Am I being too silly to say the Seicento could be a future classic?

I've reached crunch time for my Seicento Sporting.
I have two choices.
1. Restore the car to factory, it's OEM spec approaching 100k and simply put, tired. Needs the engine rebuilding, chassis is sound.

2.Do something crazy. Subaru engine with 4WD. Or Vtwin bike engine. Spaceframe chassis, wide arches.

Actually 3 options
Get a Schumacher and concourse it. And build the one I have aswell.

What do you think? Any other options?

I think cinqs need preserving now as there are not that many left but loads more seicentos still about to modify ☺

Schumacher edition cars have to be worth more In the long run too

If you want a perfect collectors show car then get a low mileage example otherwise modify and enjoy imo.

My 2001 sporting is only 36k but your no getting it

Stick a 2.0 Pug Diesel into it if you can. Power to weight it will be a frugal rocket.

purf said:

I think cinqs need preserving now as there are not that many left but loads more seicentos still about to modify ☺

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I was collecting some oil from EuroCarParts in my Cinq a few months ago and the guy behind the counter said he doesn't see many Cinqs around now.
I didn't think they were that rare, but when I got home I had a look on HowManyLeft.com and it is shocking.
I think A LOT went during the scrappage scheme.
In 2005, when I got my Cinq, there were 46,692 Cinqs registered in the UK
In 2015 there were just 1329

They will become classics but it will take a while. Pandas are just about at this point so logically Cinqs would be next I guess.

Personally, I love modified small Fiats but I would never fit a non-Fiat group engine and most definitely never fit a non-Italian one!

Unmolested ones will. For sure.

I'm hoping my factory Sei Abarth will

I think that Cinqs are at that stage and anything sporty is making money, or at least the sellers think they are classics, judging by some of the prices. I did a quick search and only found half a dozen sporting Cinqs for sale through the usual on-line sites.
I have started to collect small Italians in the hope they will become future classics, have an Abarth and SX Seic plus a Punt 1.6 Cabrio. They are easy to store, cheap to run, cheap to buy a good one and full of character... plus you can personalise with a whiff of Ferrari/Abarth/Pinni/Bert whats the alternative? Corsa, Polo, Korean stuff or ten a penny French 10 and 20 thingys.
The Mini is dead.. long live the Mini and everyone wants the new 500, it is bound to start a revival in small Italians. I found this in the bike world, can't afford a z900 then buy a z650, can't afford z650 then buy... etc.. etc.. ends up with stuff that was rubbish when new making silly money today by default! Classic car market is very bouyant at the moment and prices are rising, especially for stuff you can run as a daily.
I would say tastfully modify, engine swops can be costly by the time you have sorted suspension and brakes and they are never 100% especially with modern electrics and the problems that ecus chuck up.

Diesel... no thanks ☺

I think the Seicento Abarth and Schumacher will eventually become classics but it will be the unmolested ones that will be the most sought after

On a personal note having owned mine for about four months I wouldn't part with it for love or money they are a great fun little car

I know a chap locally who is bonkers about Italians and has the money (no young Family) to build and restore to his taste. He built a stonking 1967 500 with an Alfa V6 motor, looks great and goes like a rocket... can he sell it? Can he bugger! People want practical classics these days, worried that fossil fuels will suddenly dry up and that big brother plus the EU referendum outcome will make motoring a past time of the weathy.
If you want to keep/improve value and sell on, don't modify. Any budding track day enthusiast will probably want to build their own before stuffing it in a ditch. Keep it original. These days you make more money by just sitting on stuff than by restoring to better than factory.. its a shame, I have stopped restoring, I just make them usuable and well maintained.