Anything- whether its mechanical or bodywork.

I've got a lovely amount of dents, scratches and chips all over the car. the petrol cap needs refurbing. the headlight covers look far from mint. alloys also need refurbing etc.

I see photos of your Coupes on the forum and I think to myself, these guys have got MINT Coupes. I feel like I need to sort mine out. But then whenever someone else sees my car, they say 'is that really a P reg? it looks mint!'

Is there any point having a really mint Coupe? surely you are driven to new heights of paranoia and insanity trying to keep it perfect?

Didcoop, how are you coping with having an immaculate Coupe?

Mines not good, dents and scratches, big dent in the passenger door and bonnet lip. Will be sorted soon, just have to live with it for now.

Gareth

Mine needs re-spray, dents and dings removed.
Passenger door isn't great.
Bit of lacker peeling of the bonnet.
Err...mechanically. Probably need new disks and pads at next service.
Still has an untracable oil leak, probably from the exhaust manifold (but I can live with).

There would be no point me having a mint one because:
1) I use as daily driver, work, tesco, everywhere, my only car, and someone at Tesco already put a massive dent in the drivers side door.

2) I dont have a garage to keep it in, so it's always exposed to the elements.

3) I'd get too upset if there was a problem with the mint and have to pay lots of money to get it fixed.
--
On the plus side it would be nicer, and people would admire it more, and I'd feel happier going to Coupe meets in it!

If you use your car regularly then it will never be mint. Bonnet chips, scuffed alloys for a start.

A nice well maintained coupe is stil a thing of beauty.

I went through the prefection thing with my 15 year old 911 and it was never ending, and VERY expensive! You live and learn ;-)

Bodywork:

Previous owner has obviously used a machine polisher with absolutely no knowledge of how to. Paint has burn marks, scratches and edges where the paint as down the the base layer.

Minor dings, nothing major, usual bonnet chips. Perfect fuel cap and no lacquer peel on wing mirrors, headlights or other prone areas.

Mechanical:

Oil cooler pipes, Clutch and Manifold all need sorting. Just put 4 new tyres on her.
A short list of 'small' jobs like "hand brake cable gaiters are split".

Otherwise mechanically all good. Fingers crossed, come autumn all these mechanical jobs will be done, and it'll just need a respray then.

mechanicly, mine wants for nothing at the moment

there are things i want to do to it, but nothing it needs doing

i want to refresh the shocks and springs and top shocks and track rod ends, then its just done

and a spray job to tidy things up

lets put it this way, in the last 6 months its had

new wishbones,
droplinks
clutch
belts
water pump
rear disks and pads
nearly new front disks
center box (exhaust)
front and rear breaklines
4 new tiers on (two weeks) refurbed alloys
rocker cover gasket set
battery
I think thats it.... bar the plugs and oil

mine needs:
head gasket fixing
head skimming and full refurb
new water pump
new belts and tensioners
new radiator
new turbo
new intercooler
new horns
new rocker cover
new thermostat and sensor
new expansion tank
new discs and pads all round
new handbrake cables
roof respraying
drivers side key marks sorting out
probably needs more but can't think!!
don't know what could be up with the suspension as i've never driven it so will probably change all that too!!!

thats depressing CD, would you like some rope, i have some spare

cheers Sam but I'm gonna persevere as apart from the roof and scratches the coupes bodywork is pretty good to be fair.
the head is in at the moment having a full refurb, skimmed, valve seats re-cut and new seals fitted, cam lobes all repolished etc etc.
have my old spare cam cover to put on, the old one isn't bust but looks terrible
as long as it's on the road by next easter i'll be happy.

oh forgot i need to refurb the slam panel and rad support bar too

You had to ask.

Well it seems either someone has leant on it or I have only just noticed a few blemishes.

There is a crease dent on the passenger wing already, the boot lid is showing tiny little creases too and the bonnet. So already she's not so immaculate.

I'm starting to think it can't be done as the Coupe seems to be able to dent SO easily it's ridiculous and because it's so flat and smooth you notice every little dink. So sadly it's not TOTALLY MINT any more

Mechanically it still needs a turbo as I occasionally see the odd puff of smoke and I REALLY MUST SORT THE SQUEAKY BASTARD BRAKES OUT ARGH!

Interior is the most annoying, I still want to get a mint centre console, got more squeaks and creaks than ever before which I must try and find, my audio needs seriously sorting out too.

Also this morning I kerbed my passenger wheel a bit...

Joy.

