Faults:

Fuel pipes disintegrated. Modern fuel has alcohol mixed with it. This spelled the end for the already old rubber tubes.

The car had been stored since 1994, so can be forgiven for this fault.

General Comments:

If you are totally oblivious to mechanics, then this car is not for you.

The carb'd turbo set requires frequent adjustment to get the best out of the engine.

Generally in my experience (I've owned 6 Y10 turbos over 10 years) the engine is a very strong unit. Heavier than the Fiat FIRE unit, but that is no bad thing. I've never had a major mechanical failure with the 1049 Fiat Brazil engine as in the Y10 Turbo.

The power delivery is an acquired taste. I personally love 80's turbo charged cars. If you are the kind of driver that prefers to leave the gear stick alone unless you really have to, then you will not get on with the Y10 Turbo. The trick is to keep the engine above 2750 RPM if you want to use the relatively huge torque available.

Performance wise these cars are addictive. My current Y10 is fairly standard, but these can very easily be made to go very fast in real world driving. Weight being between approx 750kg -820kg (lighter than an Exige), it only takes 100 HP to embarrass most things on the road.

The handling on these vehicles feels woeful at first. Only the bravest of drivers will have pushed the vehicle past the scary bit to realise the true potential; these cars really hang on. 

Fuel consumption is shocking for a 1049cc engine. Partly to do with the twin choke Weber carb, partly to do with the 7:1 compression ratio, but mainly due to the fact these cars tend to feel at their best when your right foot is welded to the floor.

These cars are not for everybody, but for the unhinged few they will satisfy in many respects. I smile every time I start the engine.

On the sensible side, the design gives these little boxy cars a drag coefficient of 0.31. The have a massive amount of space inside considering the external dimensions. There is fantastic visibility all around.

I have always like the dainty controls for the indicators and alike. One thing I cannot stand about modern cars is the move towards making everything chunky (pillars, indicators etc etc). It's not designed for the more heavy handed individual, but if not mistreated, the interior and controls wear and work well.

If you are a slightly unhinged character, who appreciates clever design, owns at least a single garage, has a knowledge of mechanics and likes to have a lot of fun, then buy one of these cars! 

That is if you can find one. 

Faults:

The injection circuit had to be serviced at 60000.

At about 80000, the distribution belt was replaced, but the new one had been not correctly mounted and broke when I drove at about 110 km/h. But the engine was not damaged at all! It simply needed a new belt.

A connexion for the ignition had to be serviced at 140000.

At 160000, the gearbox needed a service : some bearings needed to be replaced. But I had an accident before and I suspect it to have damaged it.

General Comments:

A great car!!!

A very robust and pleasant engine, simple to maintain and economical.

Very, very fun to drive, in particular on sinuous roads.

Extremely handy in the city.

Very stable, the 4WD transmission is useful on winter.

I love it!

A lovely little car, with a lot of character!

Faults:

Needed a new C/V boot. Nothing else.

General Comments:

Well what can I say... wow! This is a stunning car with a heap of performance.

It is like driving a 1.6 litre car, but with more torque. It's real fun round town, and creates a ton of interest where ever it goes.

On long journeys it will not only keep up with the bigger cars, but also give them a run for their money.

The looks of amazement when you overtake the Saxo / Punto / Clio brigade is superb! Remember this car is 17 years old and only a 1 litre!

My car is perhaps the best condition, lowest mileage Y10 that still exists. Only 250 RHD were ever made! It has not been in the rain or driven in the winter since 1998 - that means it has been dry for the last 2190 days!

My car has also been restored beyond belief! The previous owner got it inspected by Trevor Nicosa (a Y10 racing driver and creator of the Y10 Integrale!) who had this to say:

1986 D reg Y10 Turbo - all problems solved, runs very sweet. Current owner 6 years. 62000 miles, 10 months MOT remaining.

Has had windscreen scuttle replaced. Pale non-metallic blue - sort of bluey-grey colour with red Fila seats. GTie alloy wheels powder coated in dark blue. Konis on front, Gabriel shocks on rear with new stock springs all round. Front and rear electric windows, Cobra alarm with remote central locking. Serviced every 3000 miles, new exhaust, all new bushes etc.

I have to say its the best, straightest Y10 I have seen for years!

The owner has been fastidious beyond belief - removed the covers on the Fila seats to machine wash them and them stitched them back on for example!

Sounded very sweet as well - if any Y10 is worth the money, this one sure is. It also looks like a Mk2 as it has the rear smoked lights and clear front indicator lenses. Also got and front AND rear electric windows, and even the dashboard lights work correctly. If I had the money I'd buy it myself, its THAT good. Trevor.

trevor@nyssa.ltd.uk

http://www.nyssa.ltd.uk/Y10

http://www.nyssaracing.com

You see I told you it was mint! The car has so much service history, I would not know where to start. The best receipt however is the one for every single gasket on the whole engine - that's £150 alone; I would say that if labour at a good garage costs £20 an hour, then this car has had about £15000 worth of labour on it, as well as about £4000 worth of bits!

It's a brand new car in my eyes!