The Punto really was The Car Of All Time. It was shockingly modern and striking for 1993, and its evolutions kept it contemporary and fascinating. My ideal version would be the exceedingly rare Grande Punto Abarth, which Fiat didn't really promote as a hot hatch the way it should have.
I was given one of these Punto's as a courtesy car while my Alfa 75 V63.0 was in for accident repair. Because of delays in the repair on my car being delayed I had the punto for nearly a month. What a great car it was, I was truly sad to have handed back to the garage. But the sadeness only last until I climbed back into my 75.
I bought a 3 door 1.1 Punto on a P reg from a work colleague about 10 years ago for £20. It had short tax & test, but he was going to scrap it as he thought it was overheating. Turned out the sump had rusted through (a very common problem on that engine) and it was just low on oil. I put a new sump on it, (£5 from a scrappy but it was literally brand new), front discs & pads, full service, slapped a year's test on it and sold it to friends for £300 as their son's first car. A nice wee car.
Hey, it's great to see some love for the early Punto. I rescued one from a scrap yard as a cheap little run-around (my Alfa 156 was suffering alfa-itis - sound familiar?); a "60SX" in a similar dark metallic red. Dings on the bonnet… very familiar. Wheels flaking down to the plastic… very familiar. I painted mine with plastic-primer, body colour, and clear coat. Looks great with body-colour wheel. Sunvisor flopping… very familiar. Mine is held up by string. Heater is excellent in winter, by the way. Yes, they look great now, I always thought it looked dumpy, but drives like a little go-cart. A sweet little engine in the FIAT. Does yours have the Lancia cylinder head? After six-years of daily use, I've got some work to do. Already had to rebuild the floor, in a hurry, for an MoT fail. I think mine had been garaged before my ownership. I had been a district nurse's car. Well looked after, easy to maintain, cheap parts. Needing it now - wish me luck, too!
I owned a Punto Convertible 1999 for 15 years now, not in UK. It's beautifully engineered, rarely goes wrong, and still runs great. Try to keep it as long as possible. Plenty of parts, the fuel pump shares with Alfa, Lancia and BMW! Calipers same as MITO and Fiat 500. A long time to go
I love it !!!! As a American who loves small cars we had very few to choose from, I owned a Geo Metro (I believe a Suzuki Cultis there) I had a 1.0 L 3 cylinder engine with about 56Hp. The car was a Hoot! Just rev it up and Go...I beat the Hell out of it. Drove it back and forth to Florida which is about 1600 miles each way. Towards the end of having it I would have to turn the A/C off to merge onto a highway. I am a big guy and was 300* lbs my best friend and coworker was also as big. We commuted into Boston on our terrible highways. I hit a large bump and BOTH front struts blew out. It still made it to work (about 35 miles each way. When we got there I looked at the gross weight rating and we EXEEDED it, I lent it to friends and they were surpised how much fun it was to chuck around, I wish we got more small cars here. I would have bought a better one if it was ever available.
@@richard29415 I did visit my family in Pasadena California around 10 years ago, and I was quite surprised at the number of European cars, such as Audi and Volkswagen I saw on the roads out there. Also there seemed to be a lot of Toyota prius and Kia Rio’s. At one point in the UK Chrysler, neons and voyages was quite popular. Also some of the smaller Chevrolet models such as the spark until they pulled out of the uk. Nowadays the German makes are preferred, Tesla’s, Pollster and the VW Id range seem to be the best selling electric vehicles.
Lovely little car, honest, simple and reliable. I daily drive a 3 door 1.2 75 ELX with exactly the same spec and options. Mine was first registered in September 94 and does have quite a bit more mileage. Sitting in it now the clock reads 361036km....
I dont think theres a single car on your fleet that i dislike... and that still holds true, i love the mk1 and mk2 puntos and i really hope you enjoy driving and owning it!! some features from a july 1994 brochure, 75 ELX features: -electric front windows with 'one touch' on drivers side -electrically operated glass tilt/slide sunroof -remote central locking -colour co-ordinated bumpers -centre console -pollen filter -6 speaker stereo it seems the 90 ELX had power steering but the 55 didn't so that answers that question... anyway good luck with it im sure you'll get it to a great standard!!
1000% approve of this beauty. My friend had an R-reg 3 door in that bright blue metallic (think it was a 1.2 75 ) and I was always taken by it’s looks especially those rear lights which were far taller than any other car - they reminded me of the then fairly new 850 estate items which was one of the first cars to have these new styling features back then. Such a lovely car and so typically 90s which was one of the best periods of car styling ever. Please keep this one!
I had a very similar Punto 75 ELX, same colour but an N reg and it was about 8 years old at that point. Loved it as it was faster than a lot of cars my friends had back then! I've had plenty more mk1 Puntos since, including a GT, a turbo diesel and everything in between. These days I'm in a P reg Punto 60s which is a great car, currently my daily and was rescued from scrap by the previous owner! I'd definitely attend to that cambelt cover, didnt look very secure on the walk around!
This brings back memories! My parents bought a 75sx Punto in early 1994, so also when it was completely new on the market. A lot of my early experiences as a young driver was done behind the wheel of that one 😃👍
Awesome car. When I lived in Brazil, I saw a very few of those. They are absolutely rare there, because they were not officially sold by Fiat. To replace the Uno, they launched a car named Palio. Punto only came at around 2008, in a very different shape. That one you’ve got looks great!
Great little car the MK1 Punto, had the pleasure of driving many of them back in the day, be worth changing the cambelt on it and they're so easy to work on it's unreal, fuel filter is near the tank, plugs can be a bit fiddly near the throttle body but use your UJ on the extension and no plug's will get broken or cross threaded, check rear suspension arm's for leaning inwards, rot on the subframes, sump and the usual floors/jacking points, repaint or replace the wheel trims as someone as ruined them using wheel acid on them, be worth changing the gear oil too, and rear lights used to suffer bad connections, just clean and nip up the connections with a watch maker's screwdriver or similar 😊
Drove my Mum's 98 75 SX 5 door often and liked it a lot. Incredibly clean simple styling but so elegantly detailed. She sold in 2019 but still on the road last time I checked
Lovely to see a Punto again. My brother followed by my dad and nephew (owned the same car) a 1999 model, same Red colour in 4 door, not an ELX. I could never get over the quietness of the engine and the comfort of traveling in it. Hope you enjoy it, they were a brilliant little car 👍🏻
Congratulations! That gen of Punto is VERY cool. Now a days, when i see a Punto Sporting in one of the strong colours, i feel a pretty serious disturbance in the force.
Hey, nice video! I am an owner of a punto (1997 High safety driving 1.2 75hp) it’s my first car and still using it. It’s funny to notice all the differences between this elx and my sx (basically). In those 4 years they managed to add 2 airbags, air conditioning, 4 injection points, power steering and power braking. It’s showing its age, but I am trying to keep it as long as possible, I totally love it! Thanks for sharing, even if I am late to the party. Greetings from Italy 👋
Welcome back to Punto ownership, you have a very special car. We have a 94 Punto 90 ELX cabrio which we have owned for 23 years and just put back on the road after a 3 year lay-up. Our inner wings are as shiny as yours, but the exterior paint is suffering from lacquer fade. Your worn seat piping matches ours exactly! You will have no red master key as the car pre-dates its introduction by Fiat. We don't have one either. We do have a remote control key, but the receiver stopped working years ago. It is apparently a very common problem.
