Everything wrong with my Punto - inspected by a Fiat expert!

Everything wrong with the UK's oldest Fiat Punto...I took my 1994 Fiat Punto to Italian car specialist GoItalia for an inspection from an expert...what did he find?
Thanks to www.goitalia.co.uk - check them out for Italian car service and repairs in the South East
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[@RichieRouge206]

The fact that the springs have survived as they are made of much better steel is absolutely spot on. The quality of nearly everything has fallen through the floor now. Doesn’t matter what brand - everything is crap. The endless stories of awful new parts causing misery is quite an eye opener! To think a cheap car from 30 years ago is made of better stuff really is zero surprise. For the age of the car it’s in amazingly good condition. I know it’s disappointing that theres that bodge in the inner OSR arch bit this car is so worth the effort and time to sort it and the other tiny issues. Such a fabulous little car.

[@skodakatie7341]

A very interesting video, it’s great to have an expert look over an old car, to find out just how good, or bad it really is 😊.

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Truly amazing condition for a 30 year old Italian car! Well chosen, Matt.

[@PaulioBee]

"Welcome back to Furious Welding..." ✨✨✨

[@danielrussell446]

Well done Matt and Jamie a great video and it’s remarkable how well the Punto has survived Jamie’s experience is amazing and it is definitely worth saving and making it right! Looking forward to future videos on the punto! Daniel

[@BRED510]

The sumps still rot out on the Fiat 500's. Great to see it looking pretty good underneath.

[@terryatkinson899]

Great result and a top man checking it out. Could not ask for a better person to work on fiat's, wish we had him here in Ireland 🤗👍🇮🇪

[@highbury1972]

Hey Matt! Brilliant video and great seeing Jamie cast an expert eye and experience over The Punto. I love how you connected with two Fiat experts of Jamie and Vernon Hiberrd getting the best out your Fiats. Looking forward to the next video on it.

[@furiousdriving]

Ive been lucky to know Jamie for a long time - I always made sure he or one other guy (hi Rich) looked after our Alfas when he was at the main dealer years ago

[@highbury1972]

@@furiousdriving So Cool! I used to Live in Edenbridge, Kent and Jamie’s location reminds me of the garage I used there that was rural too. Fantastic!

[@jonnygigs21]

I think this little beauty has o be a long term keeper!! Love it 🙌🏼

[@craigc8954]

Great listening to Jamie. He’s a natural on camera !

[@markdoyle6414]

My mother in law had a Doblo, without a shadow of a doubt the most reliable car I've experienced, body work was also really good. It lived in the north of Scotland and did amazing.

[@TheStevo1978]

Those FIRE engines are great little things. I wonder if the longevity of the springs is helped by cars being lighter, as well as the steel being better

[@Lot76CARS]

It was all going so well until 27 minutes in Matt. Your welder the never get cold at this rate😮

[@furiousdriving]

Ill have worn my welder out at this rate...

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

Great condition overall… it really deserves to have the whole back end dropping off, stripping and repainting while the rusty wheelarch gets repaired. Amazing the underseal hasn’t failed and let water underneath to rot the floor, it looks like it’s been garaged and not driven a lot but I think that model attracted an older driver / owner.

[@benc8386]

I'm impressed. Generally very good. Has a smell of petrol and needs a bit of welding. Unfortunate that they're in the same place.

[@ronmccullock1407]

Superb video, sounds you have a good FIAT Punto please keep it in the fleet. I had the same model Punto new, best car I owned in the nineties

[@brianiswrong]

Fancy matt buying a car with a dodgy battery😊 And the bit of welding and the fuel filler neck being in the same place is a good thing (spares availability pending) . Cam cover gasket, timing belt, formation welding and poss oil pan, she is a goodun.

[@dglcomputers1498]

Imagine doing PDI's on a FIAT, must have taken quite a while 😄

[@roseybut]

Hooray!! Congratulations Matt you've bought a decent one.

[@VDPEFi]

The mk1 punto was a fantastic car, considering it in its day against its rivals it was a little cracker. My dad had loads as hire cars back then and he really rated them. First car he ever showed me a handbrake turn in too lol

[@TheFantasia93]

The Punto design was actually intended to be the new Renault Clio. But Renault looked at it and rejected it. So Giugiaro took the design to Fiat who approved it as the replacement for the Uno. But the rear lights on the car were down low. It was only at the last minute that someone at the Fiat in-house design team proposed putting the taillights up high along the roof pillars. And what a difference that made. Giugiaro must have been kicking himself.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Why would he be!! He got his design accepted in the end.

