing? is it a ball ache to do at home? how much to get done at a garage? thanks in advance
PS;- DonkeyApple; JFDI! (do you still have your TVR?)
Most places want £400 to £500 for the job.
Ace-T said:
DA i agree with everything you have said about the Abarth. Especially the lack of distracting tech. I love how bloody basic it is. I love that I can heel and toe in it, I love how it goes from a docile little city car to a stupid hooligan, I love the stupid shouty decals. It makes me laugh out loud when I drive it. It makes me grin like I have a flip top head when I look back at it in the car park. I had an Alfa Guilia before this. Gorgeous car, but just not me. This car is the closest modern car to my old school Mini, and I bloody love it. Can you tell? : hehe:
I am doing a 500m round trip next week and I am quite looking forward to it.
The other half is 6ft with long legs and a short body and is fine driving it, and being a passenger he fits but hates how crashy it is for the passenger. My brother is 6ft 3 with shorter legs and a longer body and he doesnt actually fit in the passenger seat without having to tip the chair right back due to the sunroof. I am a short arse at 5ft6 with classic Italian shape long arms and short legs, so the driving position is totally fine for me.
Thanks. Arguably my greatest fear is that my wife is actually Italian and so a genetically terrible driver. Not a panel on her car which hasn't been modified against a wall to delete its German roots and make it a 100% Italian BMW. I am doing a 500m round trip next week and I am quite looking forward to it.
The other half is 6ft with long legs and a short body and is fine driving it, and being a passenger he fits but hates how crashy it is for the passenger. My brother is 6ft 3 with shorter legs and a longer body and he doesnt actually fit in the passenger seat without having to tip the chair right back due to the sunroof. I am a short arse at 5ft6 with classic Italian shape long arms and short legs, so the driving position is totally fine for me.
Feel like I should follow this up, as my Turismo is no longer my daily driver and is being sorted for sale (to the trade, because it's on finance). The roads I commute on have deteriorated to the worst state I've ever known them and the Abarth was just totally Ill-equipped to deal with the ripples, fractures and craters and it always felt like the suspension was getting more fatigued each day. At the MoT in December it had a top mount cover replaced that had gone AWOL, a new tyre to replace one with a gouge on the inside wall, and a replacement coil spring as the left rear had snapped.
Bearing in mind I had nearly three weeks off over Christmas and new year, and had done less than a 1000 miles by the start of February, I've had to replace both rear wheel bearings, and faced an immediate dead battery after stopping for coffee on my way to work. There had been no indication of the battery failing, it just died. That was the final straw. It's a beautiful car to look at, in metallic grey and red leather, but it doesn't belong on my commute. I've replaced it with a Model 3 Long Range, because I couldn't bear having an ICE car with an inferior soundtrack.
Bearing in mind I had nearly three weeks off over Christmas and new year, and had done less than a 1000 miles by the start of February, I've had to replace both rear wheel bearings, and faced an immediate dead battery after stopping for coffee on my way to work. There had been no indication of the battery failing, it just died. That was the final straw. It's a beautiful car to look at, in metallic grey and red leather, but it doesn't belong on my commute. I've replaced it with a Model 3 Long Range, because I couldn't bear having an ICE car with an inferior soundtrack.
Well I’ve had an eventful time with the little red hooligan the last few weeks.
Day before the MOT my clutch went…£1.1k for that.
MOT failed on emissions, top mounts & osf front shock.
Emissions turned out to be a loose lambda in the end so got away with that as was quoted a frankly ridiculous £1.3k for an OEM manifold & cat… was going to go down the sports cat route for a more reasonable £400 but didn’t need to in the end.
Mounts & shock came to £1.2k so all in a bill of £2.3k.
Fresh MOT & driving super sweet now so all good again.
Day before the MOT my clutch went…£1.1k for that.
MOT failed on emissions, top mounts & osf front shock.
Emissions turned out to be a loose lambda in the end so got away with that as was quoted a frankly ridiculous £1.3k for an OEM manifold & cat… was going to go down the sports cat route for a more reasonable £400 but didn’t need to in the end.
Mounts & shock came to £1.2k so all in a bill of £2.3k.
Fresh MOT & driving super sweet now so all good again.
MOT went perfect yesterday. Was a bit concerned as we've put 8k on it in a year and last test was from a dealer. Advisories for 2 front bushes starting to show signs of wear but I planned on getting a few bits sorted and an alignment done anyway. That's a job for further in to spring!
I had great fun with the MOT on my 595C Turismo out here in Madeira. The way it works out here is that if something is noted, you have until the next year's inspection to fix it. If you haven't and the issue is still present, your car cannot pass.
