General Choosing my 500: nearly there now

[jrkitching]

My car has done 35k miles already in just under 3 years and I would still be disappointed if it didn't make it to 15.

No reason why it shouldn't - my old R5 made it past 15 & it had done almost 220k miles when I sold it at 13 1/2.

Getting it new & looking after it well is the key.

Some have sadly already had their longevity seriously compromised before they're even 6 months old - I seem to remember LH posting details of an excellent example of such a car .

 

[306maxi]

No reason why it shouldn't - my old R5 made it past 15 & it had done almost 220k miles when I sold it at 13 1/2.

Getting it new & looking after it well is the key.

Some have sadly already had their longevity seriously compromised before they're even 6 months old - I seem to remember LH posting details of an excellent example of such a car .

Definitely. I need to stop procrastinating and book my car in for a service.

 

[RUI]

It's just a teenager . I'd be extremely disappointed if mine didn't see its 15th birthday.

Just hope I'm still here to celebrate with it.

Its only 30 months old, I never thought that it would last for ever but now I know I will spend every day with it as if it were it's last.

 

[loveshandbags]

Just to clarify the context of the mid-life car that RUI owns - it was in reference to one of the stages of its transformation from a 'by diesel' to a 'by RUI'. But it could be interpreted as mid-life crisis for some of us - I might put my hand up on that one.

In reference to the airbag issue down the road - I 'touched the umbrella' for the first time on a 12 year old Fiat Marea 2 weeks back so that's looking good for the 500 as far as electronics go.

 

[RobinPJ]

Just to clarify the context of the mid-life car that RUI owns - it was in reference to one of the stages of its transformation from a 'by diesel' to a 'by RUI'. But it could be interpreted as mid-life crisis for some of us - I might put my hand up on that one.

In reference to the airbag issue down the road - I 'touched the umbrella' for the first time on a 12 year old Fiat Marea 2 weeks back so that's looking good for the 500 as far as electronics go.

Michael, there are some frankly unsavoury images going round my head as to what "touching the umbrella" is. Anything like "touching cloth"? Is the umbrella open or closed?

Please put my mind at rest....

 

[alexGS]

Michael, there are some frankly unsavoury images going round my head as to what "touching the umbrella" is. Anything like "touching cloth"? Is the umbrella open or closed?

Please put my mind at rest....

A Google search turned up nothing; we seem to have a truly creative writer in our midst.

I think he means he had a sudden pillow fight with a Marea steering wheel, after an intimate embrace between Marea and something else - good to know, as the gas generators have a quoted life of ten years, so the ones in my Spider are due for replacement, but it sounds like they will still work, and this is a VERY run-on sentence - sorry.

I must confess to going off-topic in many threads of the past, but we seem to have gone a long way off here If it does turn out to be a strange sexual fetish, well, we do have a social group for that discussion.

I wonder what it was like to face an explosion of canvas - bloody hard when it hits, I'm guessing - any grazes or bruises?

-Alex

 

[306maxi]

I wonder what it was like to face an explosion of canvas - bloody hard when it hits, I'm guessing - any grazes or bruises?

-Alex

Girl I work with had her arm broken by a steering wheel airbag.

 

[loveshandbags]

Michael, there are some frankly unsavoury images going round my head as to what "touching the umbrella" is. Anything like "touching cloth"? Is the umbrella open or closed?

Please put my mind at rest....

A Google search turned up nothing; we seem to have a truly creative writer in our midst.

I did a google search and nothing came up except a nice set of pictures from China. (not to sure if PJ was referring to these). Anyway sorry to disappoint you guys but 'touching the umbrella' refers to getting wet by touching your head off an open umbrella - a bit like being in a tent with no fly sheet and your head gets wet from the overnight due (talk about digging a hole ). It would appear that it might be an Irish phrase (hopefully someone will back me up on this !!!) and is often used in reference to 'chancers' who try to 'pull a fast one' and then eventually get 'found out' or get into trouble. Problem with the Marea' airbag light (Click here) was caused by leaving the battery disconnected for several days whilst it was getting a few NCT failure items fixed. It seems that if the Airbag light goes on 3 times a new Airbag ECU is needed so one 'life' is gone. At the time I wasn't sure if the Garage were a 'shower of chancers' and because I picked them I was the chancer ! hence the reference to 'touching the umbrella'.

I hope that 'put's your mind at rest'.

So back on Topic alexGS.

EDIT: Did you buy that 'nearly new' Blue one ?

 

[alexGS]

My old Sport is on the Hammond thread with the Chrome mirrors and bumper inserts. At the time I liked it and Chrome inserts can 'lift' the car. I'm assuming you've gone for black.

So back on Topic alexGS.

EDIT: Did you buy that 'nearly new' Blue one ?

Lol, seems you have a bet each way there... My lips are sealed... Will collect on Tuesday and all will be revealed...

