just wondering if anyone can give me hand with a few isues ive had checking out coupes. sorry about the long boring post

ive so far been to too see 2.on the first the clutch seemed to engage fairly high. i presume this means clutch wear as ive had not had much expierience with hydraulic clutches. i tried the test of booting it at 50mph in 4th and it semed ok . however the boot looked liked it had been resprayed with a slight crease either side which put me right off. it had a full fiat history with cam belt by fiat but no receipt for the work just the stamp with cambelt done written next to it. also no stamp for the last service as the owner said they didnt have the stamp available on the day?!? was up for £4995 65k 99T-reg

the second one i saw on saturday at a garage i was driving past. didnt get a chance to test drive it as the garage was closing up for the day. i did run it on idle for about 20mins tho and tested the clutch on the forecourt. The car was up for £4495, R reg, 72k. it had the rusty tail pipe with a hole near the join and abit of water to touch at the hole. clutch agin seemed high. it also had a damp patch just below the engine head. is this a sign of head gasket probs? the garage owner also said the cam belt had not been done, and there was no receipt for it even tho it had a fiat service last year at 61k. looking at the alt belt it looked fairly new. im presuming fiat woud have suppied a full receipt for a big job like the cam belt? same for the 1st car?

basically if im intending to spend £4500>£5000 on a coupe 20vt is this the kind of examples i will be looking at or have just been unlucky. very little paperwork for both cars it seemed. my last car was a clio 16v and i kept any paperwork i got. even receipts for oil filters etc. im really after a black one but im starting to open myself to more colours.

thanks in advance, mike

Hi funkers,

My advice is if possible, buy from a forum member or from a specialist garage.
Another good place to look is the private ads in the Auto Italia magazine. There is a promising one for sale in the current issue ATM. PM me for details if you can't get the mag.
Some members might not like it, but I would avoid modded cars unless the vendor will put the car back to standard and you're happy that the mods haven't comprimised the durability of the car. Having said that, a strut brace or brake/exhaust improvements are a good thing. Real enthusiasts keep all their paperwork and you should be looking for a car with a sheaf of bills. At your price range, you should find a really good car with plenty of history. Having had a few of the big items (clutch,cam-belt,manifold, turbo)done within the last couple of years is also a big bonus. They all seem to go between 50,000 and 100,000 miles.
I'd keep your colour options a bit wider than just black or you might have a long search. Personally, I wouldn't buy a car without aircon. They are a bastard in the summer without it and you'll find it hard to sell on.Leather is great but you can always add it afterwards(as with a sunroof). Aircon is not a viable retro fit.
Take somebody from here with you(there is a list of members willing to help posted on the forum)or take a mechanic you can trust if you're not buying from a garage and getting a warranty.
I hope this is of some help
Good luck in your search
AlanW

cheers for the speedy reply alan. as i said colourwise im now going for black, racing green and the dark red like yours. i know what you mean about the bills and receipts. shows basic car care to me. could you PM the detail of the one in the mag. will take a look.

Main prob for me is i work unusual hours with a lot of weekends which makes viewing cars quite difficult. the girlfriend also moans when i ask her to take me to one i like the look of as my old car is off the road

I would say that rushing in is a bad idea, as you will find what you want eventually.

Looks like you are doing the right thing by looking at different cars, as it gives you some contrast.

Also look at the guides on this site, as they are useful.

I would say the most important is that it is mechanically sound, as cosmetics can be corrected, and its generally cheaper.

Set yourself must have (e.g red key/service histroy etc) and don't buy it unless it has them

Happy hunting

Hi Mate
don,t know if you interested but i am selling my Coupe, a 1997 Portofino Blue , 84000 miles FSH.

Forgot to add ,i am in Essex and the car fits all the above criteria except maybe the colour.

Clutch coming in high up the pedal is normal - even with a brand new clutch. So as long as there are no symptoms of clutch slip, that wouldn't bother me. Agree though that a full set of paperwork is a good thing to look for. I'd assume that a car hasn't had a cambelt unless there's documented proof - anyone can scribble next to the service stamp! Oily marks on block can be rocker cover gasket weeping - head gasket problems are rare. I would check the dipstick for dark, gunky oil or no oil - they do consume a bit & many lazy owners don't top them up often enough. Maybe worth getting an AA or RAC inspection?

thanks for the advice people. been a big help. cheers for the offer vinny. sounds good but im after black, red and green. cheers anyway

Funkers, I have been busy looking for a car for another forumer for a few weeks now, and can happily say there appears to be some dogs out there. I think the best peice of advice I could give you is just bide your time, don't rush into the first car you see thats in your colour or spec, as you may view it thinking thats the one and miss all the bad points.

Also, peoples perception of a mint car appears to vary hugely, ie one person mint could be another persons dog.

But bide your time, do thorough research and you'll get one evantually

Searching long and hard will pay dividends, and will enable you with valuable knowledge in the process. So when you do come across the right one, you will know it.

Check out the coop for sale section..

good luck

Maybe another option is to get your self along to a meet and have a look at various coupes - also try to see if one of the LONG term owners members can go and have a look/drive etc.