‘72 Fiat 500 Abarthish, as requested.

[High Jetter]

Great thread! Always loved these clever little cars.

[yes oui si]

Nuova 500 version of this, please. With Advan A3As. 

[motorpunk]

Today I used the car to fetch some biscuits.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

19 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Today I used the car to fetch some biscuits.

Did you drive a long wafer them? 

[bigstraight6]

18 minutes ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

Did you drive a long wafer them? 

Or too get your Garibaldi, or Peek Freans Trotsky assortment. I do love these small Fiats, my mother ferried me, my brother and neighbours kids to School in one in the early 70’s, usually making a mess of the gear changes. I use a 10 year old successor as my daily commute and it’s a great small car.

[motorpunk]

8 minutes ago, bigstraight6 said:

Peek Freans Trotsky assortment. 

Love that. 😂

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

Did you drive a long wafer them? 

You're crackers! Wat er biscuit! 

[Matty]

13 hours ago, motorpunk said:

Today I used the car to fetch some biscuits.

Did the same this morning (work not biscuits). Theres a simple joy in setting out on a routine journey not sure if your destination will be reached 😀 

[motorpunk]

Stickers. I have done Mille Miglia* and also Col de Turini**, so there. 
 

* I have done a thousand miles. But not in this car. Nor on any historic Italian motorsport event.

** In the BMW that @robt100 now owns.

[robt100]

1 hour ago, motorpunk said:

* I have done a thousand miles. But not in this car. Nor on any historic Italian motorsport event.

** In the BMW that @robt100 now owns.

Does this mean I need a "Motorpunk 1000" sticker on the rear window? Or a Motorpunk 150k 🙈

[Six-cylinder]

Go back to August 1998 and I took my friend and then boss to collect his car from a local garage before work. I knew the proprietor a bit and he engaged me in conversation, telling me about the Bedford CA Dormobile he wanted, but had to sell his 1972 Fiat 500L first. He offered it to me and I must have shown a slight bit of interest because next thing I know we are sat in his office and he is asking me how much can I raise today in cash!

Up and running and a charming little car, even if poorly repainted in yellow instead of house brick red. It was fitted with Fiat 126 running gear, 652cc 23 bhp engine, 126 gearbox and brakes.

There were lots of tales in the 3 years we owned the car, but this was a great quote from Mrs6C. It was Italian day at Brooklands Museum and we headed south on the M25 with speed of nearly 70 mph in the outside lane, Mrs6C following me in her black Ferrari 308GT4.  Just by the M4 slip road traffic came to a halt and the little Fiat stalled and would not restart. I walked the Fiat to the hard shoulder across 5 lanes of stop go traffic and somehow the traffic allowed Mrs6C to follow me. I soon diagnosed the points had closed up and from our tool bag in her summer best Mrs6C handed me the tools to reset the points. Mrs6C said out of the blue “I don’t like this because everybody in that traffic jam will think that nice man in his Ferrari stopped to help the young lady in her Fiat 500!”

[comfortablynumb]

7 hours ago, Matty said:

Did the same this morning (work not biscuits). Theres a simple joy in setting out on a routine journey not sure if your destination will be reached 😀 

I love the way the reflection in the side window makes it look like you've got a rear cage fitted @Matty👍

[Matty]

3 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

I love the way the reflection in the side window makes it look like you've got a rear cage fitted @Matty👍

Never get quick enough to need one 🤣

[motorpunk]

On 04/04/2025 at 16:43, Six-cylinder said:

 

Wow! 308gt4 is one of my dream cars! Like to be about how easy it might be to live with.

Pic from today from me. Loving this noisy little thing.

[Six-cylinder]

17 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Wow! 308gt4 is one of my dream cars! Like to be about how easy it might be to live with.

Pic from today from me. Loving this noisy little thing.

We have had it 25 years and it was Mrs6C choice. We had some money to buy a special car and because I already had a Jaguar E-type Mrs6C wanted to choose this one.

It has been pretty easy to look after thanks to a local specialist who has done the cam belt etc for us. No engine out on a 308GT4. Costs about the same as our 156 V6 to look after. Then I went to get it ready to use a couple of weeks ago and found the battery was dead. It is regular battery that cost £42.18.

I don't find it partially comfortable but do drive it. Really I prefer to drive the Maserati 425, which we still have in good working order.

The Fiat 500 only lasted 3 years as it kept breaking. We did have a Fiat Cinquecento but a friend wanted it so now we have a Seicento 1.1 Active to get our small Fiat Fix.

[motorpunk]

That’s fantastic! And if I’m not mistaken your Maserati once belonged to a mate of mine in Sheffield, and if it is the same car, I’ve absolutely thrashed the daylights out of it around the IOM TT circuit and regret not buying it from him afterwards. Thanks for sharing the info, I love these kind of cars 👍🏼

[Six-cylinder]

13 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

That’s fantastic! And if I’m not mistaken your Maserati once belonged to a mate of mine in Sheffield, and if it is the same car, I’ve absolutely thrashed the daylights out of it around the IOM TT circuit and regret not buying it from him afterwards. Thanks for sharing the info, I love these kind of cars 👍🏼

Yes it is the one you tested!

We have had it for 12 years.

When I collected it I had a MG ZT-T 190. In spite of being the same power on paper the 425 eat that alive.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

We have had it 25 years and it was Mrs6C choice. We had some money to buy a special car and because I already had a Jaguar E-type Mrs6C wanted to choose this one.

It has been pretty easy to look after thanks to a local specialist who has done the cam belt etc for us. No engine out on a 308GT4. Costs about the same as our 156 V6 to look after. Then I went to get it ready to use a couple of weeks ago and found the battery was dead. It is regular battery that cost £42.18.

I don't find it partially comfortable but do drive it. Really I prefer to drive the Maserati 425, which we still have in good working order.

The Fiat 500 only lasted 3 years as it kept breaking. We did have a Fiat Cinquecento but a friend wanted it so now we have a Seicento 1.1 Active to get our small Fiat Fix.

Winning at life. Congrats.

[motorpunk]

Nice trip out today. Clutch cable needs a tweak as I fought to get gears later today. It’s a nut to tweak and takes 1 min. Loads of positive comments all day! Happy car.

[motorpunk]

Now in Copacetic, with my thoughts on modified cars.

[motorpunk]

Weekly shop bigger than the car…

[High Jetter]

Argh, another cap! 😄

[MrBig]

On 07/03/2025 at 20:12, motorpunk said:

My youngest wants it when I’m old and sensible.

One of those is inevitable. The other is improbable.

Love the Fiat though. I think it works very well on the "fucking minilites"...

[motorpunk]

23 hours ago, MrBig said:

Love the Fiat though. I think it works very well on the "fucking minilites"...

Thanks. It’s such a hoot to bomb around locally in.