A timeless piece of Italian design, recently purchased and ready to enjoy.
Built in 1972, this Fiat 500 captures the essence of Italian style and engineering. Compact, charming, and full of character, it has been carefully preserved to retain its originality while undergoing restoration and upgrades over the years including the POLIZIA decals and blue police light (only used at shows and on private land!).
Meet Giuseppe ā my accidental soulmate on four wheels. I found him on eBay, where a small āglitchā in the listing convinced me he was waiting for me in Penryn, Wrexham. Perfect, I thought. Exceptā¦ not quite. Turns out Giuseppe was actually basking in the Cornish sunshine down in Penryn, Cornwall.
Through a bizarre chain of coincidences (and a sprinkle of fate), Giuseppe still landed on my driveway that very day. Against all odds, it felt like destiny ā clearly, this little Fiat had chosen me.
Confession: I bought this car without ever laying eyes on it. Bold? Maybe. Foolish? Almost certainly. Luckily, my colleague Mr. K ā absolute legend ā lived close enough to check it out before money changed hands.
That first drive was unforgettable. Everything worked as it should, though the old-school drum brakes left me gripping the wheel a little tighter than Iād like. Still, I couldnāt stop grinning.
Plot twist: Giuseppe isnāt who he says he is. While the logbook claimed a humble 499cc engine, my sharp-eyed friend spotted a ā650ā mark on the block. Translation? More power, a 4-speed synchromesh gearbox, and ā oh yes ā an insurance company who wanted another Ā£40 off me.
Was I annoyed? A bit. Do I care? Absolutely not. More power is always welcome. As for the previous ownerā¦ letās just say his memory of whatās under the bonnet seems suspiciously fuzzy.
Giuseppe strutted out of JB Rubber in Corby with four brand-new Pirelli Cinturato tyres. Classic look, perfect grip. Heās already feeling sharper on the road.
Disaster (almost). While showing Giuseppe off to a mate, I flicked on the headlights for the first time. Within seconds: smoke billowing from under the bonnet. Wires melted, insulation frayed, and the fuel tank sitting a little too close for comfort.
Turns out someone had installed a 30-amp fuse where a 5-amp shouldāve been. Instead of blowing, it let the wires keep cooking. Terrifying, but thankfully no harm done ā except to my nerves.
With the dodgy wires cut out and replaced with proper-grade wiring, shielded connectors, and loom wrap, Giuseppe was back in business. Fuse downgraded to the correct 5-amp, problem solved.
Cause of chaos? A slightly oversized spare wheel pressing on two wires until they rubbed through. Simple mistake, expensive lesson.
Giuseppeās debut: the A47 Auto Jumble.
This little Fiat stole the spotlight. Kids pointed, adults smiled, and I couldnāt stop grinning behind the wheel. He made the trip there and back flawlessly, topping out at a heart-stopping 65mph. (Yes, terrifying. No, I didnāt try it twice.)
Prepping for the next show, Giuseppe got some love: new steering wheel, gear knob, and ordered replacements for the cracked window liners. Everything felt ready.
Thenā¦ disaster struck. Cruising onto the A14, BANG! ā the bonnet flew open. Suddenly, I was driving blind. Panic. Hazards. Horns. Thankfully, a quick-thinking friend behind me slowed traffic and gave me cover to stop safely.
Miraculously, the only casualty was the bonnet itself. How, Iāll never know. My working theory: I simply didnāt latch it properly after cleaning. Lesson learned: I now double-check every closure like my life depends on it.
A replacement bonnet was sourced, fitted, and is now awaiting paint and decals. Crisis averted ā story gained.
Huge shoutout to Tim at PaintFX, whoās rescuing my new bonnet with a perfect respray. While collecting the bonnet, temptation got the better of meā¦ and I walked away with a twin-pipe Monza exhaust and an aluminium number plate tail. Giuseppeās about to get louder and prettier.
Also in the parts pile: fresh window guide liners and seals, ready to replace the tired, perishing ones currently clinging on.
At long last, the bonnet has returned! Huge thanks to Tim at PaintFX for getting it resprayed and looking the part again. The moment it was back in my hands, I wasted no time ā straight to work, eager to see the car whole once more.
Fitting it, of course, wasnāt without drama. A few alignment quirks cropped up, most of which seem to trace back to the bonnet catch itself. But honestly? In that moment, I didnāt care. After weeks of waiting, just seeing the car take shape again had me grinning ear to ear.
Over the following days, I rolled it outside to tackle the Monza exhaust and bracket. Miraculously, every stubborn nut and bolt I expected to fight me actually gave way without complaint. The exhaust was nearly in placeā¦ until I discovered Iād grabbed the wrong copper gaskets. The set I had was for the manifold, not the exhaust. Typical! Thankfully, Toto at Ricambi came to the rescue, promising the correct ones.
Still, I wasnāt about to let a gasket hiccup keep me off the road. I got a little creative ā crudely reshaping what I had just enough to make it work. With the car fired up and warming through, I crouched in close to admire my handiwork. Big mistake. One careless lean later, and Iād branded my forehead on hot metal. Lesson learned: the car has a wicked sense of humour, and itās more than happy to keep me on my toes.
