Fiat Modifying scene? Discuss.

[ycming]

Hey Peeps,

A bit bored at work so want something to chat about.

You think there is such a scene exist for our fiats ? Just like the Honda. VW?

IMO, i think there is lacking enough people that wants mod their fiat interms of performace ........... Even for the likes of the hot hatch T-jet, there doesn't seems to be much going on ?

What am getting at is that the lack of interest will force the prices of parts up .. e.g. coilovers for the centos is a classic example!

Discuss

Ming

 

[M21MFS]

I think, unfortunately, your right.

Fiat still seems to have something of a stigma, couple that with a lack of enthusiasts (especailly it seems up here) and it's not quite as busy a scene as we'd all like. That said, I think the likes of FF, CC and ourselves helps to at least maintain the scene.

However, it'll be interesting to see what happens in the next few years when the 500 and Grandes begin to flood the second hand market. Especially with the likes of the BSM deal. That might just prove the catalyst for more ownership.

Abarth definately is a step in the right direction, but I think more could be done to enhance the desirability of the range.

 

[ycming]

It is just such a shame fiat lacks the reputations. But i think fiat lack an iconic car that has/had respect in the market in the 90s ????

Like with the VW they have their golf, honda has the civic .... but what does fiat has that is in comparison ? In terms of performance?

 

[StripedBennett]

it aint helped by companys not really bringing out aftermarket parts such as coilovers or body kits. ok yes there is some kicking about but the price is quite high and hasnt had a chance to drop so fiats tend to be quite costly to do up. plus smaller engines in the fiat such as my 1.2 8v that younger folk can only insure are somewhat harder to tune compared to fords 1.25 16v zetec engine.
despite that it doesnt stop me trying to modify my car

 

[ycming]

The reason that they are high, because they can't mass produce like other cars. ......

 

[PNL]

I dont own a fiat any longer and I have myself a proton gen 2 1.6..just finding useful info online for this car is a major headache and if i wanted to mod it very expensive because we have to import from malaysia..now the other cars in the proton range [older models] benefit from being older mitsi models rebadged by proton so they can be modded simply by using mitsi bits and bobs..the guys in the club are very dedicated to the proton brand just like some of you guys are to fiat and many actually do track days and rallying..modding items will always be expensive what ever the car I think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyWMc1RBTeM&NR=1&feature=fvwp

 

[mrcinquecento]

problem is Fiats are too cheap. seriously

people tend to buy them as budget runabouts to "do a job, get them from a to b" this means even basic maintenence is often skipped.

because they then gain a budget runabout status, the are seen to lack credability as a tuning car. it all dates back from the stigma they gained with the rusty 70's models IMO

Fiat need a "status" flagship car to get people to start to view them differently, something along the lines of an impreza/evo/focus RS IMO

closest thing they have atm is the grande abarth, as good a machine as it is, it just doesnt cut it as a performance flagship that will get people interested in the brand as a tuning brand.

 

[mrcinquecento]

plus smaller engines in the fiat such as my 1.2 8v that younger folk can only insure are somewhat harder to tune compared to fords 1.25 16v zetec engine.
despite that it doesnt stop me trying to modify my car

a 1.2 8v is fairly tuneable though? simple bolt on mods can add close to 20bhp. (or an extra 33% extra bhp over standard) thats a higher percentage than most small engines can manage with very basic tuning.

the main gains are to be made in torque though, but nobody realy considers that when tuning, bhp is a pub talk figure, torque and driveability are what really maters.

 

[ycming]

IMO with civic the modding items are not much more than OEM parts ........

Love the protons. It is just such a shame that! With the cento is pretty much set the price of performance will only go up and up ......

Lack of competitions really ....

 

[ycming]

I really hope the likes of the GP takes off, at least then company will take notice of fiat.

 

[L1MAD]

I've thought this for a long long time.

Bear with me for this example :

Honda have mugen, Nissan have Nismo, BMW have Alpina

Fiat have Abarth. All the above mentioned companies not only create tunning flagship cars, but also sell a range of aftermarket items. This is something Abarth I feel are sorely missing out on. No doubt they would be expensive - whatever they might be, but I'm sure many of us would jump at the chance of some abarth goodies.

Perhaps its just the way Abarth is...but I feel they are missing out big time.

Maybe one day a hellaflush Fiat will be around

 

[imported_richard33dees]

Good topic for discussion Ming. For the cento's, back when ah had the Sei (00/01) there were a few specialist tuners that wanted a premium for there parts and services.

I think Mark has hit the nail on the head

problem is Fiats are too cheap. seriously

people tend to buy them as budget runabouts to "do a job, get them from a to b" this means even basic maintenence is often skipped.

because they then gain a budget runabout status, the are seen to lack credability as a tuning car. it all dates back from the stigma they gained with the rusty 70's models IMO

Fiat need a "status" flagship car to get people to start to view them differently, something along the lines of an impreza/evo/focus RS IMO

closest thing they have atm is the grande abarth, as good a machine as it is, it just doesnt cut it as a performance flagship that will get people interested in the brand as a tuning brand.

Nowadays, I think parts for cento's are declining due to there age. When it's suggested in the cento section of FF about group buys on parts, most folk are shot down by the been there, done that, think they know everything people.

As for other Fiat's I haven't really noticed what parts are available. I think with the likes of the GP going a bit more european standard with fitments might make it more popular although the mk2b punto's have made a big impression on the euro scene.

 

[ycming]

A Punto has been on hellaflush already It's on FF.

Richard that's the thing tho, even when the centos were new parts from novitec was well expensive then! And is only now that more suspension companies started to have parts for the cento...

Ming

 

[L1MAD]

A Punto has been on hellaflush already It's on FF.