Owned a 1.2 16 valve sporting from new in 97, in yellow. What a great car that was. Unburstable little twin cam which revved to 7000 and lift off overseer on demand! Back road weapon! Was always getting raced by mk2 golf GTIs which were slightly quicker but gave em a run for their money!!!
Matt, good to see a Punto again, I worked for a Fiat dealer in the mid 90's and had a few, 75, 55 and diesel, the 75 was the best one, fun to drive fizzy engine. The offside wing looks a slightly different shade so looks like the damage needed bumper and wing replacement, possibly lights and bonnet.
Nice, back in the day we has a 1994 1242cc reg M394BWS Metallic Yellow/Gold Punto 60SX Selecta, this spec had electric windows and the previous owner had added a high quality electric sliding glass sunroof & remote alarm with central locking. Nice roomy family car, the dashboard and door shutting struck me as being very solid & great quality
March 1994... WOW that is stunningly good condition for an almost 30 year-old UK registered car! What a nice little blast from the past, and it still looks pretty modern too! I expect you still see plenty of these about in Italy (no salt on the roads) but not so in the UK. We had a couple of these in the family "back in the day" and they were certainly popular cars in the 90s, and were sold in a rainbow of vivid colours I recall. Time has been very kind to the styling and when they came out they must have made the (then) current Mk3 Fiesta look and feel like an antique by comparsion! Actually, with hindsight I can see now much the design of this Mk1 Punto clearly influenced the the Mk6 Fiesta - It may have taken Ford close to a decade to catch up packaging and design wise, but the two cars are remarkably similar is overall shape and design despite the age difference. Fiat were really quite bold and forward-looking in the 90s... Where did it all go wrong for them!? It's really rather sad what they are now.
This brought back some memories...my first car in 2003 was a five door M reg olive green Punto Turbo Diesel, remember that facia well and the seats, which looked quite flat, were actually surprisingly comfy. It was a great little car. Being 6ft 1 I remember how spacious it was. It seemed so modern and stylish and exotic compared to a Corsa or a Fiesta. I remember having to wait until an orange light on the dash went out before you could turn the ignition fully...it lasted for three years til it died. Then got a 1.1 petrol which sadly was a duffer and lasted about two months before it fell apart. Have a had a Grande Punto ever since (Fiat fan here too...) - although it's solid and more reliable it isn't as nippy or as fun to drive as the original. Why are modern cars so dull?! (Safety, I know...)
Great video, thanks very much. The 1.2 fire is a super engine and the Punto is a fine vehicle. What a find. All the best with giving it a bit of love and eventually moving it on to another deserving home.
My brother had a metallic blue M-reg Punto as his first car after passing his test, circa 2005. I bought it for him from the local car auctions, for next to nothing. It was a lovely thing to drive, I really liked how it felt so spacious inside and how basic it was. It died of rust eventually - there was a 20cm-or-so hole in the driver's side rear inner wheel arch. I took a look at whether I could weld it up, but the fuel filler neck was in the way which would have meant dropping the tank to safely gain access, and at the time it was just a cheap old banger so it wasn't worth the time to fix it.
You've got this the wrong way around. Surely the point of this trading up exercise is to get another car you DON'T like and DON'T want to keep but other people will like. And with the best will in the world, you've just got a car that appeals to you and is not likely to appeal to many other people. I'm sure there are Punto enthusiasts groups out there but I can't see people beating down the doors to buy or trade up to a 1.2 Punto.
@@furiousdriving You need to internally swap the Punto with the Rover 75 and then you can trade up the Rover 75 without cheating 🙂. I suggest passing the V5C documents from left hand to right hand and vice versa and then you can continue with a clear conscience.
That problem with the heater control sounds familiar. I think Edd China had the same problem on one of the Wheeler Dealer shows. I don't remember if it was the same car. It was down to the molding holding the mechanism being designed too thin and ending up cracking the plastic. I think he just replaced it with a newer improved version.
You are a brave man Furious. I had a Punto Sporting from new. Where do I begin, deep breath. It was presented to me at the dealer with the digital clock faulty (only a few weeks wait for a replacement), within a few more week the drivers door window fell out, yes fell out. When I picked it up from this repair the guy at the dealer commented on the panel fit was ‘not great’. The hatch was the worst, I tried to look at your panel fit but couldn’t see. The exhaust rusted through within two years, it drank oil and would blow builds on a regular basis for fun. The clutch had to be replaced at about 40k. I was mercifully saved from the thing when someone ran into the back of it. I believe the floor pans rust badly and I fear your rust is worse than you think.
I had a blue auto, 1995…loved the looks and space, but so many faults! Ended buying boxes of fuses as they kept blowing. The gear box had a nervous breakdown in Cornwall and refused to go faster than 40mph. The key snapped in half in the drivers door, and the seatbelts got stuck and wouldn’t retract…I’ve had Toyotas ever since 😂
What a lovely car, I'm a little bit jealous! Congrats on a fine purchase. I love my Rover 75 and was excited to see one on the channel, but if it has to go to make room for the Punto, I'm all for it. This is a rare car with a cool story and plenty of room for improvement which should make for some enjoyable videos.
My grandpa had a '98 55s that cought fire after 20 years of use. Although, even when it was new it was pretty bad, rough and poorly assembled. I remember that the engine sound was very loud even for the cars of that era. In the same period my father bought a '97 Peugoet 106 XN and it looked definitely more refined.
Good project to get your into. I had the Punto S60 model 1998. Fun to drive, no power steering, no temperature gauge to monitor and unfortunately the head gasket blew. Common problem with the rear axles added the growing repair costs and reluctantly in the end part exchanged for an MPV. Pleasantly surprised to see a few Fiat Punto Mark I models in Lisbon so must be popular. Keep up the good work and report 😊
These were very popular cars at one time, the mk1 was a pretty good car, and very roomy and airy for a small hatchback. I had a base version 60 S in 2017 on a T reg plate, one of the last mk1’s before the mk2 in that red colour that fades in the sun! I’m pleased to say it’s still on the road now. Your right it is a rare car these days, so many rusted away and were scrapped or became uneconomic to repair at MOT time. Thanks for sharing Matt, all the best with it.
Well done. That Fiat is a classic, because it was just on the cusp of modernity but mechanical enough to be low fidelity and less gremlins to handle. This is the perfect car to have in your rural property to take you to the local town centre to pick up some essentials. Wonderful purchase.
My grandma's neighbor has recently bought a Cayenne but still drives a Mk1 Punto 55 to his apple orchards. The pastel red paint faded a lot over time but a couple years ago he had it repainted and now it looks brand new
I bought from DC Cook in Manchester a brand new Punto 3 door 1.1sx, in garden green in 1995. I was 21 and drove it to France that summer with a couple of mates. I'm over 6ft and always had bags of room. Great motor and always a little under appreciated I thought.
