"Jay_Hoff" (jayhoff)
10/03/2016 at 12:37 • Filed to: None
32
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"Jay_Hoff" (jayhoff)
10/03/2016 at 12:37 • Filed to: None | 32
| 34 |
After four long years, I finally bought a Fiat 500 Abarth.
I’ve wanted one for what seems a decade, ever since the little hot hatch came out in 2012, I wanted one, I wanted for its heritage, it’s ties to Ferrari, the exhaust note, and to own an Italian car.
The search began months a go, when my wife and I sat down to discussing buying one for the millionth time, she knew how much I talked about buying one, and got tired of me talking about it, so with the approval processed passed, I went on the hunt.
I knew what I wanted, I wanted the “C”, with 16s, and leather. I had a budget, and I knew it was going to take some serious negotiation to get one for that budget, but after finding a 14 Nero C with Nero/Rosso leather, I knew that I had to have that one. I began emailing the dealer, working on the deal. After sixty some emails and a few phone calls later, I picked it up on the 30th, a day before my 30th birthday.
The four hour drive back was amazing, listening to the exhaust make amazing Rice Krisppy type noises shifting through the gears made me enjoy over taking, shifting down to take off ramps and on ramps was amazing.
I only learned to drive stick a few months a go, and I did it just to buy this car. And it has been worth all the embarrassment of stalling at stop signs, friends laughing at me, and getting pulled over the first night of driving manual for dropping the clutch.
I can't wait to see what adventures this car will take me on, but I know one thing, the juice was worth the squeeze.
—
Berang
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 12:40 |
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Looks nice.
Nothing
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 12:41 |
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Congrats! Someday, I hope I can obtain my dream car, although I have yet to figure out what it is.
marshknute
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 12:41 |
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Awesome! I almost bought one myself last year, and still maintain that its the most fun car under $25K (and funner than plenty of more expensive cars!).
extraspecialbitter
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 12:44 |
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That’s awesome, man. Congrats and hope you enjoy the ride!
mazda616
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 12:52 |
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Congratulations! That’s so awesome. I got my car I’d longed for for years exactly one year ago this month. It’s a good feeling.
EL_ULY
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 12:53 |
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heck yeah dude congrats!
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Jay_Hoff
> marshknute
10/03/2016 at 12:56 |
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Best car Ive ever owned, and for under 15k, and under 30,000 miles, she is a lot of fun.
smobgirl
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 12:56 |
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Good choice!
I learned stick to drive mine too. Only I learned IN the Abarth. Thankfully my purchase coincided with back surgery so I had a few weeks to putter slowly around the neighborhood before I actually had to trust myself to drive anywhere.
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Jay_Hoff
> mazda616
10/03/2016 at 12:56 |
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Great feeling.
CalzoneGolem
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 12:57 |
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One of the best sounding exhausts ever fitted to a car.
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Jay_Hoff
> CalzoneGolem
10/03/2016 at 13:00 |
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It is amazing. Makes all the right noises to make you feel like you are diving something more than an hot economy car.
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CalzoneGolem
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 13:05 |
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It really is reason enough to buy the car imo.
MonkeePuzzle
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 13:09 |
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yes, I can tell you got your dream car... your face says it so plainly :P
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Jay_Hoff
> MonkeePuzzle
10/03/2016 at 13:11 |
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All of my friends said the same thing, but I was exhausted when I got down there. I didn’t sleep the night before, I rode in the back of a 2014 Camaro down there, as you can see, I am not a tiny guy, and I had a belly full of Popeye’s Chicken. I was excited, and very nervous, this is the most expensive car we own, or are paying on at the moment.
Saracen
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 13:12 |
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Awesome, man. I love the noises these make, and they’re a steal these days.
TysMagic
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 13:16 |
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AH YEAH!!! Cabrio was a great choice. I absolutely love mine. Same boat, it was a dream car since I first test drove one back in 2012/2013.
Welcome to the Abarth club! Not sure how much research you did, but good choice on the ‘14 model and the newer style dash
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Jay_Hoff
> TysMagic
10/03/2016 at 13:18 |
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I knew they added the better 16s for this year, better turbo, and a 2nd armrest.
Arrivederci
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 13:20 |
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Enjoy it man! I was at a Fiat dealership wanting to see the new 124 Spider in person and someone cranked up a new 500 Abarth and drove away. Just listening it it makes you smile! Very cool little cars - hope it’s good to you.
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TysMagic
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 13:25 |
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That second arm rest is the real MVP here. Seriously.
