Monday 20th October 2014

SEAT 124 DLS: PH Carpool

An old-school SEAT from the pre-Ibiza era, lovingly hopped up with a light rally/hillclimb inspired prep

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Name: Dani Aguado
Car: Seat 124 DLS 1.2 (1977)
Owned since: November 2004
Previously owned: "Ford Fiesta Mk3 1.4, Peugeot 106 1.5, Renault Laguna 1.8."

Fat-tyred stance is pure souped-up 70s cool

Why I bought it:
"It's a car that I always liked because my father had one but its main attraction is that it was the battlehorse in Spanish rally and hillclimb championships in the 70s and 80s. And it was the work basis for many good tuners who managed to make really competitive and exciting cars, even overcoming Italian official Fiat tuners. I wanted one! Or rather, I wanted to make one.

"One day, I saw it near my home with a for sale poster, it was one of the few I had seen in good condition and the next day I met the owner. After seeing it and a tough negotiation I brought it to my home.

When Dani says 'back to the bone' he's not kidding

"The restoration was long and detailed, I have healed to the last screw and although I had to use some modern parts, I have attempted to preserve the retro style and philosophy of the car."

What I wish I'd known:
"All about the bottlenecks I found during the restoration, the surprises that I found 'under the sheets' and everything about making a swap and trying to give it 'your touch'. It's very difficult to materialise the preconceived ideas, but I had a really clear vision of what I wanted...

"The car was completely stripped to the bone and the body was completely repaired. This car has got a weak point in the steering box fittings so I reinforced them.

Twin carbs and custom manifold among mods

"Engine was swapped with a 1,600cc double camshaft unit, which was completely restored and tuned. Displacement was increased from 1,592cc to 1,632cc, and compression was increased from 8.9:1 to 11:1. I have also switched camshafts with Colmbo & Bariani 302 degree ones, installed double IDF carburettors, homemade four-into-one exhaust manifold, Facet Red Top fuel pump, stainless steel head gasket with reinforced bolts and adjustable pulleys. I have lightened and balanced pistons, crankshaft and rods, and handcrafted the intake manifold. Gearbox was switched too, from the old four-speed one to a five-speed and a shorter final gear.

"Regarding brakes, in the front I have installed 255mm vented rotors and double piston calipers from an E21 BMW. In the rear axle I used original brake rotors, original front brake calipers and installed hydraulic handbrake and brake force distributor.

"On the suspension side, I have installed Koni Sport shocks with custom springs. Panhard rod suspension was switched with an also custom built Mumford link which modifies roll centre. Original 13x5 rims with 155/80R13 tyres have been switched with Targa rims - 13x7 with 215/50R13 tyres. Inside I have kept almost everything as original as possible, adding new gauges in the dashboard and substituting the original central console with a handcrafted one."

Interior is in keeping with period correct feel

Things I love:
"I love the performance I've managed to get and the neutral to oversteer handling. I also love the grip, the colour, the look, the smell, the sound of two double carburettors when you release the throttle, change gear and return to full throttle again..."

Things I hate:
"The hardness of the steering and the heat coming from the engine bay to the cabin, it's horrible, sometimes I wonder what I've done wrong to be in hell so soon..."

Costs:
"Regarding the restoration I prefer not to remember...

It's the Spanish Mk2 Escort according to Dani

"Maintenance is easy and inexpensive if any specific part does not get broken. The original parts are expensive and difficult to obtain."

What next?
"In the future, a bigger engine will be installed to obtain more torque in mid-range and more absolute power, and specific close-ratio gearbox with dog engagement."

 

 

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[Bacchus]

reminds me of the Lotus Lada

[crostonian]

Great car and a good write up. Nice to read about something different for a change. I remember visiting Spain as a kid in the late 70s and early 80s and these were everywhere, always sounded good. Used to see a lot of the locally made rear engined Renault 8s and Simca saloons too, happy days...

[Quhet]

I'm loving this, looks like a great laugh!

[sinbaddio]

Looks fabulous. Loving the interior.

[X5TUU]

Awesome dedication ... Looks too much like a Lada Riva to me though

[sideways man]

Weren't Lada Riva,Seat 124 and Fiat 124 all basically the same car with different badges?

Shame most have died of tinworm here in the uk,they are a great way to fun rwd motoring.

If the op wants more power,I believe the vauxhall xe 16v will fit without too much trouble...

[Erwin1978]

Looks spot on! Heat is shirly something that can be relatively easily deflected/directed using hi-end insulation?

[Lowtimer]

I believe the Seat and Fiat have more in common with each other than with the Lada, which in its initial guises looked like the Fiat but has much more heavily built - thicker gauge metal and everything, and didn't have as nice an engine.

We had a new Fiat 124 in 1969 and it was fab, until it dissolved in the rain. Factory new to big rusty holes in three years. However at least in that time my dad managed to get a LOT of use out of it.

[soad]

Lada Riva, anyone?

[Collaudatore]

Thumbs up from me.

Nice work that man.

[W124]

Lovely car man. I had a Riva which me and my brother ran through university. It was an excellent car.

[youngsod]

I utterly love this. Mind you I am biased towards this shape, my driving instructor had a Lada Riva and it had a strange effect on the 17 year old me.

[lestrat]

Dani is a very good friend of mine and I have seen in first person the evolution of his car.

The dedication he has invested is awesome. For me, the most interesting part of them all is the rear suspension, which is a design made by himself.

He has had a lot of showstoppers during the process, but finally it's working and it's great.

Edited by lestrat on Monday 20th October 13:12

[JD PH]

I want... no, NEED this. Not sure what for, but that doesn't really matter... does it?!

[paulshears]

Can't say that I've ever seen one of these ... I have what most people think is an "old" SEAT a 1998 mk2 Ibiza

There's a Fiat 124 local to me that's pretty much mint

All the Lada's in Hull have gone now (there used to be loads round here)

[daytona365]

If a mk1 escort can fool the masses, then why not a Lada ?.........Must say it looks great though, only minus must be that it's a four door.

[PistonBroker]

I saw this on the front page and thought 'awesome'.

Read the article and I'm still thinking 'awesome'.

Great stuff. Would love an update when that bigger lump has gone in.

[cianha]

Great work , muy bien hecho, Dani!

Lots of rust repair required, I had wondered if the Iberian climate would help preserve these shells better, but it looks like they will rust no matter what?

[W124]

soad said:

Lada Riva, anyone?

Weirdly, that's the exact colour and spec we had. Looks like the same bloody car. I loved that car. It was utterly reliable and I quite enjoyed the way it drove - AWFUL brakes though. I remember following my bother dawn Vally Road in West Norwood in the 90's. The angles he was making, proper huge drifts.

[soad]

sideways man said:

Weren't Lada Riva, Seat 124 and Fiat 124 all basically the same car with different badges?

The Soviet-produced Lada was based on the Fiat 124 range. Production ended in the late 80's, I suspect?