When I bought the car last summer, I hadn't noticed that there was a note on the last inspection relating to 'modified lowering springs'. In Portugal it is essentially illegal for modify your car (in any way) unless it is type approved by the manufacturer. When the car was inspected this month, it was immediately failed as the tester took the view that the springs were still modified and lowered. My only two courses of action were to order and fit new OEM springs (Euro 1k) or pay to have the car tested and certified by the Abarth main dealer and then update the registration with the 'type approved modification'.
To cut a very long story short, the car is completely standard with original red springs, but the inspector last year was so used to testing regular (rental) 500's, when confronted with an Abarth where the springs bunch up in the middle, he took the view that they couldn't be standard. The inspector this year followed on from that and refused to pass the car.
I have a great mechanic on the island who looks after all my cars and he went into battle (basically, he took the inspector out for a nice boozy lunch) and armed with a load of photos from the net (sent over by me), he got them to reverse their decisions.
All good fun.... Great car for the island though.
When I bought the car last summer, I hadn't noticed that there was a note on the last inspection relating to 'modified lowering springs'. In Portugal it is essentially illegal for modify your car (in any way) unless it is type approved by the manufacturer. When the car was inspected this month, it was immediately failed as the tester took the view that the springs were still modified and lowered. My only two courses of action were to order and fit new OEM springs (Euro 1k) or pay to have the car tested and certified by the Abarth main dealer and then update the registration with the 'type approved modification'.
To cut a very long story short, the car is completely standard with original red springs, but the inspector last year was so used to testing regular (rental) 500's, when confronted with an Abarth where the springs bunch up in the middle, he took the view that they couldn't be standard. The inspector this year followed on from that and refused to pass the car.
I have a great mechanic on the island who looks after all my cars and he went into battle (basically, he took the inspector out for a nice boozy lunch) and armed with a load of photos from the net (sent over by me), he got them to reverse their decisions.
All good fun.... Great car for the island though.
Last photo of it, before we sold it yesterday.
In the 9 months since we bought it it's had two services, a cambelt and water pump, two new rear wheel bearings and a new battery, plus it only ever got Momentum 99. The next owner will hopefully get more enjoyment from it than I did using it as a 60 mile a day commuter.
In the 9 months since we bought it it's had two services, a cambelt and water pump, two new rear wheel bearings and a new battery, plus it only ever got Momentum 99. The next owner will hopefully get more enjoyment from it than I did using it as a 60 mile a day commuter.
SE2 said:
Last photo of it, before we sold it yesterday.
In the 9 months since we bought it it's had two services, a cambelt and water pump, two new rear wheel bearings and a new battery, plus it only ever got Momentum 99. The next owner will hopefully get more enjoyment from it than I did using it as a 60 mile a day commuter.
Nice looking car!In the 9 months since we bought it it's had two services, a cambelt and water pump, two new rear wheel bearings and a new battery, plus it only ever got Momentum 99. The next owner will hopefully get more enjoyment from it than I did using it as a 60 mile a day commuter.
I’ve run two different Competiziones over the last 9 years with a 40 mile daily commute. Absolutely loved both cars but the poor state of the roads is finally getting to me. Mine will soon need brakes and I was thinking of changing the timing belt (will be 5 years old in June) but I’m actually thinking of putting that investment into something different - just not sure what
Drooles said:
Nice looking car!
I ve run two different Competiziones over the last 9 years with a 40 mile daily commute. Absolutely loved both cars but the poor state of the roads is finally getting to me. Mine will soon need brakes and I was thinking of changing the timing belt (will be 5 years old in June) but I m actually thinking of putting that investment into something different - just not sure what
I think I was too invested in how great they look, especially as I absolutely had to have red leather (a first for me). It's just not coped with how bad our road network deteriorated this winter. My Model 3 is coping so much better with that, and the Abarth is far too nice to just sit on my driveway looking pretty, but not going nowhere. The drive to Arnold Clark yesterday was the first time I'd driven it in six weeks. I ve run two different Competiziones over the last 9 years with a 40 mile daily commute. Absolutely loved both cars but the poor state of the roads is finally getting to me. Mine will soon need brakes and I was thinking of changing the timing belt (will be 5 years old in June) but I m actually thinking of putting that investment into something different - just not sure what
ecsrobin said:
DonkeyApple said:
Slightly random question but has anyone ever attempted to insure a new driver on one of these and seen vaguely sensible quotes?
Whilst I haven t I would have thought you re not going to see sensible quotes. tr7v8 said:
ecsrobin said:
DonkeyApple said:
Slightly random question but has anyone ever attempted to insure a new driver on one of these and seen vaguely sensible quotes?
Whilst I haven t I would have thought you re not going to see sensible quotes. Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff