[blackwasp]

Here's another update...

Spark is now being used exclusively for the city duties, hence the Abarth is clocking less km. than before.


Had a small trip on the first of October with the local Fiatians somewhere on the NH 48.


A Sunday well spent chasing old cars.









Caught up with Nikhilb2008. He was on his way back to Bangalore. The vRS is mean machine!


Encountered nice weather on the way back from Lonavala.


Diwali long weekend = a drive for sure. This time decided to goto Dandeli with my folks.


Also went to Bhilar (near Panchgani). The unique thing about this this small hamlet is the number of books you can read. There are 20-25 houses where they have made rooms like the one below, where you can read the books for free. The books are sorted according to genre e.g. Kids, History, Literary etc. Truly a must visit for book lovers.


We left Bhilar in the afternoon. Being an unscheduled halt, we got delayed a bit. Caught some nice views later as well.



First refuel in KA. Quite a large difference in price.


Reached Dandeli Riverwood resort late around 9.30 pm. Nice place and priced reasonably as well. Hadn't planned this. Started searching for hotels after the fuel break.


The view.


Inside the forests.



Trekked to Syntheri Rocks. We went there by our car and there is a small trek to the waterfall.




Also went to this view point.




Awesome roads in in the region.




To be continued....

[snaseer]

Thanks for the informative ownership log.

How the car performed during the Spiti trip. Any under body hits or power loss on high altitudes?

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by snaseer

How the car performed during the Spiti trip. Any under body hits or power loss on high altitudes?

None, except for a couple of loose stones bouncing off. Nothing serous. Despite the low ground clearance, we didn't face any problem. Yes, we were a bit careful, and at some places had to literally crawl due to bad roads, but as log as one takes precautions, the underbody hits can be minimised. Most of these places have decent roads - also incase you have streams in your way, best to cross them early morning before the sun rises and melts the ice from where the streams originate.

[blackwasp]

After a break, the story of the Abarth continues.

Ain't she a looker?


Many were asking about the 90/100 lights that I have on the car. I think these pics should clarify. This was on the expressway at pre-dawn hours. These are both low beams.



Sometime in November, went on a meet with Pune BHPians to lower Mapro (soon after the right turn to Mahabaleshwar).






Fiats and Mumbai's coastal air is a perfect recipe for rust. So got this interesting rust proofing done on the car. It’s called Dinitrol and the shop is in Goregoan West. (GMaps link). The whole body package was priced equivalent to just the underbody coating done by others.

Also got the engine wax/coating done. In hindsight this was a bad idea as though it looks good initially, over time it attracts dust and has covered most bits and pieces including screws and joints. Not that they would be opened anytime soon, but this can be avoided.


Door pads are opened and the coat is applied liberally on the bare metal. An added advantage is an improvement in the sound deadening - though its minor, it’s definitely noticeable.


A close up of the layer.


Rear wheel well was protected using spray cans. Those who can't visit a center or want to do it DIY, can opt for this.


Also tried to wrap the mirrors black. I wanted to get the red bits turned back so requested Ryan if he has any leftover stuff to just try on. He happily obliged.


Looks nice no?


Cross the 35,000 km mark on Dec 5 2017.


Got a well deserving wash as well. My regular washing center generally removes the bad bits including mud and grime using the pressure washer...


...and I take her home for a detailed cleaning session.


Met up with a bunch of Fiat owners for a drive on the NH 48. Let the pics do the talking.






Without a cover, the roof was being assaulted by birds in my society, as a stop game I put on an old bedsheet on the top to protect the paint. Meanwhile, planned to get a cover soon.


Little did I know that there would be a bunch of drama after this. I took this pic when the folks were leaving for an extended holiday to Kolhapur.


Over the long Christmas week holiday, thanks to the heavy traffic going towards Pune, it took my parents overs 10 hrs to reach Pune. They had left something in the afternoon (around 1pm) and reached almost at 11 pm or even later. The clutch got burnt over the ghat section on the old road. I had a worrying call from mom about white smoke coming in the car. Told them to park the car and wait for the traffic to clear and then move ahead.

