Specification
| Engine Size | 1372cc | Max BHP/Rpm | 136 bhp/ 5750 rpm |
| Weight | 1000 Kg | Power/weight | 136 bhp/ton |
| 0-60 | 7.9 secs | Max Speed | 125 mph |
General Information
The Fiat Punto 1.4 GT Turbo was available from 1993 - 1999, powered by a 1372cc SOHC 8v 1.6 bar (18.8 psi) turbocharged and intercooled engine, the Punto creates 136bhp at 5750rpm (the phase 3 model was reduced to 130bhp without performance loss) and 153lbs/ft torque at 3000rpm. The car features a VL7 Turbocharger from the Japanese IHI (Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries) company.
The Punto GT was highly specified compared with the other cars in the project (partly due to it being younger), featuring PAS, ABS, remote locking, electric sunroof and heated electric mirrors (pushing the weight up as well !).
Fiat wanted to demonstrate they had addressed their famous reputation for cars which rust by bragging that "Over 60% (by weight) of the [Punto] bodyshell is galvanised, the majority on both sides" - which is reassuring :-)
Ricks Car History
I had hankered after a Renault 5 GT Turbo since been given a ride in a Phase 1 car back around 1985. At the time I was blown away by the crazy acceleration the car kicked out (and the fact the front seats were really ‘huggy’). Over the years I’ve flirted with the idea of buying one, but various reasons have stopped me taking the leap. Truth be known, it was really one of the original mid-engined cars (see pics below) that I REALLY wanted, there’s just something special about those massive rear arches.
After suffering with illness from last Summer through to Spring this year, I made the decision that I’d waited long enough and started the search for a suitable car. After a LOT of looking for a car that hadn’t been buggered around with, I found a black Phase 1 Renault 5 GT Turbo advertised on the AutoTrader website. I went to look at the car, but in all honesty, it wasn’t good enough for what I wanted. One thing that came out of all of this was the realisation that due to a knackered shoulder, a car with power steering would be much better for me.
Being familiar with the Fiat Punto range, I guess it was a natural progression to start looking for a Punto GT. Another benefit (for me) of going for the GT is that it can be retro-fitted with air conditioning, as this was a factory option on certain Punto’s. At some point I’ll be looking at sourcing a 2nd hand system.
I bought the car 8th June 2005 (day after my birthday!) from a lad on eBay. The car was advertised as a non-runner due to a cracked crankshaft and ‘crunching’ from 2nd gear. Cost of car; £321, bargain eh? Am I in front yet!!?
You can see the original ebay listing for the car we have archived it here.
My Punto is a 1994 ‘M’ plate car, in unusual dark metallic red. Its also completely standard throughout (apart from the fact the engine isn’t in it!), and the bodywork is in better condition than a lot of Puntos of this age with not as many car parking dents as I’d expected.
3-2-1 flashback to Ted Rogers and Dusty BinHope Rick won't mind me saying this, but as soon as I read that he bought the car for £321 I had a flashback to 80's quizshow 3-2-1, and Dusty Bin !
Just to remind you, heres a summary: HAND JIVER extraordinaire TED ROGERS flipped his wrists throughout this mystery quiz epic. Three dopey couples outwitted each other on the quest for a 'forrin oliday' or fitted kitchen, avoiding booby prize Dusty Bin. Ridiculous and impossible rhymes (see below) were given by 'guests' after they'd done their turn. Many a dustbin was won in this rather tight game show. Sample Clue: "The Arches Might Provide A Clue, Not Strolling But He's Going Too", accompanied by some sheet music. Ted's Baffling Explanation: "Well the first three letters of arches might have been clue enough, but we also said 'not strolling but he's going too'. Well if you take away HES from arches, all you have left is ARC. If you rearrange that with the sheet music, you're left with 'Music Maestro Please'. So what do think that means? Maestro! The British Leyland Maestro! You've won the car!" 
