Fiat Tipo - 1994 - modifications
Discussion
Hi everyone. Quick question - one of my family members is basically giving away his old Fiat Tipo Type 160 from 1994.
Was thinking of taking it and using it as a test car for some small engine / exhaust mods (largely to learn about how to do them). I have the space etc and it wouldn’t be for daily driving etc.
What are a few simple things one can do with this kind of motor (it’s got a 1.4l in-line 4) to give it a bit more pep / make it more fun to drive?
Or is this a total waste of time?
Thanks
Was thinking of taking it and using it as a test car for some small engine / exhaust mods (largely to learn about how to do them). I have the space etc and it wouldn’t be for daily driving etc.
What are a few simple things one can do with this kind of motor (it’s got a 1.4l in-line 4) to give it a bit more pep / make it more fun to drive?
Or is this a total waste of time?
Thanks
What sort of engine mods were you thinking of?
It's not exactly a common car or one renowned for its tuning potential and deluge of aftermarket parts... so anything you might do would probably be restricted to simple and cheap(ish) breathing mods (exhaust and/or induction kit / air filter setup) or custom internal work, such as porting and polishing and a big-valve head, with associated ECU replacement and mapping required.
You could easily spend a grand or more doing anything internal, and you'd probably only realise, what, 20bhp absolute max?
N/A cars are very hard to tune, generally speaking.
You could slap a turbo on it - crazier things have been done - but I would argue that the bottom end is unknown in terms of strength, so you could bend a con-rod with the first whiff of boost.
So to summarise... Anything's possible, but it won't be easy or cheap.
Personally speaking, I'd give it a good polish, get the paperwork together, then sell it as an ideal first car.
It's not exactly a common car or one renowned for its tuning potential and deluge of aftermarket parts... so anything you might do would probably be restricted to simple and cheap(ish) breathing mods (exhaust and/or induction kit / air filter setup) or custom internal work, such as porting and polishing and a big-valve head, with associated ECU replacement and mapping required.
You could easily spend a grand or more doing anything internal, and you'd probably only realise, what, 20bhp absolute max?
N/A cars are very hard to tune, generally speaking.
You could slap a turbo on it - crazier things have been done - but I would argue that the bottom end is unknown in terms of strength, so you could bend a con-rod with the first whiff of boost.
So to summarise... Anything's possible, but it won't be easy or cheap.
Personally speaking, I'd give it a good polish, get the paperwork together, then sell it as an ideal first car.
You could do inlet and exhaust manifold porting and matching, fit a new camshaft, while you’ve got it in bits even do a cylinder head overhaul. If you enjoy mechanics and want to learn the theory and practice it sounds like fun.
But to get the most from it you’d need before/after dyno runs and/or SOTP runs to measure the difference. After all that effort it probably won’t be worth anything. That’s not to say don’t do it, but think about why you want to do it and what you want to get out of it.
Of course you could always carry on and lighten the car, uprate the suspension, brakes etc (but see above). I think there’s something quite appealing about modifying an underdog.
But to get the most from it you’d need before/after dyno runs and/or SOTP runs to measure the difference. After all that effort it probably won’t be worth anything. That’s not to say don’t do it, but think about why you want to do it and what you want to get out of it.
Of course you could always carry on and lighten the car, uprate the suspension, brakes etc (but see above). I think there’s something quite appealing about modifying an underdog.
Can't be many of these left now. Perhaps just for rarity and retro value alone it'd be worth giving it some mild restoration work? (repair any rust, tidy up and polish the paintwork, replace any worn mechanical stuff, thorough engine service, etc)
Rather than tuning the engine perhaps upgrade brakes and suspension. You'll never make great gains on a NA 1.4.
Of course a more ambitious option could be to swap in a 170bhp 1.4 Multiair...
Rather than tuning the engine perhaps upgrade brakes and suspension. You'll never make great gains on a NA 1.4.
Of course a more ambitious option could be to swap in a 170bhp 1.4 Multiair...
Modding any car is worth it. However it isn't good as a first project as you will really struggle for parts availability.
It is a rare car now and becoming collectable. If it is in good condition I would sell it and buy something a bit more common (If you are based in NE Scotland, I might be interested).
Edited to add, If you are looking at learning to do engine internals and not worried about getting it wrong, get something with the FIAT 1.2 8v engine. These are really easy to work on and take apart and parts are common.
It is a rare car now and becoming collectable. If it is in good condition I would sell it and buy something a bit more common (If you are based in NE Scotland, I might be interested).
Edited to add, If you are looking at learning to do engine internals and not worried about getting it wrong, get something with the FIAT 1.2 8v engine. These are really easy to work on and take apart and parts are common.
Edited by Ransoman on Friday 12th July 10:45
RSTurboPaul said:
You could slap a turbo on it - crazier things have been done - but I would argue that the bottom end is unknown in terms of strength, so you could bend a con-rod with the first whiff of boost.
Wouldn't that be the same 1.4l engine that Fiat stuck a turbo on in the Uno Turbo? That might be something to look at that potentially wouldn't be too complicated.As another poster said though, it might be worth keeping it fairly original as there aren't too many of these left, I might be a bit weird, but I think it's nice to keep the mundane stuff on the road, as well as the more interesting stuff!
Frankthered said:
Wouldn't that be the same 1.4l engine that Fiat stuck a turbo on in the Uno Turbo? That might be something to look at that potentially wouldn't be too complicated.As another poster said though, it might be worth keeping it fairly original as there aren't too many of these left, I might be a bit weird, but I think it's nice to keep the mundane stuff on the road, as well as the more interesting stuff!
I had a 1.6 DGT version of this that I did a lot of miles in and actually found it to be a great car!
Handled OK, a but gutless and liked to snap exhaust manifold studs but served me well.
TBH I would have thought there are easier cars to tinker with but depends on what you plan to do. TBH if your talking about gas flowing heads and porting etc you would be better of with something you can pull the head on and off quickly (pushrod eng?) and something you can get uprated carbs for etc
It all depends what you have in mind?
Handled OK, a but gutless and liked to snap exhaust manifold studs but served me well.
TBH I would have thought there are easier cars to tinker with but depends on what you plan to do. TBH if your talking about gas flowing heads and porting etc you would be better of with something you can pull the head on and off quickly (pushrod eng?) and something you can get uprated carbs for etc
It all depends what you have in mind?
I would have thought that most the Fiat/Lancia/Alfa engines of that era would fit rather than try tweak the existing 1.4 which is not that powerful.
The top of the range fiat tipo at the time ran a respectable 148bhp or thereabouts- i too now have a 1.4 and ideally would throw in an Abarth 1.4 turbo!
The top of the range fiat tipo at the time ran a respectable 148bhp or thereabouts- i too now have a 1.4 and ideally would throw in an Abarth 1.4 turbo!
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