Hi, does anyone know of or has seen this coupe recently? its on the dreaded EBay and has been re-listed due to non payer, turbo has gone and has a dent in o/s rear quarter that's about all I know. Any info would be appreciated

Thanks
Simon

LE 197 Vinci Grey

Yes there was a big post, car is supposed to be a nail, viewer went 5 hours to collect.

Either that or expecting too much for the monies.

How can something "drive well" with a knackered turbo?

Ross

Ask Mattw

Mine drives very well.....


.....for a 20v N/A!

Hi Simon

I drove from York to Lincolnshire to view this car as I narrowly lost the first auction. The chap that was supposed to be buying decided that it would take a week to pull the money together, so the seller offered me a chance to take the car at £2340. Here's my thoughts:

Good bits
Best colour I have ever seen on a coop
Interior was excellent for a 100k car
Cheapest LE out there

Bad bits
Turbo smoking badly (I knew this before travelling)
Brake discs and pads needed replacing front and back
Bad scratch on the rear
No red key
No remote plipper
No service history after 75k (I didn't know this before travelling)
Little niggles such as several bulbs not working and CD player fascia would not stay on

I viewed the car at night, and although I quite liked the chap who was selling, I decided to walk away as I was really nervous about that lack of service history. If the car needed a scratch repair and a new turbo, who's to say that the previous owner had had any work done to it at all?

Now at £1810 I might have taken a punt, but I am now the prowd owner of an X reg 20VT in Silver with 6 speed box and push button start!

Here's the first buyer, who did have the money.

http://www.fiatcoupeclub.org/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=37190&Number=458367#Post458367



Personally i think its mad what some people expect for half price.

If I was after an LE, on a tight budget and a competant mechanic, this would seem to be a good buy. What would it be worth if mint?.......£5000???

Yeh, i'd say so.

I think for £2200 people expect to fit a £200 turbo and have a £5000 car, like alot think i do.

It never happens. There isnt anything that carnt be sorted on it, and still in budget, whats a red key or an alarm fob to sort, £150. Need to get into the real world and see the so called mint £5k coupe's.

Thanks for the link Carl, any reason why you didn't buy it? Sounds like a good long term project car.

Is no service history after 75k a big problem if you do all of the major jobs? got to admit the electrics worry me more than anything else

No comment.


I thought you didnt like the LE's? You missed a bargain with my 49k'er.

Yeah I know, I've seen one for the first time since then in the flesh rather than a picture and decided that I liked it. Another bargain missed

I'll get one in the end.

Not like one of his ones, you won't...

My old one had missed two stamps in the book and was enough for people to cry about even though the car drove excellent.

All

Just notided this Vinci Grey LE on Auto Trader, and the picture is the same as the "blown turbo" one that I viewed a couple of months ago.

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www...00&max_mileage=

Funny, the mileage when I viewed was 105k, and this one is 82k. Does anyone reckon this is the same car?

It is the same photo isn't it. Phone and ask what LE no it is.

John

Good spot - some investigation work clearly needed.

And at 82K milage it will now have full service history if it is the same car...

why did the first purchaser leave positive feedback ?

excellent,nice one,pleasure to deal with,AAA+++ ..

Who clocked it then? It would have been fairly easy judging by the original ebay ad:

Q: is there any history with this car? 07-Nov-07
A: full service history to 75,000 including cambelt and clutch - not much after - although this car has not been modified. and is the sought after LE version....more

Any ideas where that dealer is based?

Certainly the same yellow coop next to it. Surely he is not that stupid to clock a car that a. is rare and b. so soon after showing the world on ebay.

You would think so wouldn't you...

...

I viewed the car at the dealer's house in a village south of Lincoln. It could be that the car has been sold on and clocked by a different dealer.

It all seems really dodgy. I do hope that I am wrong on this and that it is a different car, I can't believe that people would do this.........

Just done a bit of investigating on ebay feedback, and the person that bought LE 197 off the dealer that I visited, then bought a second hand turbo for £102. Has obviously repaired the blown turbo then clocked the car, and now trying to make £2000 profit. Surely this is illegal?

It certainly is!!!

Welcome to the world of unscrupulous salesmen

If it is a dealer and you can prove your suspicions, go to trading standards

If the car can be proven to have been clocked and trading standards prosecute what would happen to the car ?

Nothing. And if the dealer has his disclaimer on the speedo nothing much happens there either.

Shite i know, but its how it is.

Hardly something new is it? At least 1 in 4 coupe's i HPI has a mileage discrepancy.