Kinda new to the forums. Nearly bought a 20VT 2 years ago, but plumped with a MR2 Turbo instead.

Now the MR2 is as good as sold, and I am looking for a 20VT

I will have around £4500 to spend MAYBE at a push a few hundred more. What sort of age Spec should I be looking for. Not fussed if it is modded or not, more interested in that it has been looked after maintenance wise.

Would I be pushing it trying to find an LE or Plus in my Price range, or should I plump for a late normal version?

I really like the Skirts and Front/rear lips on the LE/Plus are these fairly easily retrofitted.

Any help for a noob would be appreciated guys

you wont get a decent LE definately not a plus.

4.5k buys a MINT early 20VT, or a later one that may need some work doing.

you can buy fibre glass copies of the skirts and lips from various places, and providing the body shop have some sort of skills then they will fit perfectly.

buy from a forum member where possible, and my advice is to get ANY car checked buy a specialist before you buy.

Yeah I am keeping my eyes peeled on the forums. Would like to buy one from here.

Will look into the skirts as well. Trouble is finding a specialist in my area. Dont mind travelling to look at a car and taking a car to somewhere decent to have work done, I take mine 90 miles out the way at the moment.

Nervous about buying a shitter, did this with my MR2 (Engine wise) £4k odd later she flys and is up just over the 300bhp mark, but not a road I want to travel again.

Are you the Legendary Rog from PowerFiat? Thanks for the advice will look accordingly!

Anyone have any views on the Red V plate for £5000 (Cat D) and am aware it needs a cambelt.

Otherwise looks good unless anyone knows any different!

Its owned by a forum member, Ijaz, he has a habit of buying coupes, I believe this is his 7th but I don't know anything about the car, but Ijaz says it is OK

Hi welcome to the forum.

your budget will get you a early coupe in great condition and low mileage, or a later model that's a bit tatty. But forget Le's and plus's for £4.5K. Ijaz's notwithstanding.

A coupe like gerain'ts (although it is sold)

http://www.fiatcoupeclub.org/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=37291&an=0&page=0#Post37291

I think if Swiss tony still had his coop he would let it go for similar, that was a '99 model

http://www.fiatcoupeclub.org/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=23087&an=0&page=0#Post23087


So for £4.5k you could be looking at a '98 on 20vt with low mileage. it's a buyers market. Take your time and look at as many as you can.

Yeah I really liked Swiss Tonis

I plan to have a look at Ijaz's, as it seems a good deal.

Will bide my time though and make sure I dont buy a dog!

Would advise you to have a good read through the buyers guide and Coupe history posts.

As Rog has said - buy the best example - there are a lot of wana-be’s out there so take your time and get the best you can, I see from you comment about the servicing and noted you used to own an MR2 thus you will be no stranger to sniffing out standard problems/issues with Turbo cars.

With regards to type/spec/mod'd would suggest you take stock of what you intend to do with the Coupe - if you are into your mods then have a read through the tuning section to identify weak areas and the 'right' mods and levels - then purchase, if you intend to keep the Coupe standard than stick to those - it is becoming difficult to come across correctly maintained standard Coupes.

The seems to be an increase of some Coupe owners banging up the boost with out checking the basics i.e. voltage at the fuel pump under load, or raising the boost with out checking the fuelling with a wide band lambda etc etc. don’t get me wrong there are a few good examples that have been modified in a pre-determined sequence but alas there are more that have not.

One of your first hurdles will be trying to establish the right purchase value, the mandatory Parkers and/or other general quotation references will down trend the Coupe value due to lack of knowledge on the various models and service costs etc. so take the prices with a pinch of salt, a long term Fiat Coupe forum member in theory would offer you a less risk Coupe than one sitting on a Fiat forecourt.

Another point of many is that the Coupe does not bode well to being left standing for long periods - so would advise not to narrow your search for a super low mileage example with a premise that you should be in the clear with regards to maint bills etc.

Its not even a year since I sold my Coupe and to be honest I really miss it, it deff was not in the 'normal' side of life and it was the test bed for many a modifications that are now commonly used.

Good luck and I’m sure you will enjoy ownership once you bag the right Coupe.

Thanks for the posts guys

I am not afriad of mileage. I dont mind buying one that has 80-90K as long as it has been maintained!

Whats the sort of mileage an engine on the 20VT is likely to last with say moderate to good previous servicing!

And yes no stranger to Turbo issues!