My New 2012 ABARTH

[MADNESS Bruce]

Hello everyone,

It was suggested to me that I make a personal account for my new ride.

I'm Bruce with MADNESS Autoworks/ 500 MADNESS. I have been doing the social media pages/ forums/ product listings for about 2 years now.
I've always been into custom cars since I first installed a Sony X-plod system in my first car, an '88 buick skyhawk.

Since then I've done something to customize every car I've had.

My two main vehicles were a 2004 Solar Yellow Toyota Celica GTS, Tsunami Edition, 6sp that acted as my daily driver and a 1973 Volkswagen Thing that's been the weekend cruiser/ parades/ car shows.

So eventho I've been involved with the FIAT community doing instagram and forums, I wasn't an official part of the community.

Until 3 weeks ago!





I've been in the market for something a little newer than my current car and really liked the 500s driven a few client cars around to get photos and whatnot, so I was checking online for ABARTHs for sale near me and found what looked like a pretty smoking deal. I showed the listing to Management, and messaged the guy to see if he would bring it up. The guys in the shop put it on the lift to give it a good inspection for me and now I'm the proud owner of this 2012 ABARTH 5sp with 97k.

All and all it's a great little stock ABARTH, It does have a homemade intake from the previous owner that will soon be upgraded to one made for the car.



And some small cosmetic damage on the passenger rear.


Excited to be a part of the group officially! Can't wait to really enjoy this car.

[MADNESS Bruce]

The purchase was fairly impromptu.

I got it before going out of town for the weekend and my only family member that could drive standard went out of state. So it spent 11 days in the parking lot at the shop before I could get both cars home. (I commute 38 miles each way to work)

She's finally home and the first order of business was a good cleaning! And to add some MADNESS stickers.

[map]

Welcome to the group, Bruce. I'm jealous, a great looking Abarth and Thing.

Are you going to give one of the "paintless dent pullers" a try?

[smark]

Welcome to this forum. Must be like a kid, in a candy store. Working at madness. I been buying parts and Accessories, from madness since 2008. SmartMadness was one of our vendors at 2010 smart nationals. That I organized here. Met Boris and Rachel, and a few of the crew here.

When my wife and I were out in LA serval years ago. Boris, gave us a full tour of the Signal Hill shop.





What plans are you for your Abarth?

[MADNESS Bruce]

Welcome to the group, Bruce. I'm jealous, a great looking Abarth and Thing.

Are you going to give one of the "paintless dent pullers" a try?

Thank you Map,

Miss Thing has been a project of mine for the past 10 years.
I'd wanted a thing since I was a little kid. Hunted for YEARS to find one that the body was solid on.

Side story: Last year management picked up a thing and now we have a MADNESS thing also!
Quick photo from a local car show back in November.



As far as what to do about the dent I'm entertaining a few ideas.
A proper body shop repair would probably be more than I'm comfortable spending with the great deal I got on the ABARTH.

I'm looking into fender flares/ popping the dent myself/ or possibly a bandaid sticker.

[MADNESS Bruce]

Welcome to this forum. Must be like a kid, in a candy store. Working at madness. I been buying parts and Accessories, from madness since 2008. SmartMadness was one of our vendors at 2010 smart nationals. That I organized here. Met Boris and Rachel, and a few of the crew here.

When my wife and I were out in LA serval years ago. Boris, gave us a full tour of the Signal Hill shop.

What plans are you for your Abarth?

Hey Smark!

You nailed it with that sentiment. Coming to work is exactly like a kid in a candy store.
In my mind I've built the car 3-4 times over with different parts before I ever owned one.

That said, I don't have a concrete build plan/ parts list.
I am trying to keep myself on a budget and not let myself go too overboard with mods.
(Altho that Carbon Fiber hood with the vents does call to me from the show room)


Right now the plan is to get it nice and comfortable as my commuter, then we'll add some real fun.
We are shooting a video series with some install videos with me and my ABARTH so it will all be documented.

[tvmaster]

Nice colour combo, well done!

[MADNESS Bruce]

Nice colour combo, well done!

Thanks Tvmaster,

I've never actually owned a white car before. We've debated a couple of different ideas of what to do for the look.

For the meantime being a child of the 80's and growing up with the cartoon, I had a local sign shop I've worked with in the past make me some Ecto 1 magnets to have some fun!





Our MOPAR Rep says my roof rack should be in stock tomorrow to ship out.

[Rocco Reviews...]

Thanks Tvmaster,

I've never actually owned a white car before. We've debated a couple of different ideas of what to do for the look.

For the meantime being a child of the 80's and growing up with the cartoon, I had a local sign shop I've worked with in the past make me some Ecto 1 magnets to have some fun!





Our MOPAR Rep says my roof rack should be in stock tomorrow to ship out.

You probably have the best Abarth spec possible. White with the white 17" alloys, the Bianco paint, and the red stripes. Are the racks just rails? Or do they actually have racks on the tops of them?

[sportfan]

White is a great color because it can be dirty but not show it from a distance. One black truck , never again. Three white Land Rovers and my white Sport have sold me on white. Nice car you got.