Hello All,

I am sandy and a new member to the Forum so wanted to introduce myself.
I was looking for a car to buy and came across the Fiat Coupe and fell in love with it . However when I studied it further felt sad that it is not is production now.

Upon lot of thinking decided would definitely like to own one with all the pros and cons it has and need some expert advises on the same not to regret my decision. I have got few on ebay(not sure how reliable they are) and Auto trader but unable to decide if I can go for it. If anyone can advise it would be great.
I have run the track history and all for the cars and the result was pass and I have also got the MOT information which is fine so is V5C. I can share the details if someone interested to guide me. The tough part to check it technically as a know nothing about the car. I have gone through the Buyer's Guide and got some good information however if someone can advise me on the car and if it is worth or the best price to offer will help a lot.
Note: I am only behind the Non Turbo due to Insurance for the first timers is tooooooo much.

I have checked this site for the Fiat Specialist in Reading,Berkshire and spoke with them but was told that they are not dealing with it anymore due to busy schedule. I think it was Auto-Integral. Any other one close to Reading?

Thanks in Advance.
Sandy

Sandy there is Italia Speed at Newbury but I have never used them. I usually go to Solo Italia at Eynsham near Oxford. At Solo Italia they have a beautiful DIESEL Coupe. The photo on eBay does not do it justice, the bodywork is perfect, in Scotts green. They have dropped the price to £999. You have to be careful with eBay private ads. The first Coupe I bought on eBay had almost no oil in it and he let me drive away like it! The second one I bought seemed like a bargain at £930 for a W reg but it needed over £2,000 worth of work doing to it. Good luck with your search for a Coupe. Have you tried Pistonheads? I have seen some nice Coupes on there.

I should also add that I have driven lots of different cars over the years, from a vintage mini to an American V8 Fairmont, and my Coupe is definitely the most fun to drive car I have ever sat behind the wheel of. Also there is a real joy to be had in owning something unusual.

Hello AnnieMac,

Thank you very much for your response. I will try to reach the SOLO Italia to inquire about the Car.

Yes I have looked over the Pistonheads too and they have only Turbo at the moment.

Looking forward to own this stunning car however need to find a good one.

I also heard on this forum that someone can help me to check the car at the viewing. Is that still possible. The car that I am talks now is in Essex. Anyone there to help to check the car?

Thankyou
Sandy

Hi Sandy

Welcome to the forum!

A good service history and lots of receipts are a good indication of how well the cars been cared for.

Unfortunately and in my opinion it is rare to find a coupe that doesn't need a few things doing to it, don't be disheartened if that's the case with yours... They are well worth it!

Have you checked the "coupes for sale" section on the forum?

Good luck with your search

The 20v non turbo in Lichfield on eBay will need loads if work so should blank that one too...not too many non turbos about these days for sale ...you can have mine for £1m lol

Hello Carlscott,

Thank you for your advise. Nothing on sale forum as of now.
The car I was looking for is on ebay with a spoiler one(Not sure why would one have a spoiler as it just looks stunning with out any modification)
For this in question car I got the full MOT list and the trackhistory check gave a pass. However in the 4 years the current owner has driven only around 2000 Miles and been on SORN since september reason being they have other cars too(as per sellers confirmation).
He got the new MOT done last moth so it has one til next year may.

He is also ok to add the road tax.

Verified the chasis number and the VIN number and all match fine except the log book date which he said he has one from the time he bought 1999 it but the trackhistory check says the log book date should be dated 2012 but I think this is because of the new red V5C log book issues around 2011/12.

So I am not sure of what question to ask him further and how much it is actually worth for me to make an offer to him and is it good etall. Isn't it good if it cleared the MOT?

Thank you.

@glenn1960 - Thank you for the information and it would be a pleasure to buy yours however I am short of ££99K and will let you know when I have rest.

Ask about cambelt, waterpump, wishbones and what oil he uses in it.
there is this to help you out - just be aware that most big items relate to the turbo model and the NA's are much less hassle.

The VIS is a later 20v NA. The earlier ones don't have the plastic cam cover and are even more reliable (the VIS part of the VIS does tend to have issues on occasion).

Have fun!

Obviously having a valid MOT is one less thing to worry about

But a mot certificate doesn't cover things like your cambelt which is very important on these, as said always best to check

It also helps if you do know someone who can go along with you on a viewing, Have a good read on the "buying advice" section, take your time don't rush into buying a heap that will empty your bank account.

In my opinion your gut instinct is usually bang on, I also think you can tell how genuine the seller is when meeting them, so if it feels right likes right and has lots of history etc make an offer, On the other hand if it has the opposite effect walk away and keep looking.

As for the valuation of a coupe it's difficult to say, all depends on the overall condition ie mechanical, bodywork, paint and interior of the car. They really do vary from a few hundred to a few thousand

I hope this helps slightly if at all

Good luck

Thank you Calrscott and Big_Muzzie for your advises. That is of great help.

This might sound daft and I'm not aware of your budget but if the car isn't too far away when viewing, don't take the money with you, go home and sleep on it before parting with big bucks.
It's going to be difficult to check all the big jobs and even if you buy a good car with 'nothing' wrong with it doesn't mean something won't go wrong, so have some spare cash to play with once you've owned it for a few weeks.
I only bought mine a few months ago and I love driving it, it's really good fun and a car that you just want to drive for fun. I drive mine everyday and apart from 28mpg (20vt) I couldn't be happier. I've had my moments though, a new clutch which was a concern but not too expensive and worth it.
This forum has been a great help so you've started off on a good foot, good luck!

I would say just take your time and try not to rush into buying the first available car. It's easy to get carried away in all the excitement of owning a coupe. My best advice would be to buy from a forum member if at all possible. Good luck with your search!

Whats your budget? For the right money i could be tempted to sell my VIS as it just stits in my garage collecting dust waiting for a sunny weekend. I bought it from Joe at CC(member on here) at the start of the year and only covered a 1000 miles.

Thank you very much Donny, Westie1 and Sheep,

Thank you for your advise. Yes I realised I need to be more thoughtful and patient in picking this up and not to rush and end up in pain.. Hence seeking advises from the forum and it has been a great experience with some great advises.

Had to ditch the one I was about to view as the seller wanted me to pick the car without doing a test drive. Car look good though but its just not about the looks.

Still researching to find a nice one.

@sheep-- now that I got good knowledge about these cars ofcourse with the help you guys itself.

If you can PM me the details of the car may be it can work out?? Is that a yellow one???

Thanks,
Sandy