I'm half thinking about selling my Sei & Punto and getting a Coupe Turbo, has anyone got any hints on spotting the well cared for examples. Obviously knowin' what oil she takes is a start, but is there anything else?
General How to spot a well cared for Coupe
- Thread starter StoneNewt
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General How to spot a well cared for Coupe
Before even looking at getting one i would consider if I could afford one first.
They are group 19 insurance.
A lot of people I know end up selling them because they simply cannot afford the upkeep of one.
Before my accident I had my coupe 9 months(ish) and in repairs etc it cost me in excess of 3k. I could have bought another car for that.
First things to look for is at the mileage and what has been done. Eg cambelt, new turbo? Having the car thoroughly serviced is very important. The more reciepts and invoices the better. Also how many owners the car has had. If it has been a lot then its a sign it could be a ****ter
They are group 19 insurance.
A lot of people I know end up selling them because they simply cannot afford the upkeep of one.
Before my accident I had my coupe 9 months(ish) and in repairs etc it cost me in excess of 3k. I could have bought another car for that.
First things to look for is at the mileage and what has been done. Eg cambelt, new turbo? Having the car thoroughly serviced is very important. The more reciepts and invoices the better. Also how many owners the car has had. If it has been a lot then its a sign it could be a ****ter
Rule number 1. Buy one from the FCCUk forum. They usually have been well looked after and someone will know the history on the car... also as sammiboo says check the insurance. Usually u will need to be over 21 to drive it.
Ross
Ross
OP
OP
Insurance is cool, it's ~1680£ for the V70 & Coupe (as a secondary car) over a single policy. But why the hell did it cost that much to maintain over 9 months?
Because thats what comes with owning a coupe, nothing is cheap to repair, and because they arent brand new cars things wear and need replacing!StoneNewt said:
OP
OP
It seems a massive amount considering i've got a friend with Alfa two spiders of '97 & another of '99 vintage havin' clocked well over 80k miles and he's not spendin' that kinda money over that period. Maybe I'll go for Alfa GTV option...
symonh2000
Member
The Alfa GTV can be expensive to run also if you pick a wrong un' your best bet would be to look at Fccuk and get an idea of what goes wrong and at what mileage. Then try and buy an example with lots of reciepts that show all the work has been done recently. Shop around for parts when you need them as you can save a bundle by not using Fiat dealers.
OP
OP
As I understand it, GTV/Spiders & I assume Coupes are never going to be cheap to keep, however if you chose a good one, my whole reason for asking this question 
, you can keep costs to a minimum (that's keeping the costs down not cheap)
, you can keep costs to a minimum (that's keeping the costs down not cheap)
personally i'd never buy a car from an enthusiast such as an fccuk member, it may look clean and shiney and be well serviced but it will almost definately have been driven enthusiastically. meaning the wear and tear on mechanicals will be above average for the milage it has done.
an old rich guy in a suit is a better choice to buy from, especially if he's getting rid of it for something better like a new merc. even better a low milage full dealer service history bog standard example from a rich old man. thats the lowest risk you can get. it will cost more to buy but it may be cheaper in the long run, and it will hold value better.
i got quoted £912 this week for coupe insurance, which is still hundreds more that its worth, you can get better cars for less money. for example i got quoted £700 for an integra type-r. an integra will cost less to keep, they never break, hold value better and are more exclusive, maybe a little less mature but im only 25 so i know what i'd go for.
an old rich guy in a suit is a better choice to buy from, especially if he's getting rid of it for something better like a new merc. even better a low milage full dealer service history bog standard example from a rich old man. thats the lowest risk you can get. it will cost more to buy but it may be cheaper in the long run, and it will hold value better.
i got quoted £912 this week for coupe insurance, which is still hundreds more that its worth, you can get better cars for less money. for example i got quoted £700 for an integra type-r. an integra will cost less to keep, they never break, hold value better and are more exclusive, maybe a little less mature but im only 25 so i know what i'd go for.
jug said:
Wrong!
I am a member on that forum. I know first hand the cars are well looked after. Obviously with the odd exception. My next coupe will be someone off there.
