well three years of happy motoring, and the first MOT was due, tester said he did a double take at the mileage! lol... but it passed with flying colours, advisory on front tyres as at 1.8 mill, just gone and got some new ones, so all is well..

says something for how far fiat have come in recent years, if you can travel nigh on 100k and then fly through the 1st MOT

Excellent news Sharky

And what tyres have you gone for?

Steve

Thanks

I'm skint so I have "budget" autogrip f107's...... no Idea what they will be like,(£100 the pair, fitted) but had Nangkang sport II's before that and they were fine......

Edited 18 March, 201016 yr by sharkrider

Ah right. What size does the Punto run?

205/45/17 XL ..... not a common size, mostly mini runflats. (mine isn't runflat..)

can't believe you've had that car for 3 years

Well he isn't TomvRS :p

can't believe you've had that car for 3 years

I know, doesn't seem 2 minutes since I was at the cat'n'fiddle in the vRS......

Cracking news mate.

Nice one Dave

I can remember seeing your car just after you bought it

Have you changed the pads yet?

Could it be that Fiats are now more reliable than the VAG family? :yes:

I've had Fiats in the past and I know what everyone says, but they've been less trouble than the vRS for niggles and bits needing replacing. Come to think of it, so have the Citroens I've owned too. :S

If so, then it's been a real sea change between 3 and 4 years ago; Prior to joining Briskoda, the last Fiat I knew anyone who owned killed its gearbox at just over 3 years old.

Even more impressive when you think that it spent a lot of its 90k+ miles being used as a driving school car, and remapped too!!

Nice one Dave

I can remember seeing your car just after you bought it

Have you changed the pads yet?

rear discs are still OE, the rear pads were changed at the 90k cambelt service a few weeks ago... roll on 180k to change the rear brakes again! lol..... front (pads and discs) were done at 62k, I'll look at them gain at 120k

If so, then it's been a real sea change between 3 and 4 years ago; Prior to joining Briskoda, the last Fiat I knew anyone who owned killed its gearbox at just over 3 years old.

thats funny, because I needed a new gearbox in the vRS at 40k the fiats engine/turbo/gearbox/cluth ect are all as new....

things its needed in this 94k were

1)new door lock

2)new seat base (a downside of the seat pos being changed 10 times a day!)

3)new wheel bearings (front and rear, all changed at different times (but in pairs)

4) new top mounts on the front struts (under warrenty of course!)

5) ESP/ASR/ABS/Hill holder failing (broken wire in front wing)

all in all I don't think thats too bad for 93k.... Fiat always made good engines, electrics and bods were weak, since the new panda, all electrics have been done by Bosch, and things have turned round (I think the new panda came out in 2003/4)

Even more impressive when you think that it spent a lot of its 90k+ miles being used as a driving school car, and remapped too!!

indeed its had some abuse, worst thing is when they change gears just "dropping" the clutch when they first start :( feels so bad, and you wouldn't do it to your own car, I think thats what made the gearbox jump out of the vRS!

thanks for all the comments guys!

indeed it would seem from a few good comments that the new fiats are rather good! I do like the panda and 500

my mum has a 58 plate fiesta and dad has my mums old p reg punto, she has a new car every 3 years but dad has chose to keep the punto over anything mums had between, which was a t reg escort,, a 52 plate picasso, and a 55 plate corsa, my mum does 25000-30000 a year , and they still choose the punto for long distances, its got some faulty electrics, ( the only working electric is the drivers window, and its the highest spec 1.2 punto with all electrics)

dad says the punto is a better drive and more economical, the fiesta is a 1.25 that mums put over 40000 on already. the punto's engine is running good as new and its covered well over 100k.

my mum has a 58 plate fiesta and dad has my mums old p reg punto, she has a new car every 3 years but dad has chose to keep the punto over anything mums had between, which was a t reg escort,, a 52 plate picasso, and a 55 plate corsa, my mum does 25000-30000 a year , and they still choose the punto for long distances, its got some faulty electrics, ( the only working electric is the drivers window, and its the highest spec 1.2 punto with all electrics)

dad says the punto is a better drive and more economical, the fiesta is a 1.25 that mums put over 40000 on already. the punto's engine is running good as new and its covered well over 100k.

that sound typical of the "previous" generation of fiats, good mechanicals but really bad electrics, since 2004 the eletrics were done by bosch, so a newer one should be better

Glad it's still going ok, Dave.

Just talked my father into a new Panda £4995 + £200 for black paint under the scrappage scheme. I hope he has as much luck or more. Traded in a 96 micra, still running sweet but rust has taken its toll.

Steve.

My mother uses an 08 punto as her driving school car. Done 75k and the clutch needs replacing. It's the 1.3 multijet diesel. Does that sound about right? Also, as for electrics inside the car, the fan doesn't work if it's on I position, but jumps into life if switched to II and many bulbs behind the dash have failed....

My mother uses an 08 punto as her driving school car. Done 75k and the clutch needs replacing. It's the 1.3 multijet diesel. Does that sound about right? Also, as for electrics inside the car, the fan doesn't work if it's on I position, but jumps into life if switched to II and many bulbs behind the dash have failed....

75k isn't too bad for a clutch, depends on how much she lets her pupils abuse it........

as for the dash lights and fan, if its an 08 that should be fixed under warrenty without issues....

if she's had nothing else go wrong, sound good for 75k

Bulbs and fuses aren't usually covered by warranty, if the dash lights are LEDs, then it should be covered.