Punto (Mk2/2b) The car I wasn't going to change...

[homeward]

Where did you get your wind deflectors from and can you remember how much they were?
I quite fancy a set on my 5 door.

Am rather liking this car I think because its essentially a great looking standard car which goes to show you don't need millions of mods and LEDs and stickers to make a car look good....

I hope you declared that piece of battery wood to your insurance co

Thanks!

The deflectors are Team Heko; and they cost £42, from Amazon, in July, last year!

 

[homeward]

Where did you get your front mud flaps from

Got all four from eBay (again, in July, last year...); and then found that FIAT were doing the rear ones cheaper, on special offer....

Can't find them anywhere, now, though.... Sorry....

 

[homeward]

I hope you declared that piece of battery wood to your insurance co

You mean it's not standard...? :devil:

I don't live that far from Malvern: so think of it as my homage to English car-making...!

 

[PuntoHowTo]

thanks might get some after payday

Wind Deflector fits Fiat Punto 1999 On: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

 

[homeward]

Can't find them anywhere, now, though.... Sorry....

Ziggy122 -- the best I can find are these (fifth item down...), I'm afraid. Not OEM, though....

If this listing is to be believed, the part number is 50900463.

 

[homeward]

thanks might get some after payday

Must not have been awake, last night... -- as I've only just noticed that the set you linked to only appear to be the fronts.

If you want the full set, there are currently some on eBay (and for only a quid more than the Amazon ones...).

 

[benny279]

i would like some oem mud flaps but can never find any! i dont want some crappy ones that arent fiat branded

 

[homeward]

As discussed in another thread, bits of the suspension were in need of replacement. So -- after taking advice -- and spending far too long with my head under the car -- I decided to renew the following:

• all four shock absorbers;
• all four coil springs;
• the top mounts;
• the wishbone arms;
• the track-rod ends; and
• all four ARB bushes.

I am nothing if not (too) thorough, when it comes to looking after my cars: and, although there's not much to see on the surface, the ride is massively improved; the 'stance' is better (with equal gaps between each tyre and wheel arch -- even sat on a sloping drive, as seen below; and no sagging...); the Punto seems (subjectively) also to handle a damn' sight better (as you would hope/expect...) -- especially in the corners... -- although I think no car of this size is ever going to waft over the local pothole-ridden country (and town centre) roads....



Surprisingly, to me, only one nut was seized: on the nearside front bolt holding the hub to the strut. However, one of my locking wheel nuts -- which I've been struggling with for a while... -- finally gave up the ghost: so I'm now the proud owner of a new set....

More surprisingly, my top suspension mount 'peg covers' were transplanted...!



And yes, I know, Priscilla's engine bay needs a damn good clean... -- but when you pick up this much grit in just fifty miles of driving roads in constant use by the local farmers, their machinery, and their animals: it's a bit like painting the Forth Railway Bridge....

At least bits of the suspension are still shiny (probably not for long, though...)!



Thanks to everyone on the Forum for their help and advice; and, as always, to Big Mick, at Eurocarcare; to John, Dan and Kirsty, at Black Cat Motors; Euro Car Parts; and the amazingly helpful Nathan, at Exhaust Tyres & Batteries -- who did the final wheel alignment on his super-duper fancy gizmo thingummy. (It produces some rather nice, detailed printouts -- that's for sure...!) :worship:

 

[Ziggy122]

POst up the print outs Howard

i'd love to see whats what

Im thinking my cars Bum is going, horribly cruddy springs and shocks
I think i'd do rear then front.... alot of work has gone into it

Its nice to see a punto really cared for!

Ziggy

 

[homeward]

POst up the print out

Your wish is my command...! :worship:

Before alignment (but after everything had been fitted); and then after... -- note how many measurements at the front have changed from red to green! (I wish I'd taken a photo of it being measured, though... -- it was very, very clever....)





I'd have had this done, anyway, of course... -- but it was obvious from the steering wheel angle (a couple of degrees to the right), immediately after fitting, that the alignment needed doing. Realistically, though, there's very little that can be done about the rear, of course: but at least the thrust angle is as near straight ahead as dammit.

