Choosing the color…again!

Last week I wrote about my first visits and this weekend I planned the first test drive. The company I visited last week offered me the opportunity to test drive a Fiat 500 with 500cc motor and a Fiat 500 with a 650cc motor. So last Saturday I drove to Veghel again. I got a warm welcome and started the day with a coffee and lots of good talk about classic cars. Nice to meet other classic car enthusiasts!

Eventually the test drives had to begin. First I drove the just restored red Fiat 500 (I talked about in the last blog update) with a 650cc motor. It felt quit quick, probably because it is such a small and light car. Right after the red Fiat 500 I tried a white 500cc one. This motor wasn’t bad either. But comparing the two I would choose the 650cc. Just a bit more power that makes it even possible to drive this car on the high way. So this is clear, a 650cc motor!

With, again, a coffee in my hand I ended the test drive discussing about the right color for the Fiat 500. I think blue…426, 483 or 453.



All Fiat 500 colors



First visit and choosing the color

The restored red Fiat 500

Last week I contacted some Fiat 500 sellers. Crazy to see, some company’s just don’t respond to my message. That’s a shame, for sure I won’t buy a Fiat 500 at their place.

But other company’s and private owners reacted very fast. Last Friday I visited a nice oldtimer company near Veghel. They buy, restore and sell Fiat 500’s. The owner has a passion for classic cars, you can tell from his stories that he enjoys his work. The owner of the company just finished a red Fiat 500 which was standing in the middle of the garage. Although the red color is not my thing it looked very attractive. Nice details had been added such as white lines around the alloys, silver stripes on the front and a completely new leather interior. These details made it a very complete car. Besides this red one they are planning to restore a white and dark blue Fiat 500 in upcoming weeks.

This company has one big advantage. A buyer can choose the color of the Fiat 500 that has to be restored, the detail of the restoration and even the color of the new leather interior. There are quite a few factors that determine the cost of the restoration process. The detail of the car’s restoration is the most important one. More detail means more working hours and eventually a more expensive restoration.   

I liked the dark blue Fiat 500 so I used this Fiat as an example of calculating the restoration. New paint, a new cognac colored leather interior, new bumpers, new light covers, a new steering wheel and dashboard, a new roof and an anti rust treatment makes the restoration 6000 euro in total.

A lot more than the budget I set. But…there is something to be said for a new restored car.

The cognac colored interior

Another advantage of this car is a 650cc motor with a synchronized gearbox. So why is this engine an advantage? The original engine is 500cc, the 650cc engine makes the Fiat faster and better to drive. It makes it even possible to drive the fiat on the high way. And the synchronized gearbox? Changing gear is a lot easier. With the original gearbox double clutching was required.

A lot to think about. I need some nights sleep..

What to do? The case of buying a Fiat 500

Of course I can name the 5 steps what to think about when buying a Fiat 500 and finish this new blog entry. Plenty of other websites describe the thinks you need to know and share their experience with the readers. So I won’t do it again!

Because of my own long time wish to buy a Fiat 500 I think it is a good idea to use the search for a Fiat 500 as an example of what to think about. The plan is to search for Fiat 500 in the following weeks and eventually maybe buy one as well.

The first step: budget! How much do I spend on a Fiat 500?

There are two possibilities, a Fiat 500 with “some work” or an already restored one. The price difference between these two options is probably 2000 euro. A Fiat 500 with “some work” will be between 2000 and 2500 euro. The good one’s will be between 4000 and 4500 euro. Eventually a decision will be made when test driving the cars I will select to visit.

Second step: the internet search.

With the use of Marktplaats.nl and Gaspedaal.nl it is possible to select Fiat 500’s from different company’s and private car owners. First the Marktplaats search. Marktplaats has an easy search engine and the Fiat 500 options can easily be selected.

What’s nice on Marktplaats, to start with the more expensive options:

- Fiat 500 Ivory

- Fiat 500 Blue

The cheaper option:

- Fiat 500 White 

Gaspedaal.nl makes it possible to search in different websites with car advertisements . So this is a good start in searching Fiat 500’s at car company’s. And what's nice over here:

- Fiat 500 Dark Blue

- Fiat 500 Light Blue

- Fiat 500 Blue

I contacted some of the owners of the cars you can see above. Next blog will be bout the reactions and planning a first visit!

Buying an oldtimer, first step in starting the search!

In my first post I promised to tell you something about what to keep in mind when buying your first oldtimer. Because my plan is to advise people in buying an oldtimer this will be a good next step in filling this blog.

The dream. For many people it’s a dream to one day own an oldtimer. They have been looking for many years. Lots of them have waited a long time to get to the position of being able to purchase one. For all of them it’s their dream come true.

Buying an oldtimer takes care. The older the car the more care should be taken. It’s possible to find 30 year old cars that still retain the vast majority of the qualities that were with the car when new, and you can enjoy them for a fraction of the price.

But do not assume that a second hand car is fine. A lot of oldtimers will look nice in the pictures, be careful to find one that is in the right condition for you.

Even so, surely the purpose of owning an oldtimer should be for the pure enjoyment rather than investment value. Take your time, enjoy the search for your oldtimer and the learning process. It’s worth it!

Coming up next week: 5 steps what to do before buying an oldtimer…maybe a Fiat 500?

                         Wheeler Dealers - buying a Fiat 500

Why else this blog?

It is not only a good way to share my interests and experiences with you, it is also part of the goals for the course I’m following this semester. One of the goals is analyzing the  factors that affect growth of this blog. It should be growing so I hope you all help me with this :-)

I’m going to do my best to keep the posts as interesting and informative as possible!!

Welcome to the Oldtimerfactory!

This blog is started to share my interest in oldtimers. Since several years I have been buying, selling en driving classic cars and gained therefore a lot of experience in this area. It all started with the purchase of a Porsche 911. A truly fascinating car to drive, own and talk about. But my fascination for oldtimers is not just about Porsche. In a weekly blog update I will discuss various oldtimers, what to keep in mind when purchasing an oldtimer and only partially my fascination for the brand Porsche. I support the stories with movies, pictures and links to online oldtimer news.

Besides this I hope Oldtimerfactory will eventually become a real company. A company that sells oldtimers and advises customers which oldtimer to buy.

So stay tuned and learn more about oldtimers and the development of Oldtimerfactory!