As promised, my postings about our meanderings end today. I started my reports to answer a question of "how far can you go in a 500?" and the answer so far is 10,000 miles (since his first MOT after restoration.) That was 20 months ago and therefore has averaged 500 miles a month.
In that time we've broken down three times, all related to petrol.
1. Ran out of fuel after knocking the wire off the gauge.
2. Got water in the carb after cleaning the engine.
3. Very recently suffered from fuel vaporisation which quickly sorted itself.
We've had one puncture and had to reset the tappets once. The distributor worked loose once which led to erratic running.
I guess that I must have filled the tank about 50 times.
Overall, it's been no more trouble than using my modern car and so much more fun.
Today the clock clicked round to 42,404 miles in deepest Perthshire, where very appropriately, Murf was on ground which was new to us along Loch Tay.
MAL_7495 by
Peter Thompson, on Flickr
We did 260 miles down and back up the A9 and when we got back Murf conveyed four adults (another first) to the local Indian restaurant and back home with us feeling a good bit bigger and heavier. He even took us to vote in the EU Referendum.
I hope that after reading this more people will be persuaded to get out further and more regularly in their 500s. However unlikely it may seem, the Fiat 500 is a sturdy, capable, frugal and potentially reliable, proper motor-car. Choose your roads carefully and you won't be left far behind in the traffic.
Although I won't be updating our travels here, I do post to Facebook from time to time on the Fiat 500 Club website and we do have a lot of future trips lined up, with more challeging tours hoped for in the next few years.