Posted By: JLPicard
Captains 16VT Coupe Project - 05/08/2020 11:04
Hello all, following on from my other thread I'm now all good to go for posting my Coupe project in the projects area.
Italian cars are something I've stayed with ever since being able to be in the position to get them. I've had mostly Alfas. I have a Giulietta Cloverleaf as my main car along with some others as fun cars (although they are all fun), all of which I am working on and are at differing stages. I had an Abarth Grande Punto for a short while around 3 years ago and while it was a great and probably one of the best handling cars out there due to the mega lightness of it I just didn't quite fit with it; I think it may have just been a bit too yobbish for my style, even though mine was a pure white with no decals and had white SS wheels which I had added.
I had liked Coupes ever since I saw them when I was younger (although there weren't many around my end even then and we are going back 15-20 years ago) and over the last few years had gone in and off the radar in terms of being tempted to buy one, however always ended up going for an Alfa or just decided to leave off and not do anything at and just focus on what I currently have. That all changed finally earlier this year.
My Italian specialist knows Coupes well and used to have a 16VT which I still see today as one of his customers purchased it around 5 years ago or so I believe. When I was getting more serious he told me the 16VT's are really good and I do like to go a bit different. The 20VT I know are great and maybe I'll try that version one day who knows, however I found myself more drawn to finding a nice 16VT before it is too late. I had my eyes on a metallic blue 16VT that had only done 59k, however looking at the MOT history it seemed a bit questionable due to heavy corrosion on the sills in the past and no real proof of it being repaired professionally. It had also even going back to last year been advertised on eBay, selling for around £5-6k and then getting relisted twice more. While I was quite tempted seeing it up again on Autotrader earlier this year something said to wait, so I did. It also turned out that after reading a recent thread on here about the same car it looks like it was a good move leaving it as I'm sure someone else was interested and asked about it, in which the seller after saying they would get it on the ramp then at the last moment declined to do so and got really closed about it as if to cover something bad up.
Anyway around when lockdown happened a nice very low mileage at just over 35k in red 16VT appeared for sale from a place that was more reputable. Nice spec, 2 previous owners, kept inside for the vast majority of it's life, black leather, red is the colour I like to go for mostly, sunroof which works at the moment and nice condition original 16 inch wheels which while I'll be changing still want to keep due to rarity. It was probably top end price but I figured how many other examples with mileage that low and look solid enough overall are there now? So I asked about it the day it came up in which the next day I had agreed a deal pretty much when on the phone once the lockdown eases. I got shown videos of the underneath which looked nice enough, a driving and engine idling video, the books, a big file of receipts and loads of original tax discs kept, the original Fiat tape, a scrapbook from the first owner of all the petrol station receipts and calculations and the 4 keys one of which is the now seemingly rare silver and blue key as well as the master key. Also had the original keycard.
Quite a few months later I got to go down and give it a test and have a look, while there are some parts I'll want to do just for my own peace of mind it was more than nice enough so payment was made. It did drag a bit after that as the place I got it from due to all this pandemic ended up taking too much on so at the end up to now I ended up dealing with somebody who the person who runs the place drafted in to cope with it all. Thankfully because of that as of just over a week ago I got the car delivered to me, I've got to get the blue owners folder, Fiat tape and the original 16v Turbo badges which they forgot to put in due to the rushed nature of it all, however I have got onto them and will keep on it until they are with me.
The interior looks pretty good, will likely do a bit more cleaning up/enhancing and plan to add some nice carpets too.
The engine bay looks probably about typical for it's age, it mostly needs a clean up however owning a Busso V6 and going all out painting and decorating it, I will be doing the same here in the future. That Delta Integrale derived block deserves to be made to look nice.
I've already noticed a few little flaws that I want to get on top of, the passenger side bonnet strut seems to have had a quick improvised repair in the past which means I have to be careful when having the bonnet fully up and the driver side mirror has stopped working. No doubt there's more bits but I am prepared for stuff like this.
The place I have purchased it from have arranged for the cambelt job as we agreed to be done by Midlands Car Servicing who seem a widely known and well thought of Italian Specialist which is good. They will be collecting the car but given how busy it all is I don't know when, I might message them soon just to confirm and get an idea as that is a job I want doing in the more shorter/immediate term.
In the meantime I am still planning stuff to get on with, once the space I have agreed with my specialist clears the car will be getting stored there with my others when not in use, at the moment it is at my house. Good thing is I purchased a CTEK charger a bit ago so it is plugged in and at least keeping the circulation going. I plan to clean it again soon as just after I got it the weather decided to be rubbish for a few days, typical really, especially given it had a full on valet inside and out!
I have already booked it in for an important preventative maintaince job on the 10th September at my specialist which is a full wax oiling/undersealing and also a health check to see what needs doing. With it being pretty good from the looks of it underneath best keep it that way.