[@TheTonytiger89]

Love this series, taking me right back to my old 2001 Punto. RIP WM51 XGR.

[@Snarl616]

I still have my Punto 188. I love it.

[@richardhargrave6082]

Nice video! I have always said that FIATS, Alfas and Lancias are better built than the perception!

[@geoffnoyes520]

Well, his comments on the cinquecento fuel tanks explains why ours was rusted and leaking within about 4years from new. The hand brake system and discs were rusted out and replaced within 4 years!. To be fair the car lived in Aberdeen right beside the sea, complete with salted roads in the winter. Really fun little car though! Thank you for yet another very interesting video.

[@jimb7406]

Very interesting inspection - you can see the car has been looked after and lived its life down south - wouldn't have survived 29 salty winters in the north or Scotland. Regarding the brake pipes over the top of the fuel tank they are similar to Pug 205's. I've had a few of those and it is well worth dropping the fuel tank to get in and inspect / replace the brake lines. The ones on my 205's were badly corroded and it could not be seen without dropping the tank.

[@arieplomp8906]

At least the sills are fairly ok ✅ Your an expert welder on them! Now its time to get an expert on inner wheel arches! 😂😂😂

[@matthewchannel9981]

That tourer is the best looking shape of that model. I think you should keep it, do it up. Sell the tomcat and sell a P6, you only need 1 of each model.

[@mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm420]

I counted 'obviously'...208 times during the video.

[@eltontothemax]

Was thinking this too :)

[@mathewchild2492]

those Fire Engines take a lot of beating. When driving home from signing up for my new car, my old punto shed it's timing belt (I'm sure it was revenge). Thank god those engines were non-interference. One of the pulleys the belt went round had broken off, we got replacement from an old cortina engine, and refit the same belt, eyeballed the timing marks and fired her up. God it was rough, but it ran. At least enough for us to drive it back to Yes Car Credit and invoke the break clause on their contract.

[@tonys1636]

For once you've got a good un there, no really munched by tin worm bits, just needs a good clean and rustproofing underneath apart from that inner rear wing, compared to other newer fleet members a doddle. Surprised the suspension has survived that well considering the state of the roads, must have been driven very carefully. What is the mileage on her?

[@MrTimcoronel]

how many times does he say 'literally'?

[@fhwolthuis]

Lovely car, I hope you'll fix her up nicely 😀

[@D0csavage1]

I had a Fiat Brava that developed the perforated sump, a stop gap fix was to put resin putty on the holes stop the oil weeping. Then I owned a II Punto which was a great reliable car without any real issues except on both these cars the exhaust pipe fell off at the catalytic converter joint and scraped along the road. I have a II Bravo now and Fiat seems to have fixed the exhaust pipe issue at the converter joint. I am pretty sure the engines fitted to these Fiat's are the FIRE engine, so if the cam belt snaps the pistons don't smash into the valves.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Looks very good - certainly a lot better than the ‘before’ of the Punto GT being restored by Neil at Italia Autos!

[@dookieday1]

I consider myself an expert on the Punto, been daily driving ,and maintaining it for 21 years now, never broken down , but always things needing attention

[@christineayres7199]

I agree with the Mechanic the older Coil Springs from the 1990s were better quality springs as the metal was thicker gauge steel , good example i bought some new Kilen springs from Sweden and even them which cost me an arm and a leg are still not as good as the original ones that were removed sadly.

[@pug2052]

I agree the FIRE engine is bombproof but unfortunately it’s mainly everything round it fiats seem to age very quickly and that twin air engine is awful

[@Phiyedough]

Yes, the engine was OK on my petrol Doblo, it was just everything else that went wrong!

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

A really interesting video Matt, it's a great video for anyone looking into a original Punto and what to watch out for! Could'nt have asked for a more qualified expert to look over this car. Just goes to show that cars of the 90's earned their reputation as the ultimate bullet-proof generation of motors... when they are looked after like this has been (ignore the fibreglass)!

[@anthonystevens8683]

A top video Matt, a warts (only a few this time) an all view of the Punto with GoItalia who knows these cars very well. This is a very tidy car but clearly needs some TLC on the offside quarter along with a few bits and bobs. A great thorough inspection. Will she become a keeper? I guess we'll wait and see but she's certainly worth saving I think.

