Hi Guys,

I'm obviously new to the forum and new to the coupe in general, in all honesty I was considering a Mitsi FTO or Alfa GTV but I saw reference to the Coupe and am now seriously considering one.

The thing is, i'm selling my Laguna Diesel (go on, take the mick) and I think i'll have about 1200 or so to spend on a Coupe. Ive seen a few about for that money but what are peoples opinions in terms of what is reasonable to pay to get one thats going to be about right?

There are a fair few 20v turbos on ebay and Autotrader in that bracket but having been bitten on the backside when I bought a Probe a few yrs ago I just thought i'd ask the pros this time first rather than after.

Cheers

Simon

Welcome to the forum.

Prices have softened even further on coupés so it is possible to pick up a bargain, sometimes!

However, have a read of this first, then decide: the dangers of cheap coupés

£1200,
You may be lucky... however i doubt it. For that money you may get one thats mechanically ok, but dont expect the body work to be great. Have you had a read of this....

What am i getting into when i buy a cheap coupe

If you mechanically minded and can do most of the work yourself, then it could be worth a punt. However - if your not then your going to endup spending a lot more than what you paid for the car to get it to a respectable state.

damn you stan!

Thanks for that guide, it seems that id be better off biting the bullet and buying something a bit more expensive with the FSH then and have something of a known quantity. Common sense I guess but sometimes you need it pointing out to you.

Thanks

There are some great cars out there and sometimes they go for a reasonable price but you will definitely have a greater choice if you increase the buying budget and have a good read of the forum. If you can get someone from the forum who knows the cars to go with you to viewings, a second pair of eyes is always a good thing.

Oh, and history/condition is far more important than mileage on these beasties, so don't be put off by 100k miles and above, they'll often be better than the alleged low milers out there.....

hi and welcome ..i can only agree with the above but get a good one and you wont look back

Thanks very much for the comments guys, much appreciated, best hope the laguna ends up in a bidding war onebay

Hi Simon, and Welcome

You can pick up a coupé for even as little as £800 now, however you need at least the same again in reserve, in case things need putting right (likely) I bought my second coupé in May, and I only paid a few hundred more than your budget. I thought it was a cracker. Took it out for a test drive, all felt well to me. So I bought her, and sent her off to one of the specialists for a check-up and a service.
The bill came to £2k. Clutch, suspension components, radiator, the list was LONG. I've had two previous coupé's and I thought I knew about these cars. I guess the moral of the story is - when you're buying a sub - £1500 coupé, You need at least the same again in reserve, just in case. Otherwise you're taking a gamble. You HAVE to be aware of this before you take the plunge. They are not cheap cars to run.

An additional question if I may?

Looking at the 16valve turbo, obviously there is a power difference but its only 30hp or so and 190hp is about enoough really . Are the 20vt that much better to drive or is it simply a case of a little more hp?

As for doing work myself re the threads above, I have built a few race cars from the ground up and more than a few engines so nothing bar electrics really faze me too much provided you can get to the parts but thats often the hard bit

You had to start THAT discussion, the 16v Lampredi grenade verses the sublime 20v turbo turbine like engine.....

is that enough fuel on the fire??

Lol is it a case of putting on a flak jacket and retiring to a safeish distance?

Yeah, as you can imagine this has been discussed before and it gets pretty heated

I'm not going to wade in to this debate, but it's important to remember that the 20vt is not just a 16vt with an extra cylinder...it's a completely different engine, and, is not far off from being a completely different car as I'd guess that the vast majority of the mechanical parts on the 20vt are different from the 16vt version.

That's the sensible reply so listen to him

(not as much fun though)

Hi Simon. If you can, take a test drive in both the 16v&20vt & feel the difference. A well sorted 20vt is quite a beast, it will shove you back into your seat when the turbo kicks in on a spirited drive The five pot rumble is part of the show as well. Even as an oldy on here, I always have a smile when I take the Coop for a spin.

The Coop is a bit of an unknown quantity to most, but when you unearth the secret, well Personally some think it can be expensive, but for what youre getting, I think its little money for a car with the performance & style at this level. Best of luck.

I've had a 16VT and 3x20VT and to be fair both have there good points but I do prefer the 20VT purely for the noise.

I found the 16VT to get on boost quicker but not have as much punch (well until you start to tune it) but a well sorted/tuned 20VT will kick you back in your seat and shred your tyres after a few thousand miles

For the kind of money your looking at I'd personaly go for a more sorted 16VT rather then a real dog of a 20VT, but thats just my opinion before everyone shoots me down in flames

Isn't it just like any other car with regards to buying a lemon?

If the repairs are more than the car will ever be worth, or the amount of money you're prepared to throw at it just get rid of it and let someone else save it from the crusher or break it?

