Hallo folks,

Yes I'm a newbie to this forum and Fiats (usually it's Mercs and Beemers for me though the odd Alfa does make it's way into my garage until I get sick of it breaking then flog it and regret it immediately.....).

So I dragged a buggered mini 1275GT out of a garage last week after a 23 year slumber. It was completely goosed but as I had the pink slip I sold it on for a tidy profit then looked at something small as a 'fixer upper'.

I spotted a 51 plate Seicento Sporting on gumtree at such a low price I thought it was a mistake - it wasn't and I decided I was having it before I even drove the thing. The last owner was a solicitor's daughter (they chucked loads of cash at it!) and they weren't prepared to pay extra on the insurance when she goes to uni.

It's silver with Abarth kit, 14" alloys, full length electric sunroof, massive history file, FFSH and a mere 2K on the clock.

HOWEVER.....

It's had a small bash on the OSF and really needs a new wing. I think I can repair the bumper but it may need a pull to straighten the front panel. I've had the molies on the bonnet lip and pulled it into some semblance of a straight line, nowt a skim of bog won't cure.....

It has hit the rad but it's not leaking or overheating so hopefully it'll be ok.

The interior was filthy but I've taken the covers off and they've come up like new in the washer...........now to get them back on again!!!

It's a shame that on the back of each Abarth front headrest it looks like someone (or something!) has been eating them.....

The wipers wouldn't park in anything but the vertical but I sorted this, someone had been at the linkage and hadn't tightened it up in the right place.....

The parcel shelf supports were brokened but I liberated a pair from my local scrappie for a fiver.....job done, no saggy shelf!

Next job is the sunroof which will retract no probs but clicks and needs a shove to go back. It sounds like there's a stripped cog in there somewhere....

Apart from that and the bitten headrests it only needs the alloys refinishing, fresh gearstick gaiter and couple of trolley dents sorting to make perfect.

I might even keep it for buzzing about in!

I think I stole it for what I paid

I also think it's bloody brilliant!

Anyone else got one?

make sure the rad fan will spin freely if it does not spin you need the fan off and the rad out

Had it up to temp sitting on the drive for an hour this afternoon Pep and the fan cut in a few times no problems and not catching on anything.

It was the first thing I checked when I got it home after reading a post on here about how fragile they are on that corner.

If all else fails there's a good rad on the sei in my local scrappie and it's cheap!

I presume they're the same even though that's a year or two earlier than mine?

the fads changed between SPI and MPI

and no you need to spin the fan by hand there should be be no tight spots

and you may need thr rad off to put it back on the mounts proper it can move about too freely otherwise

Righto, I'll check that when (if!) I get the bumper off tomorrow,

Cheers for the advice, I wouldnt've known there was a difference or to check for tight spots. I'll take the rad off completely anyway when I strip it down, so far I'm undecided whether to get the OS front front panel pulled or just spot weld a new one in although that would involve stripping the NS too unless I chop it in half....then I'd need to strip more stuff to refinish it....

Stuff it, I'll borrow a portapower.....