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..