Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed plz)

Hello

I've got £900 max to spend, and would prefer a sporty model.

Are the differences between the Sporting and MS cars just cosmetic? I am planning to see both this weekend, and wondered if there's much difference between the two types?

Also, I'd appreciate any tips on common problems to look out for on these cars, as I will be viewing on my own.

Many thanks
Tara


p.s
I owned a Cinquecento Sporting approx 5-6 years ago, so I sort of know what to expect from the car

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

Tara100 said:

Hello

I've got £900 max to spend, and would prefer a sporty model.

Are the differences between the Sporting and MS cars just cosmetic? I am planning to see both this weekend, and wondered if there's much difference between the two types?

Also, I'd appreciate any tips on common problems to look out for on these cars, as I will be viewing on my own.

Many thanks
Tara


p.s
I owned a Cinquecento Sporting approx 5-6 years ago, so I sort of know what to expect from the car

Click to expand...

there is FAQ button in your signature line and a FAQ how to buy a Sei

get a low mileage stock sporting 300-400 you will need the rest to keep it on road for a while just for parts

The MS is bling...

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

A ms ha some old worn out racing drivings signiture on the boot , but as PEP0 says , look here

https://www.fiatforum.com/cinquecento-seicento-faqs/94829-buying-seicento.html

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

You have went wrong before you started. It's Cinquecento you are looking for .

Ming

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

Hi

Ming is a bad person but a late Cinq sporting is a nice auto, alas the rear arches may be rusty, the Seis are supposed to have better anti rust treat and a 03 is only 10 candles on cake.

the forum has a buy and sell section

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

I know of a seicento for private sale locally that claims to have a 'minor oil leak' - what are the chances that the leak is easily / cheaply curable please, or should I forget it?

Thanks
Tara

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

Take a look. If the oil is coming from the very top of the engine it's easy enough to fix. But if you say where you are, maybe some kind soul will go with you.

I'd recommend (if you don't buy a Cinq) a very late Abarth Sporting. It has all the good bits the Schumaker has, but none of the stupid ones. At least, one of the Sportings.

The S and SX are not that much cheaper and have a suspect gearbox.

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

fingers99 said:

Take a look. If the oil is coming from the very top of the engine it's easy enough to fix. But if you say where you are, maybe some kind soul will go with you.

I'd recommend (if you don't buy a Cinq) a very late Abarth Sporting. It has all the good bits the Schumaker has, but none of the stupid ones. At least, one of the Sportings.

The S and SX are not that much cheaper and have a suspect gearbox.

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Thank you

Well I'm going to see a 2001 Schumaker sporting tomorrow (that has had the rear decal removed and done just over 50,000 miles)
If it doesn't pan out, I'll go and see the one mentioned above as it's not too far away (well its a 70 mile round trip on the train)

Sadly, there's no one who can go with me to see any cars, so I have to ask as many questions as I can and hope for the best.

p.s
I'm not bothered about having a car with the MS trim, but the car is relatively close to me and I can't travel far to view. I do want one of the quicker models though and like you say, I don't want a S or SX type

Tara

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

fingers99 said:

The S and SX are not that much cheaper and have a suspect gearbox.

Click to expand...

What?
2001 on multi point injection cars- S, Sx, & Sporting have identical engines & gearboxes. The Abarths & Schumacher supposedly have a different gear ratio as they have 14" wheels (& no doubt a higher insurance premium due to the bodykit).
So you could get a 2001 on S or Sx if that Schumacher isn't worth the asking price & you don't mind the lack of a bodykit. The insurance will be cheaper & they don't increase the premium no matter how many nodding dogs you have on the parcel shelf

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

Ouby said:

What?
2001 on multi point injection cars- S, Sx, & Sporting have identical engines & gearboxes.

Click to expand...

Plain wrong. At least some -- I'm beginning to think all - 1108 S and SX have a wet shaft gearbox. If you look at the ratios this is obvious. It's always seemed to me that this (going by the ratios and the design, and the fact that the clutch cable is the same) is the 899 box with a different bellhousing. I know this for a sure and certain fact because my 2002 S came with a wetshaft box, (now replaced with a Sporting box).

Ouby said:

The Abarths & Schumacher supposedly have a different gear ratio as they have 14" wheels

Click to expand...

They do indeed have the a different set of ratios (IIRC, one ratio, and a different final drive) in the Sporting type housing.

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

My apologies for doubting your word :worship:
I assumed when fiat dropped the smaller engines it would have standardised the gearbox with the 1108 sporting gearbox for ease of production.
You know what they say about assumption being the mother of all :bang:-ups!

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

It was a really sad decision. My own guess is that they had a lot of 899 gearboxes left over and decided to use them, much as they used 866 cams in late Mk1 Punto 60s. Someone in Turin (or in Poland) knows the truth!

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

Hi Guys

Another Q please

What's the max (ish) milage I should consider on a Seicento Sporting?

For instance, a car that has been well cared for, has all service history etc but mileage is high at 105,000 miles....


Thanks again
Tara

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

That's a hard one.

For that kind of money (up to 900), I'd tend to rule out anything with over 60k. So I'd want a pretty extensive history and low mileage.

But the general idea that a well cared for higher mileage car is a better bet than an unloved low mileage one is bang on.

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

offer 350 if you like it

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

Pep0 said:

offer 350 if you like it

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And spend £2k to put it right.

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

you need to be lucky and also do own maintenance I got mine for 400 at 65k and most of the replacement is on age rather than mileage

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

Pep0 said:

you need to be lucky and also do own maintenance I got mine for 400 at 65k and most of the replacement is on age rather than mileage

Click to expand...

I think @ about 45k and 10 years+ old, Most things will be close to the replacement/renewal date. You need to know what to look out for with any car and not trust on luck. Even tyres have a use by date. Do not use if older than?

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

Me again

Well I bought the car I went to see today.
I made a mistake; it isn't a Schumaker sporting with rear decal removed like I said earlier, it's an abarth model.

Of course I'm worried in case I've bought a duffer, but that's the gamble I took buying a car that's nearly 12 years old. Any car that aqe (and no matter what model) could go kaput 6 months down the line, and many folks spend more on a telly than I just have on a car.

The only negative about the car that I didn't realise until I got off the motorway close to home = the reverse gear is crunchy, no matter how I pump the clutch pedal or jiggle through the gears. 1st and 2nd gear are generally ok, but can feel a bit stiff at times too. (When the engine isn't running, moving through the all gears feels really smooth though)
Is the reverse gear crunching common on these cars?

Thanks
Tara

Re: Ready to buy a Seicento - what's the best model to go for? (& buying tips needed

With luck it'll just be that the clutch cable needs adjusting (cars with cable clutches -- for the most part -- need the cable adjusting periodically).

The adjuster is on the very far end of the clutch cable, after the clutch arm (right above the gearbox). If you can't see it, open the bonnet, stand at the front of the car, facing the passenger seat, looking straight down, and get someone to pump the clutch pedal. The adjuster itself is a sort of white nylon nut thing. Try turning it 2 clicks clockwise.

There's no synchromesh on reverse, so, the trick is, make sure the car is stationary, into reverse, count one.two,three and pop it in.