Click Here for UK Gameshows 3-2-1 page which has more info. |
Ricks Car Diary
9th June 2005 Update - The morning after
After getting the car home and unloaded etc, I started to have a rummage through the (already dismantled) engine. The crank was cracked all the way round No.4 big-end journal. I took the crank to a local engineering firm (Nu-Line) who confirmed that the crank couldn’t be re-claimed. They suspect that the motor has been run low on oil at some point resulting in the crank overheating, and as No.4 cylinder is furthest from the oil pump, it’s the one that’s going to suffer first.At this point I started ringing round breakers to locate a 2nd hand crank, the general opinion was that this crank is peculiar to the GT only, and no-one had one. A new item from Fiat is £454, ouch! By chance I came across a site on the net that forwards requests for parts to several breakers, and this was where I had a little luck. A guy at Bourne (Glen at FL autos) was able to supply me with an excellent crank (minus rods) for £117. Turns out this crank is used on a number of Fiats, including the Brava 1600, the difference in engine capacity being achieved through different length con-rods, not different crank throws.
I took the new crank to Nu-Line to check all the journals were the same size as the old crank, and that it was straight and undamaged. While it was there I had the journals polished, ready to accept new big-end shells. I had Nu-Line supply new big-end shells, main bearing shells and thrust washers. I also had them pressure test the cylinder head (confirmed ok) and checked for flatness. The cost of checking the crank, plus the new shells etc came to £120, bringing the total cost so far to £558.
At the moment not much is happening until funds become available to move on. The next immediate job is to obtain one new con-rod, due to No.4 being knocked oval when the old crank was damaged. So far, no luck with a 2nd hand one, price for new is £75 from Fiat, I suspect that it’s going to have to be brand-new as I can’t imagine a breaker selling a single rod, or it being less than £75 for a set of 2nd hand ones.
Other items known to need attention are;
- Check block to-piston-clearances to see if re-bore is needed (new rings will be fitted even if new pistons aren’t needed)
- Purchase new Fiat clutch
- Fit new cylinder head valve guides
- Have crank lightened, rods and pistons balanced, have flywheel lightened
- Have all above parts dynamically balanced
- Make arrangements to strip and replace worn gearbox parts (suspect syncromesh has gone on 2nd)
- Set of Samco hoses
- Goodridge hoses for braking system
I think that’s enough to have me reaching for the phone to get a loan… Other bits that will need doing include new front tyres, full brake overhaul, minor bodywork repairs and trying to source some heatproof QUALITY engine paint (I want the engine bay in show condition). Currently having difficulty locating quality paint in the UK, looks like it’s going to be the good ol’ US of A, I’ll let you know which I go for.
As you may guess, the car isn’t going to be done very quickly, I’d rather have everything right, than rush the job and try and do it ‘on the cheap’.
In all honesty, even though I now have the GT, I don’t think it looks as good as the R5, maybe due to it looking a little too similar to the lower spec’ cars. One benefit may be that the GT’s don’t attract the attention of thieving b******s.
My best estimate is that the car should be finished and looking nice for a total of around £1500, the only thing I can think of that may throw a spanner in the credit card is the electrical system, so far nothing’s been checked – I only hope the ECU works….
MBNA Platinum is the expected unofficial sponsor of breathing life into the Punto GT.
3rd November 2005 Update - Engine update
Just got the head back, it's had one inlet valve guide replaced and four exhaust valve guides. Invoice also says that all 8 seats and valves have been re-faced. Total £106.69.The block and pistons/rings are now with them for clearance checking. I'm hoping to have some news within a matter of days as to whether or not a rebore is needed, though 1st inspection makes the engineer think it may be ok just to fit new rings.
16th November 2005 Update - Engine update
Result of inspection is that block needs a re-bore, apparently No1 cylinder is worn toward the top of the bore leading to potential blow-past.New oversize pistons ordered from Fiat (forged items too expensive at £517.00), should be here tomorrow, so re-bore likely to be done in the next week. Cost of pistons £284.00.
Have been looking into the cost of repairing the gearbox, have had several quotes around the £395 mark which includes bearings and seals. Sounds like a piss-take, the parts are less than £100. Going to have a look at it myself, if it looks too difficult it'll have to go out to be done, but I begrudge paying 2 hundred quid labour (I'll probably end up regretting I said that.....)
15th November 2005 Update - Engine update
Rebore is now done (£89.30) - the bores have come out really well, the engineer was really happy with them.Have just taken the crank and bearings to them to have the crank, rods and pistons assembled.
P.S. I've been offered another GT for around £600 - it's a runner with a brand-new Fiat turbo on. All original but the bodywork isn't brilliant (really faded).....mm, might have to give it a good home..... :-)
9th December 2005 Update - More Engine stuff
Another quick update regarding the GT.Have just picked up the following items from my local Fiat dealership (I'm on first name terms with the parts dept. now...)
