Hi all,

As everyone told me when I bought my 20V n.a., I have ended up lusting for a 20VT – the looks just deserve a little more power and it’s not exactly the lightest of cars.

So help me – I am not keen on the bodywork of the LE and Plus, but would like to bring the rpm down on the motorway so obviously the 6 speeder will be preferable. But 2 questions:

A seller (with a 5-speeder) told me that the 6-speeder is not as bullet proof as the old 5-speeder, and that there is little difference in rpm at top gear. Is he pulling my leg here, or is there merit to the statement?

Secondly, according to the model range overview on this site, the 20VT (non LE and non Plus) came with a 6 speeder at some point. Where these ever sold or did everyone go for that extra bodywork and recardo’s?? I haven’t been able to locate a single one :-o

Rgs
Michael

From August 1999 onwards, all 20vt variants came with a 6 speed box so you need to be looking at V-plate or newer. It makes a big difference on the motorway and the only problems I've heard of with the 6 speed box are in Germany where a few people have destroyed theirs by sitting at 150+ all day.

Unless you are doing masses of miles, there will not be much difference in petrol savings on the motorway, the RPM will come down though.

In germany they have found the 6 speeder to be slightly more fragile, but then this is put down to the high speed long distance nature of german driving.

You are looking for a 20VT(6) which were made in V/W/X and Y reg trim. basically this is a 20VT 5 speed with a 6 speed box and other extras, like push button start, silver dials, etc. There are some around to be had, a few on autotrader and here at the moment.

Hi Michael!
Welcome to the forum.
I have a 6 speed 20VT, sometime advertised as a 20VT[6]. These are late model 20VTs and I heard a story that FIAT had a load of the "extras" kicking around, so added these to the last models when it was decided the coupe was going to be no more .
Mines a 2000-W reg and has a few extras to the normal 20VT in that it has the push button start, 6 speed box, silver dials, and Plus style alloys. It doesn't have a body kit, but the skirts are painted the same colour as the rest of the car, as opposed to black. I think everything else is standard, but I'm sure someone will be able to tell you otherwise if I'm wrong.
HTH, Mark.

Oh, and Happy Birthday to JimO !!!!!

you'll also get drilled front discs on a 20vt [6] - much nicer.

Are you sure

Thanks gents,

Haven't filled out my profile yet, I know, but being Danish, I do gross continental driving occationaly and was going to find my next Coupe in Germany - like the first one. I want to keep the colours (dark blue and tan/brown leather), but just want that extra bit of bite.

Would anyone know how much lower rpm I can expect, e.g. at 80 mph?

Not sure at 80mph, but (I believe ) mine's about 3500rpm at 100mph! (on a test track, of course!)

IIRC its a 300rpm difference.

go for the 5 speed.

Oh... and happy birthday JimO!

I love my 6 speed.

At motorway/highway cruising speeds , the 6th is
heaven.

why would you want a 5 when a 6 is available?

Gearing as follows:

--------- 5sp ------- 6sp
1st ---- 3.800:1 --- 3.800:1
2nd ---- 2.234:1 --- 2.235:1 (they are probably the same!)
3rd ---- 1.520:1 --- 1.520:1
4th ---- 1.156:1 --- 1.156:1
5th ---- 0.914:1 --- 0.914:1
6th ---------------- 0.816:1
diff --- 3.111:1 --- 3.176:1



basically bottom 5 gears are the same, 6th is more overdriven

overall gearing in top (diff * top gear) is 2.843:1 for the 5 speed and 2.5916:1 for the 6 speed. Therefore 6th is geared 9.5% higher than 5th on a 5 speed gearbox. Don't have the correct tyre diameter on my chart (use to calculate speed in my race car) but whatever speed corresponds to 4000rpm in 5th for a 5 speed car would only take about 3650rpm in 6th

Most of my driving is M-way these days and 80mph (as confirmed by my speedo and Road Angel ) is 3,000rpm in 6th

3K @80mph ??????? = 27mph/1000... doubt it!

Then presumably the 5 speed coupes are doing 3285 rpm at 80mph. Not a significant enough drop to justify conversion unless you've already broken the 5 speed box

Put the 6 speed box in my race kappa on the basis that Barbz thought it might be stronger, but the gearing is too high so have swapped out all the internals for those from Alfa 156 V6 which has a lower overall 6th gear than the Coupe has 5th due to the 3.9375:1 diff ratio

Shan't be bothering about changing my kappa coupe box - despite being a 2000 built car, kappa still only had 5 speed boxes