DIY customization to his specifications
Although it has been announced that the internal combustion engine model of the Fiat 500 has finally been discontinued, the customization fever of Fiat owners who love the 500 has not yet stopped. In this issue, we would like to introduce Mr. Terada, who switched from a Japanese mini-car to the Italian 500, and his car, with its DIY interior and exterior finished with a lot of originality.
He signed a contract on the spot for a 500 that was on display at a shopping mall
Asso International, a developer and total management company of aftermarket high-performance parts for the familiar Italian cars Fiat, Abarth, and Alfa Romeo, will hold “ASSO Driving Pleasure” at Fuji Speedway on March 17, 2024. Giorno Della Famiglia 2024″ at Fuji Speedway on March 17, 2024.
Abarth owners are more modification-oriented than Fiat owners, so the majority of cars gathered for this event were Abarths. Fewer Fiat owners attended the event, but that didn’t stop the elite few from enjoying the event with their unique cars. Mr. Terada, who participated in the event, is a representative of this group.
“I was driving a Suzuki Palette, and there was a Fiat and Abarth exhibition at a shopping mall near my house. I bought a current model 500 that was on display there.”
When we asked him for more details, he told us that when he went to the mall to eat udon noodles, he saw a used Fiat 500 on display, which he had always been interested in, and he made a deal on the spot. He said that his longtime insistence on wanting a Cinquecento had paid off, and his wife’s OK was given immediately without having to take it home and hold a family meeting.
“This is a 2019 500 1.2 pop; I bought it four years ago and it currently has 45,000 km on the odometer. I drive it both for commuting and fun. My motto in-car life is “Do what you want to do,” so I do a lot of tweaking on my own.”
The interior uses Alcantara as a point of interest
His previous car was a Honda “Life”, which he modified to full audio specifications, registered as a two-seater, and loaded with two DVDs and nine monitors. ……, but this Italian compact car, the Fiat 500, has also been completely customized to his specifications.
“The stickers on the body were made by myself with a machine I have at home, and I used Alcantara for the underside of the instrument panel, the tonneau cover that separates the luggage space from the interior, and the back of the rear gate. Of course, I did all the installation myself. Although it is an imported car, the 500 is a model that I can easily associate with, so I enjoy being able to customize it in various ways. The car is like a 1/1 scale toy.”
So far, he has not encountered any trouble and is just having fun, so Mr. Terada’s chinquapin work will likely continue to change with a focus on manual labor.