[@furiousdriving]

I think this is worth hanging onto for a long time being such an early car

[@andrewnewton5893]

For 30 yrs old I'd clean rust off bottom treat it then re stone chip very solid for its age

[@matthewdove3520]

My uncle had a n reg one of these few years back I remember the head gasket went got fixed and went back on the road then sold it on

[@matthewdove3520]

Was yellow/gold colour

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Yep, head gasket went on my Punto too - I think it was a common fault. Shame, in every other way it was a fantastic car. I just realised for the mileage I was doing across country, I needed something with a bigger engine………so I bought an Alfa!

[@danielrussell446]

@@matthewdove3520exploit yellow

[@owensteele1645]

FIAT. Designed for life.

[@bryandavidson9682]

Great Video, Daughter has a Punto and is a lovely motor.

[@mehrzahl2219]

When we all thought that rust was a thing of the past, you find yourself welding almost all of your cars...

[@furiousdriving]

it wouldnt be complete without it...

[@lesklower7281]

A good result from a Fiat expert a bew rocker cover gasket how many gave of those have l seen on you tube and the battery but as long it works and for a 29 year old car from the UK a littke bit of rust mainly surface

[@robtt997]

Really enjoying the Punto videos . Well done

[@timonbotha476]

always Great to watch a knowledgeable mechanic

[@Luke-PlanesTrainsDogsnCars]

7Up & Pepsi ??..surely it should have been Chinotto and Tassoni cedrata cans.

[@grayfool]

Not bad. Let's face it, it wouldn't be Furious Driving without some rust.

[@eggy1962]

lavish dose of rust treatment and underseal, jobs a good un...he is spot on with state of modern coil springs they are junk full of impurities

[@MrPabsUk]

I worked for Alfa for a while in the early 90`s, Spiders used to ALWAYS used have corrosion on the (cast & plated) door handles from new, & one spider we got in had a grille under the passenger seat, & as I looked it over, I could see sandpaper marks along the sill, & then I saw overspray underneath & in the rear wheel arch, so it had obviously been repaired & repainted before it had left the factory! But yeah, mechanically the FIRE`s are pretty unburstable, the gearboxes go on the pre-92 ones, because the "wet" driveshaft gaiters would eventually crack & let all the gearbox oil out, quickly resulting in the diff planetary gears failing (which are cheap, but involve a lot of labour as the gearbox needs to be dismantled to fit them). You dont have that type of wet-cup gearbox in the Punto though. I`ve had dozens of Panda`s & Uno`s, a few Seicento`s, a couple of Punto`s, all with FIRE engines, as well as various Lampridi engined ones (SOHC & TC) & now an 11yo 500 twinair (still have a few classic Uno`s & a Panda), & a lot of my family do too (my brother has an Abarth 500 with a quarter of a million miles on it) they are incredibly reliable, contrary to all the "Fix it again Tony/Tomorrow" jokes..

[@Candisa]

I own a 2016 Doblo T-Jet from new, it's become quite the rattlebox lately (something to be inspected next maintenance), but the engine was one of three main reasons to prefer it over the competition and it's definitely still going strong despite running on LPG. Such a shame Fiat became part of PSA/Stellantis so next generation models will probably get the horrible THP engines, and the new Doblo (Berlingo) definitely is a huge step backwards in pretty much every way compared to the one I have... :(

[@paulkelly4897]

I would remove the coil cover, fiat stopped fitting them as it causes the coils to fail

[@aslandama]

I do get a petrol smell with my Seicento when I fill it, like you no evidence of leaks or staining. I did fit a new in tank pump last year, maybe the sender unit seal needs a little tweaking, I don't get the smell if I half fill it.

[@furiousdriving]

Interesting, we checked the pump under the sweat, but that was dry too, so not that area

[@mickles1975]

What are you doing to the batteries? Every car you buy goes through at least one or two.

[@furiousdriving]

I buy them that way...

[@seanwallace1972]

Great video,amazing car

[@gregbarrass8529]

Great video lads

[@richardhowlett9424]

Great person to know , a real expert , remarkable condition for any 29 year old car , in the uk . Thanks Matt.

[@histriamagna1014]

You're becoming a master welder sir. Hope you fix it in the future.

[@katywalker8322]

I had to change a tank on my sisters Seicento. Afterwards Fiat did the recall. And I hate changing fuel tanks!

[@furiousdriving]

Not great timing!

[@katywalker8322]

@@furiousdriving yep. Happens though! I quite liked the Seicento. Engine that liked to be revved and very chuckable. However it ate clutch cables (but they were cheap and took 10 minutes to change), and the scissor mechanism that operated the handbrake in the drums would seize up regularly.