I've got a soft spot for old Fiats. At a point these Punto's were absolutely everywhere, and as time went by they all just disappeared. My aunt and uncle used to be massive fans of Fiat and especially of these mk1 Punto's. Over a period of 12 years they must have had 5 consecutively (Dark grey, green metallic, yellow metallic, 2x bright blue) . Having 2 of them on the drive at any given time. Rust was an issue every single time around MOT time. Their final Punto was then replaced by a Fiat Brava
Matt the cambelt in that is an easy job should take some one with a bit of know how an hour to an hour and a half tops, it the cambelt does snap it WILL NOT do any damage as it's a non interference engine, change the water pump at the same time. Also buy the oil feed pipe which runs over the top of the camshaft as they are known to block up, even with frequent oil changes (the ford pinto engine used to do the same thing) serviced many many of those, good little cars, the MK 2 punto got the 1.2 16v engine, the bottom ends were/are identical just the heads were different. They also had an electric power steering setup, one of the earliest cars to have it, the other was the MG F
Brilliant video Matt! Your Punto brings back memories friend of mine had an identical one when it was 2 years old replaced it with a green Sporting love the Mk1 Puntos. This one definitely deserves a permanent place on the furious fleet looking forward to seeing you make it minty fresh again 😎
Nice little car, was behind one yesterday in my mk3 fiesta, I do like the design of the rear lights, very visible at night and a rarely seen car. Nicely designed car in general I think
Great stuff, well done for saving. Good memories of buying a '95 75SX to replace my Fiat Uno as a student - the luxury at the time if not just central locking, sunroof and elec windows but automatic choke so easy to start in hot and cold weather 😂 Always remember how the power steering pump easily stalled the engine when pulling out of parking bays, had to give it more revs. Also the cam belt failed (despite being newish) but luckily didn't destroy the engine so just needed to put a new one on.
Be VERY aware of rust around the rear arches - check under the whole carpet area in the boot, my arches had almost completely separated from the body where it rusted at the joint.
Exactly how a small car should be. Honest, humble and fun to drive. I remember that in the nineties they were a common sight on slovenian roads. In fact they were huge sellers just behind the Clio MK1.
Loving this with the Italian car thing. I am a late convert. Brought a Fiat Bravo sport 1.4 t jet a couple of years ago. Unfortunately I drove it through a flooded road and it hydro locked. So after enjoying that car so much, I ended buying another Fiat. A Panda 100hp. Bloody love it ❤
As a geeky young teenager I was so excited by the Punto (and those rear lights when it came out). It was so futuristic… like the Coupé. Loved Fiat in the 1990s
I have the same Punto in blue colour. My have AC and is from 1995. It's my second carand I enjoy driving it. I put 15" wheels from Bravo 195/50. Love it so much. Can't wait to see you tinkering around Punto💪🏻
I can’t remember the last time I seen a Brava,Bravo or an Mk1 Punto on the road. Sad to think they were once very popular cars. Great video, keep up the good work!
My first car in 1998 was a dark green M-reg 3 door Punto. Nippy and smart with lively handling - and it didn't feel massively underpowered for a 1.0l engine. Happy days!
Loved both of my Punto MkIs - both 1.2S three-doors… one green, one black. Neither appears to have survived, sadly. Lovely looking things, though, and so roomy. Much better than the second-gen one I bought in 2002.
Well done Matt a brilliant video and great to see one again after all these years my dad and brother had Tipo diesels and often had punto courtesy cars as a teenager I always wanted a exploit yellow punto ELX loved the shape and fun appearance of the cars That one has survived really well and look forward to seeing it as part of the fleet
In the early 80s, Fiats really starting to get their act together rust and buildquality was starting to be a thing of the past, but the reputation of the past was still something to overcome but the punto was excellent, I’m amazed there’s not so many left, yours is a very nice example
I ordered one of these and then it turned out to have a 3 month waiting list in 1994, 3 months came and went so I went and got a new Fiesta, it arrived in a week. Fiat in Wrexham at that time were a terrible dealership. Good luck with this car Matt, great video.
In hindsight do you regret not waiting a few months to get a better car? The Fiesta of that era was about as interesting and advanced as a lump of coal compared to these Worth the wait I would say, several times over in fact.
My first car was the gen after this. Proper poverty spec: black plastic bumpers, no alloys, no fog lights, no air con, tiny little 1.2 engine that struggled to get to 80mph… loved that crappy little car.
I've had 30+ cars till now, six of them have been MK1 Puntos, so you could say I adore them and also know their flaws pretty well. I'm always on the lookout for a nice Sporting in blue or an early 3 door 1100 55 in really good nick. Having owned both the 60 model with the 8 valve 1.2, and the Sporting with 16 valves, these engines are great, the little Sporting engine is so underatted. I've never had to do anything other than regular maintenance on them. They do not like overheating though so I always stick in a new radiator if it still carries the original, cheap and easy to do with thermostat to be sure. Rear inner arches towards the boot pan are a week point for rust, the outer floor can also go if the old underseal has cracked to let moisture in. The chassis rails towards the rear need to be checked also as the subframe mounts to these. I think the 1100 has an engine burble that was lost when they updated to the 1200, might be just me but 🤔.........
The previous owner went over it very well with his garage and took lots of photos for me, so we think its solid underneath - rust does seem to be the big issue with these doesnt it! Radiator probably not a bad shout on this, but I sat in bad M25 traffic in hot weather on the way home and the temp gauge only moved a couple of millimetres so its probably not urgent
im currently driving what used to be my parents latin american version of the punto (which set the platform for what is popularly known in latin america as the Palio) (as someone in the comments also mentioned). Its got the 1.7TD from this mk1 punto, and man its a blast to drive and so easy to work on and its super reliable. Now clocking in at 208k km, everyday i learn to love it a bit more!
Massive amount of nostalgia for these. Puntos, and the Uno before it, were great cars - Fiat’s heydays, if you wish. In fact, their ranges from back with the Strada up to the Bravo/Brava were great times.
Simply love it. My brother owned one at the time in Oldham, a 60 SX. He loved it and went on to a Brava 1.2 16V, an Alfa Romeo 156 1.9 JTD Multijet and a 2008 Fiat Bravo JTD.
I urge you to buy a Mk2 Punto Sporting, the noise of the engine in the higher revs and the feeling thru the pedals and steering is wonderful ! They had electric power steering, not sure about the mk1 if they also had electric but if they did it might explain why you couldnt find any rezervoir
You do win a prize of having travelled over 10 miles to buy a Punto. previous world record was 6 miles. They were such an interesting car that people fell asleep on the bus going to collect them and ended up at Beachy head
I drove one of these for a few months about 10 years ago. Great little car. Nice smooth, nippy engine for a 1.2 and surprisingly fun to drive little car.
Drove an 'S' plate 85 SX 16v around Europe for 5,000 miles in that really hot Summer of 2003, didn't miss a beat. Got from Stockport to Rome in it too :) Loved that car.
Hey Matt! This is something to look forward to! I love your passion for Fiat’s….I did prefer The Fiat Idea you had earlier and that’s a model I’d buy myself. Keep it coming. 🙏
Really liked the Punto when it was released...I think I'm right in saying the was a six speed manual option on the 1 litre car which seemed really advanced for the time.
Punto 6 speed was badged the 55 EL, with the 1.1 engine and similar spec to the SX expect for no electric windows or central locking. Only sold them for a few years in the UK though. Think it was because they were more expensive than the standard 55 S and 55 SX ?
OMG yeah the Punto 6-Speed I'd totally forgot about them! But I do actually remember seeing them now, along with the also quite rare SX "Selecta". They already had the "sporting" and GT models so I guess if the 6-speed came with the 1.1 it was an economy focussed model..?
I had a 1995 brand new 1 August one. Absolutely loved the car. Traded it for a lovely yellow Seicento Abarth (fantastic car but then my daughter came along so it had to be swapped for something bigger) and then a next generation brand new 51 plate Punto Sporting in that same yellow. Loved them all.