All new valve springs (16)
Valve spring retaining collars
Thermostat
Thermostat gasket
Total cost is £76.23
Haven't done any more regarding the other GT that's been offered - truth be told I don't really want to spend the money, but the fact that it's got a brand-new blower may just swing it.
5th April 2006 Update - More Engine stuff
Another quick update regarding the GT.Another update on the GT for you - we're actually making some progress now thanks to a hefty bashing of the credit card....
Fetched engine back yesterday, it's now fully rebuilt at a cost of £395.40, which included lightening of the flywheel, gaskets, oil seals, core plugs, timing belt kit.
I've also had a brand new oil pump and water pump since my last update, at a cost of £80.20 for oil pump and £58.75 for water pump.
Have also agreed to purchase the remains of the 2nd GT I told you about. Just waiting for them to remove the motor/turbo/gearbox lump so I can bolt their box to my motor.
If you know of anyone who's after a GT engine plus turbo, there'll be one for sale by end of next week.
I'm also having the fuel tank off their car too. Anything else I can strip (window motors etc) I'm going to keep temporarily until mine is up and running.
I've not included the cost of the 2nd GT as I'm going to offset the cost against what I can get back for the engine/turbo.
All the best,
Rick.
P.S. barring any unforseen cock-ups, I'm 'hoping' to have the GT running within a couple of weeks!!! Whoo-hooo!
24th June 2006 Update - MOT'd and on the road !
Sorry I've not done any updates a while, but at last have some (good) news on the GT.She went through her MoT on Thursday, and was taxed yesterday so she's now road legal and up-and-running.
The cost of getting through the MoT was £212, which included one rear shock, two patches of welding, fuel tank filler cap replacement and a poke around on the rear brake compensators. I also asked them to check the gearbox oil and tack-weld the cat' converter heat shield back in place as it was rattling.
I would have had her on the road a month ago, but a complete balls-up over replacement brake lines (which I won't bore you with) put everything back.
Initital impressions; drives smoothly, better suspension action than my old '55' (not difficult, I must admit), all major bits seem to work though I'm not over impressed with the mirrors, it might be my imagination but I'd swear blind they're smaller than normal Punto's.
Minor bits that still need sorting; she's going in to Fiat on Thursday for recall work on the brake lines that run under the fuel tank. The remote stereo control buttons on the steering wheel don't work (no big deal), lumber adjustment doesn't work on drivers seat and I occassionally get the injector warning light staying on which may be a problem as I seem to have mislaid the red MasterKey (shit!). Oh yeah, near side mirror needs repainting too.
Have just treated her to a set of genuine Abarth mats (£35.32 very nice), tracking checked/adjusted (£18) and have hired an aquavac (£25) for the weekend to freshen up the interior.
Haven't tried to give her a good booting yet as I want to get some miles on this engine first, but she seems to boost ok so far and runs without hesitating etc.
Will try and get some photo's done.
14th July 2006 Update and pics !
Car is going ok (touch wood) just brought her back from having a small oil weep sorted. Had a proper GT backbox put on last week (which was on the donor car) only to find that the baffles are starting to rot so it's a bit noisier than I'd like (silent!!). £120 for a replacement so it may have to wait a while yet.3 photo's attached, does at least give you some idea (and almost hides the fact that the passenger side mirror is the wrong colour).
Haven't looked at the total costs on the website yet, I just might have a breakdown if I do!
