1980 Orange aircooled

[Jan-in-UK]

AS spoke with two of you I am at the edge of some important decisions. So regardless of what is going to happen I decided to let ol of you know I might be forced to sell my electric orange 1980. In restoration section there is more than needed to find out about its condition:
http://club126uk.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4392.0
I am a bit gutted but as everything is going really good for me at the moment some decisions must be made. And as I did open with Chris FSO forum, got expensive Polonez from Poland + one more ENORMOUS barn find still awaiting collection I am affraid I will really have to let orange go.
It is MOT'd from yesterday so registering it will be a piece of cake. Clutch cable might do with adjustment even if drives lovely as is. Thats it.
This time I don't want to go to Ebay, it is like selling a friend. I had a really very good ideas for orange but if I won't spend a lot of mony now for a sake of my close future I might not get a chance like this ever again.
So here you go, price is £1600 and NO LESS as it ows me way more and if I will have to, it will go on Ebay to make hopefully more. Thing is I need money before this Sunday so please get it to good, fiat twisted home and I will have what I need.
If I will not make it till Sunday I will see how thing will go on Monday and will possibly put it on ebay if it wont be to late for my investment. Without stupid auctions - just BuyNow and best offer.
Think its worth £1600 for 100000%. I won't add anything as I am pissed enough to have to write as much.
Sometimes it all goes bad.

[Rusty's Uncle]

  Hey Jan I am starting to think that you have got more "Oranges" than the man from Del Monte but keep them coming as it all helps to put the 126 on the map . Does look good as well & tepting  [-/

[Jan-in-UK]

Feel free to have it :d I will deliver it especially for you I do not have much of them and fact I am selling it is forced by circumstances. I am nor rich - thats the problem. If I wont sell it by the weekend I might keep it as well. I don't know.
I just don't like to use any financial help (banks, friends) as long as I don't really have to... It is better to sell something you love than ask for help. At least for me

[fiatfsm]

Jan, I was seriously considering this car. But, I have just looked through all of the pics and noticed the one of the inner rear arch without the wheel attatched. There are two very large patches welded in there, I presume because of rust? If so, the standard of welding should fail a UK MOT, as regulations do say that welding should be continuous and not just tacked on like those patches. Obviously in Poland this is not so, but thought you ought to know before someone buys it and gives you grief! Your MOT tester probably didnt spot it with the wheel on the car.

[Jan-in-UK]

I know these places and this might not look good but it was just to make inner arch stronger as hole welded in was much smaller than what you see. Tester has seen it and despite fact he is a colleague of my friend he just said "some blind man welded few bits in, has he?". And laughed a lot. But honestly - he said only two reasons why it might have not passed if somebody else would drive it in (he didn't even said he wouldn't let it go through) are:
1. I did not connect jet washers as i have no washer bag
2. I forgot to fit freshy maschine washed seatbelts
But they know me and know they can trustif I said seatbels are there. So basicly it wasn't any "friendly" MOT like some people do for rubbishes. It did pass with this. And i can't say anything about MOT standards but this is a very solid car and trust me - in my career I had classics in much worse shape and they did went throught easily.
All in all - I gave any potential buyer way more pictures anybody gives these days so it is up to them like you - you can always say NO, THANKS, IT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.

[Amateb8]

Fiatfsm, you have a got a very good eye for detail.

The car looks even better with those white walled tires. Soooooo, tempting. Unfortunately, I still have my other 126 Bis which I am still trying to sell. It has been scheduled (in the qeue) for restoration by Proeitti since last year but due to other work on other vintage Fiat cars, it has been delayed by a year. They have notified me today that they could start the resto. in the next couple of months. It is going to cost a bomb!!! Anyone interested in my 126 Bis? Make me an offer.

[fiatfsm]

LOL, Ive looked at more 126s than I care to remember and seen all the places they rot. Ive never actually owned one with rust in the rear arches, usually its the front around the double skinned area. That orange 126 is one of the best looking ones Ive seen, it just looks so cool but....

[Jan-in-UK]

But what?

[stuey]

its too orangy for crows....
(plus bump for epically cool car)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LvLn9PWln8

[fiatfsm]

But what?

OK you did ask.... please dont get upset or offeneded as this is supposed to help you. I see a lovely 126 all freshly restored. Then I see two plates welded in the rear arch, lets be honest they are a bodge and anyone will tell you the same. They will just make the rust thats under them rot faster.. its not the way to repair panels.

Now, they are very obvious and you have to now wonder how the rest of the car was repaired... are there plates like that in the floors, the sills and front arches around the suspension? Have they been covered in filler to hide them in places? Its questions that people will ask. Your MOT tester should have failed that 126 on the welding, he doesnt know if the hole behind is right by the spring and how big it is, all he can see is welding far below MOT standard. If it was my car, Id be getting out the chisel and ripping those plates off to see whats under them. Someone could buy your car and discover these and have the car examined by a VOSA inspector and your MOT place could lose its licence... it has happened before... I bought my first 126 eleven years ago and it had welding like yours but in the front arches. You couldnt see it till it was up in the air. I asked the guy for my money back as it had a fresh MOT, he refused. I rang VOSA who then contacted the MOT station and within 1/2 hour the guy was on his way with a trailer and my money... turned out the trader I bought the 126 from was a mate of the MOT tester!!!

Put it this way, if they werent there and all the rot had been properly cut out and repaired... Id be up your way on Sunday with £1600

[Jan-in-UK]

Well, all I can say you might be right in a few places but first off all I have never said car was rebuild 100% and is like new condition. The other thing is I had this kind of welding on my beetles before and if it was cleaned properly I have had no problems for next years - including MOT. Third thing is - I don't have to ripp anything off as I know people who did it and for me it is enough to ask I am sorry you had a problem with seller and after you did this mess around, I try do not deal with people like them and all together I am always as honest as possible. So I gave everybody those pictures to see, I have said "sold as seen" and it is up to the public to sya "yes" or "no".

And now the most important thing - if this car would be in a condition you would desire it to be, you wouldn't be on your way with £1600 as these days £1600 won't buy a descent, 100% restored and done to the top standard 126. As simple as that. Just for your information I have found one which is 1983, showroom condition and 2100 km done from new. It is amazing vehicle but it will cost me almost £2000 to buy it in Poland. For a budget of few hunderd pound you can only buy what you can buy. I am sure my 126 is worth this £1600 without ANY hesitation in a shape it is at present.

And last thing - why it is always a rule number 1 that the most criticism and most comments always comes from those who either don't have a car at all either want to buy something brilliant for half price?
No offence but you just pissed me off, if this one isn't worth as much as i am asking for non of fiats in the UK are....

[dajwid]

FiatFSM, don't rise to the bait.

I was forced to sell my 126 due to family problems and also got it in the neck from some members. Nice to see you back.

[Jan-in-UK]

I knew dajwid will come out to have a word in this tread.... Not only me

[defender90]

  So forgeting the welding, This car passed it's MOT without seat belts and no screen washers or bag fitted? ? ? ?

[Jan-in-UK]

To make it clear - seatbelts we "borrowed" for few minutes from another car he has, washers and pipes are fitted so as only bag was missing we put water in a plastic bottle and it did a job as they work correct so the manual pump works well. In the end of the day I didn't do this MOT for sale, I did it for myself so I didn't bothered with details. Anyway, I have enough good opinion to get an MOT even without proof it works as people respect me.
All in all MOT is in place, seatbelts are fitted corectly and bag should be here by tomorrow midday