General Buying a 500 as a newbie for daily driver

[gatos]

Hi Folks,


I'm new at FIATforum also classic 500 section too. I was search some topics but didn't find any clear answers. I'm sorry if I make a mistake against the forum's rulez.


So, I'm thinking to buying a 500. I have no any experience with classic cars and 500 too. I just like this small car and their spirit. I had very diffrent cars before but all was a modern. I should buy restored one instead of cheapest 500's I guess. But it's okay to daily use ?


Another point is, I found a restored 500 at the announcement on web. (nearby) But I have no technical experience. What should I care about the car when i get to look at the car ? Engine sound ? Maybe vibrations ? Gearbox sounds, smells, rust, and/or etc. ?


And finally, if I buy this little friend, what should i change the parts immideatly ? And/or which parts need change (roughly)

Thank you for taking time and read my words,

Cheers!

 

[the hobbler]

Welcome to the Forum Gatos. The simple answer to your question is "yes"--a 500 CAN be used as a daily runner. However, the truth is that all classic cars, due to their age, require a certain amount of technical experience to run, especially as a 'daily runner'. When what is now "a classic"(of any type) was new, so were the parts on the car and the garages knew how to work on the cars and repair them. Now that the car is old, so are a lot of the parts on the car,and those that you can buy new ("pattern parts") often require some expertise to fit. You will also find that very few mechanics, except possibly in little old garages, know how to work on a repair the "classic car".Lastly, a lot of members on the Forum have found, sometimes to their cost, that the expression "fully restored" is not quite true!
My advice would be to keep using a modern car as your 'daily runner' and get the 500 as your 'fun' car---a car that you don't HAVE to rely on to get you around and (possibly)to work.
If you do decide to buy the 500 you have seen advertised, take a friend who has some experience, or find an older mechanic who may have worked on the 500s (even if you have to pay him---it might save you a lot of money and pain) along with you. Whatever you do, have fun.

 

[aaron500]

Hi Folks,


I'm new at FIATforum also classic 500 section too. I was search some topics but didn't find any clear answers. I'm sorry if I make a mistake against the forum's rulez.


So, I'm thinking to buying a 500. I have no any experience with classic cars and 500 too. I just like this small car and their spirit. I had very diffrent cars before but all was a modern. I should buy restored one instead of cheapest 500's I guess. But it's okay to daily use ?


Another point is, I found a restored 500 at the announcement on web. (nearby) But I have no technical experience. What should I care about the car when i get to look at the car ? Engine sound ? Maybe vibrations ? Gearbox sounds, smells, rust, and/or etc. ?


And finally, if I buy this little friend, what should i change the parts immideatly ? And/or which parts need change (roughly)

Thank you for taking time and read my words,

Cheers!

Hello !
I used my 1972 Fiat 500 L as every day transport for most of the year around two years ago.
You quickly learn how to drive it as an every day car. Knowing the brakes aren’t as good, how to not lose any speed as gaining speed is difficult, how to change gears without grinding them and so on.
It teaches you how to dive properly, well worth doing!
I’m only 24 and I enjoyed it very much.

 

[Bigvtwin996]

Hi Folks,
............
So, I'm thinking to buying a 500. I have no any experience with classic cars and 500 too. I just like this small car and their spirit. I had very diffrent cars before but all was a modern. I should buy restored one instead of cheapest 500's I guess. But it's okay to daily use ?

.......
Cheers!

a lot depends on what total distances you would be doing each year....
Whilst many classics are regarded as toys and weekend entertainment...
People forget that when new these cars were daily drivers!
What car to buy is difficult... a fully restored car may look nice but how good was the restoration...
buying a heap will mean you have control over the way it is restored but it can take several years to complete....
There are those that do use their 500s almost daily, but of course have a back up...
A friend used to drive classics as his every day drivers changing them every 6-7 months with the occasional normal car in-between, he has a nice workshop and don't mind the occasional tinkering with things.. his philosophy was "well I can drive lots of cars and not really loose any money".

There is always a debate about the quality of reproduction parts, but I believe that is is possible to improve upon the "reliability" or "slightly modernise" a classic, electronic ignition an even hi power batteries and LED lights can help make an old car more useable....
a 500 is a great car for short trips as it was originally designed to be a town car, but it can make the occasional long trip without issue.. there are many reports of long distance races with 500s taking part....

But motoring then and now are different.. I did discuss the idea of making a classic 500 more user friendly to the non classic owner, you would be possibly looking at disk brakes at the front (simply for maintenance and city traffic driving... and more for driver confidence) slight tuning of the 500 engine or the fitting of a 650 126 engine would give more than enough power without sacrificing reliability... Steering rack conversion for more positive steering, and finally the 126 syncro gearbox....
Looking at all these things, if you brought a fully restored car it is unlikely to have all of these features....

