Hi all of you.

After I have only recently joined this forum, I do like to share some thoughts with all of you about my little A500.
As my intention was to buy one and slowly transform it into an Assetto Corsa, I have some thoughts on this, some pluses and minuses of the car that I find worth sharing!

Of course this will also explain a lot about myself, and will obviously also introduce my car a little
As my license plate end with a "SSZ" letter combination, and I would like to bring it to and over the level of an Esseesse, I do somehow refer to it as my little SSZ.

What the SSZ is...
Abarth 500
Campovolo Grey
Red Leather
Sun Roof
17" 10-Spoke Wheels
Automatic Climate Control (simply because as I find its looks nicer)

Why not an Esseesse?
Initially I intended to buy an SS, and after the testdrive also the Monza.
Reason being simple, that I wanted something powerful that is a little loud and boy-racer-ish.
Then I started reading through here, did some research on the car, the specifications etc. and got actually a little turned off by the costs (I was quoted £3.600 for the Esseesse and the Monza) in relation to the slight differences and the quality (especially after reading the constant issues with the Monza exhaust, which is not even stainless steel).

Instead I decided to get the standard version and invest the savings from not opting for SS and Monza into some modifications and specs that will probably (hopefully!) be better as a package for my wishes.

Coming up...
(Order yet to be defined, and some details to be figured out

1) Brakes (as I already after 120 miles find the breaking pedal to undefined and the feel could be better.)
a) New breaking fluid and breaking lines (in the hope that the feel of the breaking pedal is more constant)
b) Once worn out, different breaking pads and discs (still looking for an alternative)
c) Depending on the outcome, I would either stick with that, or alternatively get a bigger breaking set (which I actually want to avoid in the short term if possible, as it is quite an investment)

2) Suspension
I find it a little bouncy (and yes, I am used to harder suspension )
Also I do dislike the tendency of the rear axis to jump whilst breaking into corners.
Most possible solution currently is a Bilstein PSS14 kit (complete).
I do want the car to act properly sporty, be less bouncy, but faster in the end.
A little bit of

3) Power
a) Short-Term: TMC
b) Long Term: Reading into a Garett Transformation

4) Power 2
Exhaust kit: I want more the Monza sound, maybe slightly louder.
Also I want it to be capable of improving power (>2,5").
So 200 cell cat and a nice sound are an absolute must!
With this also want an induction kit (to be defined).

5) The Looks
As already said I want to get it pretty close to the Abarth 500 Assetto Corsa.
So I decided to use my 17" 10 spoke rimms for a set of winter tyres (I am a big believer in the use of wintertyres) and surely give myself a Christmas present in form of a set of OZ Leggendas, of course in white
If I can convince myself however to spend a fortune on the carbon fibre air intakes in the hood, is still in doubt. (Just too expensive!)

So all together I think I should be heading the right way of an Assetto Corsa Replica.
Or SSZ as mine is called

More power, uprated suspensions (including less ride height), better brakes... and some optical modifications
Heading the right way, I think... at least in my thoughts

The Delivery
28th September 2011 4.30pm
I got it, as ordered.
Looks great, as expected - just the red stipes and the red mirrors missing
Another minus (that has immediately been changed by the dealership): empty tank

Checked all the oil and liquid levels. All good.
(After having the experience that my other car after servicing had 1.2l oil too much!)

Driving the first 100 miles.
Slowly getting used to it. Trying to warm it up and enjoy and feel it.
Tyres are starting to roll in, getting rid of all that annoying protection stuff.

First thoughts after the 100 miles:
Good decision to buy one!
Ended up playing a little with the tyre pressure.
Am not fully happy with the rear axis in some driving situations.
Other thoughts (being an absolute petrol head):
- need more power
- need more sound
- need better suspension
- need better brakes (not happy with its pedal feel and the actual breaking power)

All the thoughts are covered with existing ideas and plans of modifications anyways...
So happy to get and "built" my own SSZ

Stars and Stripes
Stripes and mirrors were missing at the delivery.
Not that I particularly minded it, but the dealer arranged a guy to come by my office today and get it done there - top!
Instead of having the Abarth side stripes at the normal height, I asked the guy to stick them on lower.
So it is now as on the Assetto Corsa, just with the smaller stripes. Good compromise I find, and I do like the looks!
Red mirrors popped on too, so that done!

Now in the thinking phase to see what will be done next.
What order. What kit. What sort of specification.

Won't be long I guess, and I will try and make this thread a little bit of a blog to show and tell what has happened and will be done!
Of course I will also try to get some pictures in, once I get my cam up and running again (don't want to make pictures with my phone...).

So proud owner.
And looking forward to make it to my little SSZ.

Yes very good. Looking forward to seeing the car.

Thanks guys!

I hope that, once this thread is getting a little bigger with more info, that people and potential buyers get the pros and cons of the car.

Powerwise I think TMC should alone bring it to the total of approx. 160bhp.
Including a better cat and exhaust (plus the weight savings) and an induction kit, I would think that around 170, max. 180 should be doable.

As soon as the car goes over the 500 miles mark, I will bring it to a rolling road (any suggestions in the area of east Berkshire?) and keep using that to compare the impact of the modifications.

Just slightly reading into more power (so over the the 180bhp in first instance).
Stock intercooler seems to be fine, even if you'd go for a Garret and target maybe 220bhp.
Biggest problem looking to be the cat and exhaust (also in terms of weight and sound)

Therefore I want to find a solution that already helps me now (my "stage 1"), but that I can also use in the case that I would ever want to upgrade to a higher level.

Its been proved that with induction upgrage, turbo back exhaust with 200cell cat finished off with a map will make 170bhp+ Ive also seen a car (Forges test car) using their induction kit, front mounted intercooler, uprater actuator with a map made 190bhp (apperntly), and that was still using the complete standard exhaust and cat.

I'd be very dubious of any claims of much over 170ish with the standard IHI turbo. Get the Garret

i tend to side with chris about his opinion of what the IHI unit is capable of - you'll get 170hp out of simply fitting a TMC box to an esseesse - this retains the standard actuator, intake and exhaust so you can see there is plenty of power to be free'd up even when you're at 170 - but long term reliability of the turbo i would imagine would be compromised

There was a company GTT that sadly is no longer with us (don't ask  ) that developed kits that depending on requirements either maxed out the standard IHI turbo or shoehorned a bigger turbo in - you could do a lot worse than talk to them - i cant hope to type everything i know on the subject as i've been in a continuous state of learning for about a year now and half the fun is finding things out yourself. But from reading through what you've perviously written about brakes and suspension u seem to be on the right path 

GTT do a kit currently called the 190 which has been rolling road tested at over 190hp at the wheels.

IIRC there was a forum member(s) that had this kit installed and on their own 'independent' dyno tests got a lot less than 190 and complained as a result. That was shortly before they left the forum (I'm not saying the two things are connected). All I'll say is caveat emptor when it comes to promises of more than 170/180 using the standard turbo.

why not come down to ACE CAFE thurs week and discuss the finer points with us all 

sounds like a good plan to me, more power = more fun 

I agree but if a company is offering actual bhp figures and cant consistently deliver, IMO, that's not on.

It's also obvious that some are blind to the law of diminishing returns