I was unaware of the grenade issue, but someone that replaced their 16VT with an LE told me that the 20VT was much better in terms of both performance and MPG.

With some saying unleaded will be at £1.25 to £1.30 a litre before the year is out MPG may be a consideration.

£1200 for a 20vt !! , i hope you have at least the same again for all the important jobs.

of course a 20vt is better, later engines and a newer car.

20vt has more power through the range. 16vt has more neck snapping ability and just does not sound the same (see what I did there) as a 5 cylinder.

Even Barnacle saw sense and bought the right car in the end

Without wishing to start WW3 what's the issue with the 16VT going bang?

It's equally as likely to meet an explosive end in a Lancia as it is in a Fiat Coupe?

cambelt required changing more often.

i have owned both and they both have thier plus points my friend loves the 16vt and wont have a 20 ..the engine has been around a long time in many italian cars and been used in motorsport in one guise or another for many years
` its a good strong unit if you keep on top of the cam belt and change the oil for good quality fully synthetic if you buy one... its only likely a grenade if you leave the cam belt too long..engines dont serve a long time especially in motor sport (mainly as it gives good power and is reasonably easily tuned) if they are not good its a little more on off than the 20 but not as quick or as smooth in standard guise.
however decat it change the filter for a good induction kit take it to lieghton at fc performance (which most on the forum do) for a live map and it will put a smile on your face every time you take it out ..especially in second (with the boost limit removed) its then a lively car ..
obviously you have your hybrid turbo options etc to get some real performance from them and both cars are easily made quick
the 20vt is a much smoother engine in some ways reminicent of the old jap straight 6's that smooth power..again with a little help breathing and a live map they become a real quick car they are a 6 second car as standard and the 5 cylinder sounds awesome with a nice exhaust and cone filter
both have served me well and been no more needy than any other 10+ year old performance car but with galvanised body and strong easily tuned engines, for the price, there is nothing as stylish,nice to be in or as quick..
as i say buy one and you wont regret it just take your time and dont be worried about asking for help from members to find a good one..
the 20vt has had a longer run so there are more cars to choose from ,more second hand parts and as mentioned they are better on fuel (this is another good reason to take it to fc performance if you get one it will leave a more efficient car as well as a faster one)
good luck
go on you know you want to

oh and if you can stretch your budget i have a very nice one coming up for sale with le kit..it will have a new clutch and cam belt fitted as well as full service and most components new or sourced as excellent second hand..it is on my drive awaiting the engine from my le it has full main dealer service history and a couple of folders full of history every mechanical part nearly has been replaced with top quality components..it was someones pride and joy for many years and is about to live again!

also if you want it tuned i have many tuning parts from hybrid turbos to bigger ball bearing ones, 3" exhausts suspension etc etc
it can all be added at this stage
good luck

But will be selling it soon to fund the 20vt->Quantum conversion. I wouldn't think of selling the 16v.

Basically, I'm not fond of turbos... I would certainly recommend a 20vt over the others in the range simply on grounds of spares availability.

But when I choose a car to drive for the hell of it, I invariably choose the 16NA, not the 20vt. It's a competent car, and I'd be likely to select for a drive to northern Scotland or Berlin, but unmodified the handling isn't a patch on the 16NA. Once I'd got past Glasgow I'd probably regret not taking the 16...

That's not intended to start a flame war; it's a personal opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Thank you barnacle, you may have altered my view of the NA cars.

Instead of seeing the 16V as the runt without the go to match the looks I should see it more as a Tipo 16V in a great looking body?

Are the more frequent cambelt changes on the 4 cylinder cars offset by being easier, or the techniques and experience of specialists being able to do 20V cambelts in situ cancel a possible advantage there?

Buy a coupe.

It will cost you money, it will cause you some problems from time to time.

sometimes you'll love it, othertimes you'll hate it.

Before long, you'll be in a more committed relationship with it than you are with >insert significant other<.

Definitley more fun than an fto.

You wont regret it*



* a basic hpi check first though is a good idea! - search for 'irishandy' for a user who didnt.....

Ah yes, the IrishAndy saga....... click here!

Even worse was that the car had already been discussed on the forum and was known to be a wrong 'un!

Thanks for the links to that nice Sprint blue one. I like the quote about people getting aroused over odometer readings. I've a relative that lost £100 deposit to a trader without premises in London a few months ago. It was a prestige German brand and was advertised as 90K with service history. They called a the supplying dealer and they last saw it in 2007 with 130K on the clock.

I'm not sure they've learnt their lesson and still place too much importance on mileage. What was sad is that it was obviously a shed but they'd convinced themselves to look past the obvious dents and scratches in odd places.

Thank you. I've seen that trader's ads on autotrader, and possibly saw that Coupe advertised for sale.