Love it! We hired a base spec 55S back in the day and thought it was a great car. A much better car to drive and be in than a fiesta of the same era I think. Looking forward to seeing it in future videos
It certainly was BUT....Everything was better than the Fiesta of that era! What Ford got away with back then still amazes me to this day! They were using 1950s derived engines up until the early 2000s FFS!
My Aunti had a black 3dr Punto new on an N registration. It was a humble 55S but had a set of alloy wheels specified from new. I remember how weird those high tale lights seemed when these cars launched but now the styling is elegantly subtle.
Punto is one of those cars that gain additional qualities over time. for example, it's mechanical simplicity and friendliness to DIY was just secondary feature back then, many cars were like it back then, but now, it's a full blown benefit of the car, because modern cars are so overcomplicated and stupidly laid out that repairs are too expensive. Expensive repair on a punto? aside of a complete body re-do, i cant think of one. So there's that.
Hi from Australia. Great car buy. I love the Punto that was never sold here as series 1. This is the best car you have bought. Shame its not automatic however.
My parents worked their way through the Fiat line-up thoughout the early 1990s to the early 2000s. Panda (grey), Panda (red), Uno (black), Uno (blue), Punto (red) and finally Brava (silver).
Well mine was L Reg that bright metallic green colour two-doorL 55 and I got it May 94 ! At that time it was like a spaceship everybody was looking at it and stopping unfortunately made out of Coke cans, door handles came off exhaust kept going after a year the back drums went Oval because of the weight in the boot of somethings brilliant design but poor execution my Uno was better built 🇧🇬😎
I love this sort of car. Beautiful purchase, swap type thingy I have a real week spot for this sort of car. I believe I have the oldest MOT'd K11 micra in the UK! Shes an absolute beast. 59k miles and 1 pervious owner. One day, it'll be worth thousands. Good work Matt
The Flip n Furious series continues . Another gem of a car Matt and a really awesome tea shelf! The mk 1 Punto is a really good looking car and has aged nicely. I do miss 90's car interiors. Looking forward to the clean and freshen up video. I do hope the rust is as minimal as it looks. I was devastated and upset by the state of the Crown Vic and I felt your pain. Are you likely to bring the Punto to the Festival of the Unexceptional this year?
There used to be a Fiat dealer near here so I saw a lot of Fiat Bravas etc., although the garage has since been redeveloped and houses now stand on the site.
Many years ago my brother had a 1996 TD70 SX. It sounded like an old van (diesel + huge interior space + no sound insulation = need earplugs) and the gearchange was so obstructive that I almost went into meltdown while driving it in a motorway traffic jam. First gear just did not want to be found - thank heavens for just enough torque to move off in a higher gear and never mind the poor clutch. One drive was enough for me. Dreadful. Apparently it went OK (when the horrible gearchange wasn't getting in the way), but the car died when the engine blew up because the wastegate had been screwed shut.
That square rear end with the hatchback made it like a van with the back seats down! We shifted some serious amount of stuff in my partner's old Punto.
What a car what a memories 😊 I remember in 1995 back in Lisbon I was just a kid and my dad had an Opel Corsa A and one day he came back home with a Punto 75 ELX same interior as that one blue outside, and what a car comparing to the Corsa, I remember that velour soo soft the car was soo roomy and comfortable. After that he had a restyling Brava and in fact the car wasn’t that good, was his last FIAT. Please give us lot of more content in that Punto.
Not as old as yours, but probably just as rare, there is a 96 Punto convertible for sale just down the road from me. This one has a 90 badge on the sides. I still miss my Mk3 Sunroof Special. It was a fun car, and the sunroof was great.
I thought that was my old 75 SX for a second 😊. That was 2 years newer, but was the same colour. By then the SX had most of what that ELX has, but no remote locking and a manual sunroof. I have a feeling the ELX was only available with the 1.6 by then, and had standard alloys. Have you spotted the trick ignition key slot? You can’t leave the lights on with the engine off, but there is a tab on the key slot - press that and keep turning the key toward you and it puts the parking lights on. Only car I’ve ever had that had that function.
Thats a great Italian car feature so you can leave the lights on all the time and not flatten the battery, Ive not found the parking lights setting yet though
It was on manor road, near woodlands ravine and Peasholm Park. Only reason I know I know was I used to holiday in Scarborough when I was growing up and we stayed in the Peasholm area and we used to pass the garage on the way to Flamingo Land. It may be a wine place now from what I remember
@Scottish Car Enthusiasts And Trains TV ahh brilliant, I think I actually know that now you've said it. I live literally 2 streets away, it's a fireplace/log burner shop now.
Actually in Israel it was like the Kia Picanto is today over here - everybody had them. Here we didn't get the fancy sunroof and stuff, it was pretty basic. in my family we actually had like 4 of them (MK1) and then we had to MK2 punto with the CVT gearbox, unfortunately it blew it head gasket twice.. we actually had a punto through all of my childhood. (except one 92' Subaru Leone that was terrible) I remember that they were amazingly economical - I remember that the CVT one that we had did like 25 kmpl (4l/100km) on the trip computer, and because I was little, I always thought that it had 7 speed gearbox, which no one had at the time because they would let you see the gear when you wanted manual shift and the revs would go down when changing from sequential to automatic. and it was always funny when we needed to go up the hills of the Dead sea (around -400m to sea level) on grades that made us blow the head gasket once (on the MK2) , and EVREY TIME we would turn off the air conditioners because it was stealing power from the engine, and it was hot then and it's amazingly hot today over there (50 degrees (C) easy) Great video! enjoy your car - it's truly is a classic - you don't see them today at all.
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Because one does!!!!!!!!! 👍🏾
The Punto really was The Car Of All Time. It was shockingly modern and striking for 1993, and its evolutions kept it contemporary and fascinating. My ideal version would be the exceedingly rare Grande Punto Abarth, which Fiat didn't really promote as a hot hatch the way it should have.
I was given one of these Punto's as a courtesy car while my Alfa 75 V63.0 was in for accident repair. Because of delays in the repair on my car being delayed I had the punto for nearly a month. What a great car it was, I was truly sad to have handed back to the garage. But the sadeness only last until I climbed back into my 75.
I bought a 3 door 1.1 Punto on a P reg from a work colleague about 10 years ago for £20.
It had short tax & test, but he was going to scrap it as he thought it was overheating. Turned out the sump had rusted through (a very common problem on that engine) and it was just low on oil.
I put a new sump on it, (£5 from a scrappy but it was literally brand new), front discs & pads, full service, slapped a year's test on it and sold it to friends for £300 as their son's first car.
A nice wee car.
90s Fiats always looked good and had a youthful fun appeal.
Totally agree I always wanted an exploit yellow punto 90ELX!
Agree with that loved my Punto 1.1 SX 5 door 25 years ago when I was aged 24
Yeah I've always loved the looks of 90s Italian cars. Very quirky.
Hey, it's great to see some love for the early Punto. I rescued one from a scrap yard as a cheap little run-around (my Alfa 156 was suffering alfa-itis - sound familiar?); a "60SX" in a similar dark metallic red. Dings on the bonnet… very familiar. Wheels flaking down to the plastic… very familiar. I painted mine with plastic-primer, body colour, and clear coat. Looks great with body-colour wheel. Sunvisor flopping… very familiar. Mine is held up by string. Heater is excellent in winter, by the way. Yes, they look great now, I always thought it looked dumpy, but drives like a little go-cart. A sweet little engine in the FIAT. Does yours have the Lancia cylinder head? After six-years of daily use, I've got some work to do. Already had to rebuild the floor, in a hurry, for an MoT fail. I think mine had been garaged before my ownership. I had been a district nurse's car. Well looked after, easy to maintain, cheap parts. Needing it now - wish me luck, too!
