1970 Fiat 850 Sport Coupe review from Australia and New Zealand

The most challenging problem was loss of spark due to failure of the insulation on the low tension lead into the distributor body, shorting out the points. Even the experts took several hours to diagnose.

The only on-road failure in 6 years was combined loss of battery and starter motor relay.

I had a near disaster experience with the triple rocker switch unit (lights/wipers) burning out at night - an obvious weak point in older vehicles as heat builds up across oxidized contacts.

With a relay across the ignition and extra relays across the lighting circuits it is now the most reliable Fiat I have had and starts easily.

This is the third 850 Sports Coupe I have owned in 32 years. It took me that long to work out how to make them run properly!

I undertook an 18 month rolling restoration from July 1997 involving extensive rust repair, engine rebuild, head conversion to unleaded fuel, mild cam, upgraded clutch, interior refurbish and addition of Cromodora alloys.

A fun car to drive, it matches modern traffic in most areas, acceleration and brakes being the downside. But does it love to rev!