Returning to the fold

Having recently picked up my new 20VT Plus 18 months after selling my old Sprinty, I was wondering how many current owners have had a Fiat Coupe in the past.

So how many of you have missed your old coop so much you had to get another?

Welcome back

I think you'll find quite a few people have returned to Coupe ownership after trying more modern machinery and finding it didn't measure up

Modern cars don't float my boat at all. The coop is the newest thing I've ever had. I took my car off the road for 3 years while I had other priorities, so in a way I'm 'returning'. Couldn't bring myself to sell it.

I'm still lurking with the original 16v I bought a few years back sitting on my drive waiting recommisioning....hopefully sometime before summer

You know you want to, Jon...

I've had 3 20VTs in total.

One from new a long time ago. An ink blue that went like a rocket (the missus wrecked that for me), and an ill fated Moon Grey which ate a turbo had an engine rebuild and then never had good oil pressure.

Been driving round in a 4.6L Range Rover P38 running on petrol and LPG for the last 2 years... but it is now going... 13.9mpg is not good if you never remember to fill up with gas, and only 200 miles between fill ups on either petrol or gas is pretty annoying.

Just taken delivery of a new Merc E220 to get some more sensible mileage... possibly 50+ mpg.

But now I am looking out for another coupe. Possibly a project car, as I'll be in no rush to get it rebuilt/sorted :-)

I don't think there is any car that matches the coupe for looks, fun and performance for anything near the cost of coupe ownership. I had two coupes that were rock solid reliable with reasonable maintenance, and only one that was a nightmare.

Im now on my 3rd, my first was a X reg plus with 24k on, I sold this when I got my first house, id conviced myself I could afford to keep it...though I wish id kept it

2nd was the ill fated vinci LE, that may one day live again I hope

3rd is the current LE.

Every other car iv owned after having a coupe just doesn't seem to last long, i always want another coupe, and it seems when you are coupless for a while, you see them all the time, which just reminds you even more how much you want another !!

The worst thing is seeing butchered coupes... where some barry boy has got hold of one.

There is a yellow one around these parts with a black vinyl roof, massive spoiler and black vinyl graphics on the bonnet. Shoulda stuck with jap cars

I think I'll be looking for a nice plus. Might be contentious but I never liked the 'Michael Jackson's jacket' look of the LE's leather seats :-)

Nothing contentious about a statement of fact, spookly JBT will be along shortly to explain why you're wrong, but ignore him

... as will I. Even better, try and find yourself a VT6 - rarer than an LE or a Plus. A very fine mongrel

The Moon Grey I had for 3 months was a VT6.

It would have been a keeper except for the complete lack of reliability :-)

And yet....still a mongrel Although they do come in Sprinty....

I did see it but thought those who comment do it only out of jealousy

If you are Bristol-ish I don't have your old one do I? I bought mine from Cheech in 2011.... V703 xxx. I'm just checking my old files,

Tim

Yep you're right Neil, hit the nail on the head. I've decided that I'm going to start recomissioning As soon as I get back from Dubai. Look forward to another 16v back one road

Jon

Yay!

Nope. And very lucky you are too unless its had a bottom end rebuild in the mean time.

Reg was W20**RJ

It was in superb condition. Bought through Motormech.
Only issue was that it quickly ate a turbo (fell apart internally), Motormech were great at getting it back in and sorting it out with a rebuild. But it never held decent pressure afterwards and eventually I returned it to them.
No problems with Motormech and I was gutted to have to return it, but it had a 25,000 mile donor engine and after a partial engine rebuild was getting 1.5 bar idle.
I just had a feeling that even after all the work they did on it, something in the bottom of the engine wasn't quite right.... felt like I was driving a time bomb.

Now I want another :-) I'm thinking a sprinty 20VT, 5 speed.

I think the coops are addictive and I can't see anything else on the road that I'd fancy (without spending serious wedge). This is my 3rd, newish 16v inky 10 years ago started the love affair, then a Porto 20v and now inky 20vt. Had 2 Alfa gtv's Inbetween which were nice to drive but drove me mad by constantly breaking (makes coops look very reliable).

