500 New member from East Yorkshire

[Dad Taxi]

Greetings from East Yorkshire

We bought our 17 year old daughter a 2014 Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge a couple of months ago, which was her dream first car, and I'm looking for inspiration to personalise it for her slightly. She doesn't do "tacky" so things have to be subtle. So far I've bought stainless sill plates and a clear rear bumper protector. She's added 2 small chrome letters below the Fiat badge on the rear to match her initials. She's interested in footwell lighting so I'm going to look into that. Any other ideas??

I also own a 2013 Vauxhall Combo 1.6 CDTi crew van, which I know is basically a re-badged Doblo, for lugging around my bikes (and bales of hay and mucky horse equipment as required ) so being on here could be useful for that also.

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Welcome to the forum.

The chrome bonnet spear adds a bit of retro charm.

 

[MaxHeadroom]

Welcome to the FIAT forums Dad.

Everybody's idea of where to draw the line at tacky is different - it's a bit subjective, but...

I added a few very subtle 'Italian' touches to mine:

Dust Caps

And Coloured Heatshrink to make an Italian Tricolore from the aerial

Nothing too bling or expensive, and yes it's a Panda so a Panda aerial topper was a fun addition


Oh yes, and change the feeble horn for something more... Italian!
Fit a Stebel Nautilus or Stebel Nautilus Compact

Link to
Stebel Italia



.

 

[werdna]

Thanks Max. I am fed up with folk pulling out in front of me ! This sounds like a good solution

 

[AndyRKett]

Welcome to the forum, there are loads of things and bits you can add to customise a 500, the main one that changes the standard car is the wheels, but with a 17yo that might hit the insurance costs a bit.

While you’re combo is essentially a Doblo and the engine was designed by fiat, weirdly Vauxhall probably used the engine much more than fiat did as fiat got diesel cold feet and stopped putting diesels in cars, dropped their bigger car models which used the bigger Diesel engines and didn’t sell anywhere near as many commercial vehicles.

That said we tend to be a largely friendly bunch here

 

[Dad Taxi]

Thanks for the welcome all

I'll take on board your comments and do some research. She does fancy a bling set of number plates so they've been added to the Christmas list!

 

[MaxHeadroom]

Thanks Max. I am fed up with folk pulling out in front of me ! This sounds like a good solution

Yep - it's very satisfying 'blasting' the idiots out of the way, and much better than the somwhat embarrassingly feeble 'peep peep' sound from the stock standard horn


Like you, I have days when I think I must have inadvertantly switched on some Starship Enterprise cloaking device :bang:

 

[Farrah]

Hi and welcome Dads Taxi maybe soon to be an ex Dads taxi unless others following up behind. Same situation really as an ex Mum Taxi we bought our daughter a Fiat 500 for her first car. Hubby has a fleet of classics and she snubbed the 1968 Mini Cooper S he offered her. Actually I am quite pleased really as the modern protection from airbags etc gives me some piece of mind.


It depends what features you already have fitted and whether/what came standard with alloys etc but thought the lounge we saw was very 'blingy' with all its white dash dials and steering wheel.

There are lots of 'subtle' and useful improvements though along with a few sympathetic blings that can be added.

Firstly the side protectors look good and offer some protection. The mudflaps really reduce stone chips and splash albeit rear end still gets dirty quickly but there is a part at the rear side body lower dogleg where it meets the lower door edge and this area gets quite stone chipped from the front wheel throw out.

I like the Italian flag wing badges albeit these are original and 3 times the price of copies on ebay and the door pillar badges are quite subtle too. Obviously the striping makes a dramatic statement and as ours was faded we removed it but it looked naked without so fitted a new one back.


Interested about your clear rear bumper protector as have not seen this so a picture of your car would be useful but can appreciate the rear end gets serious road grit/grime hammering.

All that said I would encourage you to get under the front wings and clean out the dirt trap basin that fills with mud it is documented in various posts and is supposed to drain but the mud fills the drain holes and despite galvanised parts it can still cause rot and is easy once cleaned to keep clear with regular hosing down.

Also don't get any new number plates with that starry blue badge it will be defunked on 1/1/2021....

Farrah

 

[Dad Taxi]

Hi and welcome Dads Taxi maybe soon to be an ex Dads taxi unless others following up behind. Same situation really as an ex Mum Taxi we bought our daughter a Fiat 500 for her first car. Hubby has a fleet of classics and she snubbed the 1968 Mini Cooper S he offered her. Actually I am quite pleased really as the modern protection from airbags etc gives me some piece of mind.


