Fiat Coupe Club UK

Remember the first time?

Posted By: Anonymous

Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 16:19

How good is the drive home after buying a coop?
Collected mine on Sunday during a Biblical rainstorm (does it always rain like that in the Midlands Bezzer?!). Once I got clear of that though my grin reached Blair-esque proportions as I swept down the M40.

Consider the fact that my previous commute (10 mins on a bike), meant that I had no real need of a decent motor and was thus driving a 10 year old Mondeo (with all the handling and performance of a blamange), and you get an idea of my enjoyment levels!

Marvellous.
Posted By: JimO

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 16:21

Who's did you buy, not that old red rust bucket, if you did your avatar is wrong, but that will be the least of your worries

Only joking, hope you enjoy it
Posted By: bockers

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 16:40

You want to go karting on e twin engine rattler. The Coupe feels sooo smooth afterwards. I remember my first drive of a Coupe. I just had to buy it so my bargaing skills dissapeared
Posted By: bezzer

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 19:53

Glad you're happy with it Ian

Only 2 of my 3 children were crying when you drove it off my drive
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 20:49

Wonderful experience driving my first one home from Aylesbury (where I collected it) to Epsom in 1999.

Didn't take it over 60MPH once as she was a spanker.

This was the first real high performance car I had at that point.

Speed Red, Tan Leather, Sunroof and Aircon, a real mini-Ferrari!

£4,500 off list price as it was imporeted from Belgium, so a bargain until I found out it was a '98 model
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 21:09

Well I will never forget the trip back from buying mine, as a few of you know I got it out of auction. For reasons I cant remember we decided that I should drive my old car back, and my responsible 50something friend should take the coop carefully home, with me following closely in case of any problems.


Well that was the plan, but as soon as we got on to the M6 it shot off and I got boxed in and never saw it again till I was back at the pub.

Questioning him when we were back he assured me that it drove spot-on and everything was fine apart from some cabin rattles, then he said
'the speed it gets to 100 is amazing'
with me then saying, 'you were doing 100 in it! '
followed by '100? I got up to 130 , incredible car!'


Posted By: pinin_prestatyn

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 21:11

Ah, I recall that on the journey back from purchasing the coop, on the M56, a NSX came right up my Chuff. I moved over and then floored it. The sound of the coop and then the honda coming on V-Tec made me grin like a loon!
Happiest day with my coop I think. But there were plenty to come!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 21:17

Dad drove mine home as Churchill stitched me up! I was in my clio. About 3 miles from home in the country lanes where I live (Some of you have been on them at the BucksBerks meet) dad pulled over and let me drive it! The smell, the feel the power the noise! God I am smiling at the moment just thinking about it!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 21:27

I bought mine in Cardiff during the FA cup final. What it did mean though was a nice long drive home and fairly empty roads. It was just incrdible. I took A roads to my brothers house in Gloucester and just couldn't get over how quick it was. At one point i over took 7 cars in a row going up a hill (about a mile long) and the buzz was unreal.
The first time is always the best. Wish i had mine back when i think of things like that
Posted By: Begbie

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 21:35

Quote:

How good is the drive home after buying a coop?




I don't know, mine came home on a flat bed
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 21:42

I picked mine up from Salisbury...gently along a few nice country roads and then slowly along the A303 just getting a feel of it on unfamiliar roads...started to open it up a bit on the A34 though...including a very scary moment when, having overtaken a few cars at 80-90 I had an A4 right up my aris who wouldnt go away and I couldnt (and didnt want to!) move inside...so eventually floored it, only to come round a sweeping curve to see 2 police cars with flashing lights sat in a lay-by...looked down at the speedo to see 120+...Whoops!!!...luckilly I think they already had their prey...but I think I was quite slow the rest of the way home (although I don't remember seeing the A4 again!)

Think I got home, sat down for about 8 seconds and then went straight out again to open her up on some of the country roads around here I know a little better.

I miss that car
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 21:49

Ah the memories, we bought ours in Bradford, cash in hand with MrsF ready to dial 999 whilst sat in her car if it went pear shaped. Deal went fine, car at a very good price and the hpi check done before cash was exchanged, phew.