Hopefully will progress with it soon, would be really nice if I had it ready enough for next year.
Italian cars are something I've stayed with ever since being able to be in the position to get them. I've had mostly Alfas. I have a Giulietta Cloverleaf as my main car along with some others as fun cars (although they are all fun), all of which I am working on and are at differing stages. I had an Abarth Grande Punto for a short while around 3 years ago and while it was a great and probably one of the best handling cars out there due to the mega lightness of it I just didn't quite fit with it; I think it may have just been a bit too yobbish for my style, even though mine was a pure white with no decals and had white SS wheels which I had added.
I had liked Coupes ever since I saw them when I was younger (although there weren't many around my end even then and we are going back 15-20 years ago) and over the last few years had gone in and off the radar in terms of being tempted to buy one, however always ended up going for an Alfa or just decided to leave off and not do anything at and just focus on what I currently have. That all changed finally earlier this year.
My Italian specialist knows Coupes well and used to have a 16VT which I still see today as one of his customers purchased it around 5 years ago or so I believe. When I was getting more serious he told me the 16VT's are really good and I do like to go a bit different. The 20VT I know are great and maybe I'll try that version one day who knows, however I found myself more drawn to finding a nice 16VT before it is too late. I had my eyes on a metallic blue 16VT that had only done 59k, however looking at the MOT history it seemed a bit questionable due to heavy corrosion on the sills in the past and no real proof of it being repaired professionally. It had also even going back to last year been advertised on eBay, selling for around £5-6k and then getting relisted twice more. While I was quite tempted seeing it up again on Autotrader earlier this year something said to wait, so I did. It also turned out that after reading a recent thread on here about the same car it looks like it was a good move leaving it as I'm sure someone else was interested and asked about it, in which the seller after saying they would get it on the ramp then at the last moment declined to do so and got really closed about it as if to cover something bad up.
Anyway around when lockdown happened a nice very low mileage at just over 35k in red 16VT appeared for sale from a place that was more reputable. Nice spec, 2 previous owners, kept inside for the vast majority of it's life, black leather, red is the colour I like to go for mostly, sunroof which works at the moment and nice condition original 16 inch wheels which while I'll be changing still want to keep due to rarity. It was probably top end price but I figured how many other examples with mileage that low and look solid enough overall are there now? So I asked about it the day it came up in which the next day I had agreed a deal pretty much when on the phone once the lockdown eases. I got shown videos of the underneath which looked nice enough, a driving and engine idling video, the books, a big file of receipts and loads of original tax discs kept, the original Fiat tape, a scrapbook from the first owner of all the petrol station receipts and calculations and the 4 keys one of which is the now seemingly rare silver and blue key as well as the master key. Also had the original keycard.
Quite a few months later I got to go down and give it a test and have a look, while there are some parts I'll want to do just for my own peace of mind it was more than nice enough so payment was made. It did drag a bit after that as the place I got it from due to all this pandemic ended up taking too much on so at the end up to now I ended up dealing with somebody who the person who runs the place drafted in to cope with it all. Thankfully because of that as of just over a week ago I got the car delivered to me, I've got to get the blue owners folder, Fiat tape and the original 16v Turbo badges which they forgot to put in due to the rushed nature of it all, however I have got onto them and will keep on it until they are with me.
The interior looks pretty good, will likely do a bit more cleaning up/enhancing and plan to add some nice carpets too.
The engine bay looks probably about typical for it's age, it mostly needs a clean up however owning a Busso V6 and going all out painting and decorating it, I will be doing the same here in the future. That Delta Integrale derived block deserves to be made to look nice.
I've already noticed a few little flaws that I want to get on top of, the passenger side bonnet strut seems to have had a quick improvised repair in the past which means I have to be careful when having the bonnet fully up and the driver side mirror has stopped working. No doubt there's more bits but I am prepared for stuff like this.
The place I have purchased it from have arranged for the cambelt job as we agreed to be done by Midlands Car Servicing who seem a widely known and well thought of Italian Specialist which is good. They will be collecting the car but given how busy it all is I don't know when, I might message them soon just to confirm and get an idea as that is a job I want doing in the more shorter/immediate term.
In the meantime I am still planning stuff to get on with, once the space I have agreed with my specialist clears the car will be getting stored there with my others when not in use, at the moment it is at my house. Good thing is I purchased a CTEK charger a bit ago so it is plugged in and at least keeping the circulation going. I plan to clean it again soon as just after I got it the weather decided to be rubbish for a few days, typical really, especially given it had a full on valet inside and out!
I have already booked it in for an important preventative maintaince job on the 10th September at my specialist which is a full wax oiling/undersealing and also a health check to see what needs doing. With it being pretty good from the looks of it underneath best keep it that way.
Hopefully will progress with it soon, would be really nice if I had it ready enough for next year.