24th July 2006 Update
During July I had to change the clocks due to speedo reading 20mph fast. Unfortunately the new clocks (cost £40) have 50,000 miles more than the originals, this doesn't bother me, but it's one of those psychological things that may put someone off when time comes for me to sell her.September 2006 Update
1st week of September I fitted a pair of clear side indicator repeaters to match the standard clear fronts, cost was £13.94 from Ultimate Styling.October 2006 Update
New Lamda sensor fitted 10th October after the engine management warning light came on in combination with the car suddenly feeling as though it was going on to 3 cylinders in slow/stopped traffic. Tacho was showing the revs dipping from normal tickover to roughly 650 rpm. Not good. Made driving to work a really fun experience - not. Two and a half miles of crawling traffic with a car that feels like she's about to stall.While she was in I also had a new fuel filter, driver's side CV boot and a new pair of rear shocks fitted. Total bill was £355.64
November 2006 Update
28th November, after inspecting the welding done at MoT time (poor) I decided to have it re-done and the chassis treated with black Waxoyl at same time. £70.50December 2006 Update
1st December, hired aqua vac for weekend and gave the interior a quick going over to freshen up. Brought out a surprising amount of dirt, I didn't think I was a dirty beggar - must have been previous owners!January 2007 Update
Magnecor leads fitted last week of January 07. I originally ordered a set of Splitfire leads, but after waiting a month and them not arriving, I gave it up as a bad job and cancelled the order. Typical piss-poor UK customer service, they were advertised as being in stock when in fact there were none in the country. Having spoken to another company, it appears Splitfire are renowned for being ultra slow at bringing stuff over from US. I ordered the Magnecor's from MotorSport World in Lanarkshire for £43.36 and the leads were with me within 2 days. If you're looking to replace your own leads, give them a call - they actually know how to treat customers.February 2007 Update
2nd Feb, had the roof light console out to find out why the clock never lights up. The bulb holder looks as if someone has had a go at it before and fitting a new bulb made no difference. Rang Fiat to order a new bulb holder only to be told you can't buy them. No, I'm not making this up. And the holder isn't the same as others found around the car. A new clock is £80 + VAT. Robbing b*s*a*ds. Going to try finding a 2nd hand one. Can't believe Fiat can justify that sort of price for a bloody digi clock. Must cost all of a quid to make.The only other thing that doesn't work on the car are the steering wheel mounted stereo controls. To be truthful I couldn't care less. I very, very rarely use the stereo a) because it annoys me, and b) sound quality isn't great - the speakers go all fuzzy on certain notes.
At the moment one of the coolant hoses is dripping a little coolant onto the drive so that's the next job, and hopefully this week I'll have a new pair of number plates. The one's on the car look old and scabby. It's surprising what a difference a new set makes, only cost £10.11.
So what's she like to drive? Well, she starts first time, gearbox is fine, there's quite a lot of torque there so she pulls well too. In fact she pushes out more torque (155lb/ft) than my old 1.9 JTD Brava turbodiesel. She's very swift through the gears but can't tell you what top speed is - never been above 95mph (on private road, of course).
There's a definite pull to the right when using plenty of acceleration through the gears and she'll crab across the road if you apply too much throttle in a damp/wet corner. She rev's very cleanly and very smoothly - probably due to the lightened flywheel. When Italian Car Services road tested the car they also commented that it was the smoothest GT they had driven.
As for fuel consumption, as you'd expect it's not great. Even gentle driving won't get you to 30mpg and being stuck in traffic on the daily commute will drop it down to around 25mpg. Still, that's the price you pay for having a hot hatch. I have tried the expensive high-octane fuel some places sell, but to be honest it didn't make any noticeable difference to either performance or consumption. Except to my wallet.
Other than replacement of the Lamda sensor I've had no reliability problems at all, but then I don't abuse her which no doubt helps. I reckon I've now done around 2500 miles, she uses little oil, the cooling fan cuts in when it should and even the heated mirrors work. The only annoyance is the fan belt that occasionally takes it upon itself to squeal for a few seconds. Weirdly enough, only when other people are around.
Mystery still surrounds the missing red Master Key. It's totally unlike me to misplace anything, but can I find that bloody key? Nope. Found a place in Sheffield who claim to be able to supply master keys by copying the blade of a blue key, wiping the code block and re-setting it to a new red key. No doubt if I sent the code block to them the bloody key would miraculously turn up the day after!
The only things that I might do are mainly cosmetic. The rear bumper has what looks like a burn/melt where someone has badly fitted a big-bore pipe at some point. A real shame because apart from that the rest of the bumper is perfect. Silly twats.
Still haven't done anything about the minor dent on the bonnet. It doesn't bother me all that much, if I'm going to spend money on her, I'd rather it be on keeping her mechanically sound.
It would be nice to have the wheels refurbished, but at around 80 quid a pop it's maybe not a great investment of money. They aren't so bad that they spoil the car and I also have one eye on the future. I may end up parting with her, if I do then it will have been a lot of money spent which won't necessarily add to the value of her.
There's a tiny amount of paint lifting around the lock on the tailgate, I think if I spend any money on bodywork this will be one of the first things to do. It seems to be a fairly common thing with some older Punto's.
And that's about it so far. No real drama's, just a nice, quick, reliable hot hatch. Don't believe what they tell you about Fiat's, it doesn't always stand for Fix It Again Tomorrow!
Drive safely, Rick.