When it comes to that next decision of what car to purchase. We have all been in that position where you find yourself signing for a new Abarth after trying out other cars which haven’t had that `something` about them. Earlier this year Lee Hastings did that and found himself purchasing a new Abarth 595 Trofeo and joining the club on the back of it. I caught up with Lee to see how he has found the car so far, what his plans are for 2020 and about his passion for photography.
Model: Abarth 595 Trofeo
Instagram: @Beanage1
Hello Lee, you joined the club earlier this year on the back of purchasing your Abarth. How have you found the car so far?
I’ve had my Abarth now for just under 6 months now and it has given me exactly what I’ve wanted from a small hot hatch… Fun! I’ve loved every moment through the summer with the Record Monza exhaust popping and banging around the North East. Furthermore the chance to meet up with fellow Abarth enthusiasts and the random drives along the coastline.
With coming up to Christmas, is there anything you’re hoping to have under the tree to add to the car? If not, is there any further plans in the pipeline for it?
Like everyone else I’m hoping for a lot of Abarth merchandise from Santa this year but I’m not getting my hopes up too much. But for the car I’m pretty sure he is bringing me some blacked out side repeaters and an upgraded dash cam.
For next year I will be tinting the windows and installing a basic speaker upgrade to improve the sound quality. Plenty more to come as I also plan to add some side skirts and a splitter along with dechroming the car where possible. Lastly, I’m looking to have it finished off with a half wrap to have the top half of the car in black.
I note from over the summer period you attended a couple of events with the club. Is there anything on next year’s event schedule you’re looking forward to attending?
I had a taste of my first ever meet at Chillingham Castle back in September with the club and I loved the feeling of being part of something special within the car scene. Was even more special knowing it was an Auto Italia event too. Next year I’m looking forward to the event in March at the Sunderland Air Museum where I hope get some great pics next to the Vulcan Bomber. The event calendar is stacked giving all members something different to get excited about. There’s the Blyth Beach Huts on the coast and then more inland we have Krispy Kreme in January which is right up my street because who doesn’t love doughnuts!
What have you found that makes your Abarth stand out compared to previous cars you may have owned?
My first car was a 17 plate Vauxhall Corsa `Limited Edition` with 75BHP… and the thing that stands out in comparison is the noise the Abarth produces. I love the sound of the Record Monza quads, especially on these cold mornings. But the main thing for me is the acceleration with more than twice the power and less weight which makes me smile ear to ear every day.
Like many owners up our way, we’re all looking for new locations to get more photos to add to our social media. I see you’re a keen photographer and have an eye for a great pic. Is there any locations you’d recommend driving to for those brilliant Abarth photos?
The local place I like to take snaps are around our beautiful coastline in the North East or you can pick up some great backdrops across near Newcastle Airport. There’s also a cool place in Heaton with a lot of graffiti which is very popular and never fails to get that great dramatic shot. One of the more scenic locations I passed through when I had my Corsa was a place not far away called Ingram Valley about an hour north up the A1. The views are incredible and with a few bridges to stop by along with miles of rolling hills. If you keep going to the end of the road there and walk about 30 minutes uphill you’ll come to a natual waterfall with a pool ideal for swimming in the summer. It’s a great drive and an even better day out.
Lee has also signed up to our club membership package where he’ll be able to save a lot on all of the modifications he has planned. You can also be like Lee and sign up for 12 months at £15.00. For more information, check us out at:
www.abarthclubnortheast.com