I owned a Punto Convertible 1999 for 15 years now, not in UK. It's beautifully engineered, rarely goes wrong, and still runs great. Try to keep it as long as possible. Plenty of parts, the fuel pump shares with Alfa, Lancia and BMW! Calipers same as MITO and Fiat 500. A long time to go
I love it !!!! As a American who loves small cars we had very few to choose from, I owned a Geo Metro (I believe a Suzuki Cultis there) I had a 1.0 L 3 cylinder engine with about 56Hp. The car was a Hoot! Just rev it up and Go...I beat the Hell out of it. Drove it back and forth to Florida which is about 1600 miles each way. Towards the end of having it I would have to turn the A/C off to merge onto a highway. I am a big guy and was 300* lbs my best friend and coworker was also as big. We commuted into Boston on our terrible highways. I hit a large bump and BOTH front struts blew out. It still made it to work (about 35 miles each way. When we got there I looked at the gross weight rating and we EXEEDED it, I lent it to friends and they were surpised how much fun it was to chuck around, I wish we got more small cars here. I would have bought a better one if it was ever available.
They was sold as the Suzuki Swift in the UK. Subaru did a 4x4 called the Justy. I had both. They was very reliable and cheap to run and fix.
I've always wondered what Americans think of the cars that were sold in the UK and Europe.
@@richard29415 I did visit my family in Pasadena California around 10 years ago, and I was quite surprised at the number of European cars, such as Audi and Volkswagen I saw on the roads out there. Also there seemed to be a lot of Toyota prius and Kia Rio’s.
At one point in the UK Chrysler, neons and voyages was quite popular. Also some of the smaller Chevrolet models such as the spark until they pulled out of the uk. Nowadays the German makes are preferred, Tesla’s, Pollster and the VW Id range seem to be the best selling electric vehicles.
Lovely little car, honest, simple and reliable. I daily drive a 3 door 1.2 75 ELX with exactly the same spec and options. Mine was first registered in September 94 and does have quite a bit more mileage. Sitting in it now the clock reads 361036km....
I dont think theres a single car on your fleet that i dislike... and that still holds true, i love the mk1 and mk2 puntos and i really hope you enjoy driving and owning it!!
some features from a july 1994 brochure, 75 ELX features:
-electric front windows with 'one touch' on drivers side
-electrically operated glass tilt/slide sunroof
-remote central locking
-colour co-ordinated bumpers
-centre console
-pollen filter
-6 speaker stereo
it seems the 90 ELX had power steering but the 55 didn't so that answers that question... anyway good luck with it im sure you'll get it to a great standard!!
1000% approve of this beauty. My friend had an R-reg 3 door in that bright blue metallic (think it was a 1.2 75
) and I was always taken by it’s looks especially those rear lights which were far taller than any other car - they reminded me of the then fairly new 850 estate items which was one of the first cars to have these new styling features back then. Such a lovely car and so typically 90s which was one of the best periods of car styling ever. Please keep this one!
I had a very similar Punto 75 ELX, same colour but an N reg and it was about 8 years old at that point. Loved it as it was faster than a lot of cars my friends had back then! I've had plenty more mk1 Puntos since, including a GT, a turbo diesel and everything in between. These days I'm in a P reg Punto 60s which is a great car, currently my daily and was rescued from scrap by the previous owner! I'd definitely attend to that cambelt cover, didnt look very secure on the walk around!
This brings back memories! My parents bought a 75sx Punto in early 1994, so also when it was completely new on the market. A lot of my early experiences as a young driver was done behind the wheel of that one 😃👍
Awesome car. When I lived in Brazil, I saw a very few of those. They are absolutely rare there, because they were not officially sold by Fiat. To replace the Uno, they launched a car named Palio. Punto only came at around 2008, in a very different shape.
That one you’ve got looks great!
Great little car the MK1 Punto, had the pleasure of driving many of them back in the day, be worth changing the cambelt on it and they're so easy to work on it's unreal, fuel filter is near the tank, plugs can be a bit fiddly near the throttle body but use your UJ on the extension and no plug's will get broken or cross threaded, check rear suspension arm's for leaning inwards, rot on the subframes, sump and the usual floors/jacking points, repaint or replace the wheel trims as someone as ruined them using wheel acid on them, be worth changing the gear oil too, and rear lights used to suffer bad connections, just clean and nip up the connections with a watch maker's screwdriver or similar 😊
Drove my Mum's 98 75 SX 5 door often and liked it a lot. Incredibly clean simple styling but so elegantly detailed. She sold in 2019 but still on the road last time I checked
Lovely to see a Punto again. My brother followed by my dad and nephew (owned the same car) a 1999 model, same Red colour in 4 door, not an ELX. I could never get over the quietness of the engine and the comfort of traveling in it. Hope you enjoy it, they were a brilliant little car 👍🏻
Congratulations! That gen of Punto is VERY cool. Now a days, when i see a Punto Sporting in one of the strong colours, i feel a pretty serious disturbance in the force.
Hey, nice video! I am an owner of a punto (1997 High safety driving 1.2 75hp) it’s my first car and still using it. It’s funny to notice all the differences between this elx and my sx (basically). In those 4 years they managed to add 2 airbags, air conditioning, 4 injection points, power steering and power braking. It’s showing its age, but I am trying to keep it as long as possible, I totally love it! Thanks for sharing, even if I am late to the party. Greetings from Italy 👋
Welcome back to Punto ownership, you have a very special car. We have a 94 Punto 90 ELX cabrio which we have owned for 23 years and just put back on the road after a 3 year lay-up. Our inner wings are as shiny as yours, but the exterior paint is suffering from lacquer fade. Your worn seat piping matches ours exactly! You will have no red master key as the car pre-dates its introduction by Fiat. We don't have one either. We do have a remote control key, but the receiver stopped working years ago. It is apparently a very common problem.
Owned a 1.2 16 valve sporting from new in 97, in yellow. What a great car that was. Unburstable little twin cam which revved to 7000 and lift off overseer on demand! Back road weapon! Was always getting raced by mk2 golf GTIs which were slightly quicker but gave em a run for their money!!!
Matt, good to see a Punto again, I worked for a Fiat dealer in the mid 90's and had a few, 75, 55 and diesel, the 75 was the best one, fun to drive fizzy engine. The offside wing looks a slightly different shade so looks like the damage needed bumper and wing replacement, possibly lights and bonnet.
Nice, back in the day we has a 1994 1242cc reg M394BWS Metallic Yellow/Gold Punto 60SX Selecta, this spec had electric windows and the previous owner had added a high quality electric sliding glass sunroof & remote alarm with central locking. Nice roomy family car, the dashboard and door shutting struck me as being very solid & great quality
March 1994... WOW that is stunningly good condition for an almost 30 year-old UK registered car! What a nice little blast from the past, and it still looks pretty modern too! I expect you still see plenty of these about in Italy (no salt on the roads) but not so in the UK. We had a couple of these in the family "back in the day" and they were certainly popular cars in the 90s, and were sold in a rainbow of vivid colours I recall. Time has been very kind to the styling and when they came out they must have made the (then) current Mk3 Fiesta look and feel like an antique by comparsion! Actually, with hindsight I can see now much the design of this Mk1 Punto clearly influenced the the Mk6 Fiesta - It may have taken Ford close to a decade to catch up packaging and design wise, but the two cars are remarkably similar is overall shape and design despite the age difference. Fiat were really quite bold and forward-looking in the 90s... Where did it all go wrong for them!? It's really rather sad what they are now.
