1987 Fiat Strada 60 MK3 In Bromley ( Needs Saving !! ) Calling all cars..

[puntopaul]

Hi all,

 

                I've spotted this link just now on the Facebook Autoshite & on a Facebook Strada UK forum.

 

https://flic.kr/p/26TmaX5

 

 

A rare E reg Fiat Strada Mk3 60!! apparently a council removal notice has been served recently. I'm guessing it's been turfed out of a nearby lock up and left, not been on the road in years.

 

According to the author of the photo on Flickr, the residents caretaker said if someone wants it they can take it. Not sure on the legalities, in regards to just taking a seemingly abandoned car maybe someone here would know.  Looks as if the windscreen may have been smashed, but looks all there otherwise.

 

 

My parents had a white E reg mk3 Fiat Strada 70 CL when I was a child, and that car was the reason I got into Italian cars in the first place. 

 

Seeing this has got me a bit nostalgic, and knowing a Strada doesn't exactly pop up everyday I would hate this to be scrapped.

 

 

Unfortunately I'm currently at work and live in the West Midlands, but anyone in the local area that can please check it out? And make some inquiries an save it, or who can go with a trailer and save it.

 

If you can get it an don't want it, heck I'll take it if you don't have room. Or chip some monies in, as long as it's saved by someone.

 

 

As you can tell I'm a bit passionate about it, appreciate it's a rescue mission and a big ask no doubt.

 

 

But I had to share it as I know there's other people on this forum, who would be into this as well.

 

Cheers!!

 

 

[Datsuncog]

Hopefully this rescue call will have a satisfactory outcome... bit of a rarity, for sure! I saw it on the AS Facebook page the other day, was wondering what was happening with it.

 

 

First registered September 1987, off the road since late 1993. A short operational life; though not significantly shorter than many of its siblings, if the tales of rampant rust are even halfway true. Mileage unlikely to be mega-high, and the photo (borrowed from Neil Potter's Flickr) seems to show it's survived pretty well. Would be a bit of a pity if it were to be dragged off and cubed now...

 

 

Unfortunately I can be of zero use other than cheering some encouragement from the sidelines - residents of Frankfurt are closer to this car than I am, with less sea in between.

 

Here's hoping a crack squad of shite rescue troops are assembling even as I type.

[Christine]

I know of a much rarer and desirable (and very valuable) abandoned car , there for the taking , no keys though , and it probably has an imobilizer ....I've opened it through the tailgate , and it is the real deal ,I checked all the numbers and the engine  

However ..You might get a  v5 in your name , but it doesn't make you the legal owner does it ?That's why I haven't claimed it,  yet...

[Datsuncog]

However ..You might get a  v5 in your name , but it doesn't make you the legal owner does it ?That's why I haven't claimed it,  yet...

 

True, and I've no firm idea how this works in practice... however, wasn't Trigger's Marina believed to be have been subject to a similar process?

• Eviction from council lock-up,
• (Presumably) served with a council abandonment/removal notice,
• Dragged off to scrapyard,
• Issued with scrapping notice...
• ...and only then sold off to the chap Trig bought it off, amid some doubt as to whether it could even be returned to the road (happily: yes).

Seems to be a similar story - it's just that the Fiat's still a few steps behind.

 

Some scrappies seem amenable to holding back unusual cars and trying to sell them on complete; others possibly view it as a massive pain in the hole for the sake of £200 and are only too happy to deploy the grabber and hoick it up onto the pile.

 

Should a car like this Fiat be taken away - apparently with the blessing of a property management employee for whom it's simply a problem - then I'd like to think that someone holding a position within a recognised owners club could successfully argue that they were carrying out a rescue to preserve a historic vehicle of interest that had been classed as abandoned, rather than taking someone else's property for their own gain.

 

I'm wondering whether the Council should be approached, in the interests of going through formal channels, and see if they'd agree to release the car to a Fiat club representative at the end of the abandonment notification period, rather than having to pay to get it HIAB'd off to a recycling yard.

 

Though then again, what's that saying about it being easier to seek forgiveness than ask permission...?

[Alexg]

Nice and miserable 1.1 4 speed with 4 owners in the first 5 years according to HPI. No keeper changes since 1992 so you'd have to wonder if the owner is even alive. I wonder why it's Ritmo badged?

[DodgeRover]

Get a receipt from the landowner when removing it

[mercrocker]

 No keeper changes since 1992 so you'd have to wonder if the owner is even alive. I wonder why it's Ritmo badged?

 

They were Ritmo in the Irish Republic but the 2 digit plate looks like an original UK issue rather than one that has been age-related after import.   Interesting!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Looks like it’s been kicking around for ages.

Would be good if someone near to it gets it saved.

 

[Alexg]

The simple answer is probably the most obvious; the folk on the production line in Turin couldn’t give a toss.

[puntopaul]

Too true, not sure how helpful the council might be.