They managed to reach Kolhapur next day and I asked them to show the car to the local dealer to just check things out. Next day, in the morning dad told me there was a low oil warning as well. Fearing the worst I asked them to take the car to Aaron Fiat. Despite the workshop being closed, the dealership arranged to a mechanic to inspect the car in less than 30 minutes. The mechanic gave thumbs up to the oil quantity, but said that the clutch was shot and would need replacement. The oil warning was later attributed to the steep slope on which the car was parked overnight at the hotel.

Since the car was drivable, asked dad to complete the trip and called in my local FASS to get the clutch kit ready. I was told it was ready and told to bring the car anytime I was free.

Took her to Vroom Pointe on 15th Jan for the clutch replacement. On the ramp.


This was the first Abarth clutch replacement being done and since we knew that the Tjet clutch was a direct fit, it would be a day job max. But it took them a whole day to remove it as there were a lot more sensors and wires to be taken care of than the Linea. You can spot one of the connectors in this pic.


Finally the end of the gearbox was opened.


Take a look at the burnt clutch. It was literally like 'papad'.


Some edges were crumbling and its was way past its life. This was an unexpected expense and thankfully the release breaking was not damaged. Total hit on the pocket was around Rs. 11k including labour. The release bearing was another 6-7k bucks more.


I know a bit late to update the thread, but I should be able to be upto date here by this weekend. Cheers and happy riding / driving.

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

I know a bit late to update the thread

Please update thread on time or don't update at all.
Last few photos made feel that you are disassembling your Abarth & selling it for scrap; had to read previous text .

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Last few photos made feel that you are disassembling your Abarth & selling it for scrap; had to read previous text .

Hahaha, she's here for a long time. Continuing from the previous post.

Along with the clutch change, also picked up a cover for the car. Since she's not driven generally on weekdays, it’s a good idea to keep her covered.


A bunch of BHPians met up on a weekend at Sheetal Dhaba (Link to thread).




A rare pic of yours truly at the wheel.


Early morning drive to a local trekking point (GMap link).


Waking up early morning is worth it for views like this.


Thanks to my fear of height, I didn't go to top most part but instead waited here. It was a refreshing trek. On the way back had local food in one of the tiny villages on the way. No car, no buses - only way to reach them is via the trek. Took us about 7 hrs including food stops with a leisurely pace.


37,000 km mark was crossed on 3rd Feb 2018.


Decided to get the car polished at a local car wash guy in Vashi.


Total time spend = 3 hrs on wash and wax. The quality was good, but location was meh.


Also spotted this 'without paper' Dinky for sale.


The results.












Caught up with miharbe's remapped GT Tsi. It's a hoot to drive.


A friend was giving me a set of 5 tyres - only condition was to pick them up from his place in Hosur. Luckily, co-ordinated with another friend who was coming back from his South India trip in his Innova. It was then I realised why the Innova is the top choice for a long distance tourer. I took a 3 am flight to Bangalore where we met and proceeded to Hosur to pick up the tyres. Despite a long day, there was 0 fatigue when I reached home late at night.


Got a set of 5, 205 section Ceat Gripp LN tyres.


Later in the week, did a quick dash to Chakan and back in the Abarth. Since the stock Apollo's have good tread left, decided to swap them after the 40-45k km mark.


Total km covered. This car is made for the highways.


Look ma, 2 Abarths!






Had a mini Abarth meet on the first Sunday of March. Here we are with an older Maserati. The Abarths are asked her for tips...


...and an Alfa as well.


A Sunday well spent.

[Turboaddict]

Hi guys,
This is my first post in teambhp and I have been following this thread since quite some time now. I have not been a big fan of cars since I have been riding superbikes for a few years and found no car to be exciting enough. I was closely following the abarth because of the powerdrift review and thought this might actually be the car for me. Finally yesterday I took a test drive at kht prime and was blown away by the combination of its mammoth burst of torque and power + the practicality as a daily driver. I had taken my colleague along with me for the test drive and we immediately decided to book 2 abarths. Also the dealer offering a massive discount and assured 2018 model from the factory inventory.
I just have one question in my mind right now - suppose fiat decides to shut down operations in India, how to we keep the car running? Are there any alternatives for spares and service?

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Turboaddict

I just have one question in my mind right now - suppose fiat decides to shut down operations in India, how to we keep the car running? Are there any alternatives for spares and service?

