Sounds like the seats are a major factor, I should go check one out at least.
Back in the day, my first car was a 74 X1/9, so it would be an interesting return to my roots.
Sounds like the seats are a major factor, I should go check one out at least.
Back in the day, my first car was a 74 X1/9, so it would be an interesting return to my roots.
I loved the seats but I like to sit high and fairly upright. People's opinions that ride in the car have been fairly mixed.
I've never had any complaints on my seat, it's very adjustable. If you're used to being slung back like a 'Vette you might not like it. (Then again I came from an '06 Scion xB so it was easy to get used to.) And that's also wearing a helmet and having a sunroof.
Of course, YMMV.
Er, I'll hold off my enthusiasm until I drive one, then. Upright position makes my upper back scream in pain.
Knurled wrote: Er, I'll hold off my enthusiasm until I drive one, then. Upright position makes my upper back scream in pain.
I can almost guarantee you won't like it. The seating position is pretty much like driving a tiny pickup.
Yah... I walked from work to the Batcave (about a 2 hour walk) and drove the hammock home. The hammock is a far more comfortable driving experience than anything upright. Shame it's so enviromentally heinous.
OT, this makes it the second time I have had a Mazda on Megasquirt do something loopy with the tune after battery disconnect. Never ever had an issue with my old 1.01 board. The 3.57 board that I have (and I assume your MSPNP has) seems to attract weirdness. THAT is why the car ran like crap and would not restart not. Blowing the last saved tune into the thing made everything right.
Never driven one, but sat inside of one at the last Denver auto show a few months back... also sat in 30+ other "sporty" cars that day. I think the 500 had the worst seating position of any car I sat in that day. YMMV.
In a similar category of cars, how much are comparable Fiesta ST's going for these days?
In reply to roninsoldier83:
That was one concern I had, but after fiddling with the seat position for a week or so I was comfortable as all get out.
I drove the Subarust today, and thought about the seating position. I don't feel like it was all that different, maybe the legs were 10 degrees more up than the Abarth, or something. Unless you're prone like a bobsled it doesn't seem like there's a big difference.
All his talk has had me thinking. I've had the car for over two years, and put less than 19K miles on it. When I got it, my winter beater was an old, rusty minivan, but last August it was replaced with a Highlander, and I've found myself picking that car to drive more and more often. In addition to that, the rallycross Neon doesn't get driven on the road much, since the Fiat is a bit more comfortable.
I may swing by Carmax this weekend, and see what they'd offer me for it. I like it a lot, but the monthly payment + insurance doesn't seem to be worth it for as little as I'm driving it. If I get rid of the Abarth, the important thing will be to not replace it with something else, I have enough to drive/ride as it is.
I was just looking at options for the end of my FiST lease and was surprised to see that you could get an Abarth for $15K...the same as the FiST will cost me. Most used FiST at the dealer are $18-$19K. If I could not get the FiST for $15K, I'd seriously have to consider an Abarth with $3-$4K of mods added. It would still have less room and less power, but that exhaust note! And they are just so cool looking.
I actually bought a 500T just for the seats. Loved those damn things. Heavily bulsteted seats are real bad for your posture and back for just driving around. I really didn't like the abarth seats as they tilt your head on an awkward position.
I ended up hating how cheap the 500T felt and sold it. The interior door panel plastic just bugged me and the whole thing just felt cheap and falling apart even though it had like 30k miles or something and looked brand new.
eastsidemav wrote:Knurled wrote:So, I should check with you before taking mine over to CarMax?eastsidemav wrote: They are very fun to drive, and so far mines' been reliable, but the depreciation has been unreal.And suddenly I find myself losing interest in getting the bodywork done on the Volvo and gaining interest in buying a used Abarth in a year or two. The sound is wonderful.
I'm still thinkin'.
In reply to Knurled:
I'll let you know what I decide to do 
. Keep an eye on this thread...
With regard to the seating position, I think part of the reason I'm only comfortable in one setting is a combination of how I normally sit in a car, and the typical Italian car seating layout. It seems Italians must have really short legs and long arms. Despite being 6' tall with a 32" inseam, I tend to prefer to have the steering wheel fairly close to me, to give me more leverage on the wheel, and reduce fatigue in my arms(I suspect I have fairly poor circulation). In the Abarth, this means my legs are folded up pretty good. Any farther back, and my arms get sore on long drives, any closer, and my legs don't fit.
Meanwhile, "Goofus" extended the steering wheel and shifter in his RX-7 back about three inches so he could drive with his arms at a comfortable 90 degree angle.
The Italian stereotypical driving position is with the wheel between your ankles. (Basically the exact opposite of a late 60s/early 70s Ford with the wheel up grazing your stomach.) Mainly, there are Reasons that I will communicate with you offline because it is a mixture of airing dirty laundry and some off color humor 
And they sound really sweet and I like sub-2l turbo engines as commuters.
Knurled wrote: Mainly, there are Reasons that I will communicate with you offline because it is a mixture of airing dirty laundry and some off color humor
You know we all want to hear it.
The part I'll relate online is that I work with a very Italian person, named Tony, and I joked that I was going to buy a Fiat so I could have him work on it.
Hell, he thought it was funny.
He also thinks 500s look funny. The local chocolates shop and one of the parts suppliers use them as runaround vehicles. (A brown 500 does look like a chocolate drop...) We were both driving something one day and saw one and he opined that one day, they'd make a car where the whole side was the door.
In reply to Knurled:
Knurled - if you are interested, hit me up with a GRM message, or via O H I O T I M at H O T M A I L dot C O M.
CarMax gave me an offer I'm considering, but I might throw it on the board for a few days at a higher (but still really good) price, to see if I can make a quick sale.
In reply to pinchvalve:
While they are inferior cars, they do possess one thing the fiST doesn't....
WOW Really Paul? wrote: In reply to pinchvalve: While they are inferior cars, they do possess one thing the fiST doesn't....
pinchvalve wrote: I was just looking at options for the end of my FiST lease and was surprised to see that you could get an Abarth for $15K...the same as the FiST will cost me. Most used FiST at the dealer are $18-$19K. If I could not get the FiST for $15K, I'd seriously have to consider an Abarth with $3-$4K of mods added. It would still have less room and less power, but that exhaust note! And they are just so cool looking.
With a $370 used Uni chip and cold air intake (couple hundred $) I dyno'd about what the FiST has stock. And as you noted, that exhaust!
In reply to eastsidemav:
Well, two things. One being the glorious noises it makes, the other being a soul. 
WOW Really Paul? wrote: In reply to eastsidemav: Well, two things. One being the glorious noises it makes, the other being a soul.
I'm not one to ascribe soul to a car, but I'll definitely agree with you about the exhaust sound
Of course, the sound helps keep me out of trouble. I figure someone could get away with driving a bit more ridiculously in a Fiesta ST, since it wouldn't be advertising to everyone within earshot
eastsidemav wrote: Of course, the sound helps keep me out of trouble. I figure someone could get away with driving a bit more ridiculously in a Fiesta ST, since it wouldn't be advertising to everyone within earshot
This is the truth. The noisier a car is, the more sedately I drive.
Threadsurection. With the talk of seating position, is there a seat height mod to lower the seat, even if it means removing the runners or modifying the mount somehow?
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