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General Help with buying Cinquecento - what to look out for?

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General Help with buying Cinquecento - what to look out for?

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Angelplayz

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Hi,
I'm looking to buy my first car and am off to view an N reg Cinquecento this evening. The car has 53k mileage but comes with recently carried out MOT & has tax till July for £500. It does have some damage to the passenger rear wheel arch which I haven't yet seen for myself but which doesn't look too bad from the pictures.

I just wondered whether anyone has any advice on what to look out for when buying a car of this year and also with regards to a Cinquecento in particular? Do they have any common problems/faults at all? And should I be wary of anything in particular?

I personally have no experience of FIAT myself however people keep telling me they make relatively good first cars.

Any advice greatly welcome...Angela:)
 
TBH £500 for an N plate i would want a fairly clean car.

sporting?

take it for a drive and watch the temps,make sure when it gets to around 90oish the cooling fan kicks in.
check the oil doesnt have any mayo type stuff in it
check the coolant is clean and doesnt have oil in it

keys: make sure there is a red key and at least one blue but 2 is better.
make sure all the keys open the doors and start the car
if it has a sunroof inspect for evidence of leaks
check the boots for leaks

on the test drive listen for knocks,thumps and rattles in the suspension
make sure the hanbrake holds
if it has alloys make sure you get a locking alloy wheel bolt key if fitted

heres some info from somthing im working on :chin:

  • paint fading/mismatch: some colours fade owrse than others.
  • red is probably the worst and polish is only a temporary fix asd it will show again.
  • mismatched panel colours are often an indication of accident repair.
  • corrosion.the cinqs are galvanised so rusty wings for example are usually as sign of pattern parts replacing fiat parts through accident.
  • thats not to say you wont get rust.
  • check inside the boot for corrosion,around the windscreen,wheel aches and chassis.
  • leaks:check in the boot as rear lights seals are known to leak.if iftted check the sunroof is not leaking
  • red keys:you car should have 2 blue keys and one red key(unless its a very early cinq)
  • the red key should not be used but kept to code new keys.
  • there are ways around this if the red key is missing but it makes a great haggleing tool.also make sure the red keys starts the car and isnt a fake put there to stop haggleing
  • locks:check all the locks work with all the keys inc the locking petrol cap.a non locking cap is an MOT fail so check it.
  • also if the car has locking wheel bolts check you have a key,it fits and none of the bolts are chewed up!
  • tyres:if its a sporting still running the standard tyre size then these are expensive for 13" tyres.
  • so check the condition though a slight tweak in tyre sizes can save money on tyres.
  • electrics:make sure all the electrics work inc rear wiper,front washers,horn,windows etc
  • petrol tank:its a known issue that was subject to a (now expired) recall that tanks leak at the seams.
  • so check for leaks especially if the tank is low on petrol as this may be to cover the leak
  • overheating: make sure the car warms up and that the cooling fan comes on and goes off.
  • check it doesnt over heat in traffic/standing and dont just think because it doesnt overheat on a constant test drive that its fine.
  • make sure you get hot air out of the vent in the car(good time to check the heater works on all speeds)
  • check the oil for mayo and the coolant for any oil.
  • check the radiator for obvious leaks & corrosion.
  • same goes for the rest of the cooling system.
  • service history:its always good to get a car with service history but the cinqs are getting long in the tooth so general condition is often a good indicator of the care its recieved.
  • flatspots:from cold nearly all centos have a flatspot in acceleration around 2000rpm
  • handbrakes: the cento handbrake isnt great but make sure it holds the car and isnt binding
  • rear suspension: listen for any knocks and thumps from worn rear bushes
  • washer fluid bottle: check for leaks as the pipes are known to perish and leak
  • mileage: now this is a tricky one.on the one hand you get uncared for low mileage 'city' cars that never get to stretch there legs. or you get worn out sky high mileage ones.
  • so a little common sense is needed here.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
custard said:
TBH £500 for an N plate i would want a fairly clean car.
Click to expand...

Just to update, I was thinking of a different one that I was planning to look at - the car I'm actually looking at is a P reg not an N - here's the details from autotrader:

Manual, 41,775 miles, P REG,BLUE, 12 MONTHS MOT, TWO BRAND NEW FRONT TYRES, ALL ROUND SHOES AND PADS DONE DEC 06, NEW ROOF AERIAL, NO TEARS AND MARKS IN SEATS, RADIO CASSETTE, EXCELLENT CONDITION FOR AGE.