-Alex

 

[alexGS]

... so close now, just one more work day to go.

I think I've thought of everything. Last week I booked the flight to Christchurch ($314, which is more than it often costs to fly to Sydney!) - paid with Airpoints dollars though - and the ferry ticket (a reasonable $170 for me and the car, not bad for a three-hour crossing). The rest of the journey home - about 1000km - will be about $140 in fuel, making it still cheaper than the flight to get there. Though, I've opted to stay the night just north of Wellington ($80).

I paid the remainder of the $15,400 deposit and the $7,000 finance amount (over 12 months) was approved (at the rate of 14.9% p.a.). I have a sneaking suspicion that this isn't the most generous finance deal in the world - now you know why I'm not buying an Abarth (and why I've never borrowed money on a car before!)

I also learned that insurance is required as soon as there's a finance company involved - which is fair enough. Insurance is otherwise optional in NZ, I haven't bothered to insure my Uno. I have my other two cars insured with AA Insurance (they are the only insurer to cover the Alfa Spider at a moderate price) but their quote on a 500 was a lot higher, so I got in touch with my home & contents insurer. $620 per year is better, still the most expensive car insurance I've ever had (it's more than the Spider's), but happily by re-jigging excesses and contents sum insured on my house policy, and having a three-policy discount, my house insurance became cheaper.

Bizarre, isn't it, that full cover for a 1.4L FIAT 500 costs twice what full cover cost last year on my Alfa 164 with the 3L V6 - especially considering the Alfa could be entered with a coat-hanger, hot-wired, and was probably much more exciting for a joy-ride. It seems to be mainly about the agreed value - only $2,000 for the Alfa - and I guess the cost of repair doesn't factor into the calculations when the agreed value is so low, as they know they'll just write the car off. Thanks to extortionate parts prices in NZ, the FIAT is probably considered an expensive car to repair...

-Alex

 

[deeyup]

Amazing that you don't need insurance in new zealand!

Can't wait to see your choice. I recon it's none of the three original candidates.

 

[alexGS]

Can't wait to see your choice. I recon it's none of the three original candidates.

Ah but it was!

I went for the blue 1.4 Dualogic in the end, mainly on account of its condition - price about the same as the others - but I have to say, I do like the colour, even though it didn't do so well in the poll I think black is horrible to maintain.

Getting back from Christchurch was a two-day 1000km adventure, fun for all the wrong reasons, which I'll put in another thread

-Alex

 

[RobinPJ]

Ah but it was!

I went for the blue 1.4 Dualogic in the end, mainly on account of its condition - price about the same as the others - but I have to say, I do like the colour, even though it didn't do so well in the poll I think black is horrible to maintain.

Getting back from Christchurch was a two-day 1000km adventure, fun for all the wrong reasons, which I'll put in another thread

-Alex

Now what was it I advised you...? Oh yes...

Oh and don't forget that 2010+ cars have better suspension.

 

[deeyup]

Great Choice!!

The best of the bunch I reckon.
Did they shift on the price?

You're right about black being hard to maintain. I've owned 3 black cars before, and I have always said whilst owning them that I'd never buy a black car again. I've just gone and bought another :doh:

 

[alexGS]

Great Choice!!

The best of the bunch I reckon.
Did they shift on the price?

Cheers - yes the price shifted a little, basically to cover my airfare/ferry/accomodation/fuel etc. involved in picking it up and still making it a little less expensive than the other 500s I'd found.

RobinPJ - yes indeed! - but the problem here is that although the car was first registered in December 2010, it was actually built in - can you believe it - May 2009 - it takes a long time for new cars to get to NZ

At least once they are here they last quite well and I was surprised that there wasn't even a single scratch or a stone chip on this one. Apparently it had never been out of the city (driven to/from work by the owner of the business until the February earthquake sadly forced a re-think.)

-Alex

 

[306maxi]

RobinPJ - yes indeed! - but the problem here is that although the car was first registered in December 2010, it was actually built in - can you believe it - May 2009 - it takes a long time for new cars to get to NZ

So it's a not too distant relative of mine which was built in mid June 2009 IIRC

 

[alexGS]

So it's a not too distant relative of mine which was built in mid June 2009 IIRC

The black 1.4 Dualogic that I drove in Auckland was also a 2010 car registered around the same time, but the chassis number was only about a hundred different and - again according to ePer - made on the same day as mine! I suspect both were part of a batch of Dualogics that were sitting around and eventually came on a boat to NZ. However, the salesman told me the blue colour of my car was a "special factory order". Maybe it really didn't sell anywhere else I love it, and I love the Dualogic too.

This build-date discovery also means that I have the earlier Blue&Me (the Microsoft version) which I was annoyed about, but it seems to be working well with playing files off a USB key. Better to put the files into folders and then say "Folders" to list them, though the first time I did that, it tried to call Lewis instead. I still think I need to replace the microphone, though it's tricky to know if I definitely need to.

