I am looking to buy a 1.4 tipo to replace my seicento always wanted a tipo as my mum had one and I loved it.

so if I choose to buy one what kind of things should i check?

common tipo faults?

do they suffer from head gasket failure?

As I am going to uni in september and I will travel home and back so it will be doing a 230 mile trip one way and I will do this about 10 times or so a year do you think it will cope.

The seicento would die doing that millage so I think it will go to my brother

any buying advice is helpful


Thanks

biggest thing i would look for is rusty holes inside the wheel arces around suspension strut and pull the carpet up in the boot and have a good look around the edges for holes around the inner wheel arch and just behind the back lights on the floor. im not sure on the engines for the 1.4 but if there anything like the 2.0 16v there tuff old engines. i would also check all the lights and other electrics.

Thnaks jonboy:worship: did not think about checking under the arch's for whole's I know rust was going to be a bit of an issue part of the fun of having a retro ride :slayer:

Ok i will check the body work over and look for rust/wholes I can weld but if I dont need to its a plus.

Does the rear suspension sit on a torsion bar?

The main thing I want to know about it the engine, as doing high mileage I need something tuff.

I cant find the sort of money for a 2.0 on the insurance thats the one my mum had and it went like stink she had it new and it keeped up with most of posh gearman cars on the road at the time.

Do the fiat coupe alloys fit are the studs the same?

Fancy it lowered on coupe alloys.


Losty

semi independent rear suspension. Worn rear trailing arm bearings/bushes ruin the handling IMO - rear subframe can rust through mine did a few years ago. Manky sills and floorpans next to the sills.

jonti said:

semi independent rear suspension. Worn rear trailing arm bearings/bushes ruin the handling IMO - rear subframe can rust through mine did a few years ago. Manky sills and floorpans next to the sills.

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only £30 for a trailing arm kit per side, done one of mine and it was a right pain getting old one out, need to do the other side now, you can see the lean on the wheel, its sitting about an inch further in at the top compared to the other side.

Yes, you need to look for rust underneath along the sills /seams etc, anything close to a MOT fail point (seatbelts,subframe etc). The FRONT subframes can rust, the problem with the rear subframes seemed to be worn bushes that can't be replaced.

The 1.4 is tough and simple, not exactly fast but pulls very well.

From experience I wouldn't really bother lowering it. Any straightforward 14" or 15" Fiat original alloys will improve the looks plenty. Spend your time and money on sorting out any problems, and just keeping it tidy.

By now if you do find one it will probably be in fairly good condition - the scrappage scheme and the current high value of scrap cars means that a lot of Tipos have disappeared in the last few years.

Looked at one today fell in love again. It drove lovely around this old chaps farm it was his wifes car but she has now given up driving. I checked all the bits like the wheel arch's and in the boot looked at the sub frame and it was all solid there was rust just starting around one of the arch's tho.
So I got home and I rang around the insurance's and looked on the net and for a lot less I can get myself a 1.5 diesel peugeot 106 but that looks like the right choice for now as the engines in them are solid and the just keep ticking.

The silver lining is that I only need to have it for 2 years then I can get myself a big diesel fiat instead and I can put of buying a 106 untill I go to uni as they are easy to get hold of and most off all I can enjoy my fiat for now untill september.

Last of all thanks guys I now know what to look for if I end up with a 2.0 in a few years

Sounds like you've just talked yourself into wasting 2 years of Tipo time... I'm sure someone will pick it up and appreciate it.

As long as you changed the cambelt and all fluids, you shouldn't expect any problems with the Tipo 1.4. I know Peugeot diesels are good engines, but seriously....

well if you change your mind i've just come across this one on auto trader, looks like its been looked after and with low mileage.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...postcode/wf177sw/radius/1501/page/1?logcode=p

Wow, that is glorious nice colour as well.

the 1.4 Tipo is by no means fast, but a 1.5 106 makes it look like Usain Bolt. The peugeot should be very cheap to run though, the AX 1.5 diesel was the most economical car of it's time, and probably still up there with the best the 106 is very similar though probably slightly heavier.