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soloracer
10-05-2005, 10:36 PM
I got a brief glimpse of a different car on Friday downtown after a film at the Jack Singer Hall. It looked really different and couldn't tell what it was. Well, tonight it was parked in front of my building so I got a good up close look - no camera though (damn). It was shaped something like a VW Corrado but much smoother. The front headlights were similar to those on a new NSX (on the top side of the hood, clear with 2 projection style bumps). The tail lights were round like a Skylines. The wheels said Wolfsburg but there wasn't a badge or a sticker anywhere to tell me what it was. It was right hand drive with a very nice interior (two tone if I remember right) It's painted a light silver blue. By the time I went into my building and got back out it was pulling out so I didn't get a chance to talk to the owner. I believe I heard the sound of a blow off valve which would indicate it was turbocharged. I was driving my 944 Turbo and would have tracked him down but by the time I got out of the parkade he was well gone.

It's an interesting car and I'm wondering if anyone here has seen it or knows what it is. It's not often that I'm stumped by a car.

mutsuraboshi
10-05-2005, 10:55 PM
could it of been a fc rx7 with headlamp conversions...?

soloracer
10-05-2005, 11:02 PM
Nope. I actually own an FC and an FD so I know what they are. It's not a car that can be found here. It's not a body kit either as nothing looks added on.

talonboi
10-05-2005, 11:10 PM
ferarri?? :dunno: :dunno:

soloracer
10-05-2005, 11:16 PM
Nope. Smaller. You're going to have to think more uncommon. I'm a car buff and can ID most cars by their headlights alone. But not this thing. If I was to guess I would say it's a Japan only car or something european from Alfa Romeo (but without the Alpha grill) or Renault, maybe Citroen..... And because it right hand drive I know it's not something that is sold here.

gpomp
10-05-2005, 11:20 PM
http://www.prism.net/user/chris/ttiwwp.gif

Redlyne_mr2
10-05-2005, 11:32 PM
2 door coupe or hatch?

Heep
10-05-2005, 11:35 PM
Sounds to me like a FIAT Coupé. "Double Bubble" headlights, swoopy coupé shape, body coloured stripes in the interior, 5cyl turbo engine (available), and round taillights. :)

soloracer
10-05-2005, 11:35 PM
gpomp: I would have killed for a crappy camera phone at that time. Sorry no pics.

Redlyne: Yes. *lol* It had a similar shape to a Corrado. That's the best I can do. It was a 2 door but I don't know for certain if it was a hatch. Is a Corrado a hatch or a coupe? I don't know.

Redlyne_mr2
10-05-2005, 11:35 PM
Nice Job Marc...yep Fiat coupe
http://www.fiatcoupe-freunde.de/Treffen2004/dreilaendertreffen04/gross/t_Fiat%20coupe%20025.jpg

soloracer
10-05-2005, 11:36 PM
Heep: Sounds like a winner to me. Do you have any pictures?

Redlyne_mr2
10-05-2005, 11:37 PM
http://www.a-h.ch/galerie/Fiat%20Coupe.jpg

Heep
10-05-2005, 11:37 PM
www.tachodesign.de/Fiat_Coupe_Ruckleuchtenring_Tachoringe_Chromringe_Tacho_Ringe.jpg

Heep
10-05-2005, 11:40 PM
Damnit didn't work, but copy that URL for a look at the back end at least

soloracer
10-05-2005, 11:51 PM
That's it! That's the car...but the one I saw didn't have a hole in the hood and I think the front skirt was different. Anyone know the specs on them? (Power, etc.)

Weapon_R
10-06-2005, 12:04 AM
Pretty cool that you saw one here. Did it have a foreign license plate on it?



The Fiat Coupé—officially the Coupé Fiat—was a sports car made by Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1994 and 2000. It was characterized by its scalloped side panels. The body was designed by American Chris Bangle using the Tipo floorpan as a base, while the interior was designed by Pininfarina.

It started with the 16V engine in 1994. 1996 brought in a 1.8 L 16V engine, along with a 2 L, 5 cylinder 20V engine pulling 147 bhp, and a 5 cylinder 20V turbo engine at 220 bhp. With a stunning 0 - 60 mph time of just over 6 seconds, the 20VT was the fastest European front wheel drive car at the time.

