General Why did you buy your Uno?

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General Why did you buy your Uno?

Oh dear, I started you off on the 'youtube' thing with that 500 video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi3Igmikuk4 , didn't I? :D

I was browsing there for hours this morning and saw the video that you linked to... I thought it was just too awful to post here! Talk about "'80s kitsch"...

OK, to answer the question (and get the whole thread rolling) - I bought my Uno Turbo because I could afford it and it was available. I had always wanted an Uno Turbo, ever since owning my 1986 Uno 60.

In turn, this Uno 60 was bought because it was cheap and my Mum had an Uno 70SL.

We bought the Uno 70SL because it was cheap and Mum had written off the Uno 45.

And we bought the Uno 45 because Mum had written off the 128 saloon, and after 24 years of 128 ownership, we thought we'd try a newer FIAT.

-Alex
 
I bought a 1989 mk1 60s and then found out a turbo model exsists and saw "my" one about 3 years ago and bought and loved it!
 
I got mine because our workshop had a Cityvan to start with, then got rid of that and had a 3 door Uno... 85 model I think... Being the workshop "hack" car, it got everything done to it, heavy exhausts thrown in the back, driven around town at Mach 3, and our young office guy use to drive it on the weekends and thrashed it to death, but it kept on going and needed almost no work. It eventually needed some new steering rack ends and some wheel bearings, but other than that it was totally fine. The boss wanted to get rid of it though and get a "slower" more expensive car so people looked after it better, so we got a Land Rover Discovery V8. Dont ask how much its costing him in petrol though hahahaha. :D

After all that I felt I really wanted an Uno, I loved the way they drove, I knew they were cheap, easy on gas, quick around town (I live in a major city), and that they would stand up to insane amounts of "abuse".

After my old Mazda 626 2.0L got nicked and trashed (bastards) this Uno I now have (see sig) came up for sale having been owned by one of our customers. The owners wanted to buy a Honda Civic because for some reason they felt the Uno might get too expensive to run. Fine by me. I paid NZ$500 for it.

So yeah, awesome car. If this one lasts me 2-3 years I will get a 3 door Punto if I can find one, or perhaps an Abarth one if they come down in price.

Every day I look forward to driving it. I now often want to just go for drives for the sake of driving which I never wanted to do in my big slow Mazda.
 
I got my first because it was cheap to insure!!! And my second because i loved the first so much!!

Anyone care to explain what on earth is said in those adverts?
 
I think this owner bought their car for its subtle colour...

Image_178_.jpg

This photo does no justice to the pinkness!
 
i bought my uno cos it was pretty cheap, pretty immacculate with "low" mileage and 2 owners from new.
plus my dad stole my money and bought it for me.
LOVED it.

NOW
selling it because ive now found out its 7 owners from new, things keep going wrong and its had the milage wound back. i hate it.

lesson learned: never buy a car with lack of history.

btw: i still love unos. just not mine :(
 
I bought my uno as a temporary little run around (i wanted a golf GTI) for next to nothing off my aunt, it was originally a 1 litre start i.e and had 28k on the clock, had no problems except for the clutch going after 2years and it had done 85k before i decided to turbo it. Having sat in my friends mark 1 it just made me want one soooooo badly, i was amazed at how quick it was and learnt more about them and how rare and unique they are. :D

I bought a crash damaged mark 2 turbo with full service history cheap as chips and used all the parts to Convert it into a mark 2 uno turbo!!!

p.s This is why i love Uno Turbos, just a random clip i found on the net filmed on a private road i believe... ;)

http://media.putfile.com/1403997

F R O $ T Y
 
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Hmmmm... how do you get a 'private road' dual carriageway with three lanes in both directions... and why would Minicabs be allowed on it? :D

That Uno has some serious problem - there appears to be no boost ;) Mine's indicating '1' at that speed. LOL

Also I think the exhaust must be smaller than mine because we can hear the wind noise.

All that notwithstanding, I think the video sums up the 'push' of the Uno Turbo's engine very well. No gearchanging even! I love the way I can drive a long distance including uphill and overtaking, and never even need to change out of fifth. You can't fault these cars for flexibility (at least in standard form!) Mind you, there's an incredibly-small 700RPM difference between 4th and 5th ('88 Mk1 with later-style box but lower 5th gear I suspect) at full noise (500RPM in 'normal' use), which makes it feel like a racecar - I love it...