FCA as a group are not going anywhere so I doubt if you will have issues with spares and after sales support. Worst case, head to Bosch or an FNG and source parts from 99rpm. Even though spares have been a general worry, I've come across cases where FCA had sourced parts for older cars like the Palio. Takes some time buy you can definitely source parts.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Turboaddict

... test drive and we immediately decided to book 2 abarths. Also the dealer offering a massive discount and assured 2018 model from the factory inventory.

Congrats on booking the Abarth. What colour is the car? As per my info, there are no white Abarths in inventory, but you can get the black ones. All are 2018 make.

I just have one question in my mind right now - suppose fiat decides to shut down operations in India, how to we keep the car running? Are there any alternatives for spares and service?

First of all, Fiat won't shut down overnight. They are making cars for Tata in their plant, exporting Compass to other RHD countries and planning to get more Jeep models in India.

And even if they do, they would provide support for after sales for sure. FYI, a guy in Nepal owns an Abarth and despite the limited support there, he is doing fine.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

......I've come across cases where FCA had sourced parts for older cars like the Palio. Takes some time buy you can definitely source parts.

+1. Many friends with a Palio said that parts are available, but it just takes a bit long. However I will resort to 99 rpm only as a last resort. Not many have got a good experience with them recently.

[Turboaddict]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Congrats on booking the Abarth. What colour is the car? As per my info, there are no white Abarths in inventory, but you can get the black ones. All are 2018 make.


First of all, Fiat won't shut down overnight. They are making cars for Tata in their plant, exporting Compass to other RHD countries and planning to get more Jeep models in India.

And even if they do, they would provide support for after sales for sure. FYI, a guy in Nepal owns an Abarth and despite the limited support there, he is doing fine.


+1. Many friends with a Palio said that parts are available, but it just takes a bit long. However I will resort to 99 rpm only as a last resort. Not many have got a good experience with them recently.

That's some reassurance. I happened to have a chat with fca India head for sales and he assured that fiat is not closing down operations in India. Also got a call from fiat hq and they said they are definitely coming up with new cars in coming months. Just that they are concentrating more on jeep for building the brand. I don't know how they got my number. Maybe through the dealership.

I asked for quotation from the showroom for loan purpose and they still haven't given me that. Hence, I haven't booked the car yet. I will be doing it this weekend when I finalise on the dealership based on discount offered.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

However I will resort to 99 rpm only as a last resort. Not many have got a good experience with them recently.

Yeah. I have read about this from time to time. Guess I was lucky. I had ordered lower arms for my Linea T Jet (Now sold) and delivery was faster than expected.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by Turboaddict

That's some reassurance. I happened to have a chat with fca India head for sales and he assured that fiat is not closing down operations in India. Also got a call from fiat hq and they said they are definitely coming up with new cars in coming months. Just that they are concentrating more on jeep for building the brand. I don't know how they got my number. Maybe through the dealership.

I asked for quotation from the showroom for loan purpose and they still haven't given me that. Hence, I haven't booked the car yet. I will be doing it this weekend when I finalise on the dealership based on discount offered.

No company would reveal any such plans. Obviously they would not go ahead and tell you that Fiat is not manufacturing any cars in India as of today. New cars being introduced is future is also a way to keep up the customers fait in the brand.

From the product perspective it is an extremely good car be it Punto, Abarth, linea or Urban Cross. If you are motivated to love them by accepting few facts like no resale value, difficulty in spare parts, service network being very thin across the country and bad gear box then go ahead with it.

No car is perfect but we tend to love them more than our own selves.

[Turboaddict]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

No company would reveal any such plans. Obviously they would not go ahead and tell you that Fiat is not manufacturing any cars in India as of today. New cars being introduced is future is also a way to keep up the customers fait in the brand.

From the product perspective it is an extremely good car be it Punto, Abarth, linea or Urban Cross. If you are motivated to love them by accepting few facts like no resale value, difficulty in spare parts, service network being very thin across the country and bad gear box then go ahead with it.

No car is perfect but we tend to love them more than our own selves.