1998 saw the release of the Limited Edition. Brakes were upgraded, and a body kit came as standard. There was a push button to start the car, and Recaro seats offered better support than the standard 20VT seats.

Heep
10-06-2005, 12:08 AM
Well, assuming it was a turbo...

5-cyl inline, 20 valve turbo
1998cc
Manual 6-speed
Front engine, front wheel drive
220 hp @ 5750rpm
229 lb-ft @ 2500rpm
1310kg curb weight

l8braker
10-06-2005, 09:20 AM
That things got the Ferrari Maranello hood down pat.

RickDaTuner
10-06-2005, 09:57 AM
Originally posted by l8braker
That things got the Ferrari Maranello hood down pat. im pretty sure thats a ferrari Body kit..

statick
10-06-2005, 09:58 AM
if this car was manufactured at first in 94, how could there be one here in canada?

SpoonEK9@STRD
10-06-2005, 11:00 AM
i saw it too, it had foriegn plates on it, long yellow with black text...


I saw it drive past, but thats it couldnt tell what it was no badges on rear.

soloracer
10-06-2005, 10:01 PM
I didn't notice the licence plates. I would have assumed they would be Albertan otherwise how could it be legal here?

I'm not sure how they got the car here either. The thing that puzzles me most though is this......doesn't that car come in left hand drive? And if you were going to all the trouble to bring one into Canada why the hell would you pick a right hand drive? I can understand why with cars like the Nissan Skyline because you have no choice - they are all right hand drive. But why go through the trouble of importing a car that will be awkward to drive here when you could get one that would be right at home on our highways?

Redlyne_mr2
10-06-2005, 10:04 PM
The guy might be here on some sort of work Visa, hell the thing might still be insured and registered in the UK or wherever its from originally. I remember seeing an almost brand new Alfa Romeo cruising around town with euro plates on it last year.

Heep
10-07-2005, 12:07 AM
A yellow rear plate with black text is a UK plate. Should have a matching, but white with black text front plate. That would also explain the right-hand drive.

People who are travelling in the country temporarily are permitted to keep their own country's plates on (for a certain amount of time, at least). Those on work visas and school visas and such would need Alberta plates I think, but travellers don't need to change. For example, I once saw a FIAT motorhome with German plates on it driving in NB...

calgarys13
10-07-2005, 10:48 AM
pretty cool to see one here..since when is right hand drive awkward?

rage2
10-07-2005, 10:56 AM
People here with work and student visas can bring in their own cars up to 3 years. No need to register it here, but they will need insurance.

Heep
10-08-2005, 07:45 AM
Ah, ok. I was under the impression they needed to be registered here - I think it was that Alfa 156 with Alberta plates a while back that had me thinking that...

TipoBoy
10-31-2005, 10:12 AM
Hello :)

Was it this car you have been seeing by any chance :D

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/TipoBoy/side.jpg

It's mine!

I transferred to Calgary through my work on 7th September. I have a work permit here for 2 years. I can import any car for that period but I can't sell it and I must take it out of the country when the permit expires. I carried out extensive research to check this was really possible however it wasn't as easy as I had been made to believe. I was under the impression that any vehicle could be imported and it didn't have to conform to the strict Canadian regulations. Since I arrived I've received conflicting views from the Police, Vehicle Registration Office and my insurers. I thought I could drive on the UK plates for 3 months which is why some of you saw me with the UK plates. However the Police had a little chat:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/TipoBoy/police.jpg

They said that I can't have Alberta insurance without having the car registered here. I also had to have my VIN number verified as it wasn't recognised by the Canadian system. To get the car registered here I needed to have an out of province inspection. Now my car should have technically failed this straight away being lowered, aftermarket tinted glass, no daytime running lights etc etc however if you take it to a freindly inspection centre then all is okay. I could then get my Alberta plates and as far as I'm aware I'm all legal now :)

To answer some other questions, why import a RHD drive when it was available in LHD? Well I owned the car for 3 years in the UK, which is where I'm from, before importing it here. I've spent a aweful lot of time money and effort on getting it to look and go like it does and couldn't bear to sell it. As far as I'm aware it's the only one in North America and certain gets some attention. RHD isn't a problem except when you want to overtake another car. People around here though seem to be amazed by it, as if they've seen an urban myth!!