So yeah not brilliant but hey I guess it could be worse, more gutted about the small crease dents than anything else as I simply CANNOT find out where they've come from but I spot them EVERY time now

Interior wise I've

Bodywork:

Has dents/ripples on the rear quarter below the fuel cap.

Has scratches below that

Quite a few dings along the sides

Bodykit luckily hides all the other damage, such as melted rear bumper and dents in the sills where it had previously been picked up by a fork lift truck.

Petrol cap has laquer peel

So does the roof

I can see blending in lines from a possible previous roof spray job?

Scratches on the rear Zender bumper lip (I done this)

Mechanically:

Abs light always on, have given up trying to sort it

Bottom arms will need replacing within the next year

Possible front wheel bearing on it's way out

Rear fog light doesn't work


None of the bodywork will be getting sorted as it's an every day car, so can't afford for it to be off the road.

Well, I may do the petrol cap one day, but that's about it

laquer peel on roof,
airbag light
& headlight refurb.

the rest of the minor dents and scratches dont really bother me in all honesty!

Just had new radiator, oil cooler & pipes, track rod ends, a full service, AC repaired / re-gassed, exhaust system tightened right up to stop blowing.

Now needs:
Cure for air bag system (light stays on).
New wishbones.
AC fixing again.
Exhaust sorting - still blowing when cold.
Bonnet re-spray (as per many other coupes).
Wheels refurbished.
A serious clean inside and out.

Still love this car like no other.

I think even staring too hard at a Coupe will scratch and dent it.

I'm Pretty sure the Rain Dents it!!

I need:

New Exhaust & repair Front exhaust mount
Front suspension overhaul
New Centre Console
New rear radius arm bearings

Body works is pretty good - two minor dings to sort though pretty good.

I reckon my Toyo's will only see another 2thousand miles too!

AND IT'S GOING TO GET A SERIOUS CLEANING TODAY!!!

in the last 6 months its had
wishbones
tca
droplinks
rad
cambelt
water pump
steering gator
exhaust manifold
clutch
cat back exhaust
front and rear discs
front and rear pads
anti squeal shims
front brembo caliper
handbreak cables
new door clips
bonnet strut
bonnet cable
new tyres front
new gtech chip (old one failed)
new dump valve as old one suspect but turned out ok

stil needs
cam cover gasket
pollen filter
fuel filter
oil change
thermostat
rear caliper
abs sensor
down pipe leaking
new shocks maybe
right hand engine mount
stablizer bar
right hand brake line
lots of paint work
some rear bushes and maybe rear wheel bearing
wheels refurbed
headlight refurbed
header tank cap
re under sealing
engine bay unerneath de rusting
under tray
alarm



but then i am way way to picky!

had it 2 months just over and so far had;
cambelt/aux belts/water pump etc
turbo
clutch
suspension rebuild
thermostat
4 new tyres
plenty of sundry items i cant recall (LONG list!)

to do;
dinks
dents
wheel refurb
respray
topmount banging
caliper refurb
bunch of other stuff i cant remember

love it, but my wallet doesn't

A full respray after a new passenger door,and a couple of dings sorted out.
My coop has done 48,000 miles.For a 12 year old car thats good. But a healthcheck by a certain countrycruising will tell me whats needed. I expect the running gear and suspension needs replacing because of its age.

new frnt disks
my gearbox whines so i think needs oil, or maybee worse
handbrake cables before next mot in 11 months
a clean and hoover
outside:
rear bumper not on straight, needs adjusting
front drivers side infront of front wheel sits lower than it should need to take a big hammer to the bracket and adjust
minor rust and scratch removal
and thers buff marks i can see in the sunlight on the paint job, needs re buffing or something, i dont know.
its just had the usual track rod ends,wishbone,brakes tyres.
due a service now, but insurance next week.
not bad for 136000 odd miles i suppose.
still looks better and goes better than most new cars.
i have to say you do get alot of nice comments in a coupe.

Wow so many of you in the same position as me. Makes me feel a bit better


It was probably the worst Le in the country when i got it so ill start from then and what still needs doing.

I've so far changed,
Turbo,
Wishbones, drop links,
All disk and pads,
4 new tyres,
Thermostat,
Heat shield,
Various piping,
Stereo and speakers, with sound deadening,
Induction system back to standard,
Handbrake and bonnet cables,
Bonnet strut,
Hid's and bulbs,
Exhaust system's to pass mot,
And probbaly more

Jobs still to do,
New clutch,
Fit sip and filter,
Fit walbro fuel pump,
Fit subframe brace and shims,
Sort out sterring shaking at speed and heat shield rattle,
Make new exhaust bracket,
Replace bonnet and front bumper,
Try to repair dents and scratches down one side of the car,
Interior needs a complete revamp,
New shocks and springs,
Map for the new turbo,
New oil filter change as well as cambelt and water pump.

