What should I do?

[Steve Webb]

Right, nestled in the garage beneath me is a 1969 Fiat 500 in bits and in need of some welding. Its been down there for 5 years now and I need to sort out what I'm going to do with it. I got up the energy to take some pics and try and sell it whole on ebay a few weeks ago, but the interest just wasn't there in it. The final amount didn't get close to the reserve and would barely cover the cost of the machine work I had done on the engine.

So the question is should I try to sell the bits of seperately, in which case I'll lose out financially, or should I get my arse together and fix the bits of the car that need fixing and use the car as a plaything, trackdays\hillclimbs etc?

Pics of what I'm on about are here Fiat 500 pics (http://www.berlinasportivo.org/Fiat_ebay/Fiat500.php)

The car has had new sills and a complete new floor, the engine is a 650cc unit with panda 30 head, high compression, fast road cam etc, and the gearbox has been rebuilt.

[wrinx]

I think beauty (and value) is in the eye of the owner ;)

In it's current condition I fear most people would probably walk away and find a rolling restoration.

Which means you get to keep it, fix it and play with it :D

wrinx

[1NRO]

There's not a lot to 500's, get it painted up and put it together. The car I'd find hardest to sell is my 500, it's not running but no way would I sell it. Your's is in the best colour too.

[Steve Webb]

Right thats decided then, the 500 stays and I get my arse in gear and get it sorted. First step to sorting out the car collection has been completed. My Land Rover Disco is now fully registered over here. Next is to sell the Range Rover when I get back from holiday. Then its a CT (MOT) for the Q4 and then I can get my teeth into the 500 over the winter.

Well thats a plan of sorts!

[Steve Webb]

Your's is in the best colour too.

Colourwise I think I'm going to stick to the dark blue (maybe Lancia Lord Blue) and whack a thick silver stripe down the side of it.

Opinions?

[arjunior45]

If I had a car like this I'd like to convert it to the abarth version and keep it for fun. White color {like the Abarth were} is the color I prefer for these little cars. Makes them look aggressive. An old friend of mine in Italy had {probably still has} a white Abarth one with oil radiator in the front and it was a very fast little car.
If I'll manage to find a link from a guy with a modified 500 {and an Integrale} from the north I'll post it here. He has his 500 in yellow.

See this one http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fiat_500_Abarth_white_v_TCE.jpg

and these :

[1NRO]

Colourwise I think I'm going to stick to the dark blue (maybe Lancia Lord Blue) and whack a thick silver stripe down the side of it.

Opinions?

Keeping it is the only way :biggrin: The colour is THE one imo, personally I would keep it as near origional as I could with the exception of some alloy wheels of which there are many great ones to choose. Great cars for the enthusiast, there's so much available at decent money the car can with TLC be split mint.
The engine / running gear tuning bits that are available are many, a sleeper is how I see mine when I get the chance to spend money on it, sub 3 second 0-30 :eek: I keep looking at it sitting there in it's bare shell that I repanneled years ago needing about a weekends work to be ready for paint :doh: maybe it's time to dig it out and get it pushed on. The darker the blue the better methinks

[1NRO]

I quite fancy a set of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Set-4-Spoke-Abarth-Alloy-Wheels-Fiat-500_W0QQitemZ290194996637QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Car sParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item4390f83d9d

[arjunior45]

There was an dark blue color but 'metallic' one for the FIAT 130. It's the best 'dark blue' imo.

[1NRO]

That sounds like it'd be excellent, chrome and dark metallic blue, mmmmmmmm. Wonder what the code is for that?

What colour is the interior of you car Steve, black?

[Steve Webb]

That sounds like it'd be excellent, chrome and dark metallic blue, mmmmmmmm. Wonder what the code is for that?

What colour is the interior of you car Steve, black?


Hmmm, well there isn't much interior to speak of really, but the seats are black.