The car has a 2 litre, 5 cylinder, 20V turbo charged engine. Unfortunately it's front wheel drive which means less transmission losses but not a great drivers car. Most of my work has been cosmetic. The engine work has only been external. I've concerntrated on helped the breathing and cooling by fitting a different exhaust, inlet to turbo, air filter, chargecooler, FMIC, roller bearing turbo etc. In standard spec the car has 220 bhp, 0-60mph in 6 seconds and 0-100 mph in 14 seconds. My car is now producing 313bhp at 7000rpm. Not a huge amount as I have to tail off the boost towards the red line. It's running 1.4 bar mid range which gives it a good shove but tailing off to 1.1 bar at the red line. I'd need to change pistons, injectors, ECU and other internal mods to hold higher boost at higher revs.

It would be great to meet up with other enthusiasts as I've seen some interesting looking cars around town.

A question for you. Why is it that the second question I always get asked after "What is it?" is "What year is it?". Not how how much it cost or what engine does it have or how much power or how fast. What is the facination with the year. It's 1997 by the way :)

John

Ben
10-31-2005, 10:19 AM
haha, thats awesome.

Welcome to the forum!~

skandalouz_08
10-31-2005, 10:39 AM
That's a tight car, Welcome to Canada!

rc2002
10-31-2005, 10:47 AM
Heh, what a way to join the forum - knowing that people you've never met have been talking about your car. Nice rare car. :)

Welcome to beyond.

Hakkola
10-31-2005, 12:04 PM
Originally posted by TipoBoy
What is the facination with the year. It's 1997 by the way :)

John

15 year import rule.

Great car, hopefully I'll see you on the road or at the meets. :thumbsup:

A790
10-31-2005, 12:22 PM
Niiiiiiiiiiice. Definately a one-of-a-kind here.

Welcome to Calgary, and to the forums :)

lastprodigy
10-31-2005, 12:25 PM
That car is hot as hell looking......I hope it doesnt get destroyed by our harsh winter :(

2002civic
10-31-2005, 12:31 PM
nice car:drool:

Raz2
10-31-2005, 12:36 PM
heh, funny to see a Fiat in calgary! :D

Welcome to, m8!

- Rasmus

finboy
10-31-2005, 12:46 PM
lol, my buddy talked to you yesterday, he mentioned you might find your way onto beyond.

welcome to the site :thumbsup:

AllGoNoShow
10-31-2005, 12:48 PM
sweet lookin ride man! Welcome

You should come to the Beyond meet this Wednesday and show it off, maybe we will get a nice big turnout if you say you will come, everyone will want to see it close up!

I'll meet u anywhere in the city and u can follow me there if u want.

rage2
10-31-2005, 02:12 PM
Originally posted by TipoBoy
They said that I can't have Alberta insurance without having the car registered here. I also had to have my VIN number verified as it wasn't recognised by the Canadian system. To get the car registered here I needed to have an out of province inspection. Now my car should have technically failed this straight away being lowered, aftermarket tinted glass, no daytime running lights etc etc however if you take it to a freindly inspection centre then all is okay. I could then get my Alberta plates and as far as I'm aware I'm all legal now :)
The cop is wrong. First off, to get registration, you NEED to show proof of insurance. They ask u this when u go to the registry office, and you can NOT get registration without paying off all fines to your name, and showing proof of insurance for the day of registration. To get insurnace, you need an out of province inspection (with some insurers).

AFAIK, people that bring cars in through temporarily importation can not register it because you don't get all the paperwork to do so (correct me if I'm wrong on this point). The paperwork for permanant importation allows you to get a new VIN after performing the federal and out of province inspections.