Off we went, gently at first with MrsF riding shotgun in case of problems. By the time we were on the M62, I reckoned all was well and entered test pilot mode all the way back to our local pub grinning like a loon. MrsF arrived a wee while later asking where the F did you go, bloody maniac. Answer - well love it was that Porsche, I just had to give it a go and, well, I just kept going.

MrF
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 21:52

I bought mine from ooooooooop North back in Feb from Munchkin.

Had to then drive from Manc down to Cardiff in the Snow LOL.

Loved it though!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 22:36

My mate took me to see mine in his r5 turbo, i did'n tell him what i was viewing, got there first words from him "oh my god" followed by "what is it", so anyway after testing it etc.... Gave the money over and then came the drive home he thought his r5 turbo was quick, down the motorway left him standing , to end the story we popped into the pub when we got back and spent most off the time glaring at the beast and giggling
Posted By: barnacle

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 23:41

So I have just bought probably the first coupe in London - lord knows I've waited long enough for Pininfarina to build the damn thing. There's me, and there are a couple of demos around. No-one's seen one before.

So I drive home, from Crawfords in central London to East Finchley. I'm sitting at the lights, front of the queue, rather enjoying the attention

And some git pulls up alongside in a brand new Ferrari 355 and just grins at me...

Neil
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 23:53

With the first one: I drove about 60 miles to pick it up. Got on the motorway and opened it up and watched my missus in the Punto Sporting go backwards very quickly. Queue manic grinning and cackling. Didn't touch the stereo for weeks.

With the second one: Got the bus eight miles to the owner's house, handed over the wad of cash, saw him in the RVM looking sad as I drove it off. Showed respect by driving it out of his drive like I was Driving Miss Daisy, then gunned it as soon as she was properly warmed up. Went through the whole smiley/laughing out loud thing all over again.

Got it back and worked out a jobs list to bring it up to the condition I wanted it to be in. I'm nearly there - but there's always something else ain't there?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 05/10/2006 23:59

I remember when i drove mine the first time. It was a year before i actually owned. I had never been in a car that, at 90mph, when you dropped a gear into 4th , went like stink!!! Still remember the following 60mph all the way back to the guys house laughing and smilin all the way home!!

Ross
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 00:21

Thats the only thing I didnt get a stiffy about was the power

I came from a 300+bhp MR2 Turbo LOL. I actually when test driving thought it was fairly slow.

Still feels fast. But I know the feeling of buying a fast car for the first time
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 01:20

Ah man, this is driving me crazy, Gnarls Barkley style
Posted By: GraemeC

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 01:53

Bought mine on a Saturday and the garage said they'd give it a full service and valet it and I could pick it up on the Wednesday night

Work at the time was manic and my boss suggested I call the garage and offer them £150 for someone to drive the car from Sheffield to Halifax where I was working

Just the thought of some 18 year old grease monkey test pilot thrashing my new (well, 21k) coupe across Peak District A roads

I politely told the boss where to go and headed off with the girlfriend in her Clio. Picked her up (really shiney and clean ) and out on the A roads, booted it once she was warm and just didnt stop


The girlfriend was about 3/4 of an hour behind me getting home, and yes, I got a good kicking, but it was well worth it!

5 1/2 years later, just getting into the coupe still puts a smile on my face, I just love the whole interior, feel, performance, looks, everything
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 02:02

My first drive was tentative to say the least, i was coming from a 1 litre Suzuki Swift. The steering was heavy and i was too scared to floor the throttle incase the car went off out of control.

The second drive (once i had paid for it) was much better.

First off she didnt have much fuel so i pulled intot the local shell and got my first experience of the looks people give u when they see the coop.

Then a nice long drive down the M27 with a Cheshire cat grin all the way and a burst of adrenaline everytime i floored the throttle.
Posted By: adder58

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 02:09

My engine blew up within 20 mins of picking it up It was another 3 months (after new engine and running in) before I could have my 1st proper drive then I thought it was not that quick, the turbo didn't feel right. Took it to thames fiat who changed a sensor then Holy cow . it was worth the wait
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 02:12

Well I'm just approaching two years of ownership, having committed the cardinal sin of Coupe buying and bought the first one I saw....on Ebay....without seeing/driving it first !!!!

