Fiat 20VT Coupe
Discussion
So, Fiat Coupes then.
I've got an itch for a budget Italian coupe that needs to be scratched again...as a serial 916 GTV owner I'm aware of the foibles of 90s Italian metal, but miss the emotion! My last GTV only went because I needed a car with 'four' seats; the GTV's rear ones were a bit too occasional but I understand 20VT coupe have more space; is this true?
Aside from the usual belts/filters/fluid checks, what specific stuff should I be looking out for on a 20V Turbo Coupe?
I've got an itch for a budget Italian coupe that needs to be scratched again...as a serial 916 GTV owner I'm aware of the foibles of 90s Italian metal, but miss the emotion! My last GTV only went because I needed a car with 'four' seats; the GTV's rear ones were a bit too occasional but I understand 20VT coupe have more space; is this true?
Aside from the usual belts/filters/fluid checks, what specific stuff should I be looking out for on a 20V Turbo Coupe?
I keep having similar thoughts....I've got 2 convertibles, one of which is a 916 spider. I don't need 2 convertibles. So I keep thinking about fiat coupes, jags with V8s, 166s etc.
These have been a lot of use to me:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
There's also the fiat coupe uk website and forum.
These have been a lot of use to me:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
There's also the fiat coupe uk website and forum.
I'm massively biased (being a founder member of the Fiat Coupe Club) but I'm also a realist.
You're talking about an eleven to fifteen year old Italian sport(ish) car, so you simply cannot expect German or Jap reliability. 20VT's have their issues, but they are now very well known and documented and the model is very well served by a handful of extremely knowledgeable specialists.
Just like any car, they will cover huge mileage if they are serviced well and subjected to preventative maintenance. My last Coupe had done 246,000 by the time I gave in to the rust bubbles. However, I transplanted the engine into a much newer car and I'm still running it now (the block is now well over a quarter of a million miles)
As for tuning, the sky appears to be the limit. 300bhp is pretty easy and very reliable. 350bhp is possible on standard internals. 400bhp can be had for £5k (but you'd be well advised to spend another couple of grand on updating the chassis to cope). My own car is around 450bhp and has been that way for about three years, with utter reliability (apart from the time when I ran 2.1 bar at Ten of the Best and cooked a piston...). I use mine every day and get about 30mpg average, with high 30s available on a motorway run. I've managed into the 40s while REALLY trying. It'll also do a standing quarter in under 12.5s and 0-100 in under 10s, which is enough to embarrass MUCH more expensive machinery.
The real beauty of these cars is that they are rare (and getting rarer). I'd hesitate to call them "exclusive" (they are, after all, just a Coupe shell on a Tipo chassis) but there's definitely something about them, especially when you free up some of the utterly addictive five-pot noise.
All I would say is don't buy a cheap one. You'll end up spending the same again getting it right. Spend 2,500 - 3,500 and get one from a longstanding Fiat Coupe Club member that's lavished the attention that these cars demand. Approach it that way and you won't be disappointed.
As mentioned above, there's LOTS of info at www.fccuk.org/forum
You're talking about an eleven to fifteen year old Italian sport(ish) car, so you simply cannot expect German or Jap reliability. 20VT's have their issues, but they are now very well known and documented and the model is very well served by a handful of extremely knowledgeable specialists.
Just like any car, they will cover huge mileage if they are serviced well and subjected to preventative maintenance. My last Coupe had done 246,000 by the time I gave in to the rust bubbles. However, I transplanted the engine into a much newer car and I'm still running it now (the block is now well over a quarter of a million miles)
As for tuning, the sky appears to be the limit. 300bhp is pretty easy and very reliable. 350bhp is possible on standard internals. 400bhp can be had for £5k (but you'd be well advised to spend another couple of grand on updating the chassis to cope). My own car is around 450bhp and has been that way for about three years, with utter reliability (apart from the time when I ran 2.1 bar at Ten of the Best and cooked a piston...). I use mine every day and get about 30mpg average, with high 30s available on a motorway run. I've managed into the 40s while REALLY trying. It'll also do a standing quarter in under 12.5s and 0-100 in under 10s, which is enough to embarrass MUCH more expensive machinery.
The real beauty of these cars is that they are rare (and getting rarer). I'd hesitate to call them "exclusive" (they are, after all, just a Coupe shell on a Tipo chassis) but there's definitely something about them, especially when you free up some of the utterly addictive five-pot noise.
All I would say is don't buy a cheap one. You'll end up spending the same again getting it right. Spend 2,500 - 3,500 and get one from a longstanding Fiat Coupe Club member that's lavished the attention that these cars demand. Approach it that way and you won't be disappointed.
