pabblo
Part of things
Posts: 435
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Apr 11, 2018 17:46:20 GMT
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It's been a while since I posted anything on the Punto, or on Retro rides for that matter.. I know, should give myself a slap!! So time to reignite my car mojo, and get the old girl back to it's best. Apart from a few small bits, like pressed plates, mirrors and wheel trims not a lot has changed.  Due to something French and modern, that for some misguided reason I hoped would be a reliable daily. It was not.. so after wasting a lot of time and a good chunk of money. I kicked it into touch, and bought something cheap an cheerful.  Yep.. a Focus 1.6 Automatic, hardly something to set the pulses running but it was a £100. Back to the Fiat, I've been busy getting the mechanical's sorted. The gear box seemed a bit stiff of late, and the Gear change cable. And clutch slave cylinder, were looking a bit delicate on the rubber gaiters / sheaving. So thanks to my Italian work colleague, I managed to get a new gear change cable from Italy over the Christmas. As Fiat no longer makes it, £75 for the part and some chocolate as bribery I had my prize! On top of that, I've had the gearbox oil changed. A new thermostat, rad fan switch and an engine management temp sensor. Some new anti roll bar bushes, all sorted for not much cost. With that done I can see about a much needed respray, which I'm getting some quotes for this week. I'm slightly tempted to stray from the original midnight blue metallic, but that might require a bit more £££.. We'll see, but if anyone has some suggestions let me know! Also I can't have Halfords wheel trims, there okay but just temporary and not exactly retro. So I have got myself a set of Fiat Punto Sporting alloys cheap, that should suit it well.  Eventually I'd like to get some different rims, maybe with some lows but one thing at a time! I've also acquired a used Punto GT front bumper, with the washer jets. Which I'm hoping I can get working, and some Sporting / GT style side mouldings with the red trim to brighten the car up. Hopefully the end result should finish up to be something like the model car below.. with any luck!!  |
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Last Edit: Apr 11, 2018 19:35:30 GMT by pabblo
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pabblo
Part of things
Posts: 435
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Jul 30, 2019 23:21:28 GMT
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So as promised if very late, where does 16 months go? I'd finally got the alloys fitted to the Punto, and it's starting to look a little more like the car I want it to be!!  I went for some 165/65/14 Falken tyres, as that's the original size Fiat specify. And so far they've been excellent, it's amazing how much difference a new set of tyres makes. So much so, I had a pair fitted to my Ford as well. Anyway despite the car looking well, one thing it really struggled with was the emissions on the Mot this year. Which isn't great, the tester had said its possibly the catalytic converter. Although I had problems with the manifold blowing, and not sealing well. So it's on my hit list, to get checked out and done. Also I'm suspecting the heater matrix might be leaking, as the drivers footwell gets a small puddle in one corner after a while. The heater matrix, was a fairly common thing as I recall on mk1 Puntos. But I need to rule out other things first, as to do the matrix. It's a dash out job, not something I relish! I did notice there's a few bits underneath, that could do with attention to stop the dreaded tin worm. Not bad, but definitely needs doing before winter. Plus a small bracket, that needs making back up for the fuel filler kneck. As its rotted, and my previously larger tyres came into contact with it. After some spirited driving, and finished it off!! And I've not even got the much needed paintjob sorted, if I sat an wrote every bit to do down. It's stretching out into a challenging list, at least with my limited skills. But as it's such a rare spec to find on a mk1 in the Uk, I can't give up now and throw in the towel. So if I'm going to do it, I figured it's best to just go for broke and try and tackle some things myself. I've at least had some luck over the last 12 months, in getting new trim and badge work for the car. Here's just a small selection, that I've stashed in my bedroom   I'm going to sorn the car as the tax is due, and then in between other projects. Try and do what I can, or get the car to people who'll be able to do the jobs I cant. In the meantime, because it's not like I hadn't got enough cars already! And since I'm already working on the mk1 Uno, another long overdue update coming soon on that hopefully  Back in April of this year, for no logical reason I bought another Punto to play with!! Sight unseen I may add, a 60s with only 49,000 miles. As you can see, it's the same midnight blue again!!  I'll put up a post on that, once I have done a few bits on it. So at least I can have one roadworthy retro to drive, before summers out. |
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slacky
Part of things
Posts: 479
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Really liking your Punto Pabblo, certainly worth every penny of the £150 you paid for it to start with imho, 👍👍
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Audi 90q - Cab - UrS6 - 80 Sport
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pabblo
Part of things
Posts: 435
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Really liking your Punto Pabblo, certainly worth every penny of the £150 you paid for it to start with imho, 👍👍 Cheers it's been a really good car, considering all the stick I've given it. When I've had to use it for commuting to work, and thrashing it round a track. It's put up with a lot, so it's overdue a bit of TLC lol |
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xr
Kinda New
Posts: 1
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Nov 20, 2019 10:20:29 GMT