I picked it up from a guy in Swansea and then had to drive it back along the M4/A34 all the way to Hampshire. I must admit that I took it fairly easily, but still managed to enjoy the performance. When I got it home and checked out the suspension and brakes, I was glad that I had taken it so easily, as they were totally knackered . Fortunately, I'd bought it as a project anyway, so this just gave me an excuse to buy Bilsteins, Eibachs and a host of other bits !

Since then, I haven't stopped buying bits until just recently, when I suddenly realised how much I was spending (especially after the engine rebuild ). Still, the project is now virtually finished....well, maybe just a few more bits and bobs !

Phil
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 02:16

Quote:

Still, the project is now virtually finished....well, maybe just a few more bits and bobs !

Phil




Hopefully you won't be selling to start your next project?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 02:22

Nope, hopefully I will be using my normal tuning budget to enjoy lots more track days in the Coupe next year (as long as I don't blow it up again !) .

Phil
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 02:24

Being the owner of a kitted out and chipped Mondeo ST24 and previously having had a couple of RS2000's and Mexicos (including at one stage a cossie RS500. My missus decided that she wanted a different car to the clio she was driving.

We went looking for something different and came across a 16v na green coupe. She liked the look of it, took it for a drive and decided that it was the car she wanted. Having bought it and driven it for a couple of days, she said that it was too small, and too low to the ground for her and that she wanted to sell it. Needless to say, I now have the coop, she is driving around in a Brava 1.8 and I have just sold the ST24 and seriously thinking about buying a 20vt.

The amount of looks i get whilst driving plus when filling up at petrol stations is unbelievable, and the fun of driving it is much better than my ex ST24.

Gonna be coops for the rest of my driving years or until i find something that will put an even bigger manic grin on my face
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 02:27

Quote:

Needless to say, I now have the coop, she is driving around in a Brava 1.8 and I have just sold the ST24 and seriously thinking about buying a 20vt.

The amount of looks i get whilst driving plus when filling up at petrol stations is unbelievable, and the fun of driving it is much better than my ex ST24.

Gonna be coops for the rest of my driving years or until i find something that will put an even bigger manic grin on my face






Good Man!
Posted By: darmtb

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 07:09

Quote:

Well I'm just approaching two years of ownership, having committed the cardinal sin of Coupe buying and bought the first one I saw....on Ebay....without seeing/driving it first !!!!
Phil





I bought mine kinda like that September '05. It was from a guy on here, it was posted for sale on here, ebay and auto trader.
I had been after one for over 3 months and I had a good feeling about this one, Ink black with tan leather, air-con and no sunroof and 67k on the clock.

I got lots of pics and info about the car from the owner from phone calls and emails and I decided to wait till the auction was up on ebay.
It didn't sell !! and I had the highest bid (but not enough bidding to raise the price!)
I rang the owner an hour after the auction ended and offered to buy once I got a test drive!

Flew over to Leeds from Ireland with my Dad, HPI check was A-ok, all the paper work from new, all the orginal manuals, 3 keys, 2 fobs and the clarion remote was all with the car!

I felt tight and good on the test drive, everything worked fine and after 3 months on here, I had a good idea what to look for, even though it was the first Coupe I looked at, test drove and seen in the metal before

The manifold needed changing, but there was a lot of work already done on the car, so I didn't mind that.

I bought it, drove it to Holyhead for the car ferry home and on the 400+ mile trip home from Leeds, it used only the same tank of petrol I got in Leeds! The oil and water never moved!
Cruised home most of the way at 70 including a few sprints, especially 120 leptons on Holyhead at 12.30 am! and there was me thinking I was getting near the ton, until I looked at the speedo heading past 120

13 months on, I have the manifold done and replaced the radiator and coolant bottle at the same time.
The only major part I had to replace the was steering rack, because of completely and utter seized tracking rod .
But that's all I had to do apart from a thermostat and dump valve (Both of which I did myself, thanks to the guides on here ) and servicing.
It starts up first go, I still have a good feeling about it and I'm nearly always getting asked "What is it?" as there isn't many around in Ireland
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Remember the first time? - 06/10/2006 12:23

i picked mine up from a place 40 miles or so away from home, expecting a great run home - 5 miles later, stood at side of m42 with a pipe blown off
anyway, once it was fixed it's been the drive of my life, never once have i regretted it since despite an avalanche of bills since.......
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