Good or a Bad One

I have been to look at a Coupe tonight 98S Reg with LUG at the end (SLUG!!), 466 - Portofino Blue - Met. What I wanted to get an idea of is how much I should offer or should I walk away.

Car has five previous owners, 74K on the clock, stamp service history up to 65, some receipted service history including one recently. Cam change in 2005, have receipts to proof, generally in reasonable condition for 74K, however some bed points:

1) Stone chips on the bonnet, not excesses but there, needs tidying
2) Couple of minor dents, hard to see unless light reflects across the them
3) Under bonnet, little bit of rust on bonnet scuttle panel (not serious)
4) No CD Changer
5) Bonnet does not open i.e. one person has to pull leaver, the other lifts. Once up it does stay up.
6) The engine cover has a three screws missing (thought this was a little odd
7) Rear types wearing OK, but will need replacing 2-3K
8) Driver seat is slightly worn on the side, not split (leather)
9) Rear breaks will need changing with the next 6 months, but do not appear warped.
10) Two keys, Red and Blue, no silver
11) Strange little crack on the bonnet near the fog lights, about an inch long just next to the fog light
12) few light scratches, some touch up paint on drivers door, bottom perfect match, just a rushed job.
13) Wheels need tidying, some scuff marks.

Good points:

1) All other seats in good condition, including back
2) Inside pretty clean, all buttons appear to work, including lights etc.
3) Engine sounds good, oil clean, stickers on the bonnet and plates
4) Tyres, wheel arches etc all there
5) Braking seemed good
6) No funny noises from engine
7) Strong pull around 2,500 ecs
8) Owner claims to check oil every three weeks
9) Lets the car warm up and cool down before going anywhere
10) Seems genuine person, selling as wife/girlfriend is moving to Prague
11) MOT to September
12) Service history, stamped and some paperwork, more recent (last three years)

So walk away or how much should I pay?

If private with leather and air, probably 3.5k, 4k from a dealer with warranty

They ALL have stonechips on bonnet unless freshly sprayed, scuttle panel usually rusty, CD changer wasn't standard, they can however be picked up cheaply second hand, good rear tyres will cost a couple of hundred (they may need replacing as if worn on the back, they must be quite old given the lowish mileage)...will leave someone else to answer the rest

But I thought you hated murple

Looks better in the flesh and in the sun :-) Must be a dodgy picture, no its a private sale so def be no warranty.

How easy to fix catch problem with the bonnet.

Also has an electric sun roof, assume thats an extra?!?

I think the cable goes (quite common)...need to remove grille I think

Oh and after 75k, the leather bolsters are nearly always worn, quite normal, not a bad point really

Is there anything else in that list that would worry you if you where buying the car, I reckon i could get it for 3K if I pushed, taking about 3.4k at the moment.

Or anything else I should double check? Would get the usual HPI etc stuff done to be in the safe side.

The engine cover was a strange one as well? three out of six screws missing, I am never happy as you can probably tell :-)

5 Owners OK its a 10 yr old car, but thats a fair few owners.

I would be looking at StuPs in car for sale for that budget, not something that needs a lot of body work by the sounds.

Don't know about screws...not a technical bone in my body Did you ask him?

No, forgot to, lol. Anyone have the link to StuPs car?

Do not mind spending cash to do up a car that a reasonable base to start with, more worried about paying too much for the wrong base.

StuP's

http://www.fiatcoupeclub.org/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=333733&page=1#Post333733

Thanks, I do remember looking at this one, shame you cannot put a couple on a plane and fly it too me, do not have enough time to get to Tunbridge Wells at the moment, would have to have a proper look at the Tan Leather!

http://www.fiatcoupeclub.org/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=356367#Post356367 This looks good...although there is a forum suspicion about bad luck and red ones...especially from carlt and I should know too

I was actually talking to the guy that owns this on Saturday night about this car, was originally going to see it, but then and got drag off to another location by a mate to look at an LE he had seen. Did look good from the outside and inside, but the engine made a little bit too much noise for my liking.

Back to the old question of price with the one about, missed out on a similar one that when for 4k, this one is up for 5k, a lot extra for a similar car. Still pondering, if it has not sold by the weekend, may arrange a viewing.

Sounds okay but it probably needs new wishbones soon and possibly an oil cooler as you don't mention these having been replaced.

It'll be the mileage, and it's standard, I can't comment on price on a car for sale on forum

Wishbone had been done, saw a receipt for the wishbones, around 2005 from memory. Do not recall seeing anything about the oid cooler, are these expensive to replace?

This particular car, the one above SLUG is not advertised on the forum, the owner is not a member, I did check!

£3k sounds very fair then

The oil cooler and pipes cost me £360 to replace at Powerfiat last year. It is a bit tricky to check with the undertray fitted but look for any oil from the driver side of the engine bay from the bumper back.

The only other thing actually come to thing of it, not sure if this is common, maybe hiding a issue. The fan did seem to come on a lot, car was not been driven hard, but seemed to be on more than not, was not loud or rattling, but was you could here it coming, any thoughts?

I was looking for any oil type leaks, could not spot any, but I suppose there are always going to be "standard" wear and tear items. At least if I get them replaced I know they have been done properly.

On reflection, woke up this morning to bright sunlight etc etc, and just worked out what the nigging feeling was, if the catch is broke on the bonnet, and you need two people to get it open, who is helping him so he can check the oil every 2-3 weeks?. You can bet it not his misses, lol. Going to walk me thinks, but to the search!!

How long ago did it break? You could ask him how he has been checking oil given this problem

I could, but the old brain is telling me to walk, so going to walk, too many little questions. It has been broken since he had it, i remember him telling me that!

Personally, I would find not being able to open the bonnet on my own so annoying I would have fixed it within days of buying it wonder why he didn't?

John

Exactly, not for me. Thanks for all your help and advice, better hope I do not look at another 10!

My bonnet has a mind of it's own. Very, very rareley it will open when you pull the lever.


I've mastered the one handed lift the bonnet whilst pulling the lever tecchnique but sometimes even that won't work and I have to get assistance.

I think it depends on who's looking. If it's outside and the neighbours are about you can guarantee it wont open whilst i'm going blue in the face trying my one handed technique.

If there is no one around and its on the drive it will pop open first time

BlOOdy coops

They have their own individual character :-)

Doesn't sound to me like the bonnet catch is broken. Think it's fairly typical of the coupe for the bonnet not to pop up - mine doesn't. I just use the same technique as C2D and it works every time. Applied lots of tlc, inc degreasing and regreasing, but it still doesn't pop up. Frankly it's not something I'd be worried compared to the paranoia about real problems that comes with ownership.

You can see the catch opening, the bonnet just does not spring up for some reason. The oil cooler has definetly been changed. Going to hopefully get a mechanic give it the once over, will also sort out tidying up the body work, assuming the engine is OK.

He can sort out the alloys for about £50 each to remove the scuffs, will wait and see, just busy at the moment so do not know when he will view the car

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