This brought back some memories...my first car in 2003 was a five door M reg olive green Punto Turbo Diesel, remember that facia well and the seats, which looked quite flat, were actually surprisingly comfy. It was a great little car. Being 6ft 1 I remember how spacious it was. It seemed so modern and stylish and exotic compared to a Corsa or a Fiesta. I remember having to wait until an orange light on the dash went out before you could turn the ignition fully...it lasted for three years til it died. Then got a 1.1 petrol which sadly was a duffer and lasted about two months before it fell apart. Have a had a Grande Punto ever since (Fiat fan here too...) - although it's solid and more reliable it isn't as nippy or as fun to drive as the original. Why are modern cars so dull?! (Safety, I know...)
True. I've got both and the early car is a go kart compared to the snail Grande Punto.
I remember when I was young my mum used to call that colour "shitty green" every time she saw one 😂
Great video, thanks very much. The 1.2 fire is a super engine and the Punto is a fine vehicle. What a find. All the best with giving it a bit of love and eventually moving it on to another deserving home.
My brother had a metallic blue M-reg Punto as his first car after passing his test, circa 2005. I bought it for him from the local car auctions, for next to nothing. It was a lovely thing to drive, I really liked how it felt so spacious inside and how basic it was. It died of rust eventually - there was a 20cm-or-so hole in the driver's side rear inner wheel arch. I took a look at whether I could weld it up, but the fuel filler neck was in the way which would have meant dropping the tank to safely gain access, and at the time it was just a cheap old banger so it wasn't worth the time to fix it.
You've got this the wrong way around.
Surely the point of this trading up exercise is to get another car you DON'T like and DON'T want to keep but other people will like.
And with the best will in the world, you've just got a car that appeals to you and is not likely to appeal to many other people.
I'm sure there are Punto enthusiasts groups out there but I can't see people beating down the doors to buy or trade up to a 1.2 Punto.
yes but I like this car!
@@furiousdriving You need to internally swap the Punto with the Rover 75 and then you can trade up the Rover 75 without cheating 🙂. I suggest passing the V5C documents from left hand to right hand and vice versa and then you can continue with a clear conscience.
That problem with the heater control sounds familiar. I think Edd China had the same problem on one of the Wheeler Dealer shows. I don't remember if it was the same car. It was down to the molding holding the mechanism being designed too thin and ending up cracking the plastic. I think he just replaced it with a newer improved version.
You are a brave man Furious. I had a Punto Sporting from new. Where do I begin, deep breath. It was presented to me at the dealer with the digital clock faulty (only a few weeks wait for a replacement), within a few more week the drivers door window fell out, yes fell out. When I picked it up from this repair the guy at the dealer commented on the panel fit was ‘not great’. The hatch was the worst, I tried to look at your panel fit but couldn’t see. The exhaust rusted through within two years, it drank oil and would blow builds on a regular basis for fun. The clutch had to be replaced at about 40k. I was mercifully saved from the thing when someone ran into the back of it. I believe the floor pans rust badly and I fear your rust is worse than you think.
I had a blue auto, 1995…loved the looks and space, but so many faults! Ended buying boxes of fuses as they kept blowing. The gear box had a nervous breakdown in Cornwall and refused to go faster than 40mph. The key snapped in half in the drivers door, and the seatbelts got stuck and wouldn’t retract…I’ve had Toyotas ever since 😂
I absolutely love this Punto! Mk1 Punto are very interesting classics to have in a collection!
What a lovely car, I'm a little bit jealous! Congrats on a fine purchase.
I love my Rover 75 and was excited to see one on the channel, but if it has to go to make room for the Punto, I'm all for it. This is a rare car with a cool story and plenty of room for improvement which should make for some enjoyable videos.
My grandpa had a '98 55s that cought fire after 20 years of use. Although, even when it was new it was pretty bad, rough and poorly assembled. I remember that the engine sound was very loud even for the cars of that era. In the same period my father bought a '97 Peugoet 106 XN and it looked definitely more refined.
Good project to get your into.
I had the Punto S60 model 1998.
Fun to drive, no power steering, no temperature gauge to monitor and unfortunately the head gasket blew. Common problem with the rear axles added the growing repair costs and reluctantly in the end part exchanged for an MPV. Pleasantly surprised to see a few Fiat Punto Mark I models in Lisbon so must be popular. Keep up the good work and report 😊
These were very popular cars at one time, the mk1 was a pretty good car, and very roomy and airy for a small hatchback.
I had a base version 60 S in 2017 on a T reg plate, one of the last mk1’s before the mk2 in that red colour that fades in the sun!
I’m pleased to say it’s still on the road now.
Your right it is a rare car these days, so many rusted away and were scrapped or became uneconomic to repair at MOT time.
Thanks for sharing Matt, all the best with it.
Well done. That Fiat is a classic, because it was just on the cusp of modernity but mechanical enough to be low fidelity and less gremlins to handle. This is the perfect car to have in your rural property to take you to the local town centre to pick up some essentials. Wonderful purchase.
My grandma's neighbor has recently bought a Cayenne but still drives a Mk1 Punto 55 to his apple orchards. The pastel red paint faded a lot over time but a couple years ago he had it repainted and now it looks brand new
Very nice Punto! My first car was a sporting with 16 valve engine from 1998. It was bulletproof. Greetings from Slovakia:)
I bought from DC Cook in Manchester a brand new Punto 3 door 1.1sx, in garden green in 1995. I was 21 and drove it to France that summer with a couple of mates. I'm over 6ft and always had bags of room. Great motor and always a little under appreciated I thought.
I had a 2004 Punto for my first car, It’s still on the road to this day with 65k miles on the clock ☺️
2004 on only 65k amazing! my 2004 Leon is now on nearly 650k kl
A testament to your ownership😀👍
A testament of not being driven
@@stuartpace6111 I don’t have it anymore, Sold it to a elderly gentleman close by, he uses it maybe Once or Twice a week 🤣
I've got a soft spot for old Fiats. At a point these Punto's were absolutely everywhere, and as time went by they all just disappeared.
My aunt and uncle used to be massive fans of Fiat and especially of these mk1 Punto's. Over a period of 12 years they must have had 5 consecutively (Dark grey, green metallic, yellow metallic, 2x bright blue) . Having 2 of them on the drive at any given time. Rust was an issue every single time around MOT time. Their final Punto was then replaced by a Fiat Brava
Matt the cambelt in that is an easy job should take some one with a bit of know how an hour to an hour and a half tops, it the cambelt does snap it WILL NOT do any damage as it's a non interference engine, change the water pump at the same time. Also buy the oil feed pipe which runs over the top of the camshaft as they are known to block up, even with frequent oil changes (the ford pinto engine used to do the same thing) serviced many many of those, good little cars, the MK 2 punto got the 1.2 16v engine, the bottom ends were/are identical just the heads were different. They also had an electric power steering setup, one of the earliest cars to have it, the other was the MG F
Brilliant video Matt! Your Punto brings back memories friend of mine had an identical one when it was 2 years old replaced it with a green Sporting love the Mk1 Puntos. This one definitely deserves a permanent place on the furious fleet looking forward to seeing you make it minty fresh again 😎
Nice little car, was behind one yesterday in my mk3 fiesta, I do like the design of the rear lights, very visible at night and a rarely seen car. Nicely designed car in general I think
Great stuff, well done for saving. Good memories of buying a '95 75SX to replace my Fiat Uno as a student - the luxury at the time if not just central locking, sunroof and elec windows but automatic choke so easy to start in hot and cold weather 😂 Always remember how the power steering pump easily stalled the engine when pulling out of parking bays, had to give it more revs. Also the cam belt failed (despite being newish) but luckily didn't destroy the engine so just needed to put a new one on.
