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Seicento Seicento Abarth - Van Aaken High Boost Turbo

Introduction

So i guess its about time to create my own thread on this car, only had it 4 years :eek: Alot of people on here will know the car but we had alot of new cento members recently alot of which won't have seen her before.

Its originally from Jersey, it was ordered new from fiat by a doctor from Jersey who specified all options (bar the rarer wheels). So it has factory remote central locking, Air-con (apparently its rare to have AC & a sunroof but it has both) & ABS brakes. It was then delivered to Van Aaken new who fitted their high boost turbo kit to it.

It was then bought by a policeman i think and brought over to the main land. It was then bought by Donna on here and then Jamie86 on here (don't think either post on here anymore though) & then finally i bought it off Jamie.

It was at this point still not UK registered (despite having been here for at least 24 months!:eek:) So i got it registered which meant i had to lose the cool numberplate it had :(

Well to pictures then:

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The day i bought it, getting a MOT - she passed with no advisories :)

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On the way back to York with her, stopped in services. Note the cool numberplate.

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Back home, next to Black Betty, the cinq JustAndy bought a few months back

Then we jump forward a few years to 2010, I haven't really driven it much, she only comes out to play in summer, these are just before she went for her MOT in 2010
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Notice in that pic she still has oem exhaust!! :eek:
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that cover thing was fitted by the first owner, the doctor, to hide all the medical stuff that was carried around the island in it, i like it so kept it.
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She passed the MOT again no real issues, just had to clean up the handbrake actuator that year as it was sticking (well known common problem amongst us cento'ers).

So went for a razz about with a lad with a mini, a seicento looks massive next to a old mini! lol
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Showing off her bits
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Saving a Ford
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And then here's some pics from last summer - she only did 50 miles or so last summer so not many pics
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And one of her parked next to her big sister
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Amd now for some recent pics. Been getting her ready for the MOT this year over last month or so - the old stock exhaust finally fell to pieces so had to get a new one.
So she stuck her arse in the air so i could get underneath.
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And the front (she was like this for a couple of weeks and the pikeys where i live would have had the wheels so they came off as well)
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And bought some shiny pipes - intend to get a full custom exhaust from downpipe back at some point with a larger bore than stock but funds didn't allow for that yet.
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And finally, some new yellow abarth centre caps and new open-ended shiny wheel nuts..
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And that brings us upto date. I have many bits to go on the car but i will keep this thread updated now its here.

MOT in the morning. Wish her luck!!

Questions, comments etc welcome.
i think they say its HD to make a reason up for the amount of memory it takes up its far from HD quality..

here is a vid from the camera.. its nothing exciting, just me testing it when i got it - in my van. Excuse the sound, the mic can't really cope with the huge stereo in van
 
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Love this!! I'm jealous of your car collection - past and present! Be sure to advertise on here if/when you sell!!!!

Any other plans? Do I detect a yellow/red theme coming on?
 
Very nice. Would have fitted Punto GT brakes while I had the back end in bits. ;)

Just a straw poll;

Would you have the Ferrari or the Fiat?
 
All in good time mate, all in good time. I have a huge pile of parts for her but just wanted to get the MOT and drive her a bit this summer. Had it 4 years now and only covered about 4k miles in it.

Well she now has shiny new MOT certificate ;) It failed emissions but the lovely MOT tester lent me a few tool and let me fiddle for half hour and redid the emissions test and victory was mine.

Will upload a couple of vids to youtibe and link them in a bit ;)
 
great stuff,is the new exhaust from ebay by chance was thinking of getting a stainless one and it certainly looks the part on your car
 
Crikey that oil cooler is mahooosive! :D

Your old number plate seems familiar. ;)

New exhaust looks nice and free flowing, my Magnex has a much sharper bend in it and is a slightly smaller bore, well at least until I chop it up.

Only thing I dislike is the condition of the rear beam and arms, best get those cleaned up before they decay any further. :p

Sweet ride. :slayer:
 
yeah, its not looking as fresh as it did underneath anymore. Don't worry it'll be sorted ;)

The oil cooler isn't on there atm but it was bought by previous owner who ordered wrong one, isn't meant to be that big hehe. I'm gonna fit one from a PGT i think. I just need to get a new extension bolt for the sandwich plate to refit it.

Exhaust is this. I made an offer though and got some money off ;)

I need to fix a slight blow from the exhaust which i found whilst it was on the ramps at MOT place, and turn fuel pressure back up, thats how i got it to pass emissions.. Its not particularly happy with this new lower pressure.
 
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Exhaust is this. I made an offer though and got some money off ;)

That's really excellent value and it seems to fit really well. :)

As for the water leak hope it's not the HG but best to sniff test just in case. I always like to change the resevoir cap on a regular basis too they seem to made of chocolate and weep sometimes causing lots of head scratching.
 
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Mmmm, perhaps.. You mean the cap on the expansion tank??

I changed the HG not long ago (read that not many miles ago, was the summer before last, but its only done about 100-150 miles since the HG was changed)..

I did the HG because it was losing water and i couldn't find a leak. Only to discover the HG looked fine and it was still losing water afterwards. But then i spied the tiniest leak/weep from the thermostat housing which i have recently had off and stuck back on, no leaks there i can see.

For now i have topped it upto the max line in the expansion tank and gonna leave it until tomorrow to see if it loses anything while its just sat there - kinda hoping it will as that would indicate its just a leak rather than anything more sinister. If i have to take the head off i may as well crack on with the conversion to mpi, no point sticking the same head back on really.

Either way, i reckon i will attempt the drive to Stanford and hope its makes it there and back. Then i'll take the head off and have a gander..

And finally, as promised few video's. Nothing that exciting i'm afraid but i did say i would. Sound on them is rubbish, terribly sorry.



 
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Mmmm, perhaps.. You mean the cap on the expansion tank??

Indeed

I did the HG because it was losing water and i couldn't find a leak. Only to discover the HG looked fine and it was still losing water afterwards. But then i spied the tiniest leak/weep from the thermostat housing which i have recently had off and stuck back on, no leaks there i can see.

Crikey for the amount of hassle involved I would get it sniff tested before commiting to a HG change.

For now i have topped it upto the max line in the expansion tank and gonna leave it until tomorrow to see if it loses anything while its just sat there.

A leak "anywhere" still may not leak unless the system is pressurised. Mine loses about a cup full of water a week (I know it's the HG but no point fixing when the engine is coming out so soon). Very hard to trace a slow leak could be anywhere. Some garages can pressure test the system which can make it easier to locate. Otherwise it's best to look for the leak when the system is up to temperature and fully pressurised, very carefully!

And... put your foot down you old lady, camera works well though. :p :D
 
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