Last week I was at the petrol station. I went to pay for the petrol and as I walked back to the Coupe, it looked totally huge - and I mean Lamborghini dimensions! Maybe it was because the space where I had parked it next to the petrol pump was small, but it looked like a supercar.

Then on Halloween, everyone who came trick or treating said things like 'nice car' and 'I like your car.'

Anyone else got any examples which have made the constant stress and paranoia worthwhile?

I wish I had more comments on my coop, never really get any.
I personally think it looks nice, always keep it clean, Moon Grey Plus lowered on 18" Azevs.
Tell a lie, Nismo gave me a comment the other day when I met him quickly to sell a part. Thats it though.

On a cold dry evening such as this one, the coop can just feel brand new again! Iv had so much fun the past few days, especially with admiring friends needing lifts.

Just the simple things bring the enjoyment I think, the everyday things we tend forget!

Some little hooligan in an MR2 decided to undertake 3 cars (which were all behind me) on the A1M in a particularly aggressive manor yesterday. He then proceeded to pull up along side me and then, wait for it......he backed off and began driving more sensibly all of a sudden! It was as if he read the "20vt" badge on the door pillar and got scared!
Last week in Tesco's carpark I overheard a kid say to his Dad (who I had parked next to), "Wow, I wish you'd get a car like that Dad, that looks fast! Your cars are always boring and slow". I found this most amusing and definitely had a strong sense of "Coupe pride" that day although I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor old Dad! The following day was bright and sunny which made all the stonechips and scratches on my bonnet stick out a mile on my driveway which got me back to thinking of all the £££s I'll be spending on my car soon
It is good to feel proud instead of of paranoid at lesat once in a while though.

I felt good about my coupe a few times this year, Brooklands, AGM weekend included the track , Blackpool meet and every other meet I've done come to think of it

Best i have ever felt was at Spa. All the coops were really ripping up the track but i overtook so much exotica it was amazing.
I got back to the pits and everyone was gathered round my car, looking at the brakes smoking and my engine and asking me about the car.
Felt really proud.

Worst moment was cam belt snapping last week.

It will be back though

That's cos you live in London and no one talks to each other. If you brought a moon grey plus on 18" Azevs up here you'd get plenty comments.

Best I've felt about mine was a few years ago when I'd re-painted the sills black, refurbed the wheels and given it a really good clean Right now it looks like it did before I started all that

Maybe I'll do it again in spring

Oddly enough I've had a lot of comments recently about the coop.

Turned up to a kitchen survey (I'm a kitchen designer) with it one time and a voice from beyond shouted down the stairs "I like your car!" - the couple's young son had obviously spotted it and took a liking

Another recent time was when I was playing musical cars on the drive (moving them around). The chap opposite came to his gate and just started raving over it. Said he knew where I got it from and could tell I've spent a small fortune on it. "lovely car" etc.

Third one worthy of a mention was the re-assuring look I got when I pulled up on site one day with some parts for a kitchen (taps or similar so could fit in the coop!) - the site manager came to me and said "is that a 20v?". Made a change as usually I get asked "is that a turbo one?"! I replied with that it was a 20v model but non turbo - even with that said, the look on his face was of admiration and recognition that I owned something 'cool'

The coop has ups and downs, but I have to say I pretty much feel positive about my coop most of the time! Wouldn't change it for the world

Actually, to be fair... I worship my Coupe

I feel good about the Coupe every time it starts

Like porkypaul though, it just feels that little bit more special at meets and shows, etc., especially when we're all in convoy

Times when I've felt good about it - The day I bought it, and again, a week later, the day I picked it up and drove back to Rotherham. The convoy from the pub to the Cosford meet (first one?) when there were 20-30 of us, seeing at at Joes on Saturday as I pulled round the corner and set eyes on it for first time since it's makeover. Every morning I leave the flat and walk towards it...most of the time really.

Bad times - When my coolant hose of death went on my way to see my little daughter, and realising if only I'd got off my ar$3 and bought the metal one off the GB, it wouldn't have happened. Bumping into the back of a nervous nerys and thinking my NCB was stuffed.

Plenty more good than bad though :-)

Edit - Reading this back, the bad times are all my fault and not the car's....lol

I don't love my coop. I just say that to get it into bed.

Just before I deregistrated it for the winter I loved the smooth creamy feel of driving it now, new good Flea-map, new clutch, good brakes, pretty much everything tip-top. So nice!

