General Help needed! - 2012 Fiat 500 in Brighton & Hove

[corb2000]

I'm hoping someone can help with my daughter's 2012 Fiat 500 which is stranded in Hove. I live 280 miles away in York and work full time, so my ability to assist her is a bit limited.

The car had what appeared to clutch failure in August and it was recovered to roadside parking near her flat in Hove. She has since struggled to find a local garage that could both recover the car and investigate the problem. She only recently moved to the area and often works away, so doesn't yet know anyone locally who can recommend a garage.

It has now been stood at the roadside for over two months and the MoT is due in December, so it needs to be recovered & fixed or sold before the MoT expires and she gets a fine. She made initial enquiries at websites including WeBuyAnyCar and ScrapMyCar to see if the car could be sold as is but in both cases the indicative offer was really low due to the car being a non runner and having a badly dented front offside wing.

Would anyone:

• Be able to recommend a Fiat 500 friendly garage in Hove or Brighton?
• Advise if the clutch failure might be covered by a Fiat recall (I read there had been some clutch issues that were - but a VIN search didn't reveal any recalls for her car)
• Be interested in buying the car as it is
• Be able to suggest someone who might buy the car as is

Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance, Ian

 

[John202020]

So what's the actual fault?
If it's gear selection then a prime candidate is the quick connector that couples the pipe together for the hydraulic clutch operation it's well known to corrode and leak leading to "clutch failure " when the clutch is actually fine, if it is this( and it could also be either the slave or master cylinder) then there are now repair kits available for about £10?
A replacement front wing shouldn't cost much to replace too secondhand.
Ask your daughter to look at the reservoir on the bulkhead circled in front of the driver, does it have any fluid in? May need to remove cap and rubber bung to correctly see level?

 

[varesecrazy]

@Johnbee is a lot nearer to there than I am..


Not sure if they can offer a garage recommendation

 

[jrkitching]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Advise if the clutch failure might be covered by a Fiat recall (I read there had been some clutch issues that were - but a VIN search didn't reveal any recalls for her car)

The clutch is a wear and tear part and the car's 11 years old.

No chance whatsoever.

• Be interested in buying the car as it is
• Be able to suggest someone who might buy the car as is

Yes, I expect it could be sold privately to someone with the means to both collect it and to repair it. You can even advertise it for free on this forum if you wish.

As has been said, a DIY minded individual might be able to turn this into a serviceable car again for relatively little cost.

But you're in the hard place; the car needs to be moved to a place of repair (which won't be cheap), and then needs to be repaired by a garage (which probably also won't be cheap), and then needs to be put through an MOT (which could mean more expense). If you do all this, and then sell the car, you could get back less than you've spent.

I think your best course of action depends on whether your daughter wants to use the car again herself; if so, then it might be worth trying to get it towed away, fixed and MOT'd. If it's no longer needed, or she can comfortably afford to replace it with something better, then I'd suggest you just sell it 'as is, where is' for the best price you can get.

You could also put it up on one of the auction websites; it should fetch more than you'll be offered by the likes of WBAC and SMC. If you do this, post back here again and I'll help you put a link to the listing on this forum.

 

[Johnbee]

@Johnbee is a lot nearer to there than I am..


Not sure if they can offer a garage recommendation

I am based a good 30+ miles along the coast from Brighton, so unsure if any good garages that way. My local independent at the top of my road would be able to do it but it’s a shame the OP isn’t nearer.

John

 

[jrkitching]

I am based a good 30+ miles along the coast from Brighton, so unsure if any good garages that way. My local independent at the top of my road would be able to do it but it’s a shame the OP isn’t nearer.

A 30 mile recovery may not cost much more than a 3 mile one; there's usually a minimum charge. And you can shop around for a planned recovery; usually much cheaper than a roadside one. I'd have thought you could have it recovered there for under £100.

A personal recommendation for a good independent garage is worth a great deal in this sort of situation, since once it's been moved, you're already quite committed.

 

[varesecrazy]

I am based a good 30+ miles along the coast from Brighton,

That's 200 nearer than us

so unsure if any good garages that way. My local independent at the top of my road would be able to do it but it’s a shame the OP isn’t nearer.

John

Thanks,

Having a recommendation is a great help

 

[Johnbee]

That's 200 nearer than us


Thanks,

Having a recommendation is a great help

Definitely nearer than you are

The garage service my 500 annually, my sister in laws Panda 169 and have done all the welding on my Panda 141 during her rustoration . If the OP would like their details, drop me a PM.

 

[Muz R]

Probably too far but I strongly recommend these guys but it’s about 50 miles from Brighton. I was recommended by a few on here and take my Fiat and Alfa GTV from Worthing to them because they are experts and cheaper than the majority of garages for labour costs.

if your daughter wants to keep the car, it could be an option. They also supply loan cars, which would get her back on the road whilst hers is being repaired. Downside is you have no idea how big the problem is and how big the bill will be…and whether the breakdown company will let her accompany them to the garage.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj0-cPXyKeCAxUtUUEAHZ4LB4QQFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsmallcarservices.co.uk%2F&usg=AOvVaw0sV8rIZGh6FHtAc-WVbXG6&opi=89978449

 

[jrkitching]

Probably too far but I strongly recommend these guys but it’s about 50 miles from Brighton

My first thought was SCS too; I just thought it might be a tad too far from Brighton. They might not be the cheapest, but their prices are fair, they're Fiat specialists, and they're trustworthy.