Be VERY aware of rust around the rear arches - check under the whole carpet area in the boot, my arches had almost completely separated from the body where it rusted at the joint.
Loved my 60 SX, the seating position was ideal for me, got out of the car after a day of driving relaxed and without strain. Loved traveling with it!
So..... We're keeping the 75 then?...... 😂
It looks that way! 😂
And probably the Punto as well. The flips are not going too well lol. But it's most enjoyable
Exactly how a small car should be. Honest, humble and fun to drive. I remember that in the nineties they were a common sight on slovenian roads. In fact they were huge sellers just behind the Clio MK1.
Loving this with the Italian car thing. I am a late convert. Brought a Fiat Bravo sport 1.4 t jet a couple of years ago. Unfortunately I drove it through a flooded road and it hydro locked. So after enjoying that car so much, I ended buying another Fiat. A Panda 100hp. Bloody love it ❤
As a geeky young teenager I was so excited by the Punto (and those rear lights when it came out).
It was so futuristic… like the Coupé. Loved Fiat in the 1990s
I have the same Punto in blue colour. My have AC and is from 1995. It's my second carand I enjoy driving it. I put 15" wheels from Bravo 195/50. Love it so much. Can't wait to see you tinkering around Punto💪🏻
As an owner of a standard Fiat Punto 188, which I love, you just gained a new subscriber.
I remember the tv ad when they first came out, massively tinted windows to make them look much cooler, but they didn’t have that in the real cars!
I can’t remember the last time I seen a Brava,Bravo or an Mk1 Punto on the road. Sad to think they were once very popular cars. Great video, keep up the good work!
Or a Fiat Stilo for that matter
My first car in 1998 was a dark green M-reg 3 door Punto. Nippy and smart with lively handling - and it didn't feel massively underpowered for a 1.0l engine. Happy days!
Loved both of my Punto MkIs - both 1.2S three-doors… one green, one black. Neither appears to have survived, sadly. Lovely looking things, though, and so roomy. Much better than the second-gen one I bought in 2002.
Get existing cars sorted and sold if poss before taking on more, most of your fleet are not roadworthy ( Sorry i dont mean to be rude)
Don't be a killjoy.
What said is fact
Only 3 of the regular use cars are out of action, long term restos and projects are different
Well done Matt a brilliant video and great to see one again after all these years my dad and brother had Tipo diesels and often had punto courtesy cars as a teenager I always wanted a exploit yellow punto ELX loved the shape and fun appearance of the cars
That one has survived really well and look forward to seeing it as part of the fleet
I guess the Brava wasn't great for content! 😂😂 Rover 75 parked to the side, marked "Not for resale"😂
In the early 80s, Fiats really starting to get their act together rust and buildquality was starting to be a thing of the past, but the reputation of the past was still something to overcome but the punto was excellent, I’m amazed there’s not so many left, yours is a very nice example
Maybe in Great Britain. In Italy there are still plenty of them on the road
Rust in the floor pans killed most Mk1 Puntos as they got older, the road salt ruins cars here
@@furiousdriving yeah, that must be a hassle
I ordered one of these and then it turned out to have a 3 month waiting list in 1994, 3 months came and went so I went and got a new Fiesta, it arrived in a week. Fiat in Wrexham at that time were a terrible dealership. Good luck with this car Matt, great video.
In hindsight do you regret not waiting a few months to get a better car? The Fiesta of that era was about as interesting and advanced as a lump of coal compared to these Worth the wait I would say, several times over in fact.
My first car was the gen after this. Proper poverty spec: black plastic bumpers, no alloys, no fog lights, no air con, tiny little 1.2 engine that struggled to get to 80mph… loved that crappy little car.
I've had 30+ cars till now, six of them have been MK1 Puntos, so you could say I adore them and also know their flaws pretty well. I'm always on the lookout for a nice Sporting in blue or an early 3 door 1100 55 in really good nick. Having owned both the 60 model with the 8 valve 1.2, and the Sporting with 16 valves, these engines are great, the little Sporting engine is so underatted. I've never had to do anything other than regular maintenance on them. They do not like overheating though so I always stick in a new radiator if it still carries the original, cheap and easy to do with thermostat to be sure. Rear inner arches towards the boot pan are a week point for rust, the outer floor can also go if the old underseal has cracked to let moisture in. The chassis rails towards the rear need to be checked also as the subframe mounts to these. I think the 1100 has an engine burble that was lost when they updated to the 1200, might be just me but 🤔.........
The previous owner went over it very well with his garage and took lots of photos for me, so we think its solid underneath - rust does seem to be the big issue with these doesnt it!
Radiator probably not a bad shout on this, but I sat in bad M25 traffic in hot weather on the way home and the temp gauge only moved a couple of millimetres so its probably not urgent
im currently driving what used to be my parents latin american version of the punto (which set the platform for what is popularly known in latin america as the Palio) (as someone in the comments also mentioned). Its got the 1.7TD from this mk1 punto, and man its a blast to drive and so easy to work on and its super reliable. Now clocking in at 208k km, everyday i learn to love it a bit more!
Massive amount of nostalgia for these. Puntos, and the Uno before it, were great cars - Fiat’s heydays, if you wish. In fact, their ranges from back with the Strada up to the Bravo/Brava were great times.
Simply love it. My brother owned one at the time in Oldham, a 60 SX. He loved it and went on to a Brava 1.2 16V, an Alfa Romeo 156 1.9 JTD Multijet and a 2008 Fiat Bravo JTD.
I urge you to buy a Mk2 Punto Sporting, the noise of the engine in the higher revs and the feeling thru the pedals and steering is wonderful ! They had electric power steering, not sure about the mk1 if they also had electric but if they did it might explain why you couldnt find any rezervoir
You do win a prize of having travelled over 10 miles to buy a Punto. previous world record was 6 miles. They were such an interesting car that people fell asleep on the bus going to collect them and ended up at Beachy head
I drove one of these for a few months about 10 years ago. Great little car. Nice smooth, nippy engine for a 1.2 and surprisingly fun to drive little car.
I had one these in blue..3 door,immediately I went and spent £500 on some nice rims and some tints…loved that car
Great little cars these!! Had a 75 ELX as a student and then a Sporting too... Halcyon days for Fiat...
they were riding on a high in the 90s
Drove an 'S' plate 85 SX 16v around Europe for 5,000 miles in that really hot Summer of 2003, didn't miss a beat. Got from Stockport to Rome in it too :) Loved that car.
Hey Matt! This is something to look forward to! I love your passion for Fiat’s….I did prefer The Fiat Idea you had earlier and that’s a model I’d buy myself. Keep it coming. 🙏
Enjoyed your mondeo series, and I like my 90s hatchbacks, so I'll be watching this restore! Best of luck
I always wanted (and sill do) an ELX in Blue. I loved those wheel trims, the wheel bolts hold them onto the wheels.
