Nothing but trouble, Zedorio, nothing but trouble. Low mileage - which is probably the cause of all the woes. It stood for too long, and that's what causes all sorts of grief.
The car had averaged 26 miles per week over 22 years by it's previous owner. It probably was a 'shopping car' which never got out of 2nd or 3rd gear. Things stick, seize and stop working. The first job I had to do was change -not adjust- all the tappets which had seized solid and literally sounded like a machine gun. That was only the beginning .. and yes, trailing arm bushes do perish on low mileage cars. Thermostats corrode just with standing and you're liable to get many electrical faults
Now, faced with the possibility of having to remove the cylinder head to investigate a knocking noise ... Do I lift the head or swap the 900cc engine for a 1100cc unit, or not bother...
The saving grace of the car is its rust free body and it's so easy to work on. I'll probably do the work and keep it as a 'hobby car'. This is the first Fiat I've owned in 44 years of driving. There's not many Cinquecentos left on the road and well, it's a bit of motoring history. In 20 years time you'll pay £10,000 for a Cinquecento.
How do I know that? Back in the early 70s the original Fiat 500 could be bought - secondhand - for pocket money prices. Most of them ended up in scrapyards because they weren't worth the cost of repairs. Now .. a Fiat 500 will cost you between £10,000 - £14,000. Cinquecentos will be the same. They're quite rare now.
Worst car in the world? Nah, that was just a throwaway line. Some days you hate your car... But, if you have something old and interesting, hang onto it. Todays banger and junk is tomorrow's classic.
Have a look at the classic car auction website and you'll see what I mean:
mathewsons(dot)co(dot)uk
So what IS the worst car in the world? Well .. if you've ever had to change the timing chain on an old Renault 5, you'd say the Renault 5 was the worst car in the world. Or how about removing the entire engine/gearbox on a Maxi to strip the gearbox down simply to replace a nut that had come undone and moved the entire gear range into neutral (common problem on the old Maxi..). Not forgetting the Vauxhall Viva 1256 HC which as far as cars go, was a complete hypochondriac.
But .. every car has its problems and that's what it's all about, love 'em or hate 'em. I have two (very old) 4 litre jeeps. My wife has an old Saab. Total monthly mileage covered by 4 vehicles is a whopping 60 miles. I do all my own repairs such as changing differential bearings in the jeeps/overhauling the auto boxes (both common problems..).
The Cinquecento isn't the worst car in the world, depending on what day it is..