If you buy from an enthusiast then they will take great care in looking after thier car, will have easy access to advice about various things. Yes they might drive the car fast, but you have a 220BHP car at the least its meant to be driven fast. As long as the car is well maintained then I wouldnt worry about it being driven fast.
Someone who saw my coupe said it was a great example of a coupe, it cost me a fortune to look after and thats because everything I bought wasnt a cheap make do option!
Listen to people that have or have had these cars
They might make you poor but they are great fun to own
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I've started to get in with a group of enthusiasts, and they're showing me how to drive hard and keep a car in good condition. Most of these guys 'love' their cars which should mean that preventative servicing, early replacement of parts will have been done as well as the touches like keeping the car topped up with oil. They are also the guys that can often tell you what they suspect will need doing in the near future, some of that breed the only way to talk to them is turn up at their house with some beer and help them change the suspension, refurbish the gearbox etc. These guys play hard and know it, as such they should keep their car in good condition cause if they don't they'll likely be badly injured or even dead!jug said:
That would have driven about oblivious to the fact that the turbo needed to be cooled down before the engine is turned off, that's probably never seen the dipstick or knows where the brake fluid tank is. Wandered around in it and never put their foot down so the engine is all clogged up with c**p.
'Better car for less money' what kind of statement is that? It depends what you want from your car! Lets take that Integra Type-R, yes it's well engineered, clinical, quick & personally feel it's devoid of any personality. Sure you might like that kind of thing, if you do go for it, more power to you & enjoy it. But personally I much prefer my Fiats and Alfas which is why I'm looking at a Coupe or GTV, they may not be as quick but I'll have the bigger grin on my face at the end of the day.
I agree with sammi here, I drive my car 'enthusiastically' as you put it. But it is maintained and looked after. people tend to say turbo cars are unreliable but thats because most are thrashed and not properly maintained - mum had a nissan 200sx once and that was looked after properly and seemed virtually indestructible, the guy that bought it managed completely fubar it in a year. Maintainence is the key to happy motoring
i agree maintenance is the key to keeping your engine running as well as possible, but hard cornering, full acceleration, late gear changes and heavy late breaking takes it toll no matter how much you service and maintain your car. i should know i maintain cars better than anyone but i still destroy them in no time at all.
you have to drive like an old fart to keep them healthy, or spend a fortune replacing parts. i go though wishbones every year no matter what car i drive, and discs, and pads twice a year, i rarely manage 2 years on new shocks. wheel bearings dont like me, i burn clutches out in no time and i've destroyed 4 gearboxes in 5 years. i service everything twice as often as recommended and maintain my car better than anyone i know but it doesnt stop my driving style from destroying the car.
when i sell a car it is in pristine condition and extremely well serviced, but it usually needs money spending on suspension steering etc etc. if you bought a dirty car with a few faults off an old man who drove it nicely you could polish and fix it up easily and not bother with replacing loads of worn parts. thats the point im making.
you have to drive like an old fart to keep them healthy, or spend a fortune replacing parts. i go though wishbones every year no matter what car i drive, and discs, and pads twice a year, i rarely manage 2 years on new shocks. wheel bearings dont like me, i burn clutches out in no time and i've destroyed 4 gearboxes in 5 years. i service everything twice as often as recommended and maintain my car better than anyone i know but it doesnt stop my driving style from destroying the car.
when i sell a car it is in pristine condition and extremely well serviced, but it usually needs money spending on suspension steering etc etc. if you bought a dirty car with a few faults off an old man who drove it nicely you could polish and fix it up easily and not bother with replacing loads of worn parts. thats the point im making.
Dude. There is a difference between enthusiastic and driving it HARD! From the sounds of things u drive your car hard!!! 4 gearboxes in 5 years? Do you realise that u need to push the clutch pedal down????? Seriously tho, the coupe aint more or less unreliable than most cars if taken care of. Parts prices are comparable to a mondeo (thats where the comparison ends) and there are specialist who can aid in repairing and maintaining the cars to a high standard! Im the same as sammi. I have spent a coupe of grand repairing my car but i've also spent thousands modding it aswell. Each to their own but its all about what one u get. Personally your larger wheels are busting your suspension and wishbones.
