well this time last year it all started went to pick up an engine for my dad and i ended up buying this fiat coupe with 100,000 miles of the bloke as well ,was told that all the piston rings had gone which i thought would be highly unlikely for them all to go at the same time and chucking smoke out so on a wim bought her cheaply and yes it was the turbo so next task was mot which ended up being one wishbone, mean while i undertook the task of doing the cam belt tensioner waterpump etc a few friends have owned them and was told it is a must !! i can safley say it was not my favourite job ! also did a compression test on her and all pots are 165 -170 psi

have fell in lucky with the car, with 2 owners but first was a doctor and it had fiat master care on her and no expense was spared with a new gearbox fitted at 65000
at the moment her wheels are off being refurbed and i am just fitting fk coilovers and a front mounted intercooler, k and n filter is in and got a full set of good year eagle f1 225/45/16 gsd2 are waiting as soon as the alloys are ready will post some picture as soon as the car is back on its new shiny wheels only down side on the car is the paint work needs some tlc as some of you may have seen, i did attened one meet in june last year at auto italia am gonna try and make a few more this year !!

Don't know how experienced You are with Coupe - any idea what version it is?

From the pictures it looks like a 20vt Plus, but without lips / sideskirts.
- 20vt6 (model year 99) or 20vt Plus grille
- 20vt Plus 8-spoke alloys
- no bodykit.

I wish You have many miles of happy motoring

A 20vt Plus without lips / sideskirts, no red stitching, no red brake calipers...

is not a Plus but a 20vt6 (late 20vt with 6-speed box).

New gearbox at 65k? Was one of the previous owners a Mr JohnnyBravoTurbo?

Not sure just has the receipts for 3000 under the fiat master care for new gear box and a couple of other various bits yeah don't think it's a plus think it's a 20 vt6 has the push start button silver 180 mph dials rear round lights in the back pillars love the car just trying to get her back to mint condition which she deserves

well been busy for the past few weeks with the coupe refurbed the wheels which took its time cause who ever had the car before really liked curbs

while the wheels were off fitted a set of fk racing coilovers
. also changed the auxillary belts which i found to be a right pain in the arse !!

then when the wheels went back on fitted a set of eagle f1,s 225 45 16s and had her tracked up , she no feels amazing to drive also fitted some polybush drop links ddint take any photos and painted the rear calipers next job is the intercooler which arived today but have no time to fit till next week

and thats about it sorry had to post in 3 windows kept going funny just thought i would show you lot what ive been up too and not on the fourm as these cars eat your time up hopefully will try and make it to next event now she is semi -respectable just needs her paint work tidying

Nice work!

good work mate keep it up

been having a few problems with the boosting levels since i fitted the front mount intercooler so checked the boost and its hitting 1.2 but from the guage looked like it was leaking so capped one end off then made another cap with a valve in it to connect the compressor on , set the regulator to 1.2 bar on the compresssor then filled it up, hey presto boost leaks galor even though you could not here them they where stll there then turned the regultor up to 1.8bar my theory is if it can hold 1.8 it wont have a problem with 1.2 which it did. problem solved .


bits used
capped turbo off with the end of a silicon tube have to sacrifice a tube of silicon but only thing in the garage that fitted

induction end tin of tesco processed peas can one valve fitment for compressor and 2 washers to seal it when you tighten it up and 3 t clips

also while i was at it thought i would trea her to an oil and filter change

well been busy over the past few weeks sending things off to be powder coated replacing the brakes painting the dics etc



also checked my oil pressure as mine dropped to 1.5 bar at hot idle so got a little concerned so put a different pressure sender unit of a spare engine in the garage and was getting 1.0 bar at hot idle, so i thought right will order a new from alternative autos and also did a manual test on a calibrated tester ( uncle has got his own ducati tuning shop so borrowed it of him so i know its bang on ) and got a reading BETWEEN 2.9-3.1 bar at hot idle, (ITS A BIT HARD DOING IT ALL ON YOUR OWN TRYING TO HOLD STUFF AND READ THE GUAGE IT IS A NIGHTMARE GETTING DOWN THE BACK OF THE ENGINE TO THE SENSOR AREA) so relief was not the word!!!!! Put the new sender unit in and now am getting between 2.3 -2.5 at hot idle happy days still not what the engine is outputting so guage must be a bit out . but this makes me think how many people out there think there engine is dying just due to dodgey seder units and guages i put 3 different units in and got many different readings!!!!



so the car is all sorted now 12months mot which she flew through last month
and is off to the spray shop in a bit to be tidied up

Which repeats my standard advice: if you think your oil pressure is wrong, first get it checked on a calibrated mechanical gauge.

Not sure how long the paint will last on the discs once they're used in anger, though...

My one coat of Hammerite has lasted about 18 months now. On the hubs it is fine but the rim has gone.
You're Coupe is looking well Leigh.

Thanks she will look even better when she is out the spray shop nice and shiny !! Hammerite has always lasted a good few years when I have done it on my other cars !

had the car back for a few weeks now from the body shop now she has been tidied up here are some photos ,also the car is going up for sale very soon will put details in the for sale section

Shame you are selling your coupe Leigh, you've spent so much time,effort and money into bringing this coupe up to it's former glory and i know you don't want to sell it. When you came round home the other day it looked as if it had just come out of the fait dealers show room,never mind a house is more important at your time of life and you can always come and help me rebuild my coupe!!!! (i my't let you drive it some day) LOL.

dad

p.s. When the pair of you get your house make sure you get one with a bloody big garage and drive so i can have mine back!!!!!!!

well its sods law really; got the coupe up for sale and get a weird whiring noise spent a week trying to work out what it is and still failed, so took it over to jbt's and it turns out its the turbo making the weird noise and its shot it. great got 4,000 out of that turbo , so sent my turbo off for recon at midland turbo had 360 degree bearings, staggered gap oil seals new shaft and a couple of other things that i did not understand lol.

so should definatly not get any probs out of this one , they turned it round mega quick they recieved it tuesday in post from me and was refurbed and back with jbt by wednesday you canot moan at that service. cost me 465 inc vat and delivery because i had a new shaft as it was screwed but if its just seals and 360 degree bearings its 255 +vat inc delivery which i think is good. just waiting on a call from jbt now so i can pick her up, oh and first time i have met him as well really nice chap and really helpful thanks alot for your help

Well what can I say picked the coupe up from jbts everything's working well apart from that now the new turbo is running full boost the clutch is slipping so it went straight back to Jbt's and had a new clutch great service again top bloke , but she now pulls like a train ,so who ever buys her is gonna be quids in just spent 1100 on her in 2 weeks

Great little project!
What a shame you are selling up
Best of luck!

very nice looking coupe sorry to hear your selling up