Frequently asked questions about FIAT Tipo 16V

Are 3 door side skirts compatible with 5 door models?

According to Peter Chan the later 3 door side skirts can be fitted to older 5 door Tipos. As well as looking better they are also cheaper. This is due to FIAT deciding that because the 5 door model has a 2 piece side skirt per side they can get away with charging £48 per piece. However, the single peice side skirt for the 3 door car costs £62 per side.

Nareman Virk says that they need a slight modification before they will fit. The rear third of the side skirt has a slightly raised section. This fits against the 3 door cars rear quarter panel. However on a 5 door car this will be where the rear doors open. The raised section will therefore need to be trimmed down to prevent the rear doors catching on it when opened. It's not a big deal, the strip is only about the height of the red coloured trim in the middle of the bumpers.

Alexis Grant says that the skirts do match up nicely, and look even better. However the holes don't line up, along the side or even underneath the car. The side holes are easy enough to re-drill, but the bottom ones, are trickier due to them being square.

My window guides have rusted what can I do?

Ben Bishop says that his window separators, the black metal strip on the rear doors between the windows, have rusted at the bottom and need replacing. Alex Wakefield says that rusted window guides are a very common problem with 5 door Tipos. His also has it and it's not a major problem and can easily be fixed. Apparently the old one can be removed in one peice and the new parts are available from Fiat for about £10. Try to fix it as soon as possible as you don't want water getting inside the door skin.

How do I remove the door handles?

Alexis Grant says Once you've removed the inner door trim find the crosshair markings on the plastic dust cover. Insert a 8mm socket through the markings in the plastic. Undo the bolts using the socket, then use your hands, or the 8mm socket and undo by hand, as if these bolts drop, you may not be able to find them again.

How easy is it to remove small dents in the bodywork?

Mike Jukes asks has anyone ever used a firm like DentMaster before? He has loads of dents on his bonnet and understands people like DentMaster can get them out without needing paint.

Alex Wakefield says his doesn't know how bad the dents are, but you always used to be able to buy a suction dent puller from the Innovations catalogue that falls out of the Sunday papers every other week. They claimed it was quite good in the ad, but then that's what you'd expect, and I think it was only a tenner.

Nareman Virk says he's heard that DentMaster are not very good, although not speaking from personal experience. They work on a system whereby they charge £60 to remove up to 4 dents in any 1 panel. So if your door has 5 dents in it, they'll charge £120 Also, they can only remove small dents, not creases as you sometimes get in bonnets. Even more bad news, the panel doesn't come out 100% perfect, it leaves a teeny weeny crease. No one would notice it, but you would know it was there.

How do I replace the weather seal around the rear windows?

Alex Wakefield says that he replaced the weather seal strip along the bottom of the window glass on the rear door of his 5 door Tipo. However his keeps popping out.

Nareman Virk says that to do the job properly you need to remove the interior door panel. However you might find that if you sit in the back seat and lower the window and carefully and skillfully use a credit card to 'clip' the aforementioned trim into it's correct and secure resting place, you should be able to rectify the situation to your advantage.

What coefficient of drag (COD) does the Tipo have?

The Tipo has a COD of only 0.32. This compares well with certain cars, particularly those which use aerodynamic wings to increase downforce (therefore also increasing drag):

New Merc SL500 - 0.29
Honda NSX - 0.32
Facelifted NSX - 0.30
Typical Parachute - 1.30
1999 Ferrari 360 Modena - 0.34
New Mondeo - 0.29