Ross
Ross
the turbo point is a good one tho, most turbo owners dont understand the need to care for your turbo, or they are too impatient to wait a couple of mins before turning the engine off. i would always ask the owner how they looked after the turbo, dont ask if they did, ask how they did, if they dont know i'd walk away. i think all turbos should have a turbo timer myself.
The coupe turbo is water cooled so techincally it doesnt need to be cooled down. However, it does need to be given time for the oil to heat up when first started which would be worth checking. Turbo timer is a nice idea. I have a ignition delay fitted to my clifford, which i can activate when i want. But its not necessary. Standard coupes generally have less problems than modded ones.
Ross
Ross
yeah i agree about the big wheels causing problems, its one of the reasons i've gone to 15s. so far it seems to be making a difference. although the rubber on my ball joins, drop links and track rods seem to be looking noticably worse than it was 2000 miles ago. maybe its the low suspension to blame.
i think i used to go through gearboxes & clutches because i always had a full car and the extra weight makes a big difference. and im a rough bugger with gear changes, and i do only half use the clutch sometimes. but these days things have improved, then again i do less than half the miles i used too, or maybe its because i switched to fiats, i always had problems when i owned fords. hey now i think about it thats so true, since i havent had fords i've had far less trouble. wow i never thought of it like that before. maybe im not a complete car breaker, maybe its just fords are crap and fall apart?
i think i used to go through gearboxes & clutches because i always had a full car and the extra weight makes a big difference. and im a rough bugger with gear changes, and i do only half use the clutch sometimes. but these days things have improved, then again i do less than half the miles i used too, or maybe its because i switched to fiats, i always had problems when i owned fords. hey now i think about it thats so true, since i havent had fords i've had far less trouble. wow i never thought of it like that before. maybe im not a complete car breaker, maybe its just fords are crap and fall apart?
I dont like fords. Fiat gearboxes are quite good i think, and the coupe one is very strong in the 5 speed version. Standard gearbox right up to about 400bhp IIRC!! So u wont have that problem. Wishbones and suspension will take a pounding at the front once the turbo kicks in but thats the downside! The smile on your face when ya pass a TEG or a civic type r will make it all worth while!!
Ross
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OP
OP
Jug, dude, you know there's a difference between a car being well cared for & having a low duty life? The former means that though it might need more attention it'll long term run better, the latter means things seem fine however you might end up with reduced performance or much more subtle problems.
I dont know of any enthusiast on FCCUK who would treat thier car like garbage. Again the fact that someone takes time out to be on a forum and learn to take the best care of their car as they can.
There were things I didnt know about the coupe and learnt them on that site. When I bought my coupe the chap I bought it off had a 16 valve and then bought the 20vt. He had to sell his car cos he needed a diesel with the mileage he was doing for work. He knew quite a bit about the car, when I test drove it he explained about letting it tick over for a minute before switching the engine off etc.
There are loads of sheds out there because people buy the car cos they go for insanely cheap prices and dont want to pay the money to get them serviced and maintained. H's coupe cost him a fortune, just little things going, but the little things soon add up. Thats why i said more reciepts the better. My car had loads of paperwork with it, invoices, all the old MOT certs etc.
So saying dont buy from an enthusiast makes no sense at all
There were things I didnt know about the coupe and learnt them on that site. When I bought my coupe the chap I bought it off had a 16 valve and then bought the 20vt. He had to sell his car cos he needed a diesel with the mileage he was doing for work. He knew quite a bit about the car, when I test drove it he explained about letting it tick over for a minute before switching the engine off etc.
There are loads of sheds out there because people buy the car cos they go for insanely cheap prices and dont want to pay the money to get them serviced and maintained. H's coupe cost him a fortune, just little things going, but the little things soon add up. Thats why i said more reciepts the better. My car had loads of paperwork with it, invoices, all the old MOT certs etc.
So saying dont buy from an enthusiast makes no sense at all
