I've sold my car and had an AA inspection on a 20v Turbo. This was done yesterday and I now have the report, with only minor problems found. ( Drivers seat lumbar support )
The drive, wheels, tyres, engine and bodywork have all come back satisfactory with no corrosion found. The engineer phoned me and said it was in great condition and he expects the clutch to last a couple of years, dependent on driving style.
Full fiat / specialist history, it not only sounds great, I have a report on it. It's also less than I paid for my last one. I'll go on Saturday and give it a good check over myself and will buy it if my check matches with the AA one.

Do tell where the Moonie's gone ...

Sent PM

How on earth can he tell how long the clutch will last especially the number of years. I assume he did not take the car for a motorway drive.

All the best of luck to the seller, I hop he is aware of you high standards and expectations.

yes, do tell

i thought the moonie was stunning!

diito... and at that price you would have expected a few minor things to be needed. I expect it will be snapped up pretty quickly

Just imagine!

Sound to me like you are searching for the 'Perfect' coupe.

You have more chance of getting shat on by a rocking horse.

Good Luck

hahaha

Mine was completely perfect, just fancied a change.

Well if you had previously had a coupe you would be well aware that using zip ties is pretty much the norm As for rear brakes, they get little work on the coupe so need attention if the car has not done many miles. MOT failures for these arde common place and presumably they were subsequently fixed in order to get an MOT. If you read the rear brake FAQ you will see all the issues.

Still you have had a coupe before so you would know this ?

Mine was completely perfect, just fancied a change. It was the best car I have ever had, stunning in every way. You would think it had just come off the production line, simply pristine.
But I fancy a change.

I think he was probably answering a thread on a Fiat Coupe forum - this is the norm and should be expected from a discussion board.

Mine was completely perfect, just fancied a change. It was the best car I have ever had, stunning in every way. You would think it had just come off the production line, simply pristine.
But I fancy a change.

I haven't really commented on your threads, but I will say they have been some of the most confusing I have ever read.

How many second hand cars have you bought? Do you not understand that they are second hand and will have wear and tear, what exactly were you expecting?

Saying this, don't bother replying, it will just confuse the hell out of me.

Good luck to you though. Best off with a new car next time eh!

i'm with you there brother - i thought one of your azeri mates had written this, i have more chance of doing the times crossword than understanding wtf is going on

No I am just going on what you have said.

Still I won't continue. Best bit of advice i have had is "Never argue with idiots, they will drag you down to their level of incompetence and beat you with experience"

Good luck with your new car, and my commiserations to the seller, I hope he knows what he has let himself in for!

I'm confused!

For clarification for us mere mortiles wafcarl, how many coupes do you have, what happened to your last one and what's this about cable ties?!

Ill also add with my extensive coupé ownership behind me. Doesn't matter if you spend £500 - £4000 they WILL cost you money, some one WILL have bugged up a job sometime before your ownership

I still love them though

^^^^ +1

Wafcarl - you started looking at 16vts, got Pete to check one over for you. When a no-brainer 20vt came up from a trusted source, you buy it. Now you sell it, to buy another one, on the strength of an AA report* (sniggers).

You don't appear to have much coupe ownership experience, and I too am lost if I know what you're expecting.

* Not worth the paper its printed on imho and experience.

Rant over, if you turn up at the midlands meet perhaps over a beer or two you might make some sense

I'll bank this one too!

+1 - brilliant quote Bockers, very very funny

@ Wafcarl - hope you still come to the meet as Dan says, should be a good night mate

Without going into any details, Carl didn't actually sell the Moonie - Paul at Motormech now has it back and will be selling it again.

Don't you mean that he didn't actually buy the Moonie, or am I even more confused than the rest of us?

I have no idea what this thread is about haha

May be the under tray being attached to the car using plastic tie wraps would be funny.

- Most coupe owners cable tie their undertrays on. There is nothing wrong or unsafe about this. It makes it far easier to get off when you need to work on the car. It would not fail an MOT due to that.

Mine was completely perfect, just fancied a change. It was the best car I have ever had, stunning in every way. You would think it had just come off the production line, simply pristine.
But I fancy a change. cool

Mine was completely perfect, just fancied a change. It was the best car I have ever had, stunning in every way. You would think it had just come off the production line, simply pristine.
But I fancy a change. cool

If I owned a fiat it would be a black one, I'm not saying I own a black one but I may do. I also bought a car once that had a defective turbo, not that my car had a defective turbo, but it did. ...or did it? It may have, who's to know.

Just so that things are clear, I wanted to own a black coupe and the turbo was spot on.

Interesting reading this thread. If what Wafcarl is alluding to is true, then I can understand why he's done what he has. However I imagine this thread will disappear or get locked at some point to protect the people involved...

lol @ patch

You can have my perfect Coupe for 16.000 euro.

Only needs a RHD conversion.

And a funeral shortly after I presume.

benje - time to get the other side/s of the story/ies.

I think we should probably give him a brake? (forgive the pun!)

If he wasn't happy with the car for what ever reason and has? prooth to support this, what ever desesion him and the garage came to as regards the issue is with them, and them only.

wafcarl, good luck with the car search but please understand when you buy a second hand performance car thats 14 years old your going to find some problems with it regardless of source

All the best

As sam has said, there are always issues with any second hand car.

Anyway that aside there are always two sides to any story

Hopefully Carl your next car will be up to your expectations.

Thanks Sam. I had no intention of saying anything, but because I have agreed to go to the meet in Birmingham I had to show a change of car.
I'm not a mechanic, but that's irrelevant now.
I know what to expect, but may be certain things increase your expectations.