Somehow the Uno Turbo takes 105bhp (maybe a little more) and makes it feel like tons of power - when do you EVER really need to change down in an Uno Turbo? - while other cars (Top Gear's Suzuki Liana for example) also have 105bhp and somehow feel 'just adequate'.

Compare and contrast with my Toyota Celica (*GT-R!*) which is apparently just as fast (166bhp?!) but feels more like a gentle saunder in a Corolla, in fact it's rather Liana-like really. The automatic gently slurs through a few ratios at the first sign of a hill and the chassis floats and wallows across the road, steering dead as a duvet, the exhaust just drones. What a bore. I've never driven a FIAT like that. Even a Marea sounds like nothing else on the road...

-Alex
 
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Back on topic.
I noticed by pausing that ad - they've cheated! :D

When they throw the parachute in, firstly there's no rear shelf precariously dangled in the middle of the opening (on its too-short strings) - otherwise they'd have to rather ungracefully stuff the chute underneath.

Secondly, and more importantly, there's no back seat! :eek: (see picture below). Considering in the next few frames, we see someone getting in the back, that's a bit naughty...

And finally, has anyone ever managed to close their Uno tailgate from the corner in that limp-wristed way...

Hey, maybe there is WAY too much time on my hands...

-Alex
 

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I compete in autotests at my local motor club. The top 5 cars in every event are usually pug 205 gtis, but i wanted something a bit different. One guy said "Well, what other small car can you get for £400 that goes to 60mph in under 8 sec and has disc brakes all round?" I had to think for a while, but then realised the answer was looking me in the face - Uno Turbo!!
Admittedly, I still havent finished in the top 5 yet, but I think that's more down to my rubbish driving than the cars performance (although turbo lag is sometimes a problem..)!
 
Hellcat said:
Think I've found a new best friend! :hug:

Hey, you're welcome here any time (y)
I'm sure you can pop over for a visit every now and then - it's only 10,000 miles isn't it?

Besides, you looked at my video which was really nice of you - it's just kindof sunk in the 'Let's talk FIAT' forum. I think I'll stick to the Uno forums!

Indicated 140... bout the same as the Tipo gets. (y)

Yes, but the Tipo's speedo was in km/h (well mine was anyway...) :D
I see that yours is the Sedicivalvole... I can only dream what that would be like, though I think there are actually two or three in NZ!

Seriously, my Uncle in Plymtree (nr. Cullompton) had a 2000 Marea 20v wagon from new, in steel grey (to match my Aunt's 2000 Coupe 20v non-turbo). Both of those cars had the same fantastic five-cylinder soundtrack. Within a few weeks, my cousin (a couple of years younger but considerably more brawny) managed to crack the rear door trim by leaning on the armrest. But otherwise I think the Marea served them perfectly.

I used the 'even a Marea' line because out of all FIAT's models, it probably ranks right up there with the Croma and the Argenta for bad reputation and 'dullness'. Personally, I liked my Croma (the old one, of course).

For some unfathomable reason, my Uncle has just replaced the Marea with a BMW 320 coupe... ?!... I don't think it's nearly as good. Smaller and a harsh ride around those Devon lanes. The engine doesn't sound as nice.

Luckily they've kept the Coupe. Maybe one day I'll get chance to drive it :)

-Alex
 
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OK I'll go through my cars :)

1987 Uno 45 Fire(1108cc), originally had the 903cc OHV engine, now has an 1108cc OHC engine
1994 Punto 90ELX - The pinky red punto (Alisons)
1980 Mini 1000 - The mint mini (Alisons)
1973 Mini 850 - The project mini

Old:
1989 Uno 70SL - The Red one (Yes it was 1989 - the last of the mk1s with the mk1.5 interior), SOLD
1988 Uno 70SL - The blue one, SOLD
1986 Uno 45 FIRE - Robs old uno, SOLD
1987 Uno 45 FIRE - Red 3 door parts uno (shell became a rally car)
1987 Uno 45 FIRE - Red 5 door parts uno
1989 Uno 45 FIRE - The white one which combined with your 1992 Uno 60S has gone to a new home
1989 Suzuki FA50 - My supped up scooter.
Oh and I need to add the 1977 Mini 1000 parts car

Not bad considering I got my first car 4yrs ago
 
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