Well, I've taken the plunge.

Full Re-spray in solid Black, (no blue's/browns added), and the Flush filler cap I've been talking about on here. The idea being, that she has a flush rear wing, but still a top loading Aero style filler cap, recessed by just a couple of mm, to look factory finished.

The prep work starts mid week, which, because of the re-spray being black, needs to be perfect, otherwise any ding/mark will show.

Will update with Pics when completed.

Sounds interesting!

Look forward to seeing some regular updates.

Where are you getting the work done from?

Work is being done by "Burnt Mill Coachworks", in Harlow. I know the owner well, and have had previous jobs done through them.

A couple of the other fccuk members have had work done through him too. And some of his cards have been left with PowerFiat in Basildon.

Will add new pics once I have them...

Looking forward to seeing this as I have been thinking of doing the same

Did you use one of the ATL caps? I'l be interesed to see if it suits the car.

Thanks & Good luck

Al

Very similar to the ATL cap.

The cap and fittment is from Merlin Motorsport, from this range.

The idea, is the cap will be as wide as the original aperture for the original cap. The aperture is oval, so there will be a plate welded in, with some work, but the look will be a very subtly sunk aero cap, with no gaps.

Okay little update on this.

I should get her back by mid next week. Full re-spray in Black, the Black they've decided to use is straight off the shelf. My bodyshop chap has explained this black is usually mixed with other colours to create matches to other manufacturers "Blacks", but as I specified I wanted to the deepest darkest black, this is the best option.

As a little teaser, I managed to get a quick photo of the filler cap modification.

Not finished, or fitted. But you get the idea.

Clearly, it's difficult to see exactly how the finished product will look. But the caps sit perfectly flush with the rest of the body line, with softly rounded edges to the cap, to match the softly rounded edges of the cap itself. They have welded in a metal plate and brack to cover the egg shaped hole, and completed the rest with a small amount of filler.

I should have some more pics next week of the completed article. It's amazing just how much prep work goes into this, as with what they and I had thought was a car in such good condition, the number of small dints and marks they prepped up to make sure the Black looks perfect is incredible.

As a bonus, they are also prepping and sorting the slight corrosion on the Alloy parts too (B pillar, Wing mirror carriers, etc). I've asked that once prepped, they should keep these factory finished, in that Satin Black colour.

Do you not think it would be nice to match the satin bits to the same glossy black?

Y'know, I was toying with that idea. But after I did a photoshop I decided against. It looked a bit "too much". And somehow the Coop lends itself well to being broken up a little with the satin finish on these parts.

It's difficult to be more descriptive, but I felt it was heading towards colour coded hub caps, and coloured wiper arms, in terms of styling.

TBH what I'm trying to aim for is a modern equivelant of what Fiat styled in the 90's with the Coupe, and to somehow bring the style right up to date. The LED rear lights, the flush filler cap, the de-seamed rear light recesses, LE skirts, and Zender Front bumper, with de-badged bonnet, all in deep, pure black....

What sort of price will all this be coming in at?

i'm going to put my guess at £1900

£2.6k

£950

I have to be honest. I think changed the fuel filler cap is a bad mood. Think it looks chavvy. I'll wait for the final pictures but just my feeling at the moment.

Ross

p.s. i'll guess £2200

£1.8k is the cost.

Whether that's high or low, I'm not sure. But I know the work is going to be top notch, and he's one of the few people I'd trust with the Coupe.

As you said yourself, wait and see the end result, before you make your mind up on that, I think you'll be surprised just how subtle the changes will be, and just how subtle the final outcome will look.

Less is always more....

Does that mean i win a prize for coming closest?

Sure, I have an old slightly corroded spare filler cap going for grabs.....

seems a fair price for a decent job. as its going to be a complete colour change what areas are not included?

I'd pay 2k for just a straight same-colour respray as long as it was a very, very good finish. Waiting to see the final result. I travelled the entire length of the country looking for the right coupe, so don't mind doing the same for the right respray.

It's funny, I think the filler cap is beautiful. I know that sounds a bit odd to say the least, but it's a really distinctive feature of the car for me. And, as such, I'd never tamper with it.

I remember thinking it when the car came out. It was so over the top, so "un-neccessary", to design the cap like that. It was lauded by the press, too, I recall. "Typical Italian flair/ eccentricity" blah blah. Yet, amongst it's competitors at the time, the car did have some truly stand out features - the OTT filler cap amongst them. Even now I get a peverse pleasure from looking at it.

But then I am a Coupe-anorak, and constantly bang on about about "keeping them orig" so......as per usual.....I'll get me coat

Only underneath the interior carpet. The rest is included in the price. I've asked for a factory finish with this too. So he's going for a less glossy coat for under the bonnet, under the boot lid, and in the boot area itself, and gloss elsewhere. To give an example of how extensive the job is, they've removed the (Mariusz) LE side skirts, and are spraying behind them, and then filler spraying and spraying the side skirts too.

This is a "doors and bonnet off" job, in order to get the best result.

I've gone down the 'trying justify the cost' route. But decided that, I just wanted to treat myself!

Without the work, she's been a superb car. The body shop have been around her with a fine tooth comb, and said the only corrosion is on the wing mirror plates, (which they are repairing as part of the work). And the rest of the car is as straight as an arrow.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that not only will she mechanically spot on, but now also have a body to match. (Interior is like a new Coupe, Rog at Powerfiat could believe the condition inside...).

When I first started work on the exterior of the car, I considered sticking to the original spec for a while. But for me, (and this could leave me a bit burnt for the flaming ;)), the Coupe never looked totally finished off. Sure, the styling is dramatic, and from some angles the car is achingly pretty, but (as standard), IMO from other angles, the ride height is a little too high, the standard wheels should have been 17/18 inch, not 15 inch, the wheels sit too far in the rear arches, the filler cap is too retro for the modern styling of car, and so on.

That sounds like I don't think the Coupe's a good looking car as standard. But I don't mean it to sound that way. I think the Coupe as standard is one of the prettiest cars money can buy. But those touches (for me) to finish the car off nicely is all that's need to make a good looking motor, drop dead gorgeous.

Maybe this could be classed as light plastic surgery for the Coupe? As long as I don't end up with a Michael Jackson of the Coupe world, I'll be happy.

Well, each to their own. At least what you're doing is not straying too far from the original...

It's when people start adding spoilers, skirts, pillars etc that I begin to really struggle.

And yes, "achingly pretty". It is. Caught at the right angle(s), right light, right setting - drop dead fccking gorgeous.

A photographer's paradise, too....

Indeed.

In fact I'm starting my own petition against putting spoilers on the Coupe. The smoother the better.

Ok.

Then I am the founder member.

Spoilers is a good start

Me again

is this a special price for you or would this be the cost for anyone that wanted similar?

and are you doing the dash and door strips gloss black too?

This is a special price.

And yes, everything is being correctly painted, including the dash and door strips.

Engine bay....?

Yep, Engine bay too.

In summary, every part is being resprayed, except for underneath the cabins carpet. So that includes in a Satin type finish (as per factory finish):

Engine Bay & Underside of Bonnet
Boot Floor, and sides & Underside of Boot lid

In the Gloss finish:

Doors and Bonnet are off, and with removed door cars, etc.
Rest of the standard body, including removal of the side skirts, and spraying these separately.

Bumpers Front and rear are removed and sprayed separately too.

The front bumper and skirts were from Mariusz, and have some small imperfection, due to the gel coat on the fibreglass, these have been prepped up prior to spraying. The rest of the car, (I though was in A1 condition has also been prepped up, smooth out all the small door dings and stone chips etc).