Dog78
Member
Hello everyone, well i managed to get here from the Newbie section with the help from some kind forum members.
I bought this car a 500L lounge 1.6 diesel 2014.
I wasn't looking for a Fiat, i was looking for something that i could transport my mountain bike in, i really was struggling to find something.
It seems that cars have gone up in value.
I bought a second Vw Golf plus 8 years ago and the same year car is more than i paid for mine.
That aside, i came across 500L.
The seller said it had service history but it was incomplete, no proof of Campbelt being replaced.
Then to top it off i done a car check to find it's a cat N.
So with some trepidation i went to look at it with my friend.
He said he didn't know it was a Cat N as it wasn't in the log book and he didn't own it when it was repaired or written off, and he part exchanged another car for it, anyway i got 25% off the price.
Now my friend found water in the boot in the spare wheel well.
I have tbh in the short time i was there the looks grew on me , strange i never had a Fiat in my life and i have owned most makes, Italian wise an Alfa and a Lancia and own an Italian motorbike.
Now on the way home, i started to fall for this quirky very different car it had a soul, also the practically of it.
I was pleasantly surprised and i loved the drive home, all was OK, besides a the daytime running lights bulb which I replaced today, and a side two filament bulb that looks OK through the lense but it's not working.
Now i came to the conclusion that when it was written off and repaired was where the water is leaking from.
So i went through the paperwork and found a repair that was done last year in September and it was written off in July.
The bill came to £1100 and it was written off for that.
All the work was to the tail gate and bumper, but today i looking at the flap in the wheel arch for access to some of bulbs or bulb.
When i was driving it home yesterday the heel of my foot kept getting caught, I thought it was the mat, but when i was on my knees looking under the wheel arch, noticed a hole in the carpet and yellow sort of hard foam or some sort of insulating material under the carpet about an inch tall,I gathered that where it was damp it compromised the carpet and that insulating material
I put two fingers in and pushed under that material so i could feel the metal floor and it was damp underneath that foam too.
I have a friend that works in a body shop and strips down cars for paint and he he's a panel beater and sprayer.
I was thinking of taking it to him as he would have better idea than me about the seals. I don't see how it could travel from the back to the front.
But I guess if the car was parked down hill it could happen.
The cambelt i shall get it done, i did the Golf myself, but this one i will get it fitted. Also an oil change as it has done 10k on its present oil.
What's the price on the cambelt on these cars and where can i get the rubber gaskets the rear light clusters.
I didn't really want another machine to work on, as i have my motorcycle track bikes.
But hey, i really like this little car would like to look after it.
After driving it, i really wished i had owned one earlier, well they say better late than never
.
All help would be greatly appreciated.
I hope to get to know you all better as i start my journey to the repair of this car and get into good shape again, TIA.
I bought this car a 500L lounge 1.6 diesel 2014.
I wasn't looking for a Fiat, i was looking for something that i could transport my mountain bike in, i really was struggling to find something.
It seems that cars have gone up in value.
I bought a second Vw Golf plus 8 years ago and the same year car is more than i paid for mine.
That aside, i came across 500L.
The seller said it had service history but it was incomplete, no proof of Campbelt being replaced.
Then to top it off i done a car check to find it's a cat N.
So with some trepidation i went to look at it with my friend.
He said he didn't know it was a Cat N as it wasn't in the log book and he didn't own it when it was repaired or written off, and he part exchanged another car for it, anyway i got 25% off the price.
Now my friend found water in the boot in the spare wheel well.
I have tbh in the short time i was there the looks grew on me , strange i never had a Fiat in my life and i have owned most makes, Italian wise an Alfa and a Lancia and own an Italian motorbike.
Now on the way home, i started to fall for this quirky very different car it had a soul, also the practically of it.
I was pleasantly surprised and i loved the drive home, all was OK, besides a the daytime running lights bulb which I replaced today, and a side two filament bulb that looks OK through the lense but it's not working.
Now i came to the conclusion that when it was written off and repaired was where the water is leaking from.
So i went through the paperwork and found a repair that was done last year in September and it was written off in July.
The bill came to £1100 and it was written off for that.
All the work was to the tail gate and bumper, but today i looking at the flap in the wheel arch for access to some of bulbs or bulb.
When i was driving it home yesterday the heel of my foot kept getting caught, I thought it was the mat, but when i was on my knees looking under the wheel arch, noticed a hole in the carpet and yellow sort of hard foam or some sort of insulating material under the carpet about an inch tall,I gathered that where it was damp it compromised the carpet and that insulating material
I put two fingers in and pushed under that material so i could feel the metal floor and it was damp underneath that foam too.
I have a friend that works in a body shop and strips down cars for paint and he he's a panel beater and sprayer.
I was thinking of taking it to him as he would have better idea than me about the seals. I don't see how it could travel from the back to the front.
But I guess if the car was parked down hill it could happen.
The cambelt i shall get it done, i did the Golf myself, but this one i will get it fitted. Also an oil change as it has done 10k on its present oil.
What's the price on the cambelt on these cars and where can i get the rubber gaskets the rear light clusters.
I didn't really want another machine to work on, as i have my motorcycle track bikes.
But hey, i really like this little car would like to look after it.
After driving it, i really wished i had owned one earlier, well they say better late than never
.All help would be greatly appreciated.
I hope to get to know you all better as i start my journey to the repair of this car and get into good shape again, TIA.
