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Hello from NW London

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Hello from NW London

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AC43

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Parked in the garage
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Sep 29, 2019
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Hi All,

I've just signed up as my wife is about to replace her dying Clio with a 500. I've spent ages researching them and we both have been peering at the scores of local ones on the street.

The decision in in; my wife would like a late (2017-ish) metallic grey 1.2 Lounge, manual box, cream over grey seats & cream dashboard bits. I've got the Autotrader search set up and will wait till the right one appears.

The idea is to get something small, simple and fun. I have an E Class Merc estate for loads/speed/distance.

I'm really looking forward to getting one. In the 80's I grew up on Alfas, Fiats & Lancias. I had several small Alfas and a 128 3P which were great fun to bomb around in.

Looking forward to having something Italian again for the first time in nearly 30 years.
 
BTW the 128 3P raised a few eybrows back in the day. It was an S reg so I guess a 76 or 77 car. I bought in 83 or 84 and in those days people struggled to believe you could rev it to 7,200. Amazingly revvy when compared to Fords, BL's, Vauxhalls etc of the day.

It was a good all round package although the performance was at times a bit too much for the brakes.
 
Last edited:
Denis Benitez said:
Hi,

I like how true it is and how good it describes this car.
Good luck with your wife's car and kind of welcome back to Fiat community.
Click to expand...

Apart from my 128, my mates dad had a 124 Sport. Another mate had a couple of 131's in which he stuffed the obligatory twin cams.

There were also several Lancia's. A Beta saloon, an HPE and couple of Volumex Coupes.

Plus a raft of Alfa's - mainly Sud- or Alfetta-based.

The 80's were brilliant for Italian metal.

I've always had a pang to go back.
 
Denis Benitez said:
Hi,

I like how true it is and how good it describes this car.
Good luck with your wife's car and kind of welcome back to Fiat community.
Click to expand...

I got nudged this way on holiday last year. Went to Italt for the 1st time in decades and in place of the usual German or French hire cars I was given a 500x.

On the face of it I shouldn't have liked it; it was a cheap hire and therefore old, high mileage and tatty. It was also a crossover and a diesel, neither of which I'd have chosen. But the interior was brilliant and it stopped and steered really well. I was impressed.

I know a 500x is totally different from a 500 but it reminded of how Italians style cars and how much fun they can be.

My wifes car has soldiered on over the years but more than once we've though we were going to have to get rid and I've always had half an eye on Punto's, Panda's, 500's and the like.
 
If you are indeed getting a 3 year old car
There is little stopping it lasting another decade

Rust isnt generally a factor.. early 500/panda can rot out the rear spring pans..

But thats just a watch point

Failed flap in the climate system is the other 'big ticket' issue - official fix is £1k dashboard out job..
Been around long enough that specialist can do it in a morning.. @£200

We bought a panda in 2004 sold it last year.. no rust..running great
no bulbs or fuses ever needed ( its all Bosch kit..)

Current twinair :
7 years .52k miles.
2 x drl bulbs - ON for 42k of driving..!!
2 x rear indicator bulbs.. lost their Yellow (mot advisory..) :eek:

Happy with that (y)

Charlie
 
That's really good to hear. Hoping to keep it a long time or at least until I retire and leave London, whenever that is......

I still maintain that the kings of small city cars are the Italians. Followed by the French although they're not as tuneful.

You only have a visit a Franch or Italian city as see how many 15, 20 or 25 year old cars are still in daily use.
 
varesecrazy said:
If you are indeed getting a 3 year old car
There is little stopping it lasting another decade

Rust isnt generally a factor.. early 500/panda can rot out the rear spring pans..

But thats just a watch point

Failed flap in the climate system is the other 'big ticket' issue - official fix is £1k dashboard out job..
Been around long enough that specialist can do it in a morning.. @£200

We bought a panda in 2004 sold it last year.. no rust..running great
no bulbs or fuses ever needed ( its all Bosch kit..)

Current twinair :
7 years .52k miles.
2 x drl bulbs - ON for 42k of driving..!!
2 x rear indicator bulbs.. lost their Yellow (mot advisory..) :eek:

Happy with that (y)

Charlie
Click to expand...

I drove my mates; 3 years old, 8k miles, tight as a nut. It's his 3rd.

For my budget I can get a low mileage 2016. A 2017 is another 500 GBP or so.

I'll play it by ear.
 
Just ordered a 2015 1.2 Lounge in dark blue metallic & tan leather. Low miles (14k) and all the stamps.

Thanks for all the help.

PS I cant figure out how to post a photo here but I managed to stick a couple in the 500 forum.
 
One day in and very happy.

It did the 200 mile home journey home yesterday remarkably well.

Today, my wife dropped my daughter off at the tube 1st thing, then I did the same for my son. My wife did the supermarket run then I popped out to the local shops for a couple of things.

So it's earning its keep as a bust city car already. Much more suited to that sort of thing than my Mercedes Land Yacht.

And being able to listen to TalkSport in DAB rather than ****ty medium wave is a revelation.

Did I say I really liked it? LOL.
 
It's going to require a bit more cleaning than the outgoing silver Clio.

In fact I've no got two dark blue cars to keep on top of.

What have I done LOL.
 
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