Styling Cheap, basic styling

[Jelinski619]

Hi all, only my second thread on here.

So after my MK1 55s failed the MOT catastrophically and I did most of the work on it with my dad (Exhaust, rear trailing arms, rear brake cylinders/hose/shoes, oil filter, air filter and spark plugs all replaced) I've kinda caught the virus. I'm almost addicted. I've started looking at my Punto and looking for little things I could tweak and change, whereas I had no interest beforehand.

However, I don't have a big budget, and I don't like these massively modified ones with the body kits and spoilers. I prefer more subtle, sensible things. I'm thinking of perhaps removing the plastic bumper things on the doors but that's as far as I've got. I'm thinking maybe a different steering wheel and new dials? I don't know.

Any suggestions as to modifications I can do on a relatively low budget?

Thanks :worship:

 

[SweetSugarHigh]

Check the guides section out, covers de-badging and removing side bump strips, as well as other bits like changing the dials and lights behind them etc. Just have a scroll down and see what takes your fancy.

 

[MikeSalt]

It's not exactly cheap, but for the biggest transformation of a car's look, it has got to be alloy wheels. Get a set of GT alloys with all the bolts. Not only does the car look better, but you can put 185/55 R14 tyres on and transform the handling too.

Of course, alloys do expose the rust and muck on your front calipers and rear drum. Give them the black Hammerite treatment. You could colour them, but 240mm discs and drum brakes do look a bit lost in the wheel if you do. Better to just keep them looking tidy with black/titanium/silver.

 

[Fiatpuntomk2b]

id say induction kit and cc'd door handles and mirrors

 

[Jelinski619]

Any ideas roughly how much an induction kit and/or colour coded mirrors and handles are?

Maybe I could get different bumpers? The current black bumpers are really big, bulky, blobby and ugly. I'm not thinking of getting a splitter and diffuser or anything, just smaller and less ugly ones perhaps.

 

[MikeSalt]

Look for someone breaking a Sporting or GT and take the mirrors, handles and bumpers off that. Being interference engines, there are plenty about that are dying now. Aftermarket styling mods need to be very carefully regulated to avoid ruining the style.

Since the discussion is on styling, I presume the induction kit will be for show, and perhaps a little noise too? If so, no point spending the money on GSR. Get a Focus kit from eBay and speak to someone who knows how to fit it properly. The question is though, how often are you going to be showing off the styling under the bonnet? Best spent outside I reckon.

 

[Fiatpuntomk2b]

erm ... get some bumpers from a scrappy no idea on price,and paint the the same colour of your car or try and get some the same colour as your car
you can get a focus induction kit of ebay that many people on here have.but gsr are the best ones but they arent cheep
Colour coding handles and mirrors is pretty easy if you are ok at painting get some paint made up for your car(maybe by halfords ) and remove them and paint them
Btw have a look at fiat stilo splitters or seat cupra r splitters they are nice cheap and subtle splitters

 

[MikeSalt]

If you do need to paint things, open the boot and look up. That three-digit number is your paint code. Go to your local motor factors and match it.

 

[Fiatpuntomk2b]

i you was going to get some dials i would say have a look here http://www.visual-performance.co.uk/imo these look really nice and colour and brightness can be changed with a switch

 

[Jelinski619]

Since the discussion is on styling, I presume the induction kit will be for show, and perhaps a little noise too? If so, no point spending the money on GSR. Get a Focus kit from eBay and speak to someone who knows how to fit it properly. The question is though, how often are you going to be showing off the styling under the bonnet? Best spent outside I reckon.

Well I'm not strictly keeping to styling, I'm open to tuning suggestions aswell. But yeah, I rarely open the bonnet so money spent on the outside is far better as you say. You'll have to slow down with the acronyms though, as I'm new to all this and not yet with the lingo Ha

 

[DaveMcT]

The snag with painting is to do it properly you really do need a compressor and spray gun. Aerosol (rattle) cans are ok for small jobs but not nearly as good and in the long run not cheap to use.

Grey/black polypropylene bumpers are pretty much impossible to paint. Without flaming (to soften the surface) and specialist primers nothing will stick. Much better to get some body colour bumpers and have them painted to suit your car.
Avoid fibre glass bumpers. Abarth copies are quite common but the surface coat cracks at the slightest touch.

Consider fitting remote locking and remove the door locks. Leave the boot lid lock for emergencies. This neatens the door and removes something for the local scrotes to dig a screwdriver into. A steel plate on the panel behind further improves the security.

 

[Jelinski619]

As far as the interior goes, I've fitted a new stereo which I can connect my iPhone to, and i'm looking at getting new speakers to go with. I got some JBL ones to go in the dash but they sounded worse than the current Nokia ones so I took them back. I was going to look into replacing the ones in the rear but I never got round to it.