Any comments on whether this sounds like a good deal? Thanks
 
I'm not sure really what the difference is - does it being an 'S' model make it more expensive to insure/tax?

I haven't seen many other models of this age/price range besides the S.
 
its the cheapest



on release standard equipment included
  • Remote boot release
  • Radio / cassette
  • 5 Speed gearbox Internally
  • adjustable wing mirrors
  • Heated rear window
  • Folding rear seat
  • Rear wash / wipe
  • Opening rear quarter-lights
  • Intermittent windscreen wipers
  • Front head rests
  • Digital Clock

in 1995 after a short run this became the 'S' model
equipment changed to

  • Code immobiliser
  • Tinted glass
  • Height adjustable seat belts
  • Two-tone dashboard
  • Digital Clock
  • Radio / cassette
  • Remote boot release
  • Internally adjustable wing mirrors
  • 5 Speed gearbox
  • Folding rear seat
  • Heated rear window
  • Opening rear quarter-lights
  • Rear wash / wipe
  • Front head rests
  • Intermittent windscreen wipers

the 899cc fitted is great for full economy and around time.it may struggle a little on the motorway or fully laden

  • Engine 899cc
  • BHP 39
  • Maximum Torque 48lbs per ft
  • Top Speed 87mph
  • Acceleration from 0-62mph 18.0secs
  • Combined fuel economy 46.3 mpg

next in the range is the 'SX'(avalable from release)
over the 'S' it has the following equipment

  • Side rubbing strips
  • Electric front windows
  • Glass sunroof
  • Colour coded bumpers
  • Central locking

it has the same engine as the 'S' performance is as above

next is the soleil intrduced as a special edition in 1996
spec is the same as the 'SX' bar it has a full length electric canvas roof,different wheel trims and interior fabrics

next is the sporting which whilst it was introduced in 1995 on an M plate.it was slightly updated in 1996.
easiest way to spot the early ones is a crease along the rear hatch above the boot lock and the non red tinted rear lights.

equipment levels over the 'SX' are

  • Front anti-roll bar
  • 13" 4 spoke Alloy wheels
  • Red seat belts
  • 'Filled-in' head rests
  • Rev counter
  • Colour coded wing mirrors
  • Leather covered steering wheel and gear-knob
  • Darker front dashboard
  • Sports seats
  • Electric headlamp adjustment(optional on earlier models)
  • Close ratio gearbox

the sporting is eqipped with the 1108cc engine so performance is up on the other models.

  • Engine size - 1108cc
  • BHP - 54
  • Maximum Torque - 63lbs per ft
  • Top Speed - 93mph
  • Acceleration from 0-62mph - 13.8secs
  • Combined fuel economy - 45.6mpg

also available were abarth parts.
these included:

  • tailgate spoiler
  • sideskirts
  • front apron
  • rear apron
  • exhaust trim
  • headlamp protectors
  • mats
  • steering wheel
  • chrome gear gaitor surround
  • pedals and more

see below for a sporting with abarth bodykit fitted

View attachment 24201

the cinq production ended in 1998 so the last cinqs were on an S plate though most are R's.

the sportings were available in

broom yellow(by far the most popular UK colour new)
View attachment 24194

red

View attachment 24195

black

View attachment 24196

grey mettalic

View attachment 24197

imola blue

View attachment 24198

  • according to the fiat brochure:

paint colours available:

standard

  • 112 starter red
  • 249 white
  • 258 broom yellow
  • 451 capri blue
  • 457 festival turquoise
  • 601 black

metallic

  • 185 kermes red
  • 380 fluo green
  • 461 ischia blue
  • 481 imola blue
  • 647 steel grey

interior options:

  • cinq 's' blue interior and all colours bar starter red,broom yellow,fluo green & steel grey
  • cinq 'sx' green/blue diamond interior and all colours bar starter red,broom yellow,fluo green and imola blue
  • cinq sporting, sporting grey interior with starter red,black,broom yellow,imola blue and steel grey as colour options only
 
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