Tipo returns!

[richbraith]

This is a happy post (for me).

 

Last October I became, entirely by chance, the custodian of an Estoril Blue 1994 Fiat Tipo 1.4 ie S 3 door when JohnK turned up at my house with it.  This is entirely normal behaviour from him, and it was left here long enough that I thought I might as well just buy it.  He assured me whilst it was merely on loan that it was taxed, naturally after some time had passed I thought I'd best do a check and of course it wasn't, because V5 mix up from the previous owner.  So the Tipo was christened Silvio after Signor Berlusconi, because Italian and tax avoidance.

Anyway I owned him until March this year and apart from a healthy appetite for oil, he was trouble free through the darkest winter months until the heater matrix failed in February, at which the driving experience became akin to that of a submarine.  With my Renault 19 back on the road and needing carb issues sorting I thought I should move Silvio on to someone more capable of caring for him, so I sold him to Captain Slow who took him on a very moist journey down to Cambridgeshire.  There his heater matrix was bypassed, and there he sat.

Due to some unfortunate and highly complex events I've now had him back...gratis.  It's been a bit controversial but I wanted him safe, and for the cost of merely £100 via a Shiply courier he's back in Yorkshire with me.  He's dried out but smells like Grimsby dock, brakes appear to be shot, and on startup it sounds like there's a person trapped under the bonnet.  
But I own a Tipo again!  Even Mrs B grinned, she loved him (the only one of my relics she'd willingly jump in and drive) and we both wiped away a tear when he left.  
He's now in a friend's nearby barn, and he'll stay there until lambing season begins next February.  Then a very slow restoration will commence.

[richbraith]

[spartacus]

Nice one, I can't remember the last time I saw one on the road, so a really rare thing these days. My mum had a 1.4dgt from new, that's with the digital dash. It was a good steer and went well from memory. Good luck bringing this back.

[richbraith]

Cheers, I was sat in a DGT the other week (very bizarre seeing that manual choke lever below a digidash) and that decided me to have another.  This little thing was so much fun.  I didn't know then the next one would be the same one!

[fordperv]

Oooh I do like a nice teapot, I had a great conversation with a lady at a local show when I showed interest in the top she was in, bless her she seemed over the moon that someone had a genuine interest, she insisted I looked under the bonnet and had a listen to the engine running, it was fantastic condition for over 200000 miles

 

Here it is with the owner in shot

 

[bramz7]

Here is my DGT dashboard, the very one mentioned above:

 

 

It works most of the time but occasionally the backlighting fails! It runs nicely, and handles well too, the steering is very direct. Shame the paint is flat and the door channels on the rear door like to rust but its good otherwise. I like to think this one is a keeper but I am up to three keeper cars now, and a daily, which is bordering uncomfortable car levels.

 

One of my favourite features on the Tipo, is that if you want to enter POWER mode you have to be travelling at 6000rpm. No thanks. 

 

Glad you got your one back Rich. 

[theorganist]

I had a red H reg 1.6 DGT with the digital dash. It did go well but towards the end you could feel the seat frame when sitting in the drivers seat and the electrics were unpredictable to say the least, particular the digital dash. I part exchanged it for a early Renault Megane, the back of the dashboard started smoking as the Megane seller dropped it off at the scrapyard!

 

I remember it went well and handled well but didn't seem that well put together.

[ProgRocker]

Superb acquisition!

 

As a former owner of a poverty spec Tempra, I approve!

[MikeR]

my digital dash died due to the power transistor that drove the back  lighting not being well stuck down to its heat sink , so after quite a stripdown I strapped it out so that the back lights stayed on .......  full brightness   .. great in the summer , not so good at night .....  and the eco meter did my head in so that it  had its tube snipped and plugged as did the car pre heater which was supplied via a broken wire which made a relay in the dash click away when warming up   , its non warranty covered  delivery trick was to self disassemble the rear door lock when using the self locking .....  every time it broke ,  every other month , it cost at least  a ton in parts .

 

and it was the last Fiat I ever bought ,

 

the garage also went bust ..