Really liked the Punto when it was released...I think I'm right in saying the was a six speed manual option on the 1 litre car which seemed really advanced for the time.
Punto 6 speed was badged the 55 EL, with the 1.1 engine and similar spec to the SX expect for no electric windows or central locking. Only sold them for a few years in the UK though. Think it was because they were more expensive than the standard 55 S and 55 SX ?
OMG yeah the Punto 6-Speed I'd totally forgot about them! But I do actually remember seeing them now, along with the also quite rare SX "Selecta". They already had the "sporting" and GT models so I guess if the 6-speed came with the 1.1 it was an economy focussed model..?
I had a 1995 brand new 1 August one. Absolutely loved the car. Traded it for a lovely yellow Seicento Abarth (fantastic car but then my daughter came along so it had to be swapped for something bigger) and then a next generation brand new 51 plate Punto Sporting in that same yellow. Loved them all.
Love it! We hired a base spec 55S back in the day and thought it was a great car. A much better car to drive and be in than a fiesta of the same era I think. Looking forward to seeing it in future videos
It certainly was BUT....Everything was better than the Fiesta of that era! What Ford got away with back then still amazes me to this day! They were using 1950s derived engines up until the early 2000s FFS!
My Aunti had a black 3dr Punto new on an N registration. It was a humble 55S but had a set of alloy wheels specified from new.
I remember how weird those high tale lights seemed when these cars launched but now the styling is elegantly subtle.
Oh wow oh wow! I have been waiting for this day since i first started watching your channel years ago ❤
Had a bright yellow Punto Sporting in my late teens early 20s. Loved that car.
Punto is one of those cars that gain additional qualities over time. for example, it's mechanical simplicity and friendliness to DIY was just secondary feature back then, many cars were like it back then, but now, it's a full blown benefit of the car, because modern cars are so overcomplicated and stupidly laid out that repairs are too expensive.
Expensive repair on a punto? aside of a complete body re-do, i cant think of one.
So there's that.
Hi from Australia. Great car buy. I love the Punto that was never sold here as series 1. This is the best car you have bought. Shame its not automatic however.
YES YES YES!!! KEEP IT! I had a mark 2 facelift 1.2 8V Active Sport. Loved it. Easy to fix. Always wanted a Mark 1 Sporting. Please keep it!!!
My parents worked their way through the Fiat line-up thoughout the early 1990s to the early 2000s. Panda (grey), Panda (red), Uno (black), Uno (blue), Punto (red) and finally Brava (silver).
Well mine was L Reg that bright metallic green colour two-doorL 55 and I got it May 94 ! At that time it was like a spaceship everybody was looking at it and stopping unfortunately made out of Coke cans, door handles came off exhaust kept going after a year the back drums went Oval because of the weight in the boot of somethings brilliant design but poor execution my Uno was better built 🇧🇬😎
I love this sort of car. Beautiful purchase, swap type thingy
I have a real week spot for this sort of car. I believe I have the oldest MOT'd K11 micra in the UK! Shes an absolute beast. 59k miles and 1 pervious owner. One day, it'll be worth thousands. Good work Matt
The Flip n Furious series continues . Another gem of a car Matt and a really awesome tea shelf! The mk 1 Punto is a really good looking car and has aged nicely. I do miss 90's car interiors. Looking forward to the clean and freshen up video. I do hope the rust is as minimal as it looks. I was devastated and upset by the state of the Crown Vic and I felt your pain. Are you likely to bring the Punto to the Festival of the Unexceptional this year?
Yes, planing to take it, Volvo is the other contender but this uses half the fuel!
There used to be a Fiat dealer near here so I saw a lot of Fiat Bravas etc., although the garage has since been redeveloped and houses now stand on the site.
Many years ago my brother had a 1996 TD70 SX. It sounded like an old van (diesel + huge interior space + no sound insulation = need earplugs) and the gearchange was so obstructive that I almost went into meltdown while driving it in a motorway traffic jam. First gear just did not want to be found - thank heavens for just enough torque to move off in a higher gear and never mind the poor clutch. One drive was enough for me. Dreadful. Apparently it went OK (when the horrible gearchange wasn't getting in the way), but the car died when the engine blew up because the wastegate had been screwed shut.
We have a 51 plate 1.6 Brava on the fleet, had it from new.
That square rear end with the hatchback made it like a van with the back seats down! We shifted some serious amount of stuff in my partner's old Punto.
There was a van version later as well!
What a car what a memories 😊 I remember in 1995 back in Lisbon I was just a kid and my dad had an Opel Corsa A and one day he came back home with a Punto 75 ELX same interior as that one blue outside, and what a car comparing to the Corsa, I remember that velour soo soft the car was soo roomy and comfortable. After that he had a restyling Brava and in fact the car wasn’t that good, was his last FIAT.
Please give us lot of more content in that Punto.
Not as old as yours, but probably just as rare, there is a 96 Punto convertible for sale just down the road from me. This one has a 90 badge on the sides. I still miss my Mk3 Sunroof Special. It was a fun car, and the sunroof was great.
I thought that was my old 75 SX for a second 😊. That was 2 years newer, but was the same colour. By then the SX had most of what that ELX has, but no remote locking and a manual sunroof. I have a feeling the ELX was only available with the 1.6 by then, and had standard alloys.
Have you spotted the trick ignition key slot? You can’t leave the lights on with the engine off, but there is a tab on the key slot - press that and keep turning the key toward you and it puts the parking lights on. Only car I’ve ever had that had that function.
Thats a great Italian car feature so you can leave the lights on all the time and not flatten the battery, Ive not found the parking lights setting yet though
I'm 39 and still struggle with the concept that 1994 is old ... even though I was 10 back then!!!
I know - the 90s were only 10 years ago!
If I am honest, I hate it! I just can't see that this era of Punto has any redeeming features. Each to their own, and if you like it, that's great.
I live in Scarborough, and after some googleing, I cannot find anything about Miskin and Kraggs Ltd Scarborough. Will do some more digging
It was on manor road, near woodlands ravine and Peasholm Park. Only reason I know I know was I used to holiday in Scarborough when I was growing up and we stayed in the Peasholm area and we used to pass the garage on the way to Flamingo Land. It may be a wine place now from what I remember
@Scottish Car Enthusiasts And Trains TV ahh brilliant, I think I actually know that now you've said it. I live literally 2 streets away, it's a fireplace/log burner shop now.
I found a Lancia newspaper ad from the 80s but that was all
Actually in Israel it was like the Kia Picanto is today over here - everybody had them.
Here we didn't get the fancy sunroof and stuff, it was pretty basic.
in my family we actually had like 4 of them (MK1) and then we had to MK2 punto with the CVT gearbox, unfortunately it blew it head gasket twice.. we actually had a punto through all of my childhood. (except one 92' Subaru Leone that was terrible)
I remember that they were amazingly economical - I remember that the CVT one that we had did like 25 kmpl (4l/100km) on the trip computer, and because I was little, I always thought that it had 7 speed gearbox, which no one had at the time because they would let you see the gear when you wanted manual shift and the revs would go down when changing from sequential to automatic.
and it was always funny when we needed to go up the hills of the Dead sea (around -400m to sea level) on grades that made us blow the head gasket once (on the MK2) , and EVREY TIME we would turn off the air conditioners because it was stealing power from the engine, and it was hot then and it's amazingly hot today over there (50 degrees (C) easy)
Great video! enjoy your car - it's truly is a classic - you don't see them today at all.