Uno Turbo, Mirafiori Sport are to mention two that were old, but in good condition. I've had two previous, so I know what to expect. A local garage changed my belts when Fiat wanted over a grand on my last one.

As you sound undestanding, I will PM you with things which will at least help you understand.

I am utterly lost as to what is going on here ; if one needs a modern trouble-free sports Coupe then part with £30K+ and buy a 370Z. If someone pays £2K for a decade-old car that will do 155mph, then it will NOT be perfect, and will need serious sums of money to keep on the road!! Better looking than a Nissan though .

Very happy with mine (although I am going to surgically remove the Scottie's alarm tomorrow ), but they ain't perfect and never will be

Wont keep me away from that.

Yes, Carl bought the Moonie, but then decided he didn't want it after all, and arranged for Paul to take it back. Sadly, it now has two more owners on the logbook, but Paul is confident that any potential purchaser will look at the sequence of events and the communications involved and make their own mind up about the car and the reasons for the rapid change of heart.

I followed this thread through the day so saw carl's original posts.

If i bought a coupe from a specialist with the problems that carl claims then I would have been annoyed and brought them up with them. In my eyes buying from a specialist, especially when they big the car up in an advert, is a LOT different from buying from a private seller. I would expect the car to be fully checked over/working etc - as mine was when I bought it from PowerItalia.

Of course there are 2 sides to every story but from I've read in this thread and others, I feel bad for carl in this case! Hope you have a better time with your next coupe!

There is one certain word in your reply there Nick, which says a lot.

claims?

Ooops - my phone double posted!

My last post on this subject. I will post about car today if I get this, but won't post on this one after this.
In the last two weeks (visible to who becomes new owner) the interior has been done. I'm sure some remember some pictures, but since the leather has been cleaned and treated. Under the doors, under the bonnet, around the boot and the exterior of the car have been treated to polish and wax. Exterior doors fitted with door bump stops and ambi pur put in the car. All the hinges etc have been greased and the tracking done. The exterior black bits and tyre walls have been treated and I will say the car does look stunning.

As far as "claims" is concerned, the reports are there, as are all the photographs and all previous photographs I have posted on here.

This will show how terrific the car was as I have said.

I won't post on this thread again, good luck to who gets the car.

all i will say from now on regarding this thread is, only one side of the story has been posted and already people are doubting the integrity of one of the premier specialists without any evidence being presented.

i would say this - having seen all the posts and all the emails there is nothing that gives me concern about taking my beloved car to motormech. dealing with "other" people however i would strongly recommend against

Got my car today, well happy. No corrosion and the cars completely original. Just got back from High Wycombe, 220 miles driving has never been more pleasurable.
It's a 98 20v Turbo in Portofino blue with every MOT and full Fiat / Auto Integrale / Gonelli Brothers / Power Italia service history.
The car is spotless, can't wait for tomorrow to add my Coupe Club stickers and tax disc holder.

Cheers Steve, this was the most complicated sale I have ever made and then to be hassled all over Christmas and new year was not the best but it is all sorted now.
I sent Deano(the Villa fan) to collect it and he could not fault it on the drive back, checked the coolant when he got back and it was fine.
In the end I was happier having the car back just to stop all the grief I was getting.

if only....

However, good luck with your new car, hope it all goes well.

oh well

Thanks, I'll just concentrate on my current car.

Is this a happy ending ?
or
The end of the begining ?
or
just the begining .....of the end ?

It could will be intresting, whichever.

The comment with the most clarity on this entire thread, by some margin

And the moonie goes to........ me.

Arranged with Paul to pick it up before saturday :-)

None of the issues described seemed to be a problem.
Paul says it'll come with a 3 month warranty.
Only problem I noticed on short test drive was slight pull to right, now sorted. Also slightly (but not dangerously) low oil pressure.... now refilled with Mobil 1 and is a bit better, but possibly needs new turbo in future.

Apart from 4 very minor points the bodywork is mint. The interior looks mint... and it has an engine with 25K ish on it.... what exactly more could you want.... other than a slightly younger turbo... but I can live with that and will replace when needed, Paul even offered to cover labour for a turbo replacement.

Couldn't be happier with the boys at motormech... made sure all was ok before even thinking about letting me drive it away.

Nice purchase spookly, good to see another active coopster in the Bristol area too. Get yourself to a meet

yes, glad to see this car go somewhere it's appreciated - now join the club and get to some meets!!

and welcome to the forum, you'll need it before it needs you

Looked a very nice car when I saw it at Pauls just before Xmas, well done on your purchase.

Good to see it's gone to a good home.

Cheers guys.

Was previously active on the forum for a while, used to have a Inky 20vt '98 before the missus pranged it and took a pipe off the oil cooler :-(

Went to one meet in the south west, driving out of Cheddar. Will try and get along to some others.

Is it worth joining the 'club' as opposed to just being on the forum?

definitely - for £15 you get loads of discounts and benefits, and it helps support the coupe fraternity - what's not good about that? plus you get some cards and stickers, it's a real give away

The oil pressure on the engine was just fine when it was in my Moonie - always above 2.5 bar

So, I guess the turbo that Paul fitted may be getting past its best (although bizarrely, the 25,000 mile turbo turned out to be a duffer as well - it smoked soon after fitting to another car)

Good to see that car has found a home

May well join after saturday then... getting the train up to birmingham to collect.

Good to hear the engine was good for 2.5, most likely is the turbo as Paul said then. Paul did say the turbo had done 90K+.
I plan on getting a cheap duffer turbo and getting it reconned ready for if the current one gets worse.