 

PS and being a Fiat I made sure the front and rear subframes got well looked after ...

 

pps   I much preferred my MK4 Fiat Strada with gas shocks , now that was a road legal go kart !

[RayMK]

We have had a 1.4ie 5 door for several years.  It drinks oil but is reliable and comfortable as well as being an excellent load lugger.  Recorded mileage was in the low 30s when my son bought it.  It is still only showing about 45K.  This year we treated it to new front suspension arms and new rear springs and dampers, plus a patch on the offside sill/floorpan - rust had been festering under the thick underseal.

[Partridge]

"controversial"

 

Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Forty-two]

Yessss a Tipo!

 

I past my driving test in a G reg 1.6 DGT

 

I failed my first driving test in a 205 derv, took the re-test in my mums car.

 

At the time, tests were conducted by the examiners all walking into the room where the candidates were waiting and calling out their victims name. As we all walked out to the car park there was the 'read the number plate' and then the question, which is your car? In a car park full of 205's stood the Tipo. My examiner smiled, got in and proceeded to get comfy.

 

I remember the instructor saying, never try to engage the examiner in conversation, this chap was chatting all the way round, 'nice car', 'very comfy'.

 

Reversing around a corner was a great, near side electric mirror! He smiled at that and reminded me when I forgot to bring it back up.

 

Got so many other stories I could tell, great car, great memories.

[Burnside]

Glad to see this Tipo still in the fold and all the best with the resto. I've mentioned it before but I'll say it again. The Fiat Tipo is a bloody good car. We had 2 in are family, one owned by me a 89 G 1.4 DGT.  Then my Brother had a 94 M 1.4ies. Until some knob in a Focus wrote it off about 4 years ago. 

 

Both were great fun to drive and I miss them both, will try my best to get another one someday as a keeper.  The Oil use in the 1.4 is a normal thing. My mum had a Uno MK 2 from 3 years old with the 1372 engine and was told by the dealer that the oil use was normal after my dad complained. It did 188,000 so there should be plenty of life left in the Tipo!

[richbraith]

Cheers!  I wasn't really surprised by the oil use tbh.  Being a later one this doesn't have the digidash, the mk2 didn't as it wasn't really an experiment that worked.  But they do look great when they do

[crapcarcollector]

Well done . I’m glad it’s getting some love.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bramz7]

I'd happy use a diesel one as a daily, if they weren't all long gone. 

 

Here's some of my favourite Tipos I've spotted over the years:

 

Early European/Italian market ones had amber front indicators, which make them look like oversized Unos

 

1989 Fiat Tipo. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

Also available as a 1.1 in their home market....no thanks

 

1989 Fiat Tipo 1.1. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

I remember seeing this mega early diesel a few years ago, was scrapped a short while later

 

1989 Fiat Tipo 1.7 Diesel Hatchback. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

And last but not least, one wearing Egyptian diplomat plates in Rome, 2014.

 

1990s Fiat Tipo 1.4 i.e. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

My advice if you miss seeing them daily is to go to poorer parts of Rome, as they are still pretty common.

 

 

[richbraith]

There's a K plate Formula 5 door rotting away on a driveway near me, my stepson and I are trying to get up the courage to go and knock, but it looks like something out of a low budget slasher movie.  Wouldn't mind the interior, if we don't get murdered.

[fiatdaft]

 

One of the 3 sedicivalvole tipo's I had, also owned 1 1.4 carb formula, 1.6 carb dgt sx, 1.4 i.e. S 3 door and a 1.6 carb tempra dgt sx.

 

Great cars at the time for the money!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[richbraith]

I was always curious about them, can remember seeing one at one of my dad's cricket matches when they must have just been launched, seemed so modern when the roads were still full of mk2 Escorts and Allegros.  I didn't expect I'd fall in love with one, but there is just something about Silvio.  
So much fun.  I still can't quite believe he's back.

[nigel bickle]

I've a late 1600, in the collection.

 

I bought it off the Fiat Forum a few years back because it was cheap ( like me) had issues ( like me) and I was curious.

Most of the issues were giffer related ( like me, increasingly) but I was surprised by how good it is.