Came back to coop as nothing else fits 4 people in has a boot and looks so good with power and designer interior!! Only wish it did more than 28mpg

Also getting quite rare on the roads, hardly seen any on the roads down here in Bristol!!

... and I thought Bristol was a Coupe hotbed!

The last time I saw a Coupe that didn't belong to me was late November (at JBT's establishment )

Ive had a few.
20vt le steel grey
20vt plus ink black
20vt plus moon grey
20vt 6 sprint blue
20vt le moddified
20vt electric blue
20v na
20vt ink black
20vt red
20vt spribt blue

Looks like you enjoy a Coupe or two (three, four, etc)

I would list all mine down Tim but I've owned more coupes than you have posts.

Is Nigel's coup you're old one??? As yours was through motormech I thought it maybe the one Nigel transplanted his sprinty engine in to??

Nick

Yeah it could have been.

Picked it up from Motormech. About a week later it starts making quite strange noises... stopped the car, had it towed home.

Called Paul at motormech and they had a guy come and pick it up to trailer it to Brum. Turbo had fallen apart. I paid for part of the cost of the replacement, Motormech covered the labour.

Two weeks later I picked the car back up, but noticed the oil pressure seemed low. Agreed to keep it a week or two and keep an eye on it... never improved... got worse if anything. It could be down to 1.5 bar at idle within a minute or two of getting up to temp... not even ragging it. Was gutted to return it. It looked pristine. But never went as well as the Inky, that had 144,000 miles on it and went like a spitfire and sounded ridiculous.

I'm selling a 4.6 V8 Range Rover. If you buy that as a second car, then the 13.9mpg I'm getting will make you feel better about your coupe.

Missed mine since the day I sold it , toying with the idea of another !

I've had a few, including the current 99 reg Turbo 5 spd which I've owned for 5 years. I do miss my old EP3 Civic Type R to be honest, which was the last new car I owned 5 years ago.
I had owned a 20VT from new and sold it after 15 months and that was also a big mistake. One day I'll learn...

Still miss my old inky 20VT almost a year after selling for an Alfa 159 2.4 SW.

Following some inlet manifold and injector issues I have spent almost as much in the first year on the 159 as I did in the almost four years of coupe ownership :-(

SW ??

I wouldn't be surprised if the cost of repairs on my Alfa Gt in the first 6 months were more than the costs for my old sprinty over 8 years.

Was it the engine in the end?

I know of at least 20 round these parts.

I'm always out and about in Custard (my yellow VIS below).

You must be on the wrong side of the tracks Mr Nobut?

I've been to Bristol. There's a right side of the tracks?

There's a "north/south of the river" divide. North of the river is obviously the place to be.

Bit like the reverse of Southampton Derek, where being South of the river (i.e the channel) is preferable to being in Southampton

15 all

Yep, bottom end rebuild. Apparently the bearings weren't original so it had been rebuilt before, despite only 29k on the clock.

Wales?

I have seen a few of these fail on the bottom ends now.
Oil pressure light comes on without warning.
I think the cause is people running them low on oil as they use alot.

Wait until Theresa sees you

Mind you, T is SERIOUSLY north of the river...

Sportwagon

I know. Estates make me cry.

My brother has had several estates, but I don't think I can ever see myself buying one.

I didn't think I would ever see myself buying an estate either, but despite the Coupes' decent sized boot it wasn't enough for a growing family :-(

At the least the 159 SW is one the 'prettier(?)' estates and the 2.4 'oil-burner' has lots of torque!! Just need to find the love for it.................

I got a Range Rover for the space... but it drinks too much. 13.9mpg is no good.

I looked at 159s. Loved my 156 2.0 TS.

Now I have bought a diesel burner too. Looks nice, but that diesel noise isn't nice after driving the rangey. That's why I'm after a coupe as a weekend car.

I think I'll stop at two kids... wouldn't want to rule myself out of 4 seaters, especially as I can't buy 2 seaters anymore.