What car should I buy next?

[hgt20v]

Well the bravo is progressing nicely (bodyshop week after next for defo, then straight into the trimmers for the interior) and bagged myself a nice newish punto hgt a few days ago to use every day . (pics of the punto up soon)

Basically i'm looking to buy something for my younger brother who is about to turn 18 in march and just got his prov licence. Narrowed it down to either a cinq sporting, or an sei sporting. When I had a brand new cinq sporting back in 96, there was nothing available for it like tuning/styling stuff , but which would you suggest be the best base for me and my brother to mod? The sei or the cinq?
It's gonna be a surprise for him on his 18th at the begining of march, so started to look already.

What do you think?

 

[chaos]

Well the bravo is progressing nicely (bodyshop week after next for defo, then straight into the trimmers for the interior) and bagged myself a nice newish punto hgt a few days ago to use every day . (pics of the punto up soon)

Basically i'm looking to buy something for my younger brother who is about to turn 18 in march and just got his prov licence. Narrowed it down to either a cinq sporting, or an sei sporting. When I had a brand new cinq sporting back in 96, there was nothing available for it like tuning/styling stuff , but which would you suggest be the best base for me and my brother to mod? The sei or the cinq?
It's gonna be a surprise for him on his 18th at the begining of march, so started to look already.

What do you think?

How much cash you got?

 

[AppleSei]

As we are biased in cento land and we dont want an arguement starting (again) i suggest a test drive in both

 

[activematt]

My vote would be Sei Sporting, i prefer the styling

 

[AppleSei]

My vote would be Sei Sporting, i prefer the styling

And here starts the arguement..................

 

[activematt]

And here starts the arguement..................

Hey at least im unbiased, ive never owned either and have no great desire to own either of them, i started on a mk2 punto

 

[AppleSei]

The cinq lot will reply with 'ours is better' etc then the sei lot will steam in and well be off again

The best thing to do is TEST DRIVE BOTH

 

[hgt20v]

hahahahaha....
didn't want to start an argument.

Well i've had a cinq sporting (admittedly nearly 10 years ago) so don't need to drive one, and the sei can't be any worse

I'd love to buy him an sei abarth, but good ones are hard to find. I suppose for a mint cinq would spend upto £800 and for an sei abarth probably double that. Gonna see what's coming up in the auctions in the next few weeks and maybe have a trip across (where I got my punto from last week, and it's super mint and low miles).

Which would you say is easier to mod? i.e more parts available etc etc.
Do any of the sei's come with power steering (the one complaint I had about my cinq sporting as it had none)

Cheers

 

[chaos]

hahahahaha....
didn't want to start an argument.

Well i've had a cinq sporting (admittedly nearly 10 years ago) so don't need to drive one, and the sei can't be any worse

I'd love to buy him an sei abarth, but good ones are hard to find. I suppose for a mint cinq would spend upto £800 and for an sei abarth probably double that. Gonna see what's coming up in the auctions in the next few weeks and maybe have a trip across (where I got my punto from last week, and it's super mint and low miles).

Which would you say is easier to mod? i.e more parts available etc etc.
Do any of the sei's come with power steering (the one complaint I had about my cinq sporting as it had none)

Cheers

TBH I wouldn't get a car as old as a cinq from an auction. Buying a cheap car from an auction is a totally different kettle of fish from buying a nearly new car. There's too many pitfalls IMO.

Yes you can get Seis with PAS.

 

[hgt20v]

Anyway, it's all part of my evil plan to have a driveway full of fiats muhahahahahaha....

Would have included a stilo in that lot, but the other half split up with me after xmas and took it with her (bitch)

 

[AppleSei]

I'd love to buy him an sei abarth, but good ones are hard to find. I suppose for a mint cinq would spend upto £800 and for an sei abarth probably double that. Gonna see what's coming up in the auctions in the next few weeks and maybe have a trip across (where I got my punto from last week, and it's super mint and low miles).

Which would you say is easier to mod? i.e more parts available etc etc.
Do any of the sei's come with power steering (the one complaint I had about my cinq sporting as it had none)

Cheers

Abarths seis arent that expensive. Have a look on ebay youll find they are not as expensive as you think. Could probably get an early one for about 1200

I would say there are more cinqs modded than seis tbh, although that gap is closing. Bits are hard to come by for later MPI seis, seen as early seis and cinqs shared the same engine.

PAS was an option on early models. Standard from about 1999 i think on Sporting and SX models. MPI seis PAS standard across the range

 

[hgt20v]

TBH I wouldn't get a car as old as a cinq from an auction. Buying a cheap car from an auction is a totally different kettle of fish from buying a nearly new car. There's too many pitfalls IMO.

Yes you can get Seis with PAS.

That's good news about the pas. Age really not an issue when buying as my freind is a trader and knows what to look for when buying from auctions. I looked at 3 cars last week that were knackered (I didn't spot it) but he put me on the right track whilst we were there. (thank god)

 

[hgt20v]

Abarths seis arent that expensive. Have a look on ebay youll find they are not as expensive as you think. Could probably get an early one for about 1200

I would say there are more cinqs modded than seis tbh, although that gap is closing. Bits are hard to come by for later MPI seis, seen as early seis and cinqs shared the same engine.

PAS was an option on early models. Standard from about 1999 i think on Sporting and SX models. MPI seis PAS standard across the range

That's all good info, thanks! Had a look on ebay and there is one or two on there at the moment, but all quite high miles.

 

[arseofbox]

Well although being TOTALLY biased, In terms of parts availability (other than bodywork), most parts fit both 'centos.

The Cinq is a much harsher ride IME than the Sei, and there is this phonetic conundrum:

Car Pronounciation
---- --------------
Cinq Chink-HE-Cento
Sei SHE-Cento

. NIcked from El Presidente, Clubcento ...but its a valid point...

As for PAS...I dont think you need it in a car that small...and Im a weakling, I struggle picking up a crate of beer!!

 

[chaos]

That's good news about the pas. Age really not an issue when buying as my freind is a trader and knows what to look for when buying from auctions. I looked at 3 cars last week that were knackered (I didn't spot it) but he put me on the right track whilst we were there. (thank god)

That's fair enough. Its still risky though - your friend could still easily miss something. I'd go for a dealer part ex - if a private punter can't shift their car through the freeads and is forced to flog it at auction, then there must be something amiss with it

 

[AppleSei]

Car Pronounciation
---- --------------
Cinq Chink-HE-Cento
Sei SHE-Cento

Its SAY cento anyway not SHE

 

[hgt20v]

The Cinq is a much harsher ride IME than the Sei

That's probably a swaying point actually as we live in the country and the roads are absolute sh*te. Mind you I manage in my bravo which is on koni's (bloddy hard) and 35 profile tyres

 

[hgt20v]

That's fair enough. Its still risky though - your friend could still easily miss something. I'd go for a dealer part ex - if a private punter can't shift their car through the freeads and is forced to flog it at auction, then there must be something amiss with it

That's all he buys from auctions. He won't touch private stuff as it's too much hassle. Mostly it's all stuff from dixons/sunwins/ex fleet/ex motability etc etc.
Unbelievable I know, but this punto hgt i've just bought was an ex motability car (still says disabled class on the log book, and having to have it changed at dvla back to PLG)

 

[hgt20v]

Its SAY cento anyway not SHE

Spot on

 

[The Trooper]

I'm sure there's subtle technical differences between the two, but probably not majorly noticeable to the average human being, so it has to be all down to which one looks best in your opinion. Does a Sei have more safety features than a Cinq?