 

Quick enough for current road conditions, surprisingly light / airy, frugal yet sufficiently anonymous for the majority of the population to have no clue.

 

I bunged on a set of Coupe rims ( cos I am chav) but it's otherwise untouched.

I'd be happy to get it straight out, (if I had a use for it) and am confident I'd have little trouble recommissioning.

 

Good car.

[yellowperil]

I spotted a Fiat Tipo Fiorino sitting in a car park unused and unloved the other day, while I was at work.

As usual, no photo because I was working.

I am not actually sure if I ever knew these existed, or I had just forgotten about them.

[richbraith]

I spotted a Fiat Tipo Fiorino sitting in a car park unused and unloved the other day, while I was at work.

As usual, no photo because I was working.

I am not actually sure if I ever knew these existed, or I had just forgotten about them.

Is that not based on the Uno?  The mk2 Uno does have quite a Tipolike front end.

[richbraith]

Here is my DGT dashboard, the very one mentioned above:

 

 

It works most of the time but occasionally the backlighting fails! It runs nicely, and handles well too, the steering is very direct. Shame the paint is flat and the door channels on the rear door like to rust but its good otherwise. I like to think this one is a keeper but I am up to three keeper cars now, and a daily, which is bordering uncomfortable car levels.

 

One of my favourite features on the Tipo, is that if you want to enter POWER mode you have to be travelling at 6000rpm. No thanks. 

 

Glad you got your one back Rich. 

Ah so you bought the BX then?  Knew you couldn't resist!

 

I'd quite like another BX at some point, alongside many other things.

[bramz7]

I did buy the BX, but it's not arriving for a few weeks, I need to find some storage for it as it is far too good to be left outside. 

 

 

I've a late 1600, in the collection.

I bought it off the Fiat Forum a few years back because it was cheap ( like me) had issues ( like me) and I was curious.
Most of the issues were giffer related ( like me, increasingly) but I was surprised by how good it is.

Quick enough for current road conditions, surprisingly light / airy, frugal yet sufficiently anonymous for the majority of the population to have no clue.

I bunged on a set of Coupe rims ( cos I am chav) but it's otherwise untouched.
I'd be happy to get it straight out, (if I had a use for it) and am confident I'd have little trouble recommissioning.

Good car.

 

 

 

Yeah mine was a stand in daily for a couple of days in July and it was fine. Ancient tyres aside of course. Starts pretty promptly and needs very little choke (although the refurbished carb may be adjusted wrong). 

 

My only concern other than the tyres (and shit paint) is the sound of running water when its first got going, I think its an air leak...heater matrix not dumping any water in the footwells and it blows hot still. 

[Dirk Diggler]

I hadn't seen one for sale for ages, then this

 

https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/fiat-tipo/16122299

 

They were head and shoulders above any German of the time; and right up there with the best of the French

 

Never knew the CVT box had common usage

[bramz7]

I think I need to find a breaker Tipo. I know of a few abandoned ones but doubt they'll yeild much decent. They're all poverty spec ones too....

[Volksy]

My only concern other than the tyres (and shit paint) is the sound of running water when its first got going, I think its an air leak...heater matrix not dumping any water in the footwells and it blows hot still. 

 

Air in the heater matrix. Had one the same, ended up leaving it running with the front end hiked up at a 45 degree angle on a two post lift.

[yellowperil]

Is that not based on the Uno?  The mk2 Uno does have quite a Tipolike front end.

That may be why I didn't recognise/remember it.

Wikipedia Says the front end was inspired by the Tipo.

[richbraith]

I hadn't seen one for sale for ages, then this

 

https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/fiat-tipo/16122299

 

They were head and shoulders above any German of the time; and right up there with the best of the French

 

Never knew the CVT box had common usage

That belongs to a guy on the Fiat Motor Club page.  CVT box is their weakness apparently.

[richbraith]

I think I need to find a breaker Tipo. I know of a few abandoned ones but doubt they'll yeild much decent. They're all poverty spec ones too....

I will get the courage to go and door-knock that Formula, even if it's just for the seats.