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Ah, yeah, Phil, meant to tell you: about that manifold...ahem...
Ha, it's OK, it's on a shelf in the shed with your name on it. I even thought I'd save you some time so I covered it in a layer of crud to match the rest of the car. But that's what mates are for, innit? ;)
[QUOTE=Normb666;39439]Ah, yeah, Phil, meant to tell you: about that manifold...ahem...
Ha, it's OK, it's on a shelf in the shed with your name on it. I even thought I'd save you some time so I covered it in a layer of crud to match the rest of the car. But that's what mates are for, innit? ;)[/QUOTE
what a plonker !... lol
What's the advantage of the 131 gearbox, stronger, better ratios? Does it bolt straight in? Hadn't heard of this being done before, good idea.
Thanks, Del Boy... :-P
Hi FingersQuote:
Originally Posted by Fingers
yes the 131 box is much stronger than the 124... Don't know much about the ratios tho but I guess they should be OK for what I need....
I have read reports on the factory prepared rally cars and the ratios were very low... The top speed was 80mph flat out in top !.... That was the way they were kept competitive on tight twisty events.... Don't know what the final drive ratio was.... Must get round to reading that book I have just bought ..... It's all in there !!
cheers
phil
Well I guess you all need to be advised that wifey Helen has christened the 124.......
after I had said that "she doesn't look much at the minute but she will be beautiful when she is finished"
so..... Splash the holy water Norm... Her name is "Fiona"........ Fiona the Fiat
I've got lots of books like that too, never get around to having a proper read.
This guy's done a few videos on John Campion's cars https://youtu.be/YdL6DKLdZto. Similar thing, the gearboxes are set up for acceleration not top speed, interesting to watch, flat out at 60mph. You'll have to hunt through them for the Fulvia and 131.
A 124 spider has always been another on my list of cars I'd like to own..and modify just like you are. Looking forward to learning a thing or two.
I say, "Fiona the Fiat". Good grief, posh Nottingham totty...then you see the car....
I actually read that post as you referring to Helen, saying "she doesn't look much at the mo but she'll be beautiful when she's finished" and she christened the car after that...I was expecting with a sledgehammer, and wondered briefly why you still lived. Then I got the gist of what you meant...phew!!!
IF I come to your garage day Phil we can see how many parts your new toy and my new toy share, not many I'll wager as mine is mostly from Japan :-)
Attachment 12678
Attachment 12679
Nice one Rob !.... Will look forward to seeing it.... Yep not much parts sharing there I think!!Quote:
Originally Posted by ironman523
Updates so far....
Engine went to Guy Croft on Friday after it was jet washed off...... Bloody caked in oily crap !
Exhaust off
propshaft out
gearbox out
bumpers and and other unessesary scrap metal taken to the tip
the engine waterways, thermostat etc were almost completely blocked !
however at first inspection over at Guy's the bores are fine, crank is fine, head looks ok.... So it looks like I have the basis of a good engine.
under the car the under seal in certain areas is peeling off and revealing almost perfect factory finish black paint. But it has had a bump in the past, nothing serious but there are a couple of areas that need a better repair.
So will peel the rest of the underseal and redo it.
Next Friday I go to Whaley Bridge to pick up the 131 gearbox.
cheers
Phil
Happy days Phil - mine was just like that too, lovely black finish under a layer of underseal. I removed all mine too, it had failed in a few places and came off in sheets but other spots just took forever. The only rust I found on the underside of mine was a box section under the left side footwell that had been crushed when used as a jacking point and some in the left chassis rail where the steering box is bolted. It's a three layer construction there and fortunately was confined to the outer layer. The idler side was fine.
I've not found much in the way of spare parts for the 124, sold what I had years ago but i have found a new, never fitted distributor driven cog if that's any use? Maybe a set of points and a condenser from a Lada that's 124 derived too.
Guy
Thanks Guy... Any parts are most welcome!Quote:
Originally Posted by Guy Mayers
Yes the underseal thing is quite weird.... There has been no adhesion.... Hopefully the stuff we use now will bond better.
I'll put them in the car for the garage day. If you want them sooner let me know?
Garage day will be fine thanksQuote:
Originally Posted by Guy Mayers
cheers
Phil
For Normy... you have a private message !
Cheers
Phil
Just seen it and replied mate :)
NormQuote:
Originally Posted by Normb666
Parcel arrived..... you are for sure a star !!!:cool:
Thanks very much
Will sort out the beer tokens at the garage day
Cheers
Phil
Well the parcel might have been nice, but was what's inside it OK??? ;)
No need for beer tokens. It's just an old part I was never gonna use that's been hanging around for 30 years - just glad it's finally of use! ;)
Yep all inside was ok... including dead spiders !Quote:
Originally Posted by Normb666
Cheers again Norm
Phil
Told ya...anyway, now you can start a Dead Spider collection (including the big one you already had!) ;)
See you at yer Garage Day!
