Sugar, the history, afaik, is missing from the forum member's car (I could be wrong, I often am, allegedly ) but as you say it maybe disappeared earlier in it's life to hide some several thousand miles of *going backwards*

Solstar I can't really say without seeing the cars whether they'd be any good, imagine what you'd think if I said *yes, definitely go for the yellow one* and it turned out to be fit for parts only

You'd hate me...........although most motorists do anyway

check out the list of people willing to view cars and see if someone will help out with a viewing.

Alternatively, and this is the best possible advice I could give to someone waiting for a decent coupé, wait until Carlt comes back from holiday next month and buy one of his. You will never regret it, ever!

Do u really have to take the car to PowerFiat on every buy? Can't you just run through the buyers guide and surely make your own mind up?

I'm venturing 130 miles by train tommorrow to view the standard red 1 and it sounds quite good for a cheap car.

just go with a good knowledge of what to look for. im not sure if there is a 16VT buyers guide on here, and the 20VT one will be different somewhat.

I really do think you should wait and get a 20VT. Its becoming VERY hard to find a genuinely good 16VT these days.

The only thing is my options are limited and seeing a car with 1 owner, FSH and a full MoT does look promising...it cant hurt to go and look at it and if it goes through the buying guide properly surely it's a good buy at only £1500?

Of course go and look at it, but prepared for bills potentially...make sure you quiz the owner on oil - consumption, type, frequency of change etc...oil neglect is the biggest killer of turbo coops

Yep I'm all prepared lol!

Got my pocket sized buying guide at the ready!

Just drive the bu*ger and if it seems good and it all stacks up, buy it once you've HPI'd

How can I HPI on the scene?

You can get your HPI Check by phone for £19.99. Call 0845 300 8905, 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm on Saturday, 10am-5pm Sunday and Bank Holidays.

Lifted straight from the site mate, and also, if you'd like some extra advice, exercise caution when viewing these cars - it would be very easy to buy a dog on your budget. But, for someone who doesn't know or appreciate the car, it would be easy to undervalue it, so bargains may be out there. Undervalued cars are often unappreciated tho, so make sure the receipts are there.

Sugerbear

going on your last comment do you know for sure that the car has been clocked? or Are you saying that this would be the most logical reason for missing history? Oh and which cope are you refering to?

There are LOTS of clocked coupes out there according to Carlt ... he used to sell lots of low mile clock sets too, doesn't anymore A lost history is the ideal way to hide the clocking of a car!

DidCoop - PM sent

I dont buy 1 a month and as this is alot of money for anyone really its worth £50 max for a health check from someone who knows exactly what they are doing.

The experts work on these cars every day and know them better than anyone. Its good peace of mind to know the car has been checked over by them. Somethings on my car could have caused major issues if Rog hadnt flagged them up for me early.

I wasn't referring to any coupe in particular. Certainly not the one for sale, you need to ring and ask lots of questions. Dodgy traders have been clocking cars and pulling in low mileage punters for years.

There is nothing wrong with a high mileage coupe so even if a 100,000+ mileage coupe has been clocked back to 50,000 it should be fine as long at its been looked after, just you will pay more for the disappearing miles !!

high/low mileage alone is not a good indication of the condition of the car.

Yeah, remember loads of parts need changing between 70 & 90k, so a 70k car might need a new turbo, clutch, rad, manifold, wishbones, suspension etc. However a 100k car might have recently had all that stuff done etc. Go by condition and history.

Well, the yellow coupe I was going to get has been sold!!! so back to the drawing board I guess. I have seen the following cars and kind of hoped you guys would be able to give me your experienced opionions on each of them so that I can pick out the best of whats listed....

http://www.county-liquidations.co.uk/
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/203690.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/127946.htm
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FIAT-COUPE-20v-TUR...1QQcmdZViewItem
Model_W0QQitemZ230172368655QQihZ013QQcategoryZ9843QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fiat-coupe-20v_W0Q...1QQcmdZViewItem

You really need to question the owners on all those cars, usual questions. Then judge which seems best from the answers.

All we can do is tell you want questions to ask, and that might be like teaching you to suck eggs.

I mean what can we tell from pics & a bit of info??

The portafino one (non turbo) seems like a good deal, been looked at by powerfiat and its had a new clutch and betls and its got a full service history. I cant see the two fleabay ones.

Some Advice Please...

What do you guys think of a Coupe 20vt that's done 104k miles, 2 owners from new with Full Fiat Service history, but has had a replacement engine fitted by a Fiat Specialist that's done 34k at a cost of £4k?
What are the draw backs if any with a replacement engine on these cars?
Oh by the way the cost of the car is £2795 via a tarder!

If the replacement engine has been done correctly by a reputable specialist then there should be no problems. The fact that its done 34k seems to point to it being a good one. The ones we tend to hear about on here going wrong have often been rebuilt on the cheap.

Seems a good price if you can get them down to 2.5k all the better and the mileage isn't a problem. FSH is great but you need to know whats been changed (oil cooler pipes, radiator etc etc).

Suerbear,

Cheers, the add said "Fiat Service History" So if the seller can give me the name of the garage that did the work I can call and check the details of work carried out... good thinking I'll try thet rout first!

Ta

That first one at County Liquidations looks like a plus or a vt6 to me..........at just over £3k

Can't be right can it?

Moon grey 6 vt. Lovely. I would go and take a look, but I think there is some auction type thing going on with that site (does not make it very clear), you cant test drive them until after you have bought them as well.

is it me or does that bonnet seem a little high ?

As Carlt will tell you, all the problem Coupes are low mileage. High mileage ones with specialist history are the ones to go for.

Andy.

I have a low mileage coupe,no problems with mine!

Isn't it,how you look after them?

From what I can tell there is no hard and fast rule about judging a car on just it's mileage, however if a car has done 104k and then has an engine replaced to one that has done 34k what factors neeed to be considered, if any?
Also any ideas/ thoughts on how this may affect the future residual value of the car?

One last thing on the cars I have listed above, which cars would you guys arrange to see based on the information given in each add? (ie: which should I shortlist and which should I get rid of) I'd love to view all of them but unfortunately time is of the esscence. Oh I think the 1st one is an auction, so I will be striking that one off the list!

You sure it's not a clocked high miler

If you want a porto coop then whats wrong with ruspers? Other than that i'd call on the moon vt [6] make sure it has documents history you know the score or a non turbo then damiens on here which i think is on one of the ebay ads.

Well I'm not sure that I'll ever be 100% sure, but I called the seller and he will dig out the paper work so he can give me the details of the garage that carried out the work. I should have the info later so will call them tomorrow to make sure, apart from that is there any more I can do to be sure???
I am considering getting an AA or RAC technician out to look at the car before I dive in, any comments on this, has any one ever used the AA or RAC to view one of these coupes in the past?

Skint...

Is ruspers coupe is it on this forum? oh and it would have to be a turbo, I know one of the links I listed above is for a none turbo, but I realised after!!! oooops....