A year after I bought my Fiat Coupe 20VT and I’m finally getting the bodywork sorted. There’s nothing major that needs doing, but when you live with something day in day out, you tend to start noticing only the blemishes. Particularly when there are so many on my car. I swear the Fiat has body panels so thin that they bend if you so much as look at them in the wrong way. So, there are two dents on the bonnet to be sorted, plus the two bumpers are being sprayed as they have faded ever so slightly and don’t quite match the body colour (most people can’t see the difference, but I can and it annoys me). Then there’s the passenger door which has been liberally dented and some friend of humanity has keyed it all the way along the rear quarter panel, not forgetting the trolley scratch all along the rear wheel arch. The boot is in need of some lacquer repair. Then there’s the driver’s side door, which as moved slightly on its hinge and doesn’t fit true at the top of the frame (meaning I get soaked every time I go to the car wash), not to mention the significant trolly dent and scratching and a further dent on the rear wheel arch.
Most of this stuff has been done since I bought the car, and not by me I hasten to add. Basically, if you park your car in any car park you can expect it to get twatted by ignorant muppets who have no concept of driving skill and no respect for anyone else’s property. Needless to say, my car shall be a car park virgin from henceforth. And just in case my neighbours feel it’s appropriate to bash my beloved coop (you know who you are Mr. Green Fiesta driver – and I know who you are as your green paint is all over my door), I shall be investing in a car cover. This may make me look like a pretentious git, but I don’t care.
The bodywork is costing £760 all in, which I feel is very reasonable indeed. And, the chap has offered to refurbish the alloys for me for a further £165. I may well take him up on that in the future. I’d like to make them a little darker – it will be the only area where I may venture away from keeping it 100% original.
I have considered selling the car, but frankly I love it too much. The acceleration is just insane, and I love being able to leave the Beemers, GTis and Type-Rs behind. Plus, did you ever see a better looking car? Not often.
Great review! I just got mine yesterday and it is a gem. the previous owner rebuilt the engine and also with new clutch and stuff. It was a bold move as it is now our sunday car. We wanted an Alfa before getting the Lexus but the reliability was just an issue. I am here on the other side of the planet (Hong kong) and according to the Fiat club here, there are only about 7 20V turbos in Hong Kong. Being a proud new owner, I am planning to repaint the car after summer here.
Happy motoring!
Good read that dave. just one thing i thought to mention is taking a coupe through a car wash is a big no no, the paint is far to thin for that mate. wash the beast by hand and polish it when dry. CAR WASH BAD, HAND WASH GOOD, POLISHING EVEN BETTER.
I have owned a 1999 20v turbo LE steel gray for two months now, best car for under 5,000 grand IMO.
Richard.
You’re not wrong mate. But, on account of the fact the bodyshop took several attempts to match the paint, my coop now basks under a rich thick layer of paint that you probably couldn’t scratch if you wanted to! Seriously – some woman backed into me the other day and drove off with a huge dent in her bumper – not a mark on the Fiat!
Very good review mate! This Car is indeed a modern classic. I reside in Dubai, probably a city with the most exotic cars in the planet. Given this fact my Fiat Coupe 20VT Ink Black is a head turner even today. There are just probably only 20 Coupes in the dubai and rest of UAE. Polish it with a Maguiar once a month and this Baby shines throughout.
I wish we had Fiats out here I havent seen many but they are such cool cars I dont get it
Where did you go to get the respray done. £780 seems v reasonable.
Jill, it was a place in Crewkerne, but I don’t feel able to recommend them – the experience was not a good one. I think they underquoted me for the job.
It’s a father and son business. The father is lovely and a talented chap, the son not so much. They had taken on too much work and ended up delivering the car back to me at 11pm at night. It looked fine under the lighting in the workshop, but when I got up the next morning I saw that the colour was ages off. They took it back and resprayed the entire car, and it looked fabulous when finished, but they missed loads of deadlines getting there, and on one occasion when I phoned to check on progress the son called me a f***ing w***er. As with all things in life, you get what you pay for.
hey there interesting page do you have any pics and about what you said:
“I have considered selling the car, but frankly I love it too much.”
that is the perfect reason not to sell it keep and and im sure in a few years you wont regret it youl be able to say the car i have instead of the car i used to have and wish i still did
Rui, I have to agree that the Coupe is a ‘modern classic’. You do have to be careful with the paintwork though (maybe the only downside of owning the car!) and I would definitely recommend avoiding car washes. And David, you made the right decision by not selling- the Coupe is definitely one to hold onto!