Well progress so far...
Engine rebuild going on well up at Guy Croft Race Engineering
Fiat 131 Gearbox purchased
Hardtop collected from Dublin
Dropped the axle off today
Collected a load of parts from Middle Barton Garage today
it seems that it has had new discs and calipers fairly recently !
When I got the car home it wasn't sitting right at the back.... Now found that there were two different tyre aspect ratios!!...good job the tyres are scrap.
Attachment 12986Attachment 12987Attachment 12988
Uncovered the inner chassis sills this weekend..... They are like new !...... The more I uncover the more I'm impressed with the car....so solid....... Apart from all the rubber bits.
Recently It also appears to have had new discs all round and new rear calipers.
The axle is aback together with new brake pipes etc.
unfortunately have been distracted by Nellie running HOT..... So she is also in bits at the mo !
cheers
Phil
Here's another:
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C991628
That's where mine came from ChrisQuote:
Originally Posted by ProtoTipo
Ahh?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bernard
It's nice when you start looking closely at a car you've just bought and it gets better, rather than the other way round?
I had an Opel GT from Arizona. You take the 'fried trim' on the chin, when there's no rot?
Exactly.... even the nuts and bolts, once cracked you can take them off with your fingers !Quote:
Originally Posted by ProtoTipo
For me no welding is the target !... nuts and bolts I can handle !......... would certainly consider this sort of project again
Well the Fiat project is still limping along....my last find within the car inside the rear valance was these chaps...Attachment 13524
after investigation it turns out they are Brown Widow nests!!...... Fortunately mother was dry and crispy !!....which is lucky as I hate spiders....... So I have spiders in my Spider....
axle has has been reconditioned, rear bumper shock absorbers are out.....should be able to get back on it once Nellie is back on the road.
Well that's your rebuild brought to a screeching halt then - once the environmentalists, wildlife lovers and tree-huggers find out your car's a home for exotic species there'll be some sort of preservation order slapped on it and you'll have to keep it exactly as it was found. You'll be lucky if they even let you fire it up and run it up and down the drive...see, shoulda bought that Beta Couple from Richard ;)
Are you sure it was the mother spider who was brown and crispy ? It could have been Father spider killed by the "widow" after the rumpy pumpy.
Thankfully the Beta Coupe is sold !!.... Not let on to the tree huggers and the wildlife lovers just yet !!..
I'll keep my eye out for the mother....hammers are at the ready !
fitted bumpstops and pulled a little more underseal off.....perfect black paint underneath again
Attachment 13525
Also so axle is back in place....so it's coming on...slowly!
Attachment 13526
Looking Good, Phil! And must say that Fulvia in the background looks a bit smart...and is that a Play-Doh coloured MGB behind it?? Where do you find 'em! (...as if I didn't know...)
Both sourced from a shark in Manchester...... a young Arthur Daly in the making..... dodgy bloke ... smiles when he's taking your money !!...LOL........... I will inform the current Mrs Dib Dob that her car is Play-doh coloured... I'm sure she will be pleased !Quote:
Originally Posted by Normb666
Oh I know him - operates out of a dingy lock-up unit, next to a couple of oily places with guys with big heavy implements. Think they call him "Richard the Lying Tart" or summat ;)
LIKE IT !!!
Ha, just thought of that, decided it was worth sharing - even if it did mean one less mate! (down in the minus numbers now) :)
Resent progress !
Cleaned up the boot.
Increased the tension on the boot springs.
Took soft top off, seats out, carpet out, fuel pipes out
Scraped all the brittle sound deadening off... painted and refitted hole plugs... plus a few other bits
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Just a few pics of further progress... not much really... dash out, screen off and started to fit bonnet lamp pods.... however the curves are all wrong ! so I have started the surgery.
Also the wheel arches did not have enough flange to attach to the body so they have been extended courtesy of LB.... but after further inspection the curve on the arches is not right anyway so there will be surgery required here too !! .... The fibreglass arches and lamp pods are a bit disappointing as they were purchased from a well known Fiat Rally Dealer in Belgium.
The Dash is cracked in several places so this will be filled and covered with Alcantara
Attachment 14175Attachment 14176Attachment 14177Attachment 14178
Cheers
Phil
Excellent work, Phil - once you've got the whole thing disassembled into its constituent parts you should be able to get a fair few bob for it all on Ebay! ....er, that IS the idea, innit....?
Nice work Phil. Interesting stuff.
It's a real shame when you buy stuff which is supposed to fit and it doesn't.
Still,it looks like your surgery on the lamp pods is fairly straightforward. In the past I've used the "Bridge a gap" type fibreglass filler to hold the revised shape of parts like this. Obviously when secure you can then remove the pod and attack it from the inside with some proper resin and mat to make the gaps up permanently.
Not trying to teach my granny how to suck eggs of course. I'm sure you are fully on top of it! Just a note for anyone else trying something like this for the first time.