I’m happy with the 17s on mine. Only downfall I’m aware of is the plug and play tune-ability of the later 2014+ models
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Jay_Hoff
> TysMagic
10/03/2016 at 13:37 |
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I live in Iowa, so I wanted a bit more tire to help with the back roads. And I really like the mesh style 16s, the 17s are something I will be getting just for autocross events.
DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time
> Nothing
10/03/2016 at 13:42 |
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I’ll point you in the right direction.
Integra GS-R
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TysMagic
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 13:54 |
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I’ve been considering a set of 16s for a wintery tire. I found the not as cool style 16s for pretty cheap on the local craigslist
philipilihp
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 14:26 |
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NOICE. Congrats man! Very happy for you!
TheTurbochargedSquirrel
> TysMagic
10/03/2016 at 15:44 |
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Is the old dash really that bad? I have never driven one (something I need to rectify) but I think they look really cool. Also how does the trunk open on the convertible? Does it hinge from the bottom like the original 500's did? Convertible Mini’s hinge from the bottom as a nod to how the trunk opens on the original car.
MUSASHI66
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 15:58 |
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I was 99% sure that 2014's Convertibles were all GQ models, like mine. Those wheels also look like 2015. Are you sure it is a 2014?
Nice ride, welcome to the club :)
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TysMagic
> TheTurbochargedSquirrel
10/03/2016 at 15:59 |
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Trunk opens up like a tiny little hatch back, lifting up. Add in the beats audio sub and you’ve got BARELY enough room for two overhead bin sized pieces of luggage stacked on top of each other. Emphasis on the barely.
I like my older style cluster, but it’s like an old digital clock type and my car is currently at the dealer to have it replaced because it fades out so bad in the heat (also getting the top fixed which is a rare occurrence supposedly and diagnosing a mysteries metallic sound). I suspect that the new cluster will also fade in the heat due to just how these work. BUT I have an actual gauge/needle for my speed and tach
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Jay_Hoff
> MUSASHI66
10/03/2016 at 16:04 |
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Yea, says its a 14 on everything.
Has every option except Beats and 17s.
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TheTurbochargedSquirrel
> TysMagic
10/03/2016 at 16:07 |
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I drive an R50 Mini so I know the story of tiny trunks. Went grocery shopping? Time to drop the seats!
I assume you are talking about the LCD panel in the middle fading? I wonder if there is a way to put a polarizing filter over the panel so that the light from the panel can get out and be visible to you but light hitting it can’t get to the LCD itself.
I much prefer analog gauges to digital ones. My car has a digital speed readout in the tachometer and as soon as the sun hits it you can’t see the display at all. Most of it is due to the fact there is no shade over the tach but it is still annoying.
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TysMagic
> TheTurbochargedSquirrel
10/03/2016 at 16:16 |
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Yes, very similar, but you don’t have the open space once you put the seats down in the cabrio. You also have zero rearward visibility when the top is down all the way, but who cares we’re not trying to look back in to the past here.
The current model is on the left. My generation on the right. The speedo and tach are rings around the center circle, which takes some getting used to, however it’s nice to actually see a needle moving on a gauge. Also, that’s the best MPGs I’ve ever gotten in my Abarth. Typically I’m mid 20s due to a relatively short daily commute on nothing but fun backroads.
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TheTurbochargedSquirrel
> TysMagic
10/03/2016 at 16:25 |
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Do the seats not actually fold to make an opening in the cabrio? Or do they just sit really high once folded (the Mini’s sit about 6" above where you would expect the trunk floor to be but the trunk is really deep meaning it is more like 8-10" when folded) making the space less usable?
One of the nice things about having an NA Mini is that I get 30mpg even when I hoon it. In an R53 I would be looking at 23-25mpg with the way I drive.
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MUSASHI66
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 16:45 |
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So, what was the damage? I picked up my 2014 GQ for $15k with 5901 miles on it. I paid $360 for Abarth steering wheel and airbag, and I bought some euro badges in gray instead of chrome, and changing the suitcase exhaust to no muffler OEM Abarth exhaust was $100. Now my GQ is the same as an Abarth C. I won’t mention the cost of my Magneti Marelli wheels though...
JCAlan
> Jay_Hoff
10/03/2016 at 16:58 |
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I drove one of these the other day for the first time. What a hilariously fun car! That exhaust is just....so out there.
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TysMagic
> TheTurbochargedSquirrel
10/03/2016 at 17:56 |
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the seats fold down pretty flat, but there is the limitation of the small opening and the top of the trunk being rigid/permanent
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Jay_Hoff
> MUSASHI66
10/03/2016 at 22:27 |
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$14,466 plus tax, title, and lieciens.
26,000 miles on the clock, and the window sticker new was 29k.