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Grande Punto My 1.4 8v

Introduction

So, I've had my Grande a few months now but never bothered with a members motors thread. Done a few minor mods but still unsure how far to go as I want to be able to return everything to standard when I come to sell it.

This is the car as I bought it.

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Anyway, first job was to get rid of that massive aerial so I ordered the stubby one the day I picked the car up.

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Then decided to start changing all the bulbs to brighter white. Got the Nightbreaker plus headlights and a couple of white interior LED's.

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Also got the chrome indocators to get rid of the fried egg.

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Also made myself a cheeky little tax disc holder. :slayer:

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Then I found some Carplan Original Black in Asda for like £2.49 so waited for some decent weather and give the car a good clean and sprayed all the plastic bits. Pretty happy with the results :)

Before:

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After:

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And, shiny shiny :D

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And then last night a found an absolute bargain on gumtree and decided it was an offer I couldn't refuse...

Picked up these sexy little numbers for a cool £200. Near enough brand new Pirelli tyres and all.

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A couple of them have 'white worm' but looking at getting them refurb by a friend of a friend. Just don't know whether to go standard colour or black?

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After thinking about it i'm 90% sure i'm gonna get them refurbed in a dark anthracite cause i think black might be too much of a contrast with the colour of the car
 
Nice little GP. If you want some subtle mods that can be easily reverted back to standard look at getting a can or two of black (or any colour) plasti-dip paint. You can spray whatever you want on your car, and it can be peeled off again after when bored of it. It sprays on like paint, but dries into a rubber coating, that when applied thick enough can be literally peeled off like orange peel. Quick and easy to do, and cheaper than anything permanent, with the added bonus of being able to go back to standard as and when.

I was going to suggest getting your wheels done in dark anthracite, a lot better than black. With the colour of your car it will work better IMO. Also, good choice on the wheels. They are nicer than the newer shape sporting alloy, always preferred the twin-forked alloy!
 
Thanks, was quite reluctant to buy the alloys as I'm supposed to be saving money for a holiday to Vegas but i just couldn't refuse them for the price and only cost me about £15 in fuel to pick them up. (y) Think i saw the plasti-dipped diffuser on Hinksy's car so i might have to steal that idea and thought about doing in between the grilles in plastidip too but not sure yet. Definitely need to spray the grille black though just because i don't understand why its been half-arsed sprayed silver on the front :confused:
 
I have to say I usually hate the silver GPs but yours looks awesome. I probably only hate them becuase I had a silver corsa and too many bad memories :p

But seriously it looks great! Considered changing the plastic door handles? And maybe changing the matt vinyl on the door pillars to gloss? These are two things I would serioulsy consider if it was may car. And if your going to get the vinyl anyway then its win win (y)
 
Did think about colour coding the handles but I've started to like the contrast after using that original black stuff. Just trying to do little bits at the minute. Only big things I want to do really are lowering and tinting the rear 3 windows but they'll have to wait until I've got the money to spare
 
The wheels are painted and fitted! Got a few pictures from yesterday;

Prepped;
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First coat;
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Finished;
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Fitted! :slayer:
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Before anyone mentions it, I know the arch gap as horrendous but sportlines are going to have to wait i'm afraid. :Thumbd: What do you think of the new colour!? :)
 
Cheers mate, it's like £60 for the full set though isn't it? The steering wheel one scares me too after seeing the guide. :/ Ideally I'd like to get a badgeless front grill and smooth the rear (marmite mod, I know) but funds don't allow at the minute
 
Cheers mate, it's like £60 for the full set though isn't it? The steering wheel one scares me too after seeing the guide. :/ Ideally I'd like to get a badgeless front grill and smooth the rear (marmite mod, I know) but funds don't allow at the minute

Yeah I'd get a badgeless, they look top class and I meant badges for the alloys, I found these on eBay for you
http://bit.ly/18pUqYR
And a smooth rear looks brilliant but is a very expensive mod. (y)
 
Thanks, might just change them all except the steering wheel cause it scares me too much. And I could probably get the boot done by the lad that sprayed my wheels but as you said, expensive. Plus it's not really a reversible mod so a bit unsure.

Does anyone know if I need to notify my insurance of my new alloys? With them being an OEM part I didn't think I would but thought I'd check
 
Just happened to stumble upon an advert on gumtree like an hour after it'd been posted. Was just lucky really cause I've been looking for them for a while. There are some on eBay at the minute starting at £400 i think but they're local pickup from Northern Ireland (n) I just kept searching eBay, gumtree and the forum for them and some came up :) they're the GP sporting alloys if you're looking for some (y)
 
I'd recommend declaring them mate - some insurers will have different attitudes towards them, so you'll probably be okay. My insurance were fine with my alloys (OEM Fiat), because they're the same size as the 15" steel wheels I had on beforehand, with the same tyres. They didn't even charge an addition fee.

They did tell me that I had to be over 25 to put bigger wheels on, however (I'd been looking at OEM 16" EVO wheels instead) and that if I did so as an eighteen year old my insurance would be void.
 
Thanks RowingLad87, I'll have to give them a ring tomorrow and see what they say. Hope they don't charge me more :/

And cheers Jordan92 I'm really happy with the anthracite, was going to go gloss black but glad I didn't. Lowering springs will have to wait for now but I will get them eventually!

Full set of wheels with brand new tyres and refurb has ended up costing me £250 :slayer:

Old 15" wheels will be up for sale once I've got them cleaned up if anyone wants some spare wheels for winter or upgrade from steelies?
 
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