899cc Fiat Cinquecento S - The little box that can

[HorneyMX5]

Here it is!

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

Mrs Horney taking it for a spin.

Untitled by Nicholas Horne, on Flickr

It's a bit battered on the outside but importantly all solid underneath. Even more importantly I bloody love it. it's so much fun to drive! It's an odd bedfellow with my 250bhp Mini and 2021 2.0 mx5 and I can't wait to see the looks of confusion when I take it to work this week.

Spec is as follows:

52k 899cc S model
Lowered 30mm (think)
Spax rear dampers
Sporting front dampers (have a set of new spax to go on)
Lower chassis brace
Sporting ARBs
Front end polybushed
A bitsa exhaust that sounds amazing
20mm wheel spacers
Sporting 13" wheels
Sporting seats

The previous owner also gave me a bunch of spares which include
a gearbox
a refurbished head
full sporting wiring loom
water pump
starter motor
painted rocker cover
and other odds and sods I've yet to sift through.

There is a plan, but I'm going to reveal it as I go because it's more interesting. The main aim though is to have it ready for Retro Rides Weekender at Goodwood in May and have it on display on a stand or something.

Next up I think will be a walk around video to really get into what's like right now.

[ReverendCounter]

Looks great, hope you keep the yellow tint on the headlights - goes well with the paint colour. Looks a fun little thing!

[D4MJT]

This will be an absolute riot, the interior looks mega.

I just picked up a very cheap 2007 Fiat Panda (54bhp!) as a stablemate for a 630bhp 140i

As mad as it sounds I can’t stop driving the Panda, it’s hilarious. The BM hasn’t left the garage in 3 weeks

[Mr Peel]

Well done. Prompts fond memories of my broom yellow Sporting among several other small Fiats. For me, these are closer to the spirit of the original Mini than the current BMW cars. Same goes for the Panda.

People go on about them being slow and rubbish in a crash, but they have loads going for them. And having looked at the price of classic Minis lately, the appeal just gets stronger..

[Cambs_Stuart]

That's great! Good purchase. Really interested to see how you ge ton.

[Trophy Husband]

I bought one for Mrs TH when she wasn't Mrs TH yet.

She loved it and I have to say it was great fun hooning around the lanes of deepest North Wales.

She went ballistic when I told her it was time for a change and I'm sure deliberately killed the Mk 4 golf I bought for her!

[Matt_N]

Brings back memories of my first car, I had a Sporting with a Janspeed DTM cat back, K&N filter and some 14” 5 spokes

[mr shoddy]

love that

[ian316]

Love them they teach you how to think ahead so you don't lose any speed

[mike74]

Am I having some weird deja vu moment or has this featured here or elsewhere (perhaps youtube?) before... your bearded self and the car seem strangely familiar to me.

I was expecting it to already be fettled what with the additional gauges and non-standard shifter.

I've got a long standing Cinq fetish would still like one with an engine swap or turbo.

[M4cruiser]

Sorry to say (my opinion) I think that's ghastly. I wouldn't want that!
Good luck to you if you like it, that's your choice, and I wouldn't stop you, but be aware of the issues these things have!

Just voicing my opinion .,...

[HorneyMX5]

I bought it off a mate who has a YouTube channel. He has a beard, but it’s no way near as good as mine. Ha ha.

[Tim Reaper]

M4cruiser said:

Sorry to say (my opinion) I think that's ghastly. I wouldn't want that!
Good luck to you if you like it, that's your choice, and I wouldn't stop you, but be aware of the issues these things have!

Just voicing my opinion .,...

A near 28yo FIAT with no rust mentions in the MOT history ,what's not to like ?

[darkyoung1000]

A friend of mine had one of these and encouraged me to have a go in a riotous fashion. I think it was my first experience of lifting a rear wheel!

A great deal of fun on B roads, enjoy!

[HorneyMX5]

M4cruiser said:

Sorry to say (my opinion) I think that's ghastly. I wouldn't want that!
Good luck to you if you like it, that's your choice, and I wouldn't stop you, but be aware of the issues these things have!

Just voicing my opinion .,...

That’s ok, we’re all different and like different things. I’m not a big fan of wafty barges but I know lots of PHers are.

[Mr Tidy]

I really like them - a typical little Italian buzz-box that drives best when you rev the nuts off it!

Back in the late 90s my BIL bought a K plate white S so it had electric windows and central locking, plus a graunchy 2nd gear! Then his son bought a black M plate and for a week or so my sister had a red Sporting as a courtesy car - wish I had a photo of them together.

You can't help smiling when you drive one.

[HorneyMX5]

It certainly makes me grin when I drive it.

I can’t tell if it’s making other road users smile or if they’re just laughing at me. Ha ha.

[gregs656]

The seats in these are really comfortable.

[oobster]

That looks great! I had one too, L202 LFS, black with the windows limo-tinted, lowered and had the abarth alloys on it. Was my first brand-new car, lots of great memories in that wee thing.

[anonymous-user]

Glad to see it’s an early one with the properly retro dash - it even looked retro when they were new.

K403 OOT is long gone to the scrapheap in the sky, but I have fond memories of it. I commuted up and down the A34 from Winchester to Newbury and got many a double take from other drivers as I buzzed slowly past them at vmax.

Ah, the lunacy of youth.