I also got a recent comment from the kid at Shell, áctually spotting "a Fiat" but failed to realize it was NOT a brand new model..

Corrected that statement to apply to the majority of the UK.

was washing and drying it near morrisons close to where i work last week, and some youths came over asking what it was, it's performance etc etc - ended with both of them saying it's the car they aspire to but realise they'll never be able to afford it or the insurance....

Driving through town to over hear "Man, thats nice... for a Fiat"

And when i had my Red 16v (all nice and shiny) and pulled up outside the house in the yellow 20v (Again lovely and shiny)

Both neighbours were outside and commented on how lovely the cars looked and how it made them feel really summery (both female lol)

I always feel good about my Coupe, probably because I use it so infrequently but it has never let me down and I know I could drive anywhere in it. I never felt that with my TVR Griff.

When my old French neighbour asked if i had won the Euro lotto while admiring my coop.
I generally feel great about the coop,i just wish i could take it out more.
As Matt said,i think we all felt good about all coupe,s when you saw over 50 of them lined up at Spa.

In addition to my comments above, the last few days have been pretty special, LOADS of my workmates have been coming up in person, MSNing and ringing to say how good mine looks, even ones I wouldn't expect to. I don't think a lot of them believed it would look as good as it does. Hee, hee

Hmmm...several for me -

Walking out at lunchtime to see one of our Sales Managers stroking the paintwork & exclaiming "it's SO smoooooth..."

Couple of occasions when lads of around 10 or 11 years old have pointed to my car when driving past and said "wow - cool car!!"

Walking out of Tesco's a couple of years back (when I had my previous 20VT, now in Mansilla's careful hands) to find a guy with his 2 young-ish sons peering through the windows - Dad managed to mutter "cool car mate" as he quickly pulled his lads away having realise the owner was approaching!

Being the only Light Red Metallic Coupé at Brooklands in the Spring this year.

Being asked if I'd enter my Plus in the Concours at Standford Hall this year (and having SO many nice comments from the guys & gals wandering around the show).

Oh, and finally turning up at any of the Auto Italia events this year and realising I own a car that can be classed as "special" and hence I can be rightly proud of

6 weeks ago when I pulled the cover off in the barn where it was stored and the garage owner who had come to assess said "wow, that's stunning!"
2 weeks ago when I collected it from the same barn after recommissioning and the delivery driver said " be careful it's very fast!"
And every day when I get in it.........

Stuck in traffic tonight on the M25, looked in the rear view mirror to see two blokes in the car behind talking about the coupes lines. I'm not sure if it was good or bad but the fact that the car I was driving was worth talking about made me feel good.

Every time I see mine

I turned up to quote a job the other day. The van was off the road so I turned up in the car. The first comment was, 'Wow, that's a nice car. You're obviously earning enough'!
I told her it was quite an old car and I just keep it clean as I didnt want her to think I was some sort of flash harry, but it was quite cool at the same time!

I also gave a mate of mate a lift the other day. I didnt really give it full bore, but did a bit of fairly hard acceleration up to about 80. Heard a 'whoa yeah' from him and turned to see his face had lit up. The lad still had a smile on his face 5 mins later when I pulled up at his place. That was pretty good too!

When we are out somewhere with the Coupe .... just feel really good looking at it when we return,

Even my wife, who's not really into cars, loves the coupe - when faced with prospect of not taking the Coupe to Ireland next year for our holiday said that she thought it wouldn't be a 'proper' holiday without it!

A working mate (punto + alfa romeo guy) was in my car out for lunch and he was thoroghly shocked and stunned about the performance.. He somehow just thought it looked very nice and CLEAN and that. Mine isn't very loud either, it sounds almost like a std one. Never expected it to be violently fast too..

The day after Ten of the Best 2008 - the guys on the Vauxhall forum started a thread entitled "What are we going to do about that mighty Fiat?"

I was chuffed that they credited it with such prowess, especially seeing as one of their cars (Specky's Tigra) cam ninth OVERALL in the top speed (169 versus my 150-ish)

Today, paying for petrol and the girl saying how nice my car looked, couldn't believe it was a old fiat and "its very yellow isnt it"

I was grinning ear to ear

Every time I drive it or look at it or wash it or someone compliments it......

Whenever it gets me where I'm going with no dramas, and so far, thats everytime!


Oh what have I said!!