(T) Armrest Retrofit

What's he drive? I'll guess it's french.

Charged you for all the recall parts , they should all be done free as was done on my one.

They were done for free eventually - he tried to blame me, citing the reason as I'd "supplied him the part numbers so I just ordered it, hence you pay for it" - since when did I have access to FIAT's online service bulletins?

Same with the Stilo, they said that I'd diagnosed the fault, hence we were liable for the full throttle body replacement charge and no possibility of a refund, even though I'd paid them £60 for their DET to use the Examiner to find the problem. So, obviously they think I'm better than the Examiner, their DET, FIAT Technical . . . Rock on .

Can I just check, the dealer we are talking about is the Fiat dealer on the Brixham Road (not sure if we are allowed to name and shame here)? If it is, that's a pity 'cos it's really handy for where I work (literally at the end of the road) and was hoping for some ultra convenient servicing...

Brixham Road is their sales, and the guys in there are great. Their service is off Aspen Way on Yalberton Industrial Estate.

Hi Rich,

Any update on the armrest guide you promised (ideally with definitive part numbers and prices)?

Can I ask if the armrest top you ordered (71748827) is the same black fabric as the seat sides in a sailcloth interior or does it match another interior (technotweed off the dynamic or something)

Many thanks,

Rich

Still looking at it, got more parts on order. The black one is leather, very nice, matches the steering wheel and gear knob.

To clarify on that point, I really would go for the leather option if you have a sport. Having red/blue sail cloth will look stupid, and the leather looks really decent.

Rich, do you want the "conditioned food box" to work as well? That's why it's been delayed, as I'm ordering new air ducting for underneath the centre console.

If you just want an armrest, I can give you the part numbers now.

The armrest is my main priority, so if you can give me the part numbers & prices for that, that would be great.

I agree the blue (in my case) would look silly, however, looking at the Bravo's at the local dealer yesterday, it seems to me that the dynamic models (which have the armrest) are covered with a black fabric that looks identical to the black fabric on the sides of the 'sport' seats - it only seems to be the accent panel that is a different fabric between the spec levels. I would imagine that a fabric covered armrest would be significantly less costly than a leather one! That said your point about matching the gear knob & steering wheel is a good one! Decisions, decisions...

Conditioned food box would be a 'nice to have', if the cost of the parts and the complexity of the job is not excessive then I'd probably go for it.

Probably teaching you to suck eggs, but looking at the ePER, it looks like you would need the diffuser 735446911, but whether you would need to change the air duct before this diffuser is unclear. There are two part numbers (51791886 & 51809822) so it seems likely to me (one with a connection for the difffuser and one without perhaps?)

Quite, hence that is on order.

Right then Rich, the new ducting arrived today. It's the same as the one in the car, except it has had the plug for the air vent for the conditioned food box sawn off, and a piece of foam placed around it. You could do it yourself to be honest, as the one in the car is made of thin plastic that you can neatly cut with a sharp stanley.

Pictures will follow soon, as will the guide. I need to get the "Bravo" guides section up (Hellcat if you're reading this ), then I will post up the guide.

However, what I can give you is a definitive list of parts, with approximate prices from September 07. You will need:

Armrest Installation Only
The Armrest - 71748818 (£65)
The Armrest Cover - 71748827 (this is Black Leather, looks great in the Sport with the Leather wheel and gearknob - £59)
The Pin to secure the cover to the armrest - 71748819 (£3)
The cap to cover the back of the armrest - 735447085 (£5)
The "food box" (needed anyway as it covers the screws of the armrest) - 735440709 (£7)
The screw for the base of the "food box" - 51810310 (30p)

Conditioned Food Box Installation
As the manual says, if you have an armrest it comes with the conditioned food box. You still need all the above, and:
The diffuser vent for the conditioned food box - 735446911 (£17)
The replacement air ducting to allow the vent to be fitted (if required) - 51809822 (£12)

You must keep the airvent (for rear passengers) and the two screws securing the old trim on as these are needed for the new armrest.

That's great, thanks mate...

All I need now is the car to fit the parts to!!! Still, should have all the bits ready to rock and roll by the time it arrives...

No worries Rich - Alan Kerr have got the £16 quid diffuser in stock, might be worth a phone call if you get stuck getting it elsewhere!

Which garage did you get the Bravo from?

Rather bizarrely, Hartwell Fiat in Abingdon - just south of Oxford. They offered an excellent deal on line, knocking over £2,500 off - the best Vospers (local dealer in Plymouth) would do was £800, pathetic! Still, I got a nice long test drive out of them...

It's pleased the other half, she thinks we'll get a nice weekend in Oxford when I go to pick the car up!!!

Ok, after putting the car back together today, here's my opinion on the conditioned food box - don't bother!

It's a pain in the backside, and I wouldn't do it knowing what's involved.