So the choice is not easy.... it is possible to add these things later....
the most important thing on any classic is the bodywork....
If a car has been painted what does it hide? i is easier to replace a blown engine than weld up a painted car...

I'm sure others with more 500 driving experience will be able to add more food for thought..

 

[fiat500]

I agree that unless you are very wealthy and can afford the services of a specialist garage you need to have or develop the skills that will keep your car on the road. It is also very wise to be able to have a more modern vehicle that can be used in terrible weather or over long distances to do journeys which are purely pragmatic.

I also wouldn’t rely on a Fiat 500 if you need to be transporting people regularly…..especially children. This is because the car is inherently a death-trap in the case of a collision. Also, what might be a minor accident in a modern car could be very serious in the Fiat.

My Fiat 500 is much simpler to keep on the road than my ten year old Citroen and has far fewer design flaws and items that need regular replacement. A couple of years ago I did more miles in a twelve-month period in the Fiat than I did in the Citroen.

There is no feature of the Fiat that can’t eventually be comprehended by someone with a mechanical aptitude but it is difficult to know where to start when itemising the things you need to be aware of when considering one to buy. Anecdotally, largely from watching this Forum, you are unlikely to avoid buying a car that doesn’t have some annoying faults. The same advice which applies to the purchase of any old car should be used, but corrosion and poor bodywork repairs disguised as good ones should be top of the list.
Personally, in choosing a car for regular driving, the best indicator would be to buy a car that has stayed with the same owner and been kept roadworthy continuously for many years.

Then, if you are a young person who owns a Fiat 500 you need to use it as frequently as possible before your right to do that is curtailed by legislation. If you are an older person you need to use it as frequently as possible before your ability to do that is curtailed by frailty or worse.

Enjoy the search….

 

[gatos]

First thing first I'm very happy to see your value comments and warm welcome to me. Thank you for everything, it's very kind and it's too much meaning for me.


So, thank you your reply and messages; Dear; the hobbler, aaron500, Bigvtwin996, fiat500. I read all of your explanations and here is mine opinions,

Welcome to the Forum Gatos. The simple answer to your question is "yes"--a 500 CAN be used as a daily runner. However, the truth is that all classic cars, due to their age, require a certain amount of technical experience to run, especially as a 'daily runner'. When what is now "a classic"(of any type) was new, so were the parts on the car and the garages knew how to work on the cars and repair them.

Unfortunetly, I'm just moved to here and I don't know anyone or anybody who have a knowledge about classics or have a garage to repair or something. I'm fast learner and classic cars are all time dream but under this conditions, firstly I have to find someone to maintanance and repair for my car and learn something. Also I don't have a close garage right now, I guess it's not big thing but maybe I figured out this topics before the purchase.


Regarding to this issues I definetly have to trust who sells the car. Generally I believe the persons but as your experience and words I have not to trust easily.

Hello !
I used my 1972 Fiat 500 L as every day transport for most of the year around two years ago.
You quickly learn how to drive it as an every day car. Knowing the brakes aren’t as good, how to not lose any speed as gaining speed is difficult, how to change gears without grinding them and so on.
It teaches you how to dive properly, well worth doing!
I’m only 24 and I enjoyed it very much.

Heyy thank you for sharing your life experience, is priceless for me. You are very younger than me but It's clear to ı have to learn too much things about that from you.

a lot depends on what total distances you would be doing each year....
Whilst many classics are regarded as toys and weekend entertainment...
People forget that when new these cars were daily drivers!
What car to buy is difficult... a fully restored car may look nice but how good was the restoration...
buying a heap will mean you have control over the way it is restored but it can take several years to complete....
.

Thank you! As my situation it's little awkward, cause I don't have enough money to invest too much this thing. I just want to use this car for my main transport solution as regular car's. But it seems difficult to that. So, I can't afford to weekend toy right now for my life (hope one day i'll) Just for the reason I want to ask this questions to you on this forum. I'm totally beginner (rookie) and need to learn more (obviously) Also as your said the parts and mods are could be much expnesive that I expect to run the car.

I agree that unless you are very wealthy and can afford the services of a specialist garage you need to have or develop the skills that will keep your car on the road. It is also very wise to be able to have a more modern vehicle that can be used in terrible weather or over long distances to do journeys which are purely pragmatic.

I also wouldn’t rely on a Fiat 500 if you need to be transporting people regularly…..especially children. This is because the car is inherently a death-trap in the case of a collision. Also, what might be a minor accident in a modern car could be very serious in the Fiat.

Enjoy the search….

Yes that's the point. It's totally transporting thing and it's important for me and my family. Also as I told before I don't have any experience to identify any collision, or bad condition things hiding parts. Thank you very much to help a earn new persvective to me.




In conclusion, I'm verry happy to meet with you guys, thank you again for all your comments. In my opinion I have to postponed to purchase and learn new skills also search more cars. But just for now it's not logic and true solution for me, it's clear enough to understand.