[@enigmalex3649]

@@katywalker8322 I have Seicento 1.1 Sporting 1999. It has nice engine sound ih higher revvs. Do you know where to tighten the handbrake cable?

[@katywalker8322]

@@enigmalex3649 ages since I worked on it. From memory, it has one cable from the lever to one of the rear drums, and a 2nd cable that is pulled by the first cable on a corner as the slack is taken up in the first cable. I have a feeling the adjuster is under the car at the handbrake end. But that is vague memory and I could easily be wrong on it being under the car.

[@marklittler784]

Like taking your car to Columbo 😊

[@pigeonpoo1823]

Well they do say with french (and probably Italian), what doesn't fall apart within 5 years is normally pretty solid. I have zero evidence to back this up, but ive 'known' it to be a fact for 30 odd years

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Current Italian car is 12 yrs old and still going strong. My previous ones managed 11 yrs (when I sold it on), and 9 years (7 of which in my ownership) - they key is going to a good specialist garage who knows Italian cars……

[@Clodhopping]

I agree. My 2001 1.6 petrol Citroen Xsara Picasso passes the MOT each year and has no body rust at all.

[@danielrussell446]

We’ve had both and never had a problem First vw we have always in the garage!

[@mlies37]

The thing I don’t understand is why you haven’t named the punto Kaj yet because it’s kind of right there

[@annlawton281]

Be careful changing that fuel filter.Dont pull on the pipe to the pump.The pump fuel exit pipes are brittle and snap like a carrot

[@johnclarke2997]

Excellent more welding to come.

[@carlmarkwyatt]

That yellow 'dob' of paint is something Moto Guzzi still do, I wonder if that's an Italian thing.

[@theclappedoutdairy-man3507]

This man knows his stuff. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@GrandePunto8V]

Not really. He skipped a few spots, problematic areas like rear axle, tapered bearings.

[@iainstewart6096]

Thought of you when I saw these

[@acwdrivingservices9877]

A good honest little car, testament as to why we should be keeping older cars on the road, (this Punto is a great little runabout with many years of use left in it) and not buying 3 tonne EV's if we want to achieve this zero carbon thingy/whatever, that our wonderful politicians seem to think is a "great idea".

[@stevesrover]

Lovely little car!

[@DashCamSerbia]

For me, Italian cars is where it's at.

[@AndyC2_]

360p ?? The tech is older than the cars 😂

[@furiousdriving]

i dont know why KZbin hasnt processed it to HD by now, it should have hours ago

[@chrisgosling6083]

more welding !!!! you will be a master fabricator in 2 or 3 cars time !😊 over all its in good condition for a car of its age

[@patrickh7368]

Come one you know you love fixing rot boxes 😂 I once had a Mirafiori doors we’re tatty but underneath solid , fabulous car , just engine oil seals had to be replaced which soaked the clutch lining 🙄 but great car

[@isy51]

Its amazing !

[@rodhili3946]

A really interesting video 🙌 I bought several new fiat cars in the 90's only because I found an excellent dealer and would buy whatever make he was selling.

[@furiousdriving]

Something some makers forgot to their cost when they got rid of the smaller dealers

[@frimleyfrodo]

That was very much the case in the small rural Welsh town I grew up in. When the largest dealer switched from Austin Rover to Vauxhall, lots of people switched to Vauxhall. When an independent garage gained a Renault dealership, suddenly lots of Renaults appeared in the town. It also had a Ford dealership and later another Austin Rover. A friend of my father thought about a Citroen BX, but the nearest dealer was 40 miles away and he decided servicing and repairs would be a faff. Now that town has no franchised dealerships left at all.

[@classics144sportscarschannel]

hope you sort punto matt.

[@furiousdriving]

it will be done!

[@classics144sportscarschannel]

@@furiousdriving brill ;-)

[@neilwalsh4058]

Looks like you had the right person on the job there, FIAT man through and through and not much to worry about which is excellent news. I did seriously struggle to watch it though , just waiting for the next time he said 'literally'. He's not alone though, it's a word thrown in far too many times by those of a certain age these days. Better than the last habit they had though, starting every sentence with 'so' 🤣

[@philipdasilva6287]

So it looks like that Fiat engineering is not as bad as that it's made out to be. Interesting. I've had less problems with my two fiat's than I had with my vw golf 😂

[@SlapTheMonkey100]

What footage can we expect to see next for your Punto, Matthew?