Then wait for it to blow the engine

I doubt that! I think you're just too picky!

I've had a re-think and my list is as follows......

New Bonnet + Paint
New N/S door + Paint
New Slam Panel
New wheels or refurb
Exhaust (Cat Back)
Full Respray to clear all the other bodywork damage and poor paint
Oil Change (In Hand)
Expansion Tank
Shocks (Osravs)
Cam Belt
Aux Belts
Wishbones and DropLinks (In hand)
HID's
Rear Whiteline ARB (Came with the car but not fitted)
Then whatever it fails the MOT on at the end of July)

Work done -

Manifold and Studs
Front chassis legs de-rusted and painted
New Rad
Interior Deep clean
New plugs
2 new coil packs
Engine bay clean (not deep!)
Central Locking and alarm fix
LE Starter Mod done

The list goes on.

Plenty left to do, although we all know, it will never be finished!

Gareth

I don't feel so bad, seeing what everyone else needs doing on theirs....

but it's still going to be expensive!

1. Re-spray - the roof looks pretty awful as the lacquer started to go this year and I ended up with loads of white blobs on the roof. I can get the dents in the bonnet from the deer strike sorted too, plus all the usual scratches and digs that normally accumulate.

2. Oil cooler and pipes (it's about time)

3. Belts (Had the auxiliary belts done a couple of years ago, but now needs the full set again).

4. Air-con, which is probably not just a re-gas

5. Turbo, some time, as it's getting a little smokey.

6. Wheel refurb.

Most other things have been done already or are just fine, but it's still an expensive list!

floppy gearstick needs sorting
belts need changing
metallic knocking from rear (possible suspension bearing)
slightly slightly smoking turbo, so need new seals
bodywork isn't great, but thats not a priority atm!

Mine needs:

Drivers/Passengers doors surface rust removing and respraying ink black at the bottom (bodyshop) slight dent sorting behind drivers door

Air Con needs regassing

1 new front passengers side front tire

Full service oil change etc (struggles to hold 2.5 bar, usually sits at 2 bar sometimes when mega hot drops to 1.5 bar

Mysterious oil leak sorting out

Still on original clutch and turbo so that will be on the horizon but perfect atm

Otherwise, its very tidy

Hmmm, let me see:

1. Wheel refurb
2. New rear tyres
3. Stone chips on bonnet
4. Re-paint rear calipers
5. Get Dent Devils in to do the doors

Erm...that's it! Otherwise she's perfect

Just spent £2,000 making the car mechanically sound with Motormech. Still needs full respray and dings and pings, wheels refurbing,suspension ie dampers and bushes renewing. I suppose the question is where do you stop.

Old italians always need something spending on them somebody once called it character.

If you use your Coupe as a daily driver, keeping it mint is virtually impossible. two years ago, after a botched respray, I took my car to Euroeast in Lichfield and they did what can only be described as a concours restoration on the bodywork.

At the same time, I had my Team Dynamics ProRace 1 wheels refurbed

Total cost, around £2,200

In the two years since then, I have acquired:-

1 small dent in the driver's door
Rust bubbles on the leading edge of the bumper
Rust bubbles on all four wheelarches
hundreds and hundreds of stone chips to the front bumper and bonnet
Paint chipping to the rear valence where a wideband lambda probe was inserted into the tailpipe
A million swirl marks
Several chunks out of the powder coating on the wheels
and the wheels are dull from two years worth of removing baked-on brake dust with chemical cleaners

Thankfully, I reckon I could have it back to pristine for around £500

Mechanically, its pretty damn good, needing only:-

Cambelt
Oil pump (probably)
Clutch slave cylinder
Handbrake cables
Expansion tank cap
Brake pipe from ABS block to driver's side front wheel
Front calipers

Reading through the posts above, I never cease to be amazed by the fact that people put so much time, effort and money into a ten year old Fiat - what other cars have such a loyal (and rose-tinted) following?

Ferraris.

What needs doing?

Faulty thermostat, air-conditioning top up and probably two rear tyres in the near future.

What do I want to do?

Respray, dent man and alloys refurbed.

Sounds like you need a foam-lance, two buckets, grit guards, wash mitts and an ultra-plush drying towel!