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Hi Pabblo, I'm curious about your Puntos, both of them have Fiat headlamp protectors. I'm Italian, in Italy them are not available as optional, where you got it? I'm interested of buy a pair of them for my Punto GT. Thanks
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pabblo
Part of things
Posts: 435
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Hi Pabblo, I'm curious about your Puntos, both of them have Fiat headlamp protectors. I'm Italian, in Italy them are not available as optional, where you got it? I'm interested of buy a pair of them for my Punto GT. Thanks Ciao xr! I bought both sets of headlamp protectors a long time ago. One set was new from a Fiat dealer, that I used to I work at here in the UK. And the other set I happened to find second hand, on a Punto that was in a local scrap yard. Strangely in the packaging of the first set I had from new, I found that they were made in Australia of all places? I know the standard ones that I have, aren't available through Fiat's UK dealers anymore. But they did also offer a set, that has the Abarth logos on. As you can see in my photo from an accessory brouchure below, so I'm not sure if those might possibly be available. I know the abarth logos are just stickers, that can be peeled off.  I'll try an find out if these Abarth ones are still available from Fiat in the UK, but you never know it might be worth asking a local Fiat dealer in Italy. If you try these part numbers from the brouchure, you might get lucky and Fiat Italy might by some random chance have some. Great to hear you have a GT, as I used to have one a few years ago in Broom yellow. As pictured below, hopefully your GT is in better condition than my 55 EL is at the moment.   |
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Last Edit: Nov 28, 2019 1:49:51 GMT by pabblo
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pabblo
Part of things
Posts: 435
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Hi Pabblo, I'm curious about your Puntos, both of them have Fiat headlamp protectors. I'm Italian, in Italy them are not available as optional, where you got it? I'm interested of buy a pair of them for my Punto GT. Thanks Hi I tried my friendly local Fiat dealer, but unfortunately even the headlamp protectors with the Abarth logos aren't available anymore. Best bet is to keep searching, for those two part numbers online every so often. And see if anyone has some, good luck and hope you find them |
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,617
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Dec 17, 2019 10:31:40 GMT
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Still surprised they may have been made in Australia since I think the only Fiats imported/sold here at the time were trucks!
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pabblo
Part of things
Posts: 435
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Still surprised they may have been made in Australia since I think the only Fiats imported/sold here at the time were trucks! It's really odd, as you say I don't think these Puntos where ever sold in Australia. Maybe there's a company there, who makes them for lots of different car manufacturers. As I know the ones I bought for my brothers Vauxhall Cavalier, years ago were also made in Australia. But I can understand that, since the Vauxhall Cavalier / Opel Vectra was sold as the Holden Vectra. I'll dig out the packaging, if I can find it among all the spare parts in my garage! |
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pabblo
Part of things
Posts: 435
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Apr 22, 2020 17:26:53 GMT
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Ran into a slight issue with my Punto, a couple of months back. On the day of the Mot typically, just to be awkward... A large trail of white smoke, started billowing out from the exhaust. Hmmmm.. not good, so had to cancel the Mot. As there was no way the car will pass, if its doing that! Plus the temp gauge, was going through the roof. So I wisely, decided not to risk driving it. Anyway a week later, I decided to investigate after work.  Borrowed a tester off my friend, to check if the head gasket had gone. Sure enough, yellow does not mean mellow unfortunately.  It means £££ and some  faces, well just my sad face really. I'm at a bit of cross roads with this one, since the other Mk1 Punto I have. Has been going great, in the time I've had it. An touch wood seems decent mechanically, and on the bodywork and interior etc...  I'm in no great rush to decide on anything final, an I'm not one to let cars go to scrap. Although like anyone, I only have a certain amount to spend on my hobby. This is a rare model being the 6-Speed, an doubt I'd find another one in the UK anytime soon.  Possibly a slightly bigger engine, could match up to my gearbox. A 1.2 mk1 75 engine, or a 1.2 16v sporting could be a possible easy swap. Anyway it'll be on the backburner for now, until I make a decision at a later date. In the meantime, I'll be getting some jobs done on my other mk1 Punto. So I'll post up, once they are done and start a thread on it In other news, my trusty but rusty Focus has been receiving a bit of a makeover. Over the last 6 months, I changed the alloy wheels for some slightly more stylish ones. A bit of OEM upgrading, which looks a lot nicer than the standard alloys I think. Replaced all the rusty doors, so the car has been upgraded to a Zetec from a LX! And the rusty passenger sill, has had the grot cut out. And painted, and the wheel arches got tidied up too. Which was done, by a local bodyshop. An the finishing touch new number plates, and a set of clear side repeaters. Which I got from a scrapped Focus, for a couple of quid. Really pleased with the transformation, as the poor old Ford was looking a bit sorry for itself. To be fair, it's on 181,000 miles so cant moan.  |
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Last Edit: Apr 22, 2020 23:15:14 GMT by pabblo
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faces, well just my sad face really. I'm at a bit of cross roads with this one, since the other Mk1 Punto I have. Has been going great, in the time I've had it. An touch wood seems decent mechanically, and on the bodywork and interior etc...