It depends what features you already have fitted and whether/what came standard with alloys etc but thought the lounge we saw was very 'blingy' with all its white dash dials and steering wheel.

There are lots of 'subtle' and useful improvements though along with a few sympathetic blings that can be added.

Firstly the side protectors look good and offer some protection. The mudflaps really reduce stone chips and splash albeit rear end still gets dirty quickly but there is a part at the rear side body lower dogleg where it meets the lower door edge and this area gets quite stone chipped from the front wheel throw out.

I like the Italian flag wing badges albeit these are original and 3 times the price of copies on ebay and the door pillar badges are quite subtle too. Obviously the striping makes a dramatic statement and as ours was faded we removed it but it looked naked without so fitted a new one back.


Interested about your clear rear bumper protector as have not seen this so a picture of your car would be useful but can appreciate the rear end gets serious road grit/grime hammering.

All that said I would encourage you to get under the front wings and clean out the dirt trap basin that fills with mud it is documented in various posts and is supposed to drain but the mud fills the drain holes and despite galvanised parts it can still cause rot and is easy once cleaned to keep clear with regular hosing down.

Also don't get any new number plates with that starry blue badge it will be defunked on 1/1/2021....

Farrah

Thanks very much Farrah for you're response.

Oh the thought of being offered a '68 Mini Cooper......

We already have a full set of mudflaps. Totally agree with your comments about the rear still getting dirty quickly though! It's had several thorough cleans, always including inside the wings and wheel arches.

I've been looking at the Italian flag wing badges, but the car is beige (it HAD to be beige) and I'm not sure they go unfortunately.

Good point about the number plates, they won't be having the starry blue badge!

The bumper protector is just a clear film to avoid scratches when loading/unloading the boot. Can can't post the URL as I haven't made 5 posts yet

 

[Dad Taxi]

This was our big reveal of the car to my daughter on her 17th birthday. She really wanted one in this colour and spec and we picked this up without her knowing and kept it secret until the reveal. It was a brilliant moment!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/r5CmGN4gfcd5JJ166

 

[Farrah]

Vey nice indeed ....glass roof too....and a sunny day...... it was pouring with rain here and we are not that far away from you......don't forget the L plates though :yuck:............I doub't there are many like my hubby that passed their driving test before they were 17...........now that is not a brainteaser it is true and in the UK too.............

Farrah

 

[Dad Taxi]

Vey nice indeed ....glass roof too....and a sunny day...... it was pouring with rain here and we are not that far away from you......don't forget the L plates though :yuck:............I doub't there are many like my hubby that passed their driving test before they were 17...........now that is not a brainteaser it is true and in the UK too.............

Farrah

Her birthday was back on the 8th August Farah, not recently, so the weather was a bit nicer for us all back then!

She had already opened a set of L plates as one of her presents and was disappointed that she didn't have a car to put them on...... little did she know what was coming an hour or so later!

She has done really well with her driving and has her test date...... Thursday 24th December at 8am in Bridlington! Fingers crossed the weather is good enough for it and that she passes otherwise she is going to be a miserable little lady over Christmas!

 

[Dad Taxi]

Oh, and here's the link to the rear bumper protector now that I've made enough posts to share a URL:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-500-2007-VINYL-BUMPER-PROTECTOR-KIT-K/253523129114?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=552710547283&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[Dad Taxi]

And here's her first ever car mod! Her initials in chrome on the boot:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/W1DY8F5uoY3pPihr6

 

[Farrah]

Her birthday was back on the 8th August Farah, not recently, so the weather was a bit nicer for us all back then!

She had already opened a set of L plates as one of her presents and was disappointed that she didn't have a car to put them on...... little did she know what was coming an hour or so later!

She has done really well with her driving and has her test date...... Thursday 24th December at 8am in Bridlington! Fingers crossed the weather is good enough for it and that she passes otherwise she is going to be a miserable little lady over Christmas!

Let's hope it all goes ahead as looks like we are in tier 3. If taking in her own car then should have had plenty of time to get used to the car. best wishes to her.

Farrah

 

[Dad Taxi]

Let's hope it all goes ahead as looks like we are in tier 3. If taking in her own car then should have had plenty of time to get used to the car. best wishes to her.

Farrah

Thanks Farrah. Yes fingers crossed indeed, we're hoping things are eased in the review on the 16th.