Posted By: DaveG
DaveG's Pearl White Plus project - 21/12/2016 13:42
Any pearl white plus always seems to generate a lot of interest, and this one is no exception, and I seem almost duty bound to start a "project" thread even though all I'm planning to do at the moment is get the engine fixed.
Some of you may know that I've been around a while and have owned my Porto 20vt for nearly 20 years, it is an ex FIAT UK press car manufactured and imported to the UK in October 1996 as part of the very first batch of 20v/20vt's in the UK. I bought it at auction in February 1997 with 1700 miles on the clock, no oil showing on the dipstick and noticeably worn tyres. I suspect it was not broken in gently and after 125,000-odd miles, the smoking engine needed a rebuild, which was carried out earlier this year. I kept the original registration P452 CCF on the car for a few years, being similar to many of the cars featured in magazine articles at the time, but around about 2000 I changed it to C1 UPE.
I also bought C11 UPE at the same time, thinking that it would eventually go on a black LE, something I had been thinking about ever since I saw my first one. Over the years I went to view several examples but for one reason or another, never bought one. And then along came this pearl white plus, and I guess I thought I should make it mine. I was the only person who went to see the car, and after the ebay auction ended and the winning bidder turned out to be a waste of space, I had a few more discussions with the buyer and the rest is history.
The low compression on cylinder one was stated in the advert and I bought it knowing that I would have to spend more money straight away on getting it fixed. Despite the temptation to do it myself, I decided to let Joe at FCSS do the work.
I have no photos apart from those in the original ebay advert, so I have saved them and here are a few just for the record.
It needs some new oil cooler pipes and some other plumbing attention, plus new wiper blades. I will also upgrade the instrument panel lights, I forgot how dim the lighting is normally on the Plus dials (I have Plus dials on my Porto with upgraded bulbs). Also the gear change feels very sloppy to me, especially 2 to 3, I guess I have got used to short shift on the 5 speed Porto, but might look to put a short shift on the Plus as well.
It also needs an undertray that has been missing for over 10 years, and the coveted boot floor cargo net is missing I think, but apart from that it all seems to be complete and is in generally good condition, far from perfect, but certainly worth "saving".
I plan on keeping it standard as far as possible, but with a few useful mod's. It has dipped HIDs and I think one main beam bulb has blown. I quite like the look of the latest LED upgrades, so I may look to fit them, the headlights could do with a refurb anyway.
Comments here please - clicky
Some of you may know that I've been around a while and have owned my Porto 20vt for nearly 20 years, it is an ex FIAT UK press car manufactured and imported to the UK in October 1996 as part of the very first batch of 20v/20vt's in the UK. I bought it at auction in February 1997 with 1700 miles on the clock, no oil showing on the dipstick and noticeably worn tyres. I suspect it was not broken in gently and after 125,000-odd miles, the smoking engine needed a rebuild, which was carried out earlier this year. I kept the original registration P452 CCF on the car for a few years, being similar to many of the cars featured in magazine articles at the time, but around about 2000 I changed it to C1 UPE.
I also bought C11 UPE at the same time, thinking that it would eventually go on a black LE, something I had been thinking about ever since I saw my first one. Over the years I went to view several examples but for one reason or another, never bought one. And then along came this pearl white plus, and I guess I thought I should make it mine. I was the only person who went to see the car, and after the ebay auction ended and the winning bidder turned out to be a waste of space, I had a few more discussions with the buyer and the rest is history.
The low compression on cylinder one was stated in the advert and I bought it knowing that I would have to spend more money straight away on getting it fixed. Despite the temptation to do it myself, I decided to let Joe at FCSS do the work.
I have no photos apart from those in the original ebay advert, so I have saved them and here are a few just for the record.
It needs some new oil cooler pipes and some other plumbing attention, plus new wiper blades. I will also upgrade the instrument panel lights, I forgot how dim the lighting is normally on the Plus dials (I have Plus dials on my Porto with upgraded bulbs). Also the gear change feels very sloppy to me, especially 2 to 3, I guess I have got used to short shift on the 5 speed Porto, but might look to put a short shift on the Plus as well.
It also needs an undertray that has been missing for over 10 years, and the coveted boot floor cargo net is missing I think, but apart from that it all seems to be complete and is in generally good condition, far from perfect, but certainly worth "saving".
I plan on keeping it standard as far as possible, but with a few useful mod's. It has dipped HIDs and I think one main beam bulb has blown. I quite like the look of the latest LED upgrades, so I may look to fit them, the headlights could do with a refurb anyway.
Comments here please - clicky