With temporary imports, you would purchase insurance, then purchase an in-transit permit. However, there's a time limit to these in-transit permits (not sure how long), and with temporary importation being maximum of 3 years long, it may be an area where you have to just keep getting in-transit permits.

It's a very rare case, and I don't think the laws and rules are really well defined to handle these. There are very few temporary imports of vehicles yearly so cops don't really see these often, so I'm not suprised that even cops have no idea how to handle it right.

AllGoNoShow
10-31-2005, 02:26 PM
They probably don't handle it right, end up in court eventually and loose because of the grey area. I believe the in-transit permits are only 14 days so there must be another option because buying permit every 14 days for 3 years seems a little out of line.

coupe uk
10-31-2005, 03:38 PM
See here for vids of one of the most powerful coupe's in the UK.

Right click link and save as.

Drag 1 (http://www.southimports.com/random/mav1.mpg)

Drag 2 (http://www.southimports.com/random/mav2.mpg)

Enjoy.

TipoBoy
11-01-2005, 10:09 AM
Hi,

In case you're interested there is a very strong Fiat Coupe community back in the UK with a dedicated forum (http://www.fccuk.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php)

There is an interesting thread (http://www.fccuk.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=395388) related to my decision as to whether to take my car to Canada, various peoples views on Canada and my experience of having the car here.

John

viffer
11-01-2005, 11:34 AM
Glad to see you decided not to buy a "monster V8 4x4 SUV". ;)

finboy
11-01-2005, 12:26 PM
lol, that is kind of cool seeing a euro perspective of our cars.

you should come check out a 403/beyond meet, i want to get a good look at your fiat :thumbsup: :burnout:

TipoBoy
11-01-2005, 04:06 PM
When and where is the next meet?

John

A790
11-01-2005, 05:04 PM
Originally posted by TipoBoy
When and where is the next meet?

John

Wednesdays at 7:30 PM at the Chinook Centre top parkade.

Hope to see you there :)

finboy
11-01-2005, 05:06 PM
if its not upstairs, everyone will be downstairs because its friggin cold.

Matt @ Skye Service
11-01-2005, 11:05 PM
Hey Tipo, We talked out side of the Costume Shope on 9AVE Happy to see you found Beyond.ca. Talk soon

andres_mt
11-01-2005, 11:47 PM
haha crazy story, what are the specs on that car?

TipoBoy
11-02-2005, 04:19 PM
Hi,

I couldn't sign up or view threads properly from home. Fortunately I can access them okay from work.

I'll try and pop along tonight for an hour. All depends on what the weathers like. If it's snowing or the roads have turned to ice where I live, like they had this morning, then I'll leave the car wrapped up at home.

Is it easy to find the rear car park at Chinnook, I've parked in the front area before.

John

AllGoNoShow
11-02-2005, 04:24 PM
Tipo I will be heading out tonight, the front is easy to get too and so is the rear. If you want, 6197995 is my cell, I'll come coming from the front to the rear and can meet u at the front if u want and u can follow or such.

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&postid=1269194#post1269194

dino_martini
11-20-2005, 11:12 PM
Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
Nice Job Marc...yep Fiat coupe
http://www.fiatcoupe-freunde.de/Treffen2004/dreilaendertreffen04/gross/t_Fiat%20coupe%20025.jpg

Is that a Ferrari 575 Maranello hood and head lamps?

l8braker
11-20-2005, 11:34 PM
^ no your seeing things :nut:

TipoBoy
11-21-2005, 05:52 PM
Headlamps are standard, bonnet, grill and bumper are not standard.

John

mo_money2supe
11-21-2005, 07:57 PM
Welcome to Calgary AND Canada in general, though it seems like you've been here for some time now.

I read through most of the Fiat Coupe Forum link you posted; you should really post that picture with the police posing beside your car. I couldn't stop laughing after I saw that!

C4S
11-21-2005, 09:31 PM
Oh .. so .. I am right .. I saw that last weekend .. and I told my wife " a Fait ? " she doesn't know anything about it .. but friend of mine in HK .. is driving one .. they are .. not so common car anyway ..