As mentioned above, there's LOTS of info at www.fccuk.org/forum
Thanks for the head-up guys. I wasn't aware that the Coupes had a ski hatch; I though they were like the GTV in placing the fuel tank, fuses, relays and pump neatly behind the rear seats (making the boot useless for carrying anything but paintings and, ahem, the task of retrieving keys locked in the boot a nightmare if you don't know where the remote boot release is...) I'm not expecting a paragon of reliability - hell, it's a decade-old product of the FIAT group - but it sounds like if it's solid this long after production ceased, and had all the necessary belts/filters/servicing, it should be OK. I'll let you know how I get on finding one...
Oh yes - be aware that some Coupes (although not necessarily the early ones) are starting to rust - we've seen some absolute horrors on the Coupe forum. My last one was scrapped because of tin-worm.
When viewing a Coupe(especially a cheap one) you should do one of two things...
1) Take an existing, knowledgable Coupe owner with you
2) Arrange to meet the owner at one of the Coupe specialists - most of them will be happy to look over a potential purchase for you.
When viewing a Coupe(especially a cheap one) you should do one of two things...
1) Take an existing, knowledgable Coupe owner with you
2) Arrange to meet the owner at one of the Coupe specialists - most of them will be happy to look over a potential purchase for you.
I ran one for six years.
Only thing to need replacing is a thermostat... And a battery. That's it.
I ran it every day, mine used 1/2 ltr every 1k miles and averaged 32mpg.
Great engine noise big cockpit tidy boot size.
Only got rid of mine due to all the work needing doing
Cambelt
Clutch
Pads and discs all round
New drivers seat
Brake fluid
New front grill
Repaired bonnet as it had a few dents after some idiot reversed into it.
Needed air con condenser too.
Plus a major service.
Add that lot together equals need to keep the car a long time and that wasn't going to happen then 6 years I still loved it but fancied a change.
Keep it STD it will keep going and going.
Only thing to need replacing is a thermostat... And a battery. That's it.
I ran it every day, mine used 1/2 ltr every 1k miles and averaged 32mpg.
Great engine noise big cockpit tidy boot size.
Only got rid of mine due to all the work needing doing
Cambelt
Clutch
Pads and discs all round
New drivers seat
Brake fluid
New front grill
Repaired bonnet as it had a few dents after some idiot reversed into it.
Needed air con condenser too.
Plus a major service.
Add that lot together equals need to keep the car a long time and that wasn't going to happen then 6 years I still loved it but fancied a change.
Keep it STD it will keep going and going.
Clutch, Cambelt, Oil-cooler/pipes, radiator, exhaust manifold, front wishbones (eats them for breakfast), corroded brake lines, turbo oil seals, brake discs and pads (eats those too) - all of these things will be an issue unless they have been done already and many items are hundreds. Also, now the cars are starting to get old, you can add driveshafts and hubs and... the list goes on.
Don't get me wrong, I've owned 3 of these babies and loved each one but there is always something. The car isn't unreliable as such - engine block and gearbox are rock solid (5 speed anyway) - it's just heavy on the consumables. I wouldn't buy another now unless someone had bankrupted themselves replaced all of the above in the previous year.
So, if you MUST do it:
Buy a car with a recent clutch, recent oil-cooler pipes, recent or alloy radiator, recent cambelt, reinforced manifold, new brake lines and a new turbo (not as unlikely as it sounds if it's been cherished) and budget for the other things on the list as regular consumables. I'd also stick with a standard power car, avoid large alloys (ruin the ride) and try to buy one with the recaro-style seats as they are infinitely better than the standard rubbish ones.
End.
Don't get me wrong, I've owned 3 of these babies and loved each one but there is always something. The car isn't unreliable as such - engine block and gearbox are rock solid (5 speed anyway) - it's just heavy on the consumables. I wouldn't buy another now unless someone had bankrupted themselves replaced all of the above in the previous year.
So, if you MUST do it:
Buy a car with a recent clutch, recent oil-cooler pipes, recent or alloy radiator, recent cambelt, reinforced manifold, new brake lines and a new turbo (not as unlikely as it sounds if it's been cherished) and budget for the other things on the list as regular consumables. I'd also stick with a standard power car, avoid large alloys (ruin the ride) and try to buy one with the recaro-style seats as they are infinitely better than the standard rubbish ones.
End.
They are getting on now.
I've seen a number with chavs and have heard them ring out in 1st onto the limiter ...for ages kids not knowing how to drive these properly instead ruin the engine. Shame.
I'd add shocks and new springs all round along with new bushes too may as well do the job properly. Same could be said for any car though knocking on.
Air con condenser is a pig when it goes and age is the killer but live with it or replace worn out part.
I've seen a number with chavs and have heard them ring out in 1st onto the limiter ...for ages kids not knowing how to drive these properly instead ruin the engine. Shame.
I'd add shocks and new springs all round along with new bushes too may as well do the job properly. Same could be said for any car though knocking on.
Air con condenser is a pig when it goes and age is the killer but live with it or replace worn out part.
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