In a year of iffiness for many let's hear your good stories concerning your coop!

Mine, taking BB over to Viva Italia Zandvoort in June and persuading Mrs Ed to come along too, combining it with seeing my daughter in Haarlem as well as meeting mates from the UK and fantastic Dutch Club members again Not even a missed ferry in sight

I think for me, it’s just getting back into coupe ownership

Whilst I have the car sorned at the minute I’m obviously not driving it, but just to get back into a coupe since 20 years ago is just something I’m enjoying

I’m hoping 2023 will be the start of getting some weekend driving and a few track days, both in the UK and abroad


Cheers Jamie

Mines the same every year, slaming it into 3rd and watching in the rear view mirror as some tos** in a BMW/Audi/etc who has been tailgating me disappears!

Happy New Year!

Aye agree with Rob, only up here in the good weather I get behind the wheel of the Coop and head out West to some of my favourite roads/areas into third press the noisy pedal and hang on, then when I’ve had my need for speed seen to I take in the scenery and perhaps stop off somewhere for a coffee and goodie

Back in tune with mechanical and nature requirements

This year, we had a great trip from Norway in the Plus down through Europe to let Joe give the car a belt change and a proper look over. Driving on the other side was ok - it wasn't until Joe lent us the RHD VIS I got my hands full Arriving just a few days after the heat wave (?), I think we really got to se the UK and Midlands from its best side. Sunny and warm, but not too hot. Joe was superb, dog was lovely, indian food was great.
Being optimistic as always when it comes to time, I thought we perhaps would be staying a night or two somewhere in Europe on the way up or down, and we sort of did - we got to sample the Grand Burstin in Folkestone (felt like both going back in time and sleeping in a fire trap at the same time...) and had to stay a night in Denmark (the ferry back to Norway were full because holidays, so had to drive via Sweden to get back on time). So ~1770 miles in total if I recall correctly, doing mostly 75. No Coupe paranoia, even on the way over. The 205/55-16 Michelin PS4 and stock springs are a very good compromise between handling and comfort. Ideally it would sit ~15mm lower and on 18"s, but I'm too pleased with the "Grand tourer"-feel it now has to risk it..

Happy new year, everyone!

Happy New Year everyone. Had plenty of happy times with coupe during 2022. Main ones would be being able to take it to more car shows especially the Doncaster Classic Cars show back in July 2022. That was great, car looked great and great weather. Taking the coupe on road trip to BTCC Thruxton camping weekend in August was also great. In general, just enjoying driving it, both straight line speed and round corners brought me joy.

Another great Italian road trip for us in May 2022. 2500 miles from Scotland, overnight Newcastle ferry, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and a week travelling from east to west in northern Italy.

The Coupé run faultlessly, spending the winter time adding new sound deadening and new exhaust system helped cover the miles with a little more comfort. Although we were feeling the heat with no a/c so driving mostly with windows and sunroof open for our wee dogs. Its great to see the Coupé still being appreciated on the roads too even on the Autobahns by the passing German saloon.

A great trip and finally getting to Turin in the coupe was the highlight.... staying at the Lingotto for a few nights was a dream. Just leaves me wanting to go back in the Coupé to see more.

Oh and a brief meet-up with Davide Briglia from Fiat Coupé Turin who made the time to visit us a whilst we were staying at the Lingotto.

I think that 2022 was a great relief for the Coupé and for me, to finally get it back on the road after 7 years being idle! Covid appeared just when I had it planned to finally get the gear linkage repairs done but after everything it got sorted and then finally registered and back on the road early last year.

Going from my normal drive (Peugeot 3008), to what seemed like practically sitting on the road, plus a steering wheel on the right was a bit of a shock. Soon got back to the sheer pleasure of driving the Coupé though and there are plenty of nice quiet roads to enjoy doing so out here. I had almost forgotten just how much fun it can be.

Looking forward to using it more regularly this year

As always, enjoyed our 20VT pretty much on a daily basis - not so many long excursions now but every so often I treat it to a run.

A bit of serendipidity earlier in '22:

I don't usually take the Coop to the gym - it's quite muscular enough already and anyway I prefer to cycle there - but a trip to the dentist immediately after meant it seemed a good idea... However, a bunch of incontinent seagulls, out for a jolly (I think they mistook St Ives, Cambs for its Cornish cousin) couldn't resist emptying their bowels. The result was actually worse than the pic shows and the damage was pretty extensive, however it finally prompted me to take a visit to my trusty local bodyshop G & C Coachworks as there was some minor (!) rust to attend to.

