LeoWyatt said:
Best to avoid then? Won't be getting one for 13 months or so, but would certainly like one in the next year or so.
Something like this a good idea
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/WW...category=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200610226884971
That looks ok, but its impossible to tell from an ad.
The big things are....
Manifolds - these crack ALL the time. It happens to all 20v coupes. The 5th branch of the manifold is very short and tight, and this makes it heat up before the rest of the manifold and can lead to cracking. Some guys in the club are on their 4th or 5th one. They can be welded quite cheap, or a specialist will replace it for ~£450. Its not the biggest problem in the world. All that it means is your car sounds tappety whilst its cold. When warmed up, the crack seals and you wouldn't know any different. Mine's been cracked for at least 6 months, and I'm in no hurry to fix it.
Clutch - Obviously this is a powerful car. After around 60-80k the clutch will start to slip, and it will just get worse and worse. I got mine replaced a few months ago for £330.
Cambelt - Actually, there have been no reports of cambelt failure within fccuk. What does happen is auxhilary belt failure. So when you change the cambelt (every 50-60k) you MUST get the aux belts and tensioners done. Check these have been changed when the cambelt was done.
Fuel Economy - I get 250 miles to a £50 tank. Some report more, others report less. But thats about a ball park average.
Squealing Brakes - The brakes on the Fiat coupe squeal. Its an ongoing problem, and the only pads which dont squeal are fiat originals (£80). The huge brembos have great stopping power, and look the nuts, but be prepared to turn the stereo up when in traffic.
Interior Climate Control Fan - There is a crappy 50p fan behind the dash which after a number of years, makes a noise. It goes once the car warms up, but its annoying.
Melted Rear Bumper - The fiat original tailpipes have a habit or rusting through where the chrome bit was welded onto the backbox. This allows exhaust gas to vent onto the rear bumper, and melts it. Its very common. A stainless jobbit will prevent this from ever happening.
Wheel Sizes - The wheels are 98pcd, and the brembos mean that only certain aftermarket alloys will fit. Otherwise spacers are required.
The Red Key - NEVER buy a car without the red key, and check it works. If your battery goes flat, your 'CODE' electronic immobiliser can forget the codes for the silver or blue keys. In this case only the Red key will start the car. If you have the red key you can reprogramme the car to acknowlege the other keys. Without it, you'll need a new electronic brain. Ouch.
Oil Consumption / Pressure - Its perfectly normal for the coupe to use up to 1 litre of oil every 1000 miles. When the car is hot, the oil pressure will go down to around 1.7bar on idle. When up to ~2000 revs, it should read 3bar.
Obvioulsy, all the other checks you should do on any car apply.
Hope these pointers help.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
) great close ratio 6speed box to play with.
Cambelt change intervals are quite short IIRC.