Welcome! :thumbsup:

( this is first time I will welcome a RHD car! ) :D

TipoBoy
11-23-2005, 06:30 PM
That'll be these Police pictures!!!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/TipoBoy/PA010033-small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/TipoBoy/PA010034-small.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/TipoBoy/PA010036-small.jpg

John

l8braker
11-23-2005, 06:34 PM
^ hey man that's too cool! we're they just wonering what it was?

:thumbsup:

TipoBoy
11-23-2005, 06:40 PM
No they genuinely pulled me over. Rather than stop in the road I pulled into the nearest parking area. They wanted to know what I was doing driving around with UK plates on the car.

John

soupey
11-25-2005, 09:01 PM
soo whats the deal then, how much time do u ahve b4 u cant drive it nemore?!, thats an awesome car, looks great, let us kno if u ever plan on coming to one of the meets...

freakin
11-26-2005, 11:43 AM
TipoBoy, that's a sweet looking car. Are you going to drive it all year?

I was reading a little in your thread on fccuk, and it looks like you were toying with the idea of bringing parts over for maintenance. Any chance that you could bring some Volvo cams (slotted K cams and V cams) with you as well? I'm sure Ras would appreciate that too. :)

I was going to import some, but the shipping costs don't make it worth it for a $100 part. I'm sure that you could make a little money on the side importing UKDM parts, similar to how the JDM guys are doing it.

Let me know if you're interested and I'm sure I could get you a shopping list. I'm sure there's some Honda and VW guys as well that would love to get their hands on some rare parts.

Let me know what you think.

fastjjs
06-08-2006, 07:15 AM
Back to the car...

There are a few other one's, I supply italian carparts also to Canada. 2 other people managed to register this car.

A real porsche killer

*prettyboy*
06-11-2006, 06:03 PM
thats one odd car :dunno:

CrvenaZvezda
06-12-2006, 12:37 AM
Originally posted by TipoBoy
That'll be these Police pictures!!!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/TipoBoy/PA010036-small.jpg

John

yo man that it just too fuckin cool. welcome to the country and man i would love to see you come to a meet...

TipoBoy
06-12-2006, 09:33 AM
I went to DTP and was so annoyed with myself for not registering the car into the event and instead ending up parking it in a car park outside!

I asked for directions on the way there and the guys I spoke to asked if it was a show car, I said no and they said it should be. Going back to the car after the show several people came over whilst I was unlocking it etc and asked what the hell it was, again said I should have entered it just so people could see it. I could even have got some of those lovely ladies to pose by/on it :D

I'll try and make a real effort to take it to the Edmonton show now I know what to expect. I'm not sure how clean it'll be after a 3hr drive though. It'll be the first time I will take it on an open road here and will have real difficultly keeping the speed down to 110 km/hr (more used to doing 110 mph :(

John

djayz
06-12-2006, 09:45 AM
haha thats an awesome car
ive always loved fiats for their power to size ratio.

and yah you shouldve definately entered that in the car show would have been a real head turner.

so whats going on with the registration and what not...is the car legally registered and insured in alberta?

TipoBoy
06-12-2006, 02:54 PM
Yes it's all legal, passed the out of province inspection, registered, alberta driving license and insurance :D

I just need to fit a new clutch as this one is slipping, an uprated one is going to be shipped from the UK together with a lightened flywheel for me to fit.

John

djayz
06-12-2006, 03:29 PM
so do you have a certain amount of time before you have to take it out of the country or is it here for good if you want to keep it?

TipoBoy
06-12-2006, 04:33 PM
It's here for as long as I am. I have a two year work permit which expires in September 2007. However that can be extended, and as things are going at the moment I hope it is.

Loving being in Calgary/Alberta/Canada.

John

quikkoop
06-22-2006, 01:27 AM
SAw you down at Tims a few weekends ago, VERY nice car, couldnt keep the jaw closed!:drool: Welcome, and stay awhile!:thumbsup:

mk4jetta
07-03-2006, 03:45 AM
haha this is kinda funny, i saw this car tonight and at first i thought it was a saturn, then i noticed it was rhd haha. then i was puzzled, now i stumbled onto it on this website :) was bothering me i didnt know wat kind of car it was.