Consider fitting remote locking and remove the door locks. Leave the boot lid lock for emergencies. This neatens the door and removes something for the local scrotes to dig a screwdriver into. A steel plate on the panel behind further improves the security.

Ah yes, I was thinking about fitting remote locking. Any ideas on difficulty or price?

 

[Jelinski619]

Edit button has disappeared, so here's a double-post.

I've been looking around and I quite like the look of the sporting interior some people have put in, but I have no idea where to get this sporting interior. I was also looking at steering wheels but they are expensive and I didn't find any that I liked in my brief search. It seems so hard to find styling mods for a Punto which aren't vulgar and chavvy. I just want subtle things which will improve the car without looking out of place. Is that so much to ask? :O

Also, if anyone can recommend some speakers, that would be lovely.

Thanks

 

[MikeSalt]

Is it not just worth getting a Sporting? By the time you've transferred the body stylings, the interior and some alloys, thats some serious modifications to explain to your insurance company. Pick up a 1.2 16v and declare that to the insurance company and they will be far more happy, despite you having an extra 30BHP to play with.

That will also give you 257mm discs brakes on the front rather than 240mm, so a bit more stopping power as well as pulling power.

 

[Fiatpuntomk2b]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/fiat-punto-pa...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1c14481718 maybe speak tto this person on ebay may be able to get some deals on stuff

 

[Jelinski619]

Is it not just worth getting a Sporting? By the time you've transferred the body stylings, the interior and some alloys, thats some serious modifications to explain to your insurance company. Pick up a 1.2 16v and declare that to the insurance company and they will be far more happy, despite you having an extra 30BHP to play with.

That will also give you 257mm discs brakes on the front rather than 240mm, so a bit more stopping power as well as pulling power.

I don't have the money. I get £60 per week from my part-time job, and £35 of that goes towards car insurance, then there's petrol and various other bits and bobs to pay for.

Although, how much do you reckon I could get for my Punto? Its a 55 with around 70,000 miles on the clock. MOT'd and taxed yesterday, excellent condition, exhaust, rear trailing arms, rear brake cylinders/hose/shoes, oil filter, air filter and spark plugs all brand new.

Thanks

 

[MikeSalt]

I'll let you know once I've sold my '55. Mine is in great mechanical condition, with lots of new parts, but the exterior and interior look a little tired. Actually, considering the number of new parts your car has, and the relatively low mileage, you are better off keeping your car for a while yet.

£35 a week? That's over £1800 a year! I knew insurance had gone up since I was in my first driving year, but that is ridiculous. Before you do any modifications, do check with your insurance company as to which modifications need declaring. Colour-coding side strips and handles is unlikely to be an issue, fitting components from higher-spec models may make a difference to the premium. And if you are with Direct Line, you can forget even hanging an air-freshener they are so against modifications.

Keep it cheap, keep it simple and drive carefully. You will be rewarded well once you have even just one year's NCD.

 

[Jelinski619]

I'll let you know once I've sold my '55. Mine is in great mechanical condition, with lots of new parts, but the exterior and interior look a little tired. Actually, considering the number of new parts your car has, and the relatively low mileage, you are better off keeping your car for a while yet.

£35 a week? That's over £1800 a year! I knew insurance had gone up since I was in my first driving year, but that is ridiculous. Before you do any modifications, do check with your insurance company as to which modifications need declaring. Colour-coding side strips and handles is unlikely to be an issue, fitting components from higher-spec models may make a difference to the premium. And if you are with Direct Line, you can forget even hanging an air-freshener they are so against modifications.

Keep it cheap, keep it simple and drive carefully. You will be rewarded well once you have even just one year's NCD.

Yeah, was £60 a month before I passed my test (with Quinn), and as soon as I passed it went up to £143 a month for the remaining 6 months! I'll have my one year NCD in September though, and i'll be a year older (obviously) so hopefully that will bring the premium down.

I got the car for £575, which I thought was an excellent price considering I had been looking at Corsa's and Fiestas in a lot worse condition with a lot less luxuries for a similar price. I'm hoping that the fact I have kept it in good condition and replaced lots of parts will mean I can at least get my money back when I sell it, although I think that would be quite optimistic.

I've just been quoted £30 for the seats, £60 for a set of alloys+tyres and £20 for the rear bumper of a sporting. Baring in mind I would need the bumper respraying, how do those prices sound?

 

[MikeSalt]

Fiats represent excellent value for money, both new and pre-loved. They also look considerably more modern than their equivalently-aged competitors.

 

[Jelinski619]

I think first, I need to change my speakers. There is no point having an expensive Pioneer stereo playing my beautiful 320kbs songs through some cheap stock speakers. I'm thinking a couple of 6x9's in the parcel shelf, covered in acoustic cloth for anti-theft purposes.

Then maybe some colour coded bumpers, as I think they will make the biggest difference visually.