RE: Spotted: 1988 Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC

[VX Foxy]

Mark-C said:

Absolutely - there are many worse ways ....

I imagine whoever bought it really wanted it and will cherish it and enjoy it ... how is that a bad way of spending £5k on anything?

Or is the fact that it isn't what you'd spend 5k on what makes it wrong for someone else to do so?

Too right it isn't what I'd do. But as you say that doesn't make it wrong...but I wouldn't touch an 80s fiat with a bargepole.

[anonymous-user]

Dunk130TC said:

Max_Torque said:

Back on topic, i used walk pass a house in Pangbourne with a race prep'd 130TC in the drive on my way back from school (too many years ago now !), and thought it was absolutely the coolest thing ever

That'll be my mates house. Red 130TC with Blue stripes that used to race in the Italian Intermarque. See pic below, accompanied by a 105TC with 130TC drive train,driven by a good friend and later acquired by me.



D

Edited by Dunk130TC on Saturday 1st October 13:15

now that's a blast from the past! Seeing that car again really brings back the memories ;-)

[Husker]

curlie467 said:

No, the 125tc was never officially imported to the uk, they are all left hand drive.
Fiat chose to wait and bring out the facelifted superstrada 130tc instead.

Then you're unlucky, that is a furious engine compared to the 130, which is rather smoother

[Dunk130TC]

125TC was a mk1 with the exactly the same 2.0 engine as the 130TC except it had a twin choke carb not the twin 40's. It was never officially sold in the UK.

D

[Stu - B]

KimZ said:

Stu - B said:

Being restored at the moment. Garage owner says it had rusted in a weird way in that areas like battery tray were perfect, yet middle of random panels holed.

Nice one Stu - Keep us posted plz!

Further info will be placed on this blog: http://mitchellmotors.blogspot.com/

[angusc43]

Wow. Great spot.

I grew up on Fiats, Lacias and Alfas.

Got to love that Fiat/Lancia twinc.

And the twin 40's

Mmmmmmmmmm :-)

[sleep envy]

[tombstone]

Ah, the strada... I miss mine! Purchased for £800 back in '91 from a charming used car dealer called Flydene in Slough... made my 2nd Fiat after a ropey 2 door 131, but as I worked for SGT Alfa in Taplow, just simply wasn't the done thing, so after 3 months of hooning as a 17 year old, went over to Alfas with a Sud Cloverleaf!!! Those were great days....!!!

[gethyped]

I used to run a 105TC when i was 18.Always craved a 130TC.Can remember the car was very nose heavy with bad understeer.Was a hard car to master compared to the average Hot Hatch ie XR3i,Astra GTE etc.Once used to driving style of car it was great fun.However would not pay more than £2000-3000 even for a show standard car now.

[Rammy76]

rtz62 said:

Just sold my 1985 C Toyota GT16 AE82 hatch, 30k from new; they don't make cars like these any more.
Ok, no airbags, abs, traction control etc, but they would good, honest cars, where the skill in getting the most out of them was down to the driver, not computer aids.
Modern hot hatches may be quicker, but they arent as raw or exciting.
Bring back the 80's.
Oh, hang on a minute..... my wife says shes looked in my wardrobe and the 80's are still alive and kicking in there...

I had the AE82 as well, superb car that was no end of fun and a peach of an engine!

Not easy to find a decent one now.

[KM666]

vz-r_dave said:

you could buy 100 pairs of shoes for that, insanely priced, ugly and a waste of space. I'll take 1000 fish and chips thanks



Love it

£4.85 for fish and chips? You must live in the south.

[KM666]

vz-r_dave said:

you could buy 100 pairs of shoes for that, insanely priced, ugly and a waste of space. I'll take 1000 fish and chips thanks



Love it

£4.85 for fish and chips? You must live in the south.

[Sploder1969]

I sold my Visa GTI for one of these..black with a silver scorpion.
Loved it but it did nearly bankrupt me! The local Fiat garage felt sorry so I was charged trade for parts I bought. Unlike the 105TC everything for this was twