OK, Dan, you are going to have to spill the beans on how you got Fiat to replace the oil cooler pipes under warranty...

Or so the knockers would have you believe...

I was thinking back on mine after nearly twenty years. In that time it's left me on the side of the road I think fewer than five times:

• Cambelt broke at 45k miles, a fortnight before it was booked in for a change: all 16 valves replaced.
• Bottom end expired at about 65k miles, probably as a result of bearing damage from the cambelt breaking: 'keep me running' scrap engine stuffed in and still there 100k later...
• Non start at around 80k miles: starter motor replaced.
• Non start at around 100k miles: failure of the ignition amplifier: replaced with new.

And that's about it. It's had three exhaust systems, one clutch, three or four alternators, two batteries, two thermostats, and a radio - all service items except the last.

It's been shunted up the rear twice, once squashing it between the shunter and a landrover; it's had an incident where one side was gauged by a scaffolding bar. It's had two or three small patch repairs on the cabin floor. It's been resprayed once and it's about to get another.

It's commuted through London; been cross-country on farm tracks and mountain roads; been in the north of Scotland at -20C; been driven flat out for hours on the Autobahn; been thrashed around Spa.

And yet, I get in it and it still fires on the first spin, and it still makes me smile whenever I drive it.

Unreliable rustbucket my bottom parts!

Mine's been needed a complete resprayed; the paint on the roof and bonnet had reacted and had to come right off.

Click 'edit' under your post to see what I did with the image.

Corrected you there Neil, past tense now mate

Saw her this morning and I must say she's looking 18yrs younger

@Simon and Joe - /me flexes mighty admin banning powers...