Not to be deterred, I carried on. Chrome washer jets went in, new window liners and seals followed, and slowly but surely this little machine is coming together.
More updates (and plenty of photos) on the way ā because something tells me the adventure is only just beginning.
Itās been a month since my last update, and what a month itās been! Giuseppe is officially a winner! At MITCAR 2025, he picked up a Special Award ā apparently, he drew so much attention that the judges couldnāt ignore him. It was an incredible day, and I canāt thank the Alfa Romeo Owners Club enough for putting on such a brilliant event and making everyone feel welcome.
Of course, owning an old Italian car means the celebrations never last too long before something starts rattling. Not long after MITCAR, Giuseppeās new exhaust and bracket decided to loosen themselves ā most likely because I hadnāt tightened them quite enough (lesson learned!). While fixing that, I discovered the manifold bolts going into the block wereā¦ unusual. After a fair bit of head-scratching and research, I found out theyāre actually 1Ā½ inch (38.1mm) UNC hex bolts. My best guess? The originals mustāve snapped years ago and someone re-tapped the block. Naturally, I ordered the correct replacements straight away.
On the maintenance front, Giuseppeās had a few other treats: new HT leads, a fresh fuel filter, new spark plugs, and a shiny flywheel dust cover ā something that was completely missing before. The oil change is still on the to-do list, but that can wait until spring. The best part is that none of these jobs have broken the bank. Theyāre simple, satisfying fixes ā and honestly, I enjoy working on the car almost as much as I enjoy driving it.
Looking ahead, Iāve got a few upgrades planned: a bit of paintwork on the roof where thereās a crack (it came that way), disc brakes, a new speedo cable, and possibly some fresh manifolds, since the current ones are looking a little tired. And who knows ā maybe a few spontaneous mods along the way.
For now, Giuseppe will be taking it easy through the winter, tucked up in the garage, hibernating until spring. When the weather warms up, weāll be back out at shows ā and now that heās officially part of the Fiat 500 Owners Club, weāre looking forward to meeting some new friends and fellow enthusiasts.
Hereās to another chapter of adventures with Giuseppe ā a little louder, a little looser, and always full of character.
Well, itās now the 3rd of April and I thought Iād better provide an update! Giuseppe came out of hibernation on the 21st of February and went straight off to PaintFX for a roof repaint and a brand-new roof fitting ā no easing back into things this year.
Within minutes of firing him up, though, it was clear something wasnāt quite right. The noise was seriously loud and didnāt calm down as things warmed up. Sure enough, there was a long crack running across the closest downpipe of the nearly-new Monza exhaust from AutoBella. After a few emails back and forth, Fabrizio kindly sent out a replacement, ready to go on after the respray.
Just a few weeks later, Tim at PaintFX had worked his magic. Giuseppe was looking fresh ā a bit dusty, but fresh nonetheless ā and ready to get back together.
With no time to waste, the replacement Monza exhaust went on along with a new bracket. Whether the exhaust caused the bracket to fail or the other way around, Iām still not entirely sure ā but fingers crossed thatās the end of that saga.
Next came the new roof. Not many jobs make me swearā¦ actually, thatās not true ā most of them do! But this one really tested my patience. Fat fingers and tiny bolts are never a good mix. After giving up on the supplied fixings and sourcing some flanged M4 bolts (which, honestly, should come with the roof), everything finally went into place.
Once fitted, the new roof sat snugly, and I was pleased to see the rubber sleeves across the centre brace were properly positioned and doing their job.
Fast forward to the next day, and I took the roof off to let the glorious British sunshine in (as if!). Thatās when a good friend spotted slight depressions in the fresh paint. The tension from the new roof and pressure on the centre bar had left marks on either side. Not ideal, and definitely frustrating ā but thankfully something Tim can sort.
By the 29th of March, it was time to reunite with the Kettering Massive Scooter Club for the Easter Egg Run. Starting out in Pytchley, we were joined by a special new member of the Polizia crew ā āSalvatore the Scooter,ā a Lambretta GP200 wearing full Polizia 113 decals.
Looking the absolute business, we set off around the surrounding villages. Somewhere along the way, I managed to leave my phone on the roof ā classic move. Luckily, a kind passerby handed it to Gary, who got it safely back to me. Never a dull moment!
A couple of hours later, and without any further drama, we rolled into Rothwell ā the final stop. After a few thank-yous and goodbyes, we headed to Costa for a well-earned hot drink, where Giuseppe and Salvatore continued to draw plenty of attention.
On the maintenance front, next up is an oil filter clean and change, some new wing mirrors (still undecided on which style), and hopefully upgraded rear springs to dial back the positive camber a bit.
More updates to follow shortly ā the adventures with Giuseppe are well and truly back underway.
Paint FX offers top-quality vehicle body repairs at prices that won't empty your pocket
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Ricambi Fiat 500 Spare Parts
Ricambi Fiat 500 Spare Parts
Add a touch of vintage Italian charm to your special occasion with Giuseppe, a beautifully kept classic Fiat 500 from 1972.
Bring a smile, turn heads, and create memories with Giuseppe.
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