Am I the only one, by the way, that's juvenile enough to think that it's cool that my car has a "thrust angle"...?!

Im thinking my cars Bum is going, horribly cruddy springs and shocks
I think i'd do rear then front.... alot of work has gone into it

Yeah... -- the saggy bottom syndrome (something I associate more with Ford Escort ownership...) starts to become noticeable at this age. The cracked spring didn't help.... The car now sits so level, though, I can't help but smile each time I park it, and walk back to it....! (Although I'm presuming the front, especially, will settle a few mm, over the next few weeks....)

Because you take such care with/of Bumblebee, it definitely deserves the same treatment...! :slayer:

Its nice to see a punto really cared for!

Thanks! But this from the guy who possibly does more for/to his Punto, by way of maintenance, than nearly anyone else on the Forum...! :worship:

 

[homeward]

If you look at this thread, you'll see that I've been having minor problems with my instrument cluster. (Oo-er.)

Anyhoo: a replacement arrived, this morning (with approximately 20,000 less miles on it...): so I thought I would have a go at fitting it. Originally, I was going to get the SMD replaced that had failed (a not insignificant one: being the "injection system failure" light...); but found a replacement cluster -- from an identical car -- for only a few quid, on eBay.

Didn't take long, therefore, in the end. Didn't even need poxy proxy aligning (because it was also from a Speedgear...) -- just updating the mileage, with MES. Simples.

Took the car for a run, and checked the speed against the GPS; and then the speed, revs and engine temperature against the read-out from my Bluetooth OBD dongle. All were spot on...! (Well, actually, of course, the speedo over-reads... -- but only by as much as you'd expect....)

While I had MES connected, I had a run through the diagnostics, etc., as well... -- and everything is fine. Let's hope it gets through the MOT (in two months) as easily...!

 

[Ziggy122]

i want an alignment doing on my car now

No point till i replace the buckled wheels (thanks to the previous owner)

And i love my car - its gotta last, the bump possibly will be done next, much quicker job

Ziggy

 

[homeward]

No photos: just news that Priscilla flew through her MOT, a couple of days ago... -- and that she was manufactured exactly 12 years ago, today...! :woot:

Happy Birthday, little Punto...!

 

[homeward]

Haven't done anything to Priscilla in ages (apart from drive her... -- and she's pulling as smoothly as ever...) -- as my breeding Pandas have been taking up my automotive time.

Anyhoo: she did over 500 miles, in four days, recently -- and here she is, parked a few miles south of Coniston, in the Lakes.



Next thing will be new tyres: as the Toyo Proxes have seen around 14,000 miles; and the tread is starting to get a bit low for my liking (especially at this time of year). Watch this space...! :wave:

 

[benny279]

Hopefully not literally in the lakes

She's looking good!

Take care !

Benny

 

[jatkinson]

were you up here for long? did you get much of a tour around the lakes ?

punto looks clean as always (Y)

 

[homeward]

were you up here for long? did you get much of a tour around the lakes ?

Sadly, it was a one-day, spur-of-the-moment trip. A 5.5 mile amble around Ambleside (and down to the lake); and then a drive back to Lankyshire (where my ma and pa live) via the far side of Coniston Water.

Looking back through my photos, I realized that I haven't been up there for eight years.... Shocking, when you consider I used to go walking in the Lakes, Wainwright in hand, nearly every weekend, in my youth.

Hopefully, be back sooner, and for longer, and will let you know....

I'm ignoring the comment about the Punto's cleanliness. After all the recent rains, though, it's a lot less mucky that it was....

 

[benny279]

The "clean" thing will always be your trademark homey! if you turned up with punto clean then you must be ill!!

I washed mine before mot pfft wish I never now cause it failed

 

[JosephOne]

Did you just spray your side repeaters? They look really naughty!

 

[homeward]

Did you just spray your side repeaters? They look really naughty!

Ta! (And I just love your use of the word "naughty"...!)

I bought them ready-smoked (i.e. in dark plastic) from TMC Motorsport; and fitted amber bulbs, at the same time... -- I'm trying to go for a sort of black highlights theme, whilst remaining fairly subtle.... :chin: