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Author Topic: Fiat Coupe - Any experience, knowledge, pros/cons out there?  (Read 2538 times)
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betabuoy
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« on: January 07, 2023, 01:23:16 PM »

Happy New Year Beta Team!

A bit off topic but vaguely Beta related, my son is looking for a reasonably fun practical classic and has started to question me on the Fiat Coupe. 

He loves my Beta Coupe, but is looking for something more modern and my copy of the lovely 'Bialbero' book gives some detail on the Fiat Coupe; it covers development, including spec, from Lampredi 16v to the later more common 20v including turbo but I know little more.  It looks like a next generation Beta Coupe, and if I was in my 20s again I'd be sorely tempted too.  Yes, I know you could possibly have more fun in an MX5, MR2 or RX8 (they're the other cars he's mentioned so far) but what about the 1995 onwards Fiat Coupe?

I'd love to hear some views, experience - even let me know if you know of a good one for sale!

Chris

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1979 Beta Coupe S2FL (1st registered May 1983!)
1967 Morris Minor Traveller
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Neil-yaj396
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1979 1300 Coupe


« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2023, 12:36:03 PM »

Tim Weston is your man on here Chris. He's had a 4 cylinder one for years. I think he bought it one day and drove to Turin in it the next......
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chrisc
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« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2023, 04:02:44 PM »

I looked at them a while ago when they were still relatively plentiful and the classic issues of parts availability hadn't really emerged. The negatives I remember from then were that the crowded engine bay makes maintenance difficult, and that the double skinned bonnet made minor repairs to stone chips difficult.

The positives.. obviously the styling inside and out. The driving experience - one of those cars where from the first drive it communicates how it'll behave.

Autocar had a small buyers guide in April 22 edition - it's on readly
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HFStuart
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« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2023, 08:53:30 PM »

Chris, remind me of your address and I'll post over my roadtest compilation. It covers all of them.

If he buys a 4 pot have a look at the gearbox,  it's the Beta box, even on the Turbo!
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betabuoy
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« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2023, 04:19:09 PM »

Thanks chaps for your replies. 

Good tip to grab Tim's experience, thank you Neil; nothing heard yet but I know he's a busy man. 
And no joy finding the Autocar review yet Chris but I need to try harder.
Stuart - I've pm'd you my address for road tests... that'll be perfect.

Thanks all.

Chris
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1979 Beta Coupe S2FL (1st registered May 1983!)
1967 Morris Minor Traveller
1925 Austin 7 Chummy
WestonTB
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« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2023, 11:10:47 PM »

Hi Chris,
I am very biased, like Neil said, in 2014 I paid £800 for a cat C (declared in 2006... think it got hit by a super tanker or something like!) , the best version in my book, 16v N/A.

Picked it up in Newcastle on a Friday, pretty sure I was at the top of the Stelvio on the Wednesday am!, absolutely fantastic car, 2500 miles in 5 days, no adverse tyre wear , obviously a good cat C repair, drove it from Imola to Dunkerque in one hit.

Pretty sure I will never sell it as it it a logical successor to the Beta, but it does not handle as well due to the 'cheap'/modern? rear suspension set up., where I can hit a comfortable 60mph on an apex in the Beta Coupe, the Coupe Fiat will practically fall off trying to keep up, but not much can keep up with a Beta as we know when they are driven to their potential.

Construction of the Fiat is first class, mine has almost no rust to be interested in at all and was my daily from 2014 until 2020, largely living outside, North facing!

The 16v N/A strangely drinks more oil than the 16v turbo, pretty sure the owners manual says 0.7ltr pr 1000km  which is high & the reason not many 16v N/A's survive as 'normal' (ignoramus) people don't pay attention to the consumption then blame the engine destruction on something else.

Not really had to do any major work other than a starter motor re-furb, stainless cat back exhaust with a silencer removed now making the nicest Lampredi note Smiley , oh and deleted the balance shaft belt as I could not find a bearing for it so my skilled mechanic mate copied the Guy Croft idea & I would say the engine sounds and goes better for it.

Buy one now before prices kick, all models are good, we also have a mk1 mx5, very charming but I would pick the Fiat over it every time.

Cheers,
Tim.
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