But, one day I'll own and drive a 500, It's my dream.


Best wishes to all from my heart.


Thanks!

 

[Bigvtwin996]

...................................................

But, one day I'll own and drive a 500, It's my dream.

Something I will say....lots of people join forums after they have brought a car and their first post is usually something like "I have a Fiat 500 how do I fix...."

So much advance knowledge can be found on Forums, so I think by asking first you will have gained some good things to think about.....
The Forum is a wealth of knowledge most of which should be in a Book....
so a good read of some of the huge restoration thread will give you a massive insight into Fiat 500s, then you have all the problems and modifications possible...
Even people with a great deal of mechanical knowledge can learn loads from many of the people on here with 00s of years of mechanical experience..

 

[Bubins]

I bought a 500 last year and discovered a whole load of bodywork issues underneath the car that required repairing. I had this done at a specialist garage at a cost of just over half of what I paid for the car.

I have next to no technical knowledge about these cars. I’m learning but I’ll never get to level of expertise required to fix these sorts of serious bodywork issues. Welding etc.

The rust had been painted over with under seal so it was only when the garage got it off that they realised the true extent of the problem.

I don’t regret buying it but luckily had some spare money to pay for the repairs otherwise I would’ve been a bit stuck... The car is now sorted out pretty nicely and insured for more than double what I bought it for.

They are amazing fun to drive but you have to be prepared for any nasty surprises along the way.

 

[gordinir8]

To give you an idea of how it goes, you need to restore all the mechanical parts, that means disassembly, cleaning, inspection and replacement with new or good used parts as necessary. New brake system, restored starter, restored dynamo, restored engine/gearbox etc. Whatever will stay old and unrestored it will brake soon. It took me a year and a half, lot of personal work and a few thousand euros to bring my car in an everyday use condition. I have about another year and a half that i am just changing oil and put gas in it.... there is a sound on r/h front wheel i gotta see one day though
On the other hand is the best everyday city car i ever had and i don't change it with anything else.

 

[gatos]

Sorry, forget to tell this. I'm in Spain and one of my friend warn me about the car's classicness status certificate. I don't understand clearly what it is, but I guess it's about to tax issues or something. Do you know anything about that ?

 

[Bigvtwin996]

Sorry, forget to tell this. I'm in Spain and one of my friend warn me about the car's classicness status certificate. I don't understand clearly what it is, but I guess it's about to tax issues or something. Do you know anything about that ?

In the UK we are very lucky.. to a large extent it is simply the age of the car that allows us to obtain cheap insurance and road tax to drive it on the roads, they have also abolished the need to have classic cars tested if they were made before 1979.
there are a few exceptions to this......

But in many countries people face huge restrictions on what they can do to cars and what is classed as a classic car... they often have to have the vehicle inspected to show that it is a classic car and not an old car with modern mechanicals... or a huge engine... A certificate is issued or different number plates that then allow reduced insurance etc,,,,
Unless yo make crazy changes such certificates are relativity easy to obtain....

 

[gatos]

In the UK we are very lucky.. to a large extent it is simply the age of the car that allows us to obtain cheap insurance and road tax to drive it on the roads, they have also abolished the need to have classic cars tested if they were made before 1979.
there are a few exceptions to this......

But in many countries people face huge restrictions on what they can do to cars and what is classed as a classic car... they often have to have the vehicle inspected to show that it is a classic car and not an old car with modern mechanicals... or a huge engine... A certificate is issued or different number plates that then allow reduced insurance etc,,,,
Unless yo make crazy changes such certificates are relativity easy to obtain....

Thank you. Sure, I'm not a fan of tuning with extraordinary things. And the vehicle seems original (not with added any crazy things.) Also plate is starts with H- word. I think it's a shortcut to Historic plate, but i'm not sure. I'll update this topic when i check the car.


Thanks again.

 

[gatos]

Update folks; tomorrow i’ll pick up the car from owner. Today it was a undesirable day for me. It’s always my dream and i make a difficult war against to my mind. Finally my hearth has won the game. I was take a tour with car, check carefully myself. Everything is seems good, hope it’ll be better for me.

I’m too excited to join this family, I’m very emotional all day long, so I just share with you guys and say thank you to write me back your replies.

My little rookie-ish questions are waiting, tomorrow i’ll ask to owner but if somebody answer me, I appreciate with that.

• The car location is little far away, my home is about 100km. Firstly, Am i drive just one start or should i rest the car little bit ?

Also i think toll road is better for me to figured out the car’s behaviour than small and tiny village roads.

Additional information, I live little bit higher than the city, i need to climb some uphill road. Hope my new friend figured out that easily.

• According to maintanance issues, how often should i check the oils levels and when i change them ?

Sorry i’m very excited, I’m sorry if i make a mistake. Thank you very much again and again for everything.