131 wanted for 3ma

[mclements131]

Been looking at the piccies from last 3ma meets and i have now decided i would like to come along with my wife and daughter but of corse i need a 131 first
so guys i  ;)need some help as im a bit out of touch with prices etc i have a budget of around 3k but may strech to 4k if its a realy special and meets my dreams of a silver sport with the black seats just like my old one my wife loved the car to and we have fond memories of trips we did do in that car before the bambinos arrived
can i get some pointers of how much to spend for a silver 131 sport and where to start looking as ive seen people on this site importing veicles from italy but is this a good idea i dont mind travelling and my brothers friend has a transports company so geting it over to blighty is no problem. dont mind it being cak handed as my integrale is too so no worries
also what to look for thanks

martin

[chris131]

Hi martin, Unfortunately with a budget of only 3K its unlikely that your going to get anything half decent. There aren't very many 131 sports left in the UK and finding a good one that is for sale is nearly impossible, and the problem is that at the minute there seems to be lots of people looking for one.  Thus when demand is greater than supply the price rises.

There is a greater number of sports available if you go to italy or germany etc, but then they are LHD. Also the prices for 131 sports in europe seem to have risen to around 8000 - 9000 Euros and with the pound so weak at the minute they're still working out very expensive.

Another point is that you only seem to get 131 sports in either 1 of 2 ways:
No 1. Either an enthusiasts car thats full restored
No 2. A rotten sport that's nothing more than a full restoration project

And if you decide to go down the restoration project line then finding parts can be a problem.

Personally with the budget you have I can't see you getting a good condition 131 sport, and I would advise that if you want a sport to stretch the budget to around 5K - 6K for a car that's restored.

Alternatively I reckon you would get a very nice condition 4 door 131 within your budget.

Hope that helps, and I'm sure someone will correct me if they disagree 

[italianxrays]

Hi Martin

"Jim131" posted earlier in June, his car was very good for the money, I think a webasto type sunroof put punters off but it was OK even if blue, suspect was messed about & finally either gave up trying to sell as I know he genuinely loved his 131 , or has decided to keep it ?
So there is hope, Europe is best bet, Martin Willems did have his sources in Italy and sold one quite recently.
Keep looking, I have a few old contacts but many cars sadly have expired to the ravages of time / rust.
Go for a nice 4 door, even a non twin cam is an attractive buy now, for 3,000 euros or even less.
I know of a few supers only & they all need work ( mine inc) good luck with your search anyway.

Will contact you if any leads materialise

Ian

[kev131]

That's enthusiasm - I suppose we better start getting ourselves organised!?

The guys above have said it all about buying a 131 Sport these days. I was looking full time for 6 years before I found what I wanted even though it was not the ideal colour.?

The longer the purchase is left the more expensive they are getting.

If you can stick with a 4 door how about this one - Looks clean enough but only 1 photo available.

http://cgi.ebay.it/FIAT-131-1980-BENZINA-RAVENNA_W0QQitemZ190241079706QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190241079706&_trkparms=72%3A908%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1318

[mclements131]

thanks kev131 for the links but i have my heart set on the silver 131 sport and have the blessing of the missus so game on for the 3ma event and will look everywhere for a good one can stretch buget to 5.5k 6k at a push (pounds mind and must be the silver with the black trims, as mentiond cak handed is no problem i am an engineer by trade and served my time at the mod in r/d so can tackle most tech issues but sourcing a good car is going to be fun ebay italia has some between the price brackets so keep searching.
plan is to get the engine built up to 180 bhp like my old pal anthony caolgero had in thornton heath in the early 90s, boy was that a quick sport 45s and big exhaust gave monster sound and rasp! just remember him taking me out around the streets od south london and s1rs turbos coudlnt keep up monster torque from the engine built by italtune, legendary south london tuners sadly no longer around alquati cams i believe very torqey and people underestimated it :Dhave pics somewhere sadly i believe he is in australia now and lost touch