 

Worth a shot, just had a quick google of the local councils website.

 

Not sure which department, is best to call for saving abandoned cars!!

 

http://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/200119/customer_services/1022/contact_us_by_telephone

 

 

And well spotted it has a Ritmo badge, I was so excited looking at it on my phone I didn't even register that.

 

Certainly has an interesting story behind it, I would agree an guess at the owner unfortunately being deceased. And someone has cleared out the property, and the garage etc.. So kicked the poor Fiat outside, without a care.

 

If a Fiat owners club can contact the council, it might carry more gravitas. Rather than some ransom bloke from the West Midlands, trying to acquire it.

 

They'll probably think I'm some sort of scrap merchant, but on the other hand if you rolled up and just took it away. 

 

Are they going to be that bothered really, or could they view it as theft. 

 

Don't know exactly how the law stands, if you get caught removing an abandoned car by the local constabulary.

 

Technically it's twoc, but that requires the car to have an owner. And I'd assume there isn't, depends if the owner is Lazarus.

 

But it's clearly been left a while now, if I'd seen the post the other day on book face.

 

When I was in the south, I'd of happily made the trip down to see it. 

 

Serves me right for giving myself a temporary self imposed ban, on looking on the bloody thing!

[chrisjvm]

Probably a parallel import ...

[Squire_Dawson]

If you go through the council, you're wasting you're time. It'd be gone before you even get a response. What will happen here is many people will make many noises about 'saving' the car, which will then end up being baled anyway.

[Christine]

If you go through the council, you're wasting you're time. It'd be gone before you even get a response. What will happen here is many people will make many noises about 'saving' the car, which will then end up being baled anyway.

True, I enquired about an HRV I saw , with a removal notice on it , as it had full leather interior   that would go in mine .It had been there months ... Flat refusal...

I expect they have to pay the scrappy to take them away with my council tax money 

 

 

The Strada looks to have a broken screen , and the blue car next to it has a bit of polythene stuck over the rear quarterlight?

[Datsuncog]

Probably a parallel import ...

 

That's quite likely - I remember that was a big thing c. 1986/87. My dad spent ages getting quotes from brokers who would get rhd cars ordered via a dealer in Belgium, or some such.

 

Turned out we still couldn't afford a Volvo.

[Shonky]

I will be very surprised if somebody actually steps up beyond the nice noises of amazement, awe etc. and actually takes it on.

 

Nonetheless, a fantastic find. Goes to show that you really do never know what hides behind the garage door.

[MikeR]

I was always fixing mine. But it was more fun than a Tipo on the corners .... They could also do a brill handbrake turn ....

[3VOM]

 

Technically it's twoc, but that requires the car to have an owner. And I'd assume there isn't, depends if the owner is Lazarus.

 

 

Surely TWOC merely requires you not to have the owner's permission, which, without a Ouija board, you aren't getting.

And I agree 1986ish would be peak time for getting an import from somewhere like Belgium.

[BorniteIdentity]

I’m on holiday next week. Otherwise I’d just mop it up, stick it somewhere for a few years and then sell it (covered in shit) as a barn find or whatever.

 

Fortune favours the brave. Someone just needs to get it and hoard it.

[Kiltox]

Didn’t someone on here get really badly shafted by doing this kind of thing?

[Hertz]

Up Mr Bickle's street this surely. Send the boys over Nigel to pick it up.

[DodgeRover]

Assuming the caretaker is in charge of the property it is stood on then his words to take it away would mean no chance of being charged with theft.

[Parky]

At times like this we really need some scrapyard owners on here.

 

If they rocked up and hiab’d this, nobody would notice or care

[Alexg]

Just phone the number on the removal notice and state that you’re taking the car for safe keeping and if anyone has a problem with that here’s my details. It’ll save the cash-strapped council a few quid too.

[Lankytim]

Didn’t someone on here get really badly shafted by doing this kind of thing?

 

Something similar happened to Scaryoldcortina where he was actually arrested when he bought a garage find Datsun. What a sorry tale that was.

 

If I were closer id have a crack at this Fiat , unfortunately i'm miles away. I recon as soon as someone picks it up the owner will make themselves known and tell you to FRO. or maybe not

[Burnside]

Apparently this was still parked there about 2.30 pm according to someone on Flickr. Anybody here able to collect this and bring up to the Midlands?

[warren t claim]

Surely Seat were importing them in 1987?

[Lankytim]

I have an A frame but I don't fancy using those 1987 vintage tyres.

[Squire_Dawson]

Does anybody honestly think the Authorities give a toss about a 31 year old FIAT? In fact, does anybody give a toss about the Authorities?

[Squire_Dawson]

Come to think of it, what right do the Authorities have to authority?

[Lankytim]

I don't think they care too much about this Fiat, but would find it hard to resist busting someone for TWOCCing some motor.

 

Are there any better pics of this? I think the screen is smashed on it.