‘Engineering genius for all’

Danny falls for FIAT’S bug-eyed brilliance

Bangernomics isn’t just about buying cheap and using quick, it can also involve some careful fixing up. In fact, doing your own tweakery often means you end up with a motor with seriously long legs, because someone you trust (you) has given it some love. So it is with my Multipla. It was a ‘cost of a trailer’ car from reader Patrick Neighbour, after it failed its MOT on rear subframe bushes, front droplinks, track rod ends, tyres and number plate. Crucially Patrick had serviced the car regularly and replaced the cambelt last year so at 138,000 there was life in it.

I worked through the list of failure points and along with a huge service, fitted a full set of Davanti DX390 Tyres. Davantis are one of those mid-range makes that can be trusted to last and grip in all weathers but don’t break the bank… £68 per corner fitted and balanced was acceptable. The only unexpected nasty was the discovery of a cracked front gearbox mounting… a £50 job.

A valet, a set of secondhand wheel trims and a morning spent undersealing the bodywork where the galvanising and original covering had failed saw me achieve an MOT with a car that was ready for action with no issues. Total cost including trailer? £775. And that is for a car I now know will do what I need it to do for at least a year… and it does it so well. Huge inside, six seats and with the JTD diesel providing over 40mpg it is the equal of any modern MPV.