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Seicento Seicento Abarth - Van Aaken High Boost Turbo

Introduction

So i guess its about time to create my own thread on this car, only had it 4 years :eek: Alot of people on here will know the car but we had alot of new cento members recently alot of which won't have seen her before.

Its originally from Jersey, it was ordered new from fiat by a doctor from Jersey who specified all options (bar the rarer wheels). So it has factory remote central locking, Air-con (apparently its rare to have AC & a sunroof but it has both) & ABS brakes. It was then delivered to Van Aaken new who fitted their high boost turbo kit to it.

It was then bought by a policeman i think and brought over to the main land. It was then bought by Donna on here and then Jamie86 on here (don't think either post on here anymore though) & then finally i bought it off Jamie.

It was at this point still not UK registered (despite having been here for at least 24 months!:eek:) So i got it registered which meant i had to lose the cool numberplate it had :(

Well to pictures then:

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The day i bought it, getting a MOT - she passed with no advisories :)

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On the way back to York with her, stopped in services. Note the cool numberplate.

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Back home, next to Black Betty, the cinq JustAndy bought a few months back

Then we jump forward a few years to 2010, I haven't really driven it much, she only comes out to play in summer, these are just before she went for her MOT in 2010
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Notice in that pic she still has oem exhaust!! :eek:
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that cover thing was fitted by the first owner, the doctor, to hide all the medical stuff that was carried around the island in it, i like it so kept it.
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She passed the MOT again no real issues, just had to clean up the handbrake actuator that year as it was sticking (well known common problem amongst us cento'ers).

So went for a razz about with a lad with a mini, a seicento looks massive next to a old mini! lol
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Showing off her bits
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Saving a Ford
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And then here's some pics from last summer - she only did 50 miles or so last summer so not many pics
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And one of her parked next to her big sister
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Amd now for some recent pics. Been getting her ready for the MOT this year over last month or so - the old stock exhaust finally fell to pieces so had to get a new one.
So she stuck her arse in the air so i could get underneath.
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And the front (she was like this for a couple of weeks and the pikeys where i live would have had the wheels so they came off as well)
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And bought some shiny pipes - intend to get a full custom exhaust from downpipe back at some point with a larger bore than stock but funds didn't allow for that yet.
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And finally, some new yellow abarth centre caps and new open-ended shiny wheel nuts..
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And that brings us upto date. I have many bits to go on the car but i will keep this thread updated now its here.

MOT in the morning. Wish her luck!!

Questions, comments etc welcome.
Well i like to change the HG before it goes and i figured at the time that although its before they normally need changing it has been a high boost since new so no harm it doing it for peace of mind..

Just been out and checked coolant level and it has gone down while its just been sat there so hopefully there is just a leak somewhere but i cannot see it and no drips under the car.. Will have to have a proper look when i can be bothered, not today though as it will be going dark soon. On the up side, probably not a HG problem if it goes down without the engine running.

Old lady.. pft, sensible driving don't make me an old lady - i drive things hard when its safe to and there was too much traffic this morning.
 
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Just been out and checked coolant level and it has gone down while its just been sat there so hopefully there is just a leak somewhere but i cannot see it and no drips under the car.. Will have to have a proper look when i can be bothered, not today though as it will be going dark soon. On the up side, probably not a HG problem if it goes down without the engine running.

Very likely not a HG or cap and will probably be quite a big leak if you're losing water when the system isn't pressurised as it will be much worse when it is. Hopefully not the heater matrix, should be easyish to find. :)

Old lady.. pft, sensible driving don't make me an old lady - i drive things
hard when its safe to and there was too much traffic this morning.

Meh, I'm just playing. :D
 
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Can't quite believe i can't see it tbh, but if it was the heater matrix i wouldn't be able to see it would I, not without taking stuff off. I'm still gonna leave it until 2moro, see how much it loses overnight, perhaps stick some cardboard or similar under it which will absorb any drips.

I know your only messing mate ;)
 
Looks great! My Sei wants to be like yours when it grows up ;)
One question...how is that exhaust? Does it have a slightly more aggressive note than your standard systems? I'm looking for something with a bit of 'bite' but not chavvy if you get what I mean!
 
It really isn't loud at all. Is slightly louder than a normal one but not by much tbh. I'll get a video next time i start it up ;)

So on the water loss, it doesn't seem to have lost any more overnight so i'm thinking perhaps it was still a bit warm when i topped it up y'day and it just looks like its gone down as the volume reduces with temperature.. Topped it back up again to check again later. Grrr!
 
Lol my cleaning regime seems to be getting longer and longer and closer together lol makes a huge difference in the appearance though and looks great on a sunny day :) mine gets a clean and a polish every friday evening (atleast :p) and a coat of wax every month or two, makes those bugs a lot easier to get off with a wash mitt :)
 
Well i am using Marella daily now, just won't be a daily for that long.. Done 100 miles so far since the MOT which is more than last year already :eek: And you will only be driving your sei for 6 months as far as i can tell.
Marella ain't never parked under a tree either, and if she was she would have a cover on her :p With how rubbish fiat red paint is if i polished it every week it'd have no paint left on it by now!!
 
right 50 miles since topping up to max, here's the level now :(
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appears to be a patch of something under the car today but not got time to go mess with it atm, might be coolant, might be oil. I'll report back when i know more..

edit: ok, pushed the car back whilst i was out smoking a cig, the patch on the floor has a sweet taste which would imply its coolant.. And i think (only think atm) its still weeping from thermostat. Which tbf i did stick back on with some cheapo instant gasket rather than a proper one. I'll whip it off soon and get a proper gasket for it..
 
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