My daughter is keen to have an early 60's Fiat 500 for her first car. So (somewhat foolishly) I have suggested we restore one together so in a couple of years time it is ready for her.
Interested in any tips, suggestions and/or sources to make this easier. Looking for a car too, preferably located in the lower North island.
msigg,
Jan 27, 4:46am
biggest tip is to buy one already done up. Then you can use it from the word go and enjoy it (if you enjoy it) look out for all others on the road cause you have no protection in one of those, and its very slow. All the best.
jezz43,
Jan 27, 4:55am
been talking to a guy here about my fiat, he seems to know alot about pretty much every fiat, i wonder if its jazz's day job
Could be fun as a toy but completely unsuitable as an only car. IMO of course
pebbles61,
Jan 27, 7:31am
A Fiat Bambina will cost a packet (I have no idea why, I hate them, but they seem to command high prices, even for basket cases) Also aren't they all manual! not to imply that your daughter can't/isn't interested in manual, but just incase it hasn't been considered.
Otherwise good luck on your search, a classic car is a joy to own and I fully recommend it! A mini would be cheaper though.and cheaper/easier spares ;-)
gunhand,
Jan 27, 7:33am
interesting cars, and getting worth good coin now. If your buying one to do up take an experinced panelbeater with you to check it. They can be rusty little suckers. Also lights can be hard to get, the chrome plating on the lense peels off and it fails a warrent. gear box is not normal, motors have 2 working parts but need a old time mechanic to sort if your not that way inclined. many new parts available for them as well over seas. fun we cars for zipping round town but thats about it. a tank of gas should last 2 years lol. Good luck with it if you go ahead.
countrypete,
Jan 27, 7:33am
My father in law used to rebuild these from scratch, to virtually new, years ago.He did one up that my wife used to drive from Papakowhai to Wellington on occasion, including up the Ngauranga gorge.Yes, very slow, but very cool!
I'll talk to him and see if he has any parts left (he's a hoarder).He lives in Paraparaumu.
muzz67,
Jan 27, 7:42am
easy to work on,,all metric. parts not hard to find,, body is hardest part,, they fall victim to tinworm badly.
pebbles61,
Jan 27, 7:45am
Also would a Fiat 500 fold up like a coke can on impact! if you're safety minded of course.Austin 1800 would be safer lol
thejazzpianoma,
Jan 27, 8:11am
They are almost the perfect first restoration project. They are so basic and parts so cheap that it dosn't take long to restore one at all. Best to rip it right to bits and get it dipped or soda blasted right back to steel and start from there. You can buy replacement panels cheap so don't spend a fortune repairing sections you could just replace cheaper.
As a car they are slow and would not be good in a crash at all. However safety aside they are an excellent cheap reliable runner for a young person to travel around town, visiting mates etc in.
Not necessarily a silly idea at all. Done right you certainly wouldn't have to lose any money restoring one as a nicely restored example does command good money and parts sourced right are cheap.
Oh and if you do want it to go faster and stop better there are some excellent low cost upgrades you can make to both the engine and braking system. Using an engine from a Fiat Nikki 650 is a popular option.
thejazzpianoma,
Jan 27, 8:13am
Thats Mal, he is a bit of a Fiat freak alright. dedicated to the cause!
mgmad,
Jan 27, 8:21am
Mum's one used to tow our 12' boat, annoyed some people when it passed them. Of course, it wasn't entirely standard.
franc123,
Jan 27, 9:39am
biggest problem there is getting one suitable to do up that doesn't need extensive rust work, the amount of time and skill and equipment involved shouldnt be underestimated if you havent done this sort of thing before. With bambinas you either are buying not so cheap piles of rust or shelling out top $ for top restored examples for a fortune. Theres basically nothing in between. Most of the best ones that were left have been exported.
gunhand,
Jan 27, 9:42am
Friends of mine have 6. 2 very very tidy 1 tidy, 1 very tidy rear as station wagon and 2 wrecks.
crosis_nz,
Jan 27, 9:54pm
Just a tad more than we were considering as a buy price - however if they drop off the last zero I might consider it <g>
To others this is a fun first car idea for her, probably for rallys and maybe a bit of around town, it would not be the only car available.
thejazzpianoma,
Jan 27, 10:15pm
In the context of your expectations it would be ideal.
fordcrzy,
Jan 28, 3:40am
whats your budget! maybe a mini would be a more suitable car! theres a few pretty tidy one on here for under 4K
crosis_nz,
Jan 28, 3:59am
! Sorryy, dont understand what you mean.
crosis_nz,
Jan 28, 3:59am
! Sorry, dont understand what you mean. How is a brand new car meeting expectations for a classic restoration!
crosis_nz,
Jan 28, 4:06am
My first thought was the car (not working) in the $1500-$3000 mark and allow $8000 to $10,000 for restoration. I am flexible on this and have been told it may cost more. It will be done over two years, and I dont think I would want total spend to exceed $20k.
I dont like minis at all so it is not an option.
granada,
Jan 28, 4:07am
I think a bambina would be fun for about the five minutes unless it had a big block in it.Have a look at442340607 If its only a secondary car the spider may fit the bill.
crosis_nz,
Jan 28, 4:13am
Nice car, tempted myself - sadly not what she is wanting.
granada,
Jan 28, 4:16am
Surely a teenage girl has been known to change her mind. My wife of 26 years changes her mind every day and Im expected to keep up with it.
thejazzpianoma,
Jan 28, 4:26am
This all sounds perfectly reasonable. I think your time frame and budget expectations are plenty realistic.
thejazzpianoma,
Jan 28, 4:27am
Was referring to your thoughts in the second paragraph only. The bit about it being used on rally's and town driving etc.
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