Hi all,

I'm in the market for a new (used!) car and after a lot of thought have settled on a Fiat Coupe.

I was originally looking to purchase one that needs little or nothing done to it however from a cashflow point of view I'd rather buy one that needs a little work done and spread the cost of repair.

With that in mind then, the following ad for a 1996(P) FIAT Coupe 20v Turbo is listed on Autotrader:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201015356835528/

I should add then I'm not unrealistically looking for a bargain and fully expect to plough more money in (particularly given the suspiciously low price).

On calling them it appears to be taxed & MOT'd and they claim that it is mechanically sound (implying it isn't cosmetically?). There's a partial service history but no suggestion of cambelt change. They have a red and silver key. Other than that they didn't realy give much away.

I may well just end up biting the bullet and spending more money up front for one already in good condition however I was hoping for the opinions and advice of those 'in the know' before I proceeded either way.

Fire away !

Cheers,

Glen

Hi mate, welcome to the forum. I'd say it might be worth a look, but be very cautious. Let's just say it needs belts and perhaps oil cooler and pipes. There's about 700 quid straight off the bat. Then factor in a full service, maybe some new discs and pads, some body work etc and you'd have been much better off spending 2 grand on a fully sorted coupe with a full history.

There are one or two nice coupes for sale on here at the moment.

Good luck

I wouldn't bother, buying a bargain that needs some love, could mean a full engine rebuild if you don't know the car and this could land you a whopping great bill on day 1. If you want to spread the cost, have you thought of just a short term loan, 6 months or similar and then buy one from here that is known what you are buying!

Well, if the car is local to you then there's no harm in taking a look. But the thing is, you can pick up a decent 20vt for 2 grand these days. So why would you want to risk it with an el cheapo one with sketchy history and needing some work which might end up being "a lot" of work?

Hi Pal

Take a read of THIS before spending any money.

If you are seriously interested is coupe ownership, get yourself down to THIS event this Saturday.
It's near to you and you can ask as many questions as possible.

If I were you I'd buy mine, it needs nothing.

What's going on with the interior, the dash strip has been removed and not put back correctly, id be asking why.....factor in the possible state of the mechanics...too many 'what ifs' IMO.....

Thankyou all for your advice, I appreciate the help. We can chalk this one up as a victory for common sense then as I won't be taking any unnecessary gambles !

Paul - I'll PM you shortly :-)