I left it with them while we went on holiday and was relaxing in the Tenerife sun when a phone call from a very concerned Andrew broke the news we all dread - the small bit of rust was a proper contagion - boot floor, front and rear sills/ floor, etc, etc. I wasn't entirely surprised, I'm old enough to have experienced tinworm on '60s & '70s cars back in the day before galvanising became common. Anyway, after calming Andrew - he was more anguished than I was - by reconfirming that it didn't change my commitment I left them to crack on - understandably, Andrew felt the need to send me the horror-story pics, probably to help his nerves as much as mine !

Custom repair parts were duly fashioned which I saw when making a mid-surgery visit and it brought home to me just how much hidden damage had occurred since its last repair visit and that if it hadn't been spotted I could have faced an almost terminal situation later.

So... instead of taking my 0.177 air-rifle back to the gym car park I gave our feathered matelots a discrete nod and now check the skies whenever a car from the Burty stable has to be parked there.

I regularly look out the gym's 2nd floor window at others running the gauntlet of parking under their loitering perches on lamp gantries - frequently a dozen or more are all lined-up - but rarely do they seem to enjoy a bit of communal shitting - it kind of confirms my long held view that red cars seem to excite them - my other two red ones can testify to that.

Took the opportunity of the freedom to travel again to do a mini UK tour in April,

5 days and 604.7(ish) miles later - and after an absolutely astounding good run mid morning from Somerset - the coupe was cleared of the suitcase, quickly washed down and is now locked away gently ticking off as she cools.

Findings - beer still is, simply miles better the further north you go in my opinion. Creamy, clean, always in the correct glass - every pint I had was served with clear pride- and it showed.

I 'm really glad I did this as she ALMOST did not miss a beat! The extra effort on tightening up the rattling has largely worked. Its never going to be Rolls Royce whisper quiet...but I think its a lot better especially over expansion joints and unexpected rough sections of road. I forgot to bring two small black cloths I place between seat and back sections of the chairs-that really makes them quieter. But the silicone spray to the closing mechanisms was an improvement.

And the car seems to have responded well to the whole trip - I'd almost started to forget just how good the sound of that five pot engine is, when your in 3rd, 4th, or 5th and you just start adding on the revs!

And she has just munched up the miles, after a long period of short runs, it was so nice to let her stretch her legs, and put some miles under her wings just winding along in 6th at 2.4K of revs. Air Con - worked all the way through which was an added bonus! There were one or two "moments" when someone -usually a BMW driver" felt it a personal challenge to get up my chuff and stay 1.5 meters of of the rear bumper like you were in a race. I particularly liked it when the traffic opened up-and I was able to pull over to an open lane and put the hammer down-and let them realise that getting buy is not quite so easy as there sales brochures would have you believe!

Fuel - well I didn't buy the car for MPG - its SPG (Smiles Per Gallon) in my view. So topping up with £79 of fuel when the needle hit just below the half tank point seems fine to me. I've got her back with again the same half tank position - so I guess I spent £120 in total. I only use super...and with fuel costs how it is- its where we are.

Down sides?

1) Speed. My boy racer days are far behind me - but I found it took some effort to get the coupe to skip along in normal traffic. She wanted to fly- and (see two below) being held back she seems to want to naturally sit around 15 mph above any given speed limit. Some of that it the slightly inaccurate speedo we all know about I guess. But she just likes to be at around 10-15 mph faster then what the traffic sign says!

2) Traffic. On far too many lovely roads, I found myself stuck behind traffic that was going at half the legal limit. And there were some lovely curving, winding b roads I would love to have just been able to go the national limit on - but alas for most of the 2nd day - traffic seemed to want to go as slow as it possibly could, on some truly interesting roads. The same drivers- or there close relations, also wanted to pull out to overtake lorries, just as you reached up to them - then would love to spend several miles gently mirroring the lorries speed, before slowly inching back in front of the lorries to make them in turn slow down. All blissfully unaware of the other traffic around them as they opened up sweet packets, or turned to talk to children etc etc.

3) Brakes. Essentially died on the last day or so. No bleeding will resolve and I remain unhappy with the Brembo discs....more work to follow in the spring to resolve once and for all

But I'm looking at where to go in her again in 2023 to avoid the use it or loose it thoughts!

Regards,

TBC