Yup my bad haha, completely forgot.

 

[muppet42]

Owning a Stilo, I know something about modifying a car that's not exactly well catered for in terms of modifying. I guess though as has been pointed out, it's not alone in the Fiat fold in that respect.

I think in terms of actual modding it can be down to a person's imagination to an extent as some parts can be fabricated for the car itself but then that can be a bit on the expensive side. I've found too with the base model of mine, certain things like performance brakes, engine tuning and other parts just aren't catered for. I've found the 1.6, the 2.4 and to an extent the 1.8 are all slightly better on the tuning parts side. Though even still, the Stilo's never been the most loved car in the world - the availability of aftermarket stuff reflects this.

I do find though that in general the Fiat/Italian car modding scene isn't as big as the Jap/German scenes for example - 2 of the markets I'm considering for my next set of wheels. Some cars with a "cult" following like the Coupe or the Cinq do buck the trend but that's more down to the owner's devotion to the model rather than an actual scene as it were.

On the whole Abarth subject as well, the 500 and GP especially just aren't selling compared to their competitors. They're great cars I'm sure but MINI's, Renaultsport Clio's and others are outstripping them in terms of sales and to an extent ability on the road. Renault though are probably even worse in the customer service department but that's another story. The Abarth badge image is better now than it perhaps was back in the days of the Stilo Abarth and Punto HGT but I still don't think it's on par with it's contemporaries.

 

[M21MFS]

Owning a Stilo, I know something about modifying a car that's not exactly well catered for in terms of modifying. I guess though as has been pointed out, it's not alone in the Fiat fold in that respect.

I think in terms of actual modding it can be down to a person's imagination to an extent as some parts can be fabricated for the car itself but then that can be a bit on the expensive side. I've found too with the base model of mine, certain things like performance brakes, engine tuning and other parts just aren't catered for. I've found the 1.6, the 2.4 and to an extent the 1.8 are all slightly better on the tuning parts side. Though even still, the Stilo's never been the most loved car in the world - the availability of aftermarket stuff reflects this.

I do find though that in general the Fiat/Italian car modding scene isn't as big as the Jap/German scenes for example - 2 of the markets I'm considering for my next set of wheels. Some cars with a "cult" following like the Coupe or the Cinq do buck the trend but that's more down to the owner's devotion to the model rather than an actual scene as it were.

On the whole Abarth subject as well, the 500 and GP especially just aren't selling compared to their competitors. They're great cars I'm sure but MINI's, Renaultsport Clio's and others are outstripping them in terms of sales and to an extent ability on the road. Renault though are probably even worse in the customer service department but that's another story. The Abarth badge image is better now than it perhaps was back in the days of the Stilo Abarth and Punto HGT but I still don't think it's on par with it's contemporaries.

Only time can change that though.

The Abarth 500 getting a big thumbs up from the mighty JC might just help in the long term?

Don't see a lot of the Abarths up here, but there's 500's just about everywhere!

 

[clock34]

id have a renault sport clio over a abarth 500. 500 = gash. love the gp but dont like the fact its slower than the 500. it needs more umph. its slower than all the other hot hot hatches in the range too. not cool

 

[muppet42]

Only time can change that though.

The Abarth 500 getting a big thumbs up from the mighty JC might just help in the long term?

Don't see a lot of the Abarths up here, but there's 500's just about everywhere!

I think it probably helped but Fiat with Abarth are trying to do what BMW did with MINI and create a niche with a premium brand. Except Fiat aren't saturating the airwaves with Abarth ads left, right and centre - I've only really seen magazine ads, which though attract buyers is nothing compared to a MINI style marketing campaign.

id have a renault sport clio over a abarth 500. 500 = gash. love the gp but dont like the fact its slower than the 500. it needs more umph. its slower than all the other hot hot hatches in the range too. not cool

With the Clio as well, you're getting more for your money really. It's faster, better equipped, handles better and it's also actually cheaper than the lower powered GP. I like the look of the Abarth Punto Evo and (due to the sales figures) the exclusivity it'd probably give but I'd prefer the better dynamic ability of the Clio. That said, I'd have to have a thorough back-to-back b-road blast in them both to make an informed decision :wink:

I'll probably get flamed for this, but I have actually been considering a 182 as my next car alongside all the Jap stuff. They're just in my hypothetical price band (probably more so the 172 in reality) now and given how much everyone raves about them, I wouldn't mind having a shot :smile:

 

[mrcinquecento]

oddly, i was kind of discussing something similar the other day with GP abarths, new, they are just too expensive for what is, lets face it a Punto.

i've been toying with the idea of having the cinq as a plaything project car because its not 100% practical for my needs, but i still want to keep it and will be doing so. so i've been looking at newer cars i can take on finance. of all the that fit into the budget i may have, the fiats just arent all that interesting for me, its all 1.2-1.4 grandes, small engined petrol bravos and pandas. the panda 100hp is the only one i would want tbh, but if i look outside of fiats, i can get fiesta st's, tdci 130bhp mondeos etc

for the cost of the sportier fiats, i can get a better machine. its the exact same issue further up the range with a GP abarths.

for the cost of fiats flagship gp abarth you can get a better car either new or nearly new. theres no danger i'd buy a new gp abarth over, say a nearly new focus ST.

the flagship performance car just isnt good enough to justify itself to people IMO, Fiat really need something to catch peoples attention, turbocharged, 2.0-2.5 litres, around 250bhp standard, italian style. maybe four or rear wheel drive. that'd help matters and get people into the smaller fiats IMO

anyone see the latest auto express? an abarth elise rival? 2 seater small sports car with 170bhp, yes fiat, that is a start!

 

[M21MFS]

Wasnt that mentioned a while ago?