-Alex

 

[306maxi]

The black 1.4 Dualogic that I drove in Auckland was also a 2010 car registered around the same time, but the chassis number was only about a hundred different and - again according to ePer - made on the same day as mine! I suspect both were part of a batch of Dualogics that were sitting around and eventually came on a boat to NZ. However, the salesman told me the blue colour of my car was a "special factory order". Maybe it really didn't sell anywhere else I love it, and I love the Dualogic too.

This build-date discovery also means that I have the earlier Blue&Me (the Microsoft version) which I was annoyed about, but it seems to be working well with playing files off a USB key. Better to put the files into folders and then say "Folders" to list them, though the first time I did that, it tried to call Lewis instead. I still think I need to replace the microphone, though it's tricky to know if I definitely need to.

-Alex

Nah it's just New Orleans Blue.

I guess the salesman just had verbal diarrhea, they tend to spew BS when they can't think of anything to say.

So are you definitely keeping it? I do sometimes wish I'd gone for a 1.4 sometimes but when it comes to fuel consumption then I'm happy I went for a 1.2.

 

[loveshandbags]

RobinPJ - yes indeed! - but the problem here is that although the car was first registered in December 2010, it was actually built in - can you believe it - May 2009 - it takes a long time for new cars to get to NZ

The suspension change that is 'missing' from your 1.4 is really of no importance. The suspension on the 1.4 is 10mm lower than the 1.2 so it's a bit more planted. On a solo test drive I found the limits on the 'new' suspension on a TwinAir fairly quickly. It was a key factor in not choosing a Pop TA at the time when I was looking for a replacement for the '08 500 1.4 Sport.

The MiTo hasn't got this 'ARB' and relies on a rebound spring to do its work. The new adaptive suspension on the MiTo QV is streets ahead of the standard setup and it can be mimicked with a set of Koni FSDs. Suggest that on a 500 a pair is fitted on the front (same as the US A500) but they wouldn't last on the rear (just look at the other Abarth section). Koni Sports (with adjustment) on the back have worked well (look at the Panda section). I would stick with the standard springs on the F500 - they are low enough and replace the rear bump stops with Fiat Coupe ones.

This build-date discovery also means that I have the earlier Blue&Me (the Microsoft version) which I was annoyed about, but it seems to be working well with playing files off a USB key. Better to put the files into folders and then say "Folders" to list them, though the first time I did that, it tried to call Lewis instead. I still think I need to replace the microphone, though it's tricky to know if I definitely need to.

To use an iphone / smartphone off the B&Me directly all you need is a Blue&Me adapter. Did recently see one for £25 on the Other Abarth section but ebay new around £50. Haven't had a play with it so I don't know what benefits it offers over a USB setup.
Microphone - common problem. Mine was replaced on the last one. You can do it yourself cheaply.

The only thing that would bother me about a May 2009 model is the emissions at 149grs/km but that should not cause a problem for you in NZ.

 

[alexGS]

You're right about black being hard to maintain. I've owned 3 black cars before, and I have always said whilst owning them that I'd never buy a black car again. I've just gone and bought another :doh:

I think it's the scratches - swirl-scratches - that are the worst for black. Driving through a brush-type car wash of course is a no-no, and the 'touchless' car washes often don't actually clean the car, so it's a hand job or nothing.

I've been thinking about how to step-up the quality and care of the washing process. I've never decided whether a brush (with softened bristles) or a mitt is best - I choose the brush (easy to keep clean), plus washing solution that makes lots of foamy suds (I rinse the car onto the grass, not down the drain). I still find a brush and a bucket is the best, not a brush hooked up to a hose (cumbersome and messy). The bucket must be cleaned to start with and I use a trigger-gun on the hose to spray out the brush before dipping it back into the bucket - helps to keep the dirt out of the bucket. Maybe this is where the two-bucket method comes from - a second rinse bucket?

Of course, drying off is essential (water spots are terrible on black). I've found the synthetic chamois made in Japan is really effective - easier to squeeze out (than natural leather) and easier to clean if it becomes dirty. And, of course, in summer you can't ever wash the car in the sun, because you can't keep it wet for long enough... actually have to wait for it to cool.

I tried using an air jet from my compressor to dry a car, but it wasn't really as effective as I thought. Mind you, that was a Multipla and I could barely reach the roof. I'll try again with the 500.

Finally when a black car becomes old in NZ, the paint starts to disintegrate after years of being baked by the sun/too hot to touch in the day/ice-cold at night. I had a Celica once (my only Japanese car) and the paint was falling off, but I managed to repaint it and it really made the car look worthwhile. I reckon black and red are the least durable colours, though at least in the UK the strength of the sun is less of a problem when you're a little further from the equator and don't have an 'ozone hole'.

-Alex