Fiat Coupe

[pompei]

A few years ago when I was flush, I bought a 20v turbo coupe which had been cosseted by its previous owner and which now only gets occasional use. It still only has 60 something thousand miles and I am thinking of bringing it into everyday use. Problem is the fuel consumption and I do a high annual mileage. Is there any reason why an LPG conversion should not be the answer?

[Guest]

I do not know anything about LPG, but just want to say that the 20v Turbo is a rocking car. I had one from 97 to 2002, and wish I had kept it. Alas, I saw it on the internet last year, and, judging by the photos, it has fallen into the hands of some Barry the Chav Max Power dickhead.

[skattrd]

To keep the performance of the car you will need a high end multi-point system to be fitted, which I would expect to cost around £1500. You will then loose considerable boot space for the tank, unless you fit a small tank, which would give a small range meaning you'd be constantly be looking for stations to fill up.

I'm not sure how the Fiat 20v engines are with lpg, but some engines don't like it, some research on this may be necessary.

[Spiny Norman]

Faced with that choice I think I'd buy a cheap Diesel shitter to take the strain and keep the Coop for high days and holidays. These things can only go up in value if they're kept nice.

[Barry Cade]

Faced with that choice I think I'd buy a cheap Diesel shitter to take the strain and keep the Coop for high days and holidays. These things can only go up in value if they're kept nice.

 

 

^^Yup.

[nigel bickle]

Mrs B commutes 100 miles each way, every day, in one of these. At (or around!) the normal speed limits, it seems to return 34-37mpg.

 

We too did those sums -and decided to stick with it, as is. She loves the car, costs of similar replacement or the potential lpg install outweigh the probable benefits -even for her mileage.

 

Frankly -its pretty cheap performance motoring.

 

I use the similar tiddler (16v -n/a) and the mpg is a little better, but no more. Outright performance doesnt really concern me,(I use a sports m/cycle for that) but I miss that lovely grumble & higher spec interior.

 

We keep a 20v n/a in Calais (I work over there regularily) and I reckon that one is the best compromise. It sounds right, feels right, tons of grunt/torque and high 30's mpg.

 

Frankly, I cant see the cost of install, the perceived depreciation in value, the increased hassle & all that goes with it paying back in the short term. And long term the Gov are bound to start increasing the tax, (when the guarantee expires next year) to reduce the differential. Too greedy not to.

[Guest]

Also, it would surely be some sort of Crime against Humanity to convert so lovely a machine to run on cow farts, or whatever LPG is made of.

 

OK, so the upside is that you save a few quid, but the downside is that you get put on trial at the Hague for about a billion years and have to share a cell with some crazed Warlord with a thousand yard stare and disagreeable personal qualities. Hey, it's your car, your call.

[Burnside]

In my view No! I know a lad who had his 96 P Vauxhall Astra 2.0 Sport fitted with LPG when they 1st got popular years ago at the cost of £1500 and long term it was nothing but hassle. An after a few years it did the top end in due to fueling problems. It cost a fair few quid to get it fixed and remove the LPG and sort out the hole in the bodywork where the cap was etc.

 

The thought of someone hacking a hole into a Fiat Coupe bodywork for the LPG filling cap sounds painfull though. Your choice of course but I'd do as studebaker hawk has already suggested if you want better mpg.

[Station]

Do these fitters have the skills to install correctly? I'm sure they're not all going to know what's suitable for every engine - I've head a lot about head gaskets going on LPG.

[Station]

Judging by the prices of those Fiat Coupe Turbos:

 

http://www.gumtree.com/search?q=fiat+co ... tegory=all

 

I think they're right at the bottom of the price they're worth. I'd be put off by the horrible ergonomics and build quality inside, compared to every other Fiat I've been in.

[fiatdaft]

The price difference between a rough coupe and a very nice one is huge,bad build quality and ergonomics? where?

[Burnside]

From what I've seen of these myself I always thought they seamed like well put togther motors for there time. They used the floorpan from the Tipo as most people know already which if going by my old Tipo 1.4 DGT alone was a win. I would like one myself but a lack of cash puts it off limits for a good while yet though.