Hi as a newbie please can somebody help me,

I have found a 20VT that I am thinking of buying (see details below), it has a new engine 4K ago, but the turbo has not been replaced. The power delivery is not a fierce as the other 20VT I drove. Would this be due to the turbo? if so how much will a new turbo cost or a=can I get my turbo repaired??

Should I make the purchase?

also if there is lacquer coming the from bumper a few dents, how much will this cost to get fixed?

I hope you can help me, thanks

Manual, 48,800 miles, 48,800 miles, ink black, 6 months tax, Brembo front brakes, new engine (recon) Oct 2006 (cam belt replaced at the same time), 4k miles on the new engine, 3 owners, Alpine CD 6 changer, leather seats, full service history, good condition. £3,095. ono

Spend a fiver on an RAC Hpi check before you do anything. Very low mileage and many coupes have been clocked.

I have seen all the history and already done this check it was more to do with the price and mechanics.

Where was the engine fitted and can they confirm this work has been done?

yes I have seen the receipts for the engine it was a re-conditioned engine and cost 3K to be fitted, what do you think?

Are engines re-fitted bad news?

There are enough decent coupés around, so I would not bother with this one. In 5 years time you will not have such choice but now is a different story.
It's hardly any cheaper than buying a good one that has not had an engine replacement (usually caused by oil starvation/belt failure/overzealous modding).
Yes, an engine replacement should always mean a turbo/clutch/cambelt as well at the same time.

cambelt clutch has been done its only up for 2500 so I could spend the money on the turbo? it has also had all the discs changed. The rest of the car is pretty sound and I guess the engine has only done 4K. I dont know what to do know somebody help me!

It did drive well too

As Weyland says there are decent coupes about. It could be great value but you could be buying a lot of trouble

what else could go wrong if the cambelt. engine disks havebee replaced I have driven the car. and I get the turbo fixed?

At £2500 just have it. If it drives good and all is well checked then just go for it.

Where is the car?

Who re-conditioned the engine? Was it done by Mr. dodgy round the corner or by Fiat / Proper specialist? Most likely cause would be oil starvation...... the owner has not bothered to check the oil properly.

If it does not pull that well it is not necessarily the turbo - it could be an electronic issue with the boost valve etc. or could be the engine itself. If the turbo is dying then it will be smoking....

If it's had a new clutch and belts + discs all round then that is worth a grand!

The paint issues will cost very little to put right.

If you buy a 20vt or 16vt now dont expect to spend peanuts on maintenance. They are cheap to buy, but not cheap to keep in good condition.

Thanks for your advice suba, the car is in East Sussex, it has been on autotrader at £3095, I really want an ink black and could spend 5K on a 2000 model and still have all the same problems.

The car has been owned for 6 years by the previous owner in that time the engine blew. So he got a reconditioned one fitted I will find out where this engine was sourced from. I will call the garage in a minute. The owner used the same garage the whole 6 years (Chewters garage)

The dilemma should I get this one or buy one for 2K more with an original engine? or just buy this one and get all the niggles done straight away?

answers on a postcard please

everyone gone quiet on me is it because I am a newbee?

maybe its because I said answers on a postcard! sorry about that

No way of telling without the history of the new engine. even then you are reliant on the owner maintaining the engine

You could just as easily buy one on the original engine that's been low on oil with 40 k on the clock that is worn to bits......

A grand here or there in the ownership of a 20vt is not a lot of money, you could buy a car that you thought was perfect and find that 6 months down the line you need to replace engine mounts, wishbones, fuel pumps etc.

I have just spoken to the garage who did all the work and the car has had £8423 over the last 6 years on engine, manifold, brakes etc etc. he has printed all the receipts out for me. I think the garage is quite expensive though as a cambelt change was 900 quid! shall I go for it and buy the car?

It sounds pretty good on paper.

Perhaps you can see if someone from here will come with you to help you check it over.

John

yeah could do but I think I need to move fairly quickly or someone else will nab it! seems to me whatever one you buy you will have to spend lots maintaining it so even if I get an LE model it will cost 2.5K more but I could use that to get this one up to scratch.

tricky buying these cars isn't it!

Where are you based?

I bought my first Coupe without even driving it but it was only 3 years old at the time.

My second one I bought after driving it poring over the history but failed to spot the leaking oil cooler pipes and the fact that the aux belts weren't changed etc etc.

Any old car could have almost anything wrong with it. If it drives okay and everything seems to work correctly buy it.

After buying it I would take it to Powerfiat or Motormech for a health check. I did after buying mine and got a priortised list from Rog@Powerfiat.

John

I am based in sunny brighton, where is powerfiat and motormech,

I think I am going to buy it the owner is 45 year old and loves fiats he must have to spend 8.5K in bills over 6 years!
It drives well I did all the normal checks from the buyers guide on here. the only thing is the power delivery is not as fierce as some but I think the turbo needs an overhaul. so I can get that done but it drove fine and so many mechanical things have been done and no boy racer parts have ever been fitted.

I just have to bite the bullet

PowerFiat are in Basildon Eseex and Motormech in Birmingham

I'd go for it given you have spare cash for maintenance/turbo

If i get it I will post some pics if anyone is interested.

Certainly would be.

£8.5k is not that bad a coop will cost around a grand a year in maintenance average.

I'd get an AA/RAC condition report first. Ask the garage why did the original engine fail at 44k? And what is the exact status of the 'recon' engine - genuine Fiat exchange unit with warranty, or just a secondhand lump from who-knows-where? Seems a bit odd that the recon engine had a cambelt change done, if I read it correctly. And I'd assume that the turbo needs replacing. Hmmm... think I'd tread carefully on this one.

If the turbo is not smoking then it does NOT need replacing!

If you are installing a new engine or recon etc. then why on earth would you not replace the cambelt?

If you are installing a new or properly reconditioned engine it doesn't need a replacement cambelt, does it. New means...new.

Yes you do, unless you mean that that the new engine will have a "new" cambelt fitted rather than a replacement cambelt fitted but its the same thing really as the replacement cambelt is a new cambelt at the end of the day, at least it should be!

This is getting confusing. What I meant is that a recon engine will already have a brand new cambelt, or it's not a 'recon' - more of a 'con'.

Yes recon should have a cambelt done.
Second hand engine wont.