Yes. Rightly said. They wouldn't tell even if they had to shut down tomorrow. Spares and service in guessing won't be a problem because of jeep going string and fiat is more of a component manufacturer here. I have never felt the need for any spares except for basic wear and tear in my 11 yrs of current car ownership. Hope I wouldn't need them for abarth as well going by the strong reliability reputation. Also service center is something we visit once a year, so it's fine. I don't intend to visit them every week. Their existence is enough for me.

As far as the niggles of abarth are concerned, I have never bothered about resale value simply because in a city like bangalore there's no shortage of petrolheads who know the car's actual worth. Its not like I am buying a swift, then trying to sell it and encounter hundreds of people who know nothing about vehicles. That's too frustrating. I'd rather have one true enthusiast approach me and talk sense to buy it.
The gearbox is weird coming, but I feel its something to get used to. I was mainly concerned about the effort required to shift the gears and I had no complaints in that.
I found nothing wrong with the driving position as well. I was supremely comfy. My friend is 6'1" and couldn't test drive the polo gt cuz his legs got jammed between the steering and seat. In the abarth I could even sit behind him with his natural driving position. So that's practical enough for me.

One thing I hated was the HU, but then I'm buying a car for the joy big driving, if I wanted an entertainment device, I'd be better off with a high end smartphone.
Cruise control is something I wanted, but that's fine. I can live without that.

Moreover, 145hp in a hatch here is a a thing I feel will go down in India's automotive history books. I don't see any other practical hot hatch coming to India. Swift sport with the same engine performance costs 17000 pounds in UK. Polo gti is not even worth considering for its price. Polo gt is one car that I drove and loved, but I'd be buying it only for the dsg if I would. The inconveniences of polo gt far outweigh the positives for me and hence its the scorpion for me.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by Turboaddict

Yes. Rightly said. They wouldn't tell even if they had to shut down tomorrow. Spares and service in guessing won't be a problem because of jeep going string and fiat is more of a component manufacturer here. I have never felt the need for any spares except for basic wear and tear in my 11 yrs of current car ownership. Hope I wouldn't need them for abarth as well going by the strong reliability reputation. Also service center is something we visit once a year, so it's fine. I don't intend to visit them every week. Their existence is enough for me.

As far as the niggles of abarth are concerned, I have never bothered about resale value simply because in a city like bangalore there's no shortage of petrolheads who know the car's actual worth. Its not like I am buying a swift, then trying to sell it and encounter hundreds of people who know nothing about vehicles. That's too frustrating. I'd rather have one true enthusiast approach me and talk sense to buy it.
The gearbox is weird coming, but I feel its something to get used to. I was mainly concerned about the effort required to shift the gears and I had no complaints in that.
I found nothing wrong with the driving position as well. I was supremely comfy. My friend is 6'1" and couldn't test drive the polo gt cuz his legs got jammed between the steering and seat. In the abarth I could even sit behind him with his natural driving position. So that's practical enough for me.

One thing I hated was the HU, but then I'm buying a car for the joy big driving, if I wanted an entertainment device, I'd be better off with a high end smartphone.
Cruise control is something I wanted, but that's fine. I can live without that.

Moreover, 145hp in a hatch here is a a thing I feel will go down in India's automotive history books. I don't see any other practical hot hatch coming to India. Swift sport with the same engine performance costs 17000 pounds in UK. Polo gti is not even worth considering for its price. Polo gt is one car that I drove and loved, but I'd be buying it only for the dsg if I would. The inconveniences of polo gt far outweigh the positives for me and hence its the scorpion for me.

Good. Very happy that you have made a decision based on your own liking and not what many of us has to say about a car or any car for that matter of fact.

Looking forward to get another Abarth ownership review from you. Kanad has been doing an exceptional job to keep sharing with us his experience with the white Abarth and now eagerly awaiting from you.

Would love to see the pics of your Abarth as of the first day and probably also a write up with pics of your delivery process. It is not everyday that an Abarth is delivered. Vicarious feelings are been awaited eagerly by many of us.

[Turboaddict]

Got another update today.
Since we booked 1 white and 1 black, they need to put the white one to production now. He confirmed that the white one will go into production line on 10th and come out on 12th. They got 4 white car requests pan India and they are going to produce all 4 together now.