My Cinq turned 25 in January and is now legally importable to the USA so i'm taking it over next month to do the Carlisle import show in Pennsylvania. It used to be owned by Practical Classics and they are going to send the deputy editor over with me to cover the trip so hopefully there is a good write up about the little Fiat afterwards.

So issues to sort?

Well, it's over heating, seems the fan is not coming on. Any thoughts on that?

Speedo has packed up, whats the vest source for a cable these days?

Anyway, I'd like to keep you all up to date on how things are going here, it's been a while since I've been on FF

Any advice is much appreciated

Jim

The Cinquecento in Practical Classics

Fan temperature sensor/switch is connected to the radiator.
You can test the fan by connecting pins in that sensors plug together. If the fan turns on then it is likely the sensor that is done. Bear in mind that if you test it then there is quite a lot of current flowing through there.

Speedo cable was easy to source last I checked.

That sort of thing?

Sorry I don't know the product code for your car.
You can have a look in here, maybe it helps to find the right code: http://eper.fiatforum.com

Just had a look at buycarparts.co.uk (random parts store I sometimes use) and there seemed to be plenty of options to choose from.

Hi Jim-

Wow; this is really exciting! What a story!

Can you explain; do you have dual residency or places to call home, so to speak..?

Are you keeping the Cinq Stateside for good..?

Where are you shipping it from, and how long will it take to get over there? Do they use the 'same' fuel as us- will it run alright? Are you rocking the 900cc..?

Is the magazine the current issue..??

Short out the fan switch with an opened up paperclip.

DO NOT HOLD THE PAPERCLIP

Potentially the fan has seized and you will get a very hot paperclip.

If nothing, check the fuse, then try again.

Switches are generally reliable, fan motors are not

D

blast!

I meant to go out and try and get this mag on the way to work this morning!

dante giacosa said:

blast!

I meant to go out and try and get this mag on the way to work this morning!

Click to expand...

The article is from last year, I bought the car off PC at the end of the summer and having been planning the trip since then

Oh!

Thanks for that then, Jim-

I'll see if I can zoom into the screen-grabs that you've included to read up on what was said.

How long is the crossing (for the car)?

dante giacosa said:

Hi Jim-

Wow; this is really exciting! What a story!

Can you explain; do you have dual residency or places to call home, so to speak..?

Are you keeping the Cinq Stateside for good..?

Where are you shipping it from, and how long will it take to get over there? Do they use the 'same' fuel as us- will it run alright? Are you rocking the 900cc..?

Is the magazine the current issue..??

Click to expand...

No, I live in the UK, i'm just taking the car with me on the trip and will sell it at the end of the 2 weeks

Shipping out from Liverpool next month and it takes about 10 days to get across the Atlantic to New York. Unfortunately American fuel has a lot of ethanol in it and most older European cars don't really like that so will have to pop in some additive to keep the Cinq happy (if it gets very warm you tend to get vapour lock and it really doesn't do the lines or pump any good) but it's May so it's not so hot and its really only got to run 2 weeks with me and after that it's someone else's problem lol

We will pick it up in NYC and head up to New England and Cape Cod for a few days, collect the Deputy Editor of Practical Classics in Rhode Island when he flies in, then head down to deepest darkest Pennsylvania for the Import car show over the weekend of the 18th & 19th May in Carlisle and back up to meet up with the journalist Jamie Kitman (he used to write CAR magazine in the UK) as he has a MG Metro that PC want to feature and then up to Vermont for a few days and list the car on Bring a Trailer and hopefully find a new owner in the states
Yes, its an 899cc as I don't think any of the UK Sportings would be 25 yet (the age at which import rules are relaxed in the US)

Hopefully the story will be in one of the summer editions of Practical Classics if all goes to plan

BTW our Cinq is called Betty, as she's White old and still going strong

Jim

Thanks for going into detail on that-

That is so exciting!

So- what kind of mileage do you think you are going to clock-up across that marathon road trip!?

You've GOT TO get some pictures up on here of that adventure; was the Cinq ever sold in the U.S.?

Have you driven in the States yourself, before Jim..?

Fiat didn't sell any cars between 1983 and 2012 so there are very few Cinquecentos in the states, probably around 2 or 3 cars.

Probably won't do much more than 1500 to 2000 miles over the 2 weeks we are there

Don't worry there will be plenty of pics!

Yes we have done this before. If you look closely at my profile pic you'll see my Panda in Death Valley from 2006 and we are just back from a huge transcontinental trip across the US in a Fiat Tempra we bought in Croydon

And our Cinquecento at the NEC in November as a fundraiser for Help For Heros

This sounds amazing just like the kinda thing I'd love to do ? Out of interest is it easy to sell a fiat or any UK car in USA even if it's right hand drive? Wat happens if by chance u can't sell it? funny enough i was talking to my friend in Canada yesterday about importing and selling UK cars in Toronto as I see a gap in the market and they pay way over the odds for even old honda civics, I was thinking to import my GT over there years ago as I was constantly going over there, just wasn't sure about once u add all the customs shipping costs vat + duty if it would really be worth it. Ahhhh Wen it's 25 years u don't pay a lot of the charges correct? Was reading a little bit about this yesterday. Good job fundraising too ?

JimMagill said:

My Cinq turned 25 in January and is now legally importable to the USA so i'm taking it over next month to do the Carlisle import show in Pennsylvania. It used to be owned by Practical Classics and they are going to send the deputy editor over with me to cover the trip so hopefully there is a good write up about the little Fiat afterwards.

So issues to sort?

Well, it's over heating, seems the fan is not coming on. Any thoughts on that?

Speedo has packed up, whats the vest source for a cable these days?

Anyway, I'd like to keep you all up to date on how things are going here, it's been a while since I've been on FF

Any advice is much appreciated

Jim

Click to expand...

I would always start with the fan switch if it not cutting in I just replaced mine, bypass it to make sure fan is actually working and go from there.

At least you'll have no trouble parking it. The US "truck" sized parking bays would take 6 Cinq's...


Ralf S.

you went across the U.S. in a Tempra?!!!!



I am blown away by that- if you ever write an autobiography and need someone to read-it-through first; please contact me...!!

djechouk said:

I would always start with the fan switch if it not cutting in I just replaced mine, bypass it to make sure fan is actually working and go from there.

Click to expand...

Bought a fan switch for a tenner so will take it from there. A fan assembly is only 40 anyway and with every being a quarter of a century old and having a photoshoot with Practical Classics in the middle of Manhattan I'm happy enough to pay for a bit of peace of mind