 

[jrkitching]

and whether the breakdown company will let her accompany them to the garage.

She's also got to get back home afterwards.

Not quite as hard as you might think; either beg a lift or get a taxi to Fair Oak or Eastleigh, then a frequent bus service to Southampton and an hourly train direct to Hove, or with a change of trains from Eastleigh station.

Perhaps more useful is to reverse this as an option when collecting the car. The bus from Southampton or Eastleigh will get you as far as Fair Oak and SCS is less than 2 miles from there, so potentially walkable.

 

[Muz R]

She's also got to get back home afterwards.

Not quite as hard as you might think; either beg a lift or get a taxi to Fair Oak or Eastleigh, then a frequent bus service to Southampton and an hourly train direct to Hove, or with a change of trains from Eastleigh station.

Perhaps more useful is to reverse this as an option when collecting the car. The bus from Southampton or Eastleigh will get you as far as Fair Oak and SCS is less than 2 miles from there, so potentially walkable.

Except she might be able to get a loan car from them if she goes with the car, which gives her transport whilst it’s being repaired and a car to get back to pick hers up.

 

[jrkitching]

Except she might be able to get a loan car from them if she goes with the car, which gives her transport whilst it’s being repaired and a car to get back to pick hers up.

That's a good point, though if it's been sitting out on the street in an undriveable condition since August, I'm guessing it's not needed on a daily basis.

 

[corb2000]

Many thanks to everyone that replied, much appreciated.

Having had another chat with my daughter she’d rather cut her losses and sell the car as is before it’s MoT expires.

Obviously it will go on eBay and I’ll take up jrkitching’s offer of putting the link on the forum. We might also list it on Autotrader.

 

[jrkitching]

Having had another chat with my daughter she’d rather cut her losses and sell the car as is before it’s MoT expires.

That's what I'd have done if I were in your daughter's shoes.

Obviously it will go on eBay

Follow this auction and see where it ends up this Saturday evening - it will give you an idea of what to expect in the way of offers.

This one was listed with a starting price of £500. Look closely and you'll see it also has some sill damage under the passenger door, likely the result of someone jacking it incorrectly. The bonnet fit is also suspect, though it may just not have been closed completely. Its last MOT expired over two years ago, and a check of its MOT history would suggest it may also need a new rear axle and springs to put it back on the road.

So you could expect to do better than this with your daughter's car, in spite of the damage to the wing.

 

[corb2000]

That's what I'd have done if I were in your daughter's shoes.


Follow this auction and see where it ends up this Saturday evening - it will give you an idea of what to expect in the way of offers.

This one was listed with a starting price of £500. Look closely and you'll see it also has some sill damage under the passenger door, likely the result of someone jacking it incorrectly. The bonnet fit is also suspect, though it may just not have been closed completely. Its last MOT expired over two years ago, and a check of its MOT history would suggest it may also need a new rear axle and springs to put it back on the road.

So you could expect to do better than this with your daughter's car, in spite of the damage to the wing.

Thank you. That car is at £1,019 at the time of writing so already more than she's been offered via the usual websites. I've asked her to give me a full set of photos so that I can get it listed, but I'll wait until that listing ends on Saturday before I start the auction.

 

[jrkitching]

That car is at £1,019 at the time of writing so already more than she's been offered via the usual websites

The winning bid was £1801.00.

 

[corb2000]

The winning bid was £1801.00.

Surprisingly high I thought. There are other non-runner 500s on eBay at much lower buy it now prices.

I’m waiting for the photos from my daughter so that I can list her car.

 

[jrkitching]

Surprisingly high I thought.

Me too.

But it's good news for your daughter, and further confirms that selling it 'as is' is probably the right way for her to go if she's no interest in keeping the car for herself.

There are other non-runner 500s on eBay at much lower buy it now prices.

Many of these are salvage (Cat C/D) cars, which would be much less easy to sell on once repaired.

I'm wondering who's bought this one, though.

At that price, there's not a lot in it for a private individual who wants to put it back into a decent condition (just look at the list of advisories on its last MOT).

You could easily spend £1000 on parts alone if you replaced all the worn or suspect items. And the engine's been standing unused for 2 years, probably with old oil in; I'd be concerned about internal corrosion.

But - if you're a small garage selling a few cars off the forecourt, and you have a recovery vehicle, and can buy parts at keen trade prices, it makes sense.

- you can collect it for almost nothing
- you just replace what's absolutely essential, maybe just a cheap clutch kit
- your existing staff can do it when there's no other work
- you'll know where to get a new MOT with no advisories on the suspect but still serviceable stuff like the rear beam
- and you can then put it on the forecourt as a clean car with no damage history and a full MOT for £3500 or so

You've just made close to £1500. And you might even be able to pick up a bit more in commission if you sell it on finance. It'll likely run for another 3 months, so by the time all the worn or rusty parts become a real problem, it won't be your problem

 

[corb2000]

Revisiting this as it turns out my daughter never registered the car in her name when I bought it for her (she moves around a lot and was waiting to 'settle somewhere', that was three towns ago). As a result she doesn't have the V5 and I can't list the car for sale until she's sorted that out with DVLA.

I have looked at getting the car transporting to my home in York - best quote from over a dozen was £365 which is too much given the value of the car. We will instead have to look at moving the car to a garage for assessment, repair and MoT - garage recommendations anywhere 'near' Hove would be welcome.

Thanks.