[@robhines4537]

Confusing thumbnail.. expecting a horror story and yet your Punto is remarkably good for 29yrs??

[@terryatkinson899]

My cinquecento smells of petrol when you fill it to the top, so i only fill it just over half full🤗🇮🇪👍

[@furiousdriving]

Thats a fix!

[@darrenwilson8042]

Had a spring replaced on a 56 plate Scenic. I said to the garage "I hear this more and more " and the response was " Yep - speed bumps and sh@t Chinese steel springs. I had the same on an AXGTI bought new. Braked and there was a thunk - accelerated and there was a thunk. After several visits there was San Miguel bottle in the door - assembled in Spain

[@nigelbarratt6825]

Having spent a good deal of the last 50 years in and out of the motor trade, one thing has always puzzled me, namely why any sane person would dream of buying an Italian car! In my experience they should be avoided like the plague. In the 80s I had a mate who bought a Fiat Strada 70CL brand new. No body warranty then, and at 18 months old we were dealing with serious rust holes.

[@furiousdriving]

you say that, but we've had loads - and apart from a very rough Alfa 33 they've been zero hassle from any of them

[@steven-vn9ui]

360p?

[@redblock5949]

wait for a while if you want to watch in better quality

[@steven-vn9ui]

@@redblock5949 Ah cool, thanks for that :)

[@bbbobnl]

We're to enthousiast!

[@furiousdriving]

i dont know why KZbin hasnt processed it to HD by now, it should have hours ago

[@LogitechXibanga]

@furiousdriving its showing me as 360p only

[@furiousdriving]

i dont know why KZbin hasnt processed it to HD by now, it should have hours ago

[@LogitechXibanga]

@@furiousdriving its working now, now its watchable hehe

[@bryanmcnabb9563]

No sound???

[@furiousdriving]

only on the drive

[@patrick103b]

Dose he fancy doing a timing belt on a 2.4 croma 😀

[@furiousdriving]

Im sure he would, thats 100% up his street! He did my Alfa 145 cambelt with no trouble

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Aside from a little bit of welding on that inner wing, looks like you have a good little car there Matt. Jamie's previous experiance of PdI' ing the Puntos has come in really useful.

[@Wellibob68]

Over an hour. Still 360p. Can't watch that quality tbh. KZbins fault I know.

[@furiousdriving]

i dont know why KZbin hasnt processed it to HD by now, it should have hours ago

[@Wellibob68]

​@@furiousdrivingit's happens Matt. Very annoying especially when a favourite youtubers uploads and I keen to view it. I'm spoilt and throw my rattle out of the pram when I ha e to wait. Happens on a few of my car youtubers uploads too. Its the length that tends to give issues at times.

[@ianmead7712]

Hi Matt I think you need to buy a battery 🔋 company as you seem to be buying a lot of batteries 😅 Halfords must be making a fortune out of you 😀

[@GrandePunto8V]

So called "expert" forgot to mention rear axle, tapered bearings. One of the weak points of this car.

[@davidstevens8160]

I managed to last ten minutes before the Fiat man saying 'literally' or 'obviously' at least once in every sentence became too much.

[@SportFury1966]

Shouldn't he be named... Tony?

[@peterriggall8409]

How can a man who works on Italian stuff still appear quite sane????? 🤔

[@furiousdriving]

he hides it well...

[@bikeman123]

Nothing lasts anymore because manufacturers now use cheap Chinese metal etc. Expect modern cars to be rusting in a few short years. They never learn.

[@mark70s29]

Great video! His PDI build quality stories are just what I experienced at a rover dealership in the 90s. But we had mini, maestro and montego with visible rust sitting in the show room! There was an issue with some Rover Metros with rattling in the tailgate.. answer: splay waxoil in it:) it was loose nuts from the wiper motor being dropped during assembly:) Off topic..I can't for the life of me understand in tank non serviceable fuel filters!

[@furiousdriving]

Ive heard incredible stories from BL dealers (Marina with RHD dash and LHD pedals...) so not shocked the state owned makers were as bad! Yes, that is crazy making filters non serviceable or not there at all

[@Simple-dad793]

Yet another rot box . Great vid tho

[@stevie007]

👍👍👍👍

[@stevie007]

Jammie 😘😘

[@paultasker7788]

Oh dear. When a what is wrong with my car video is over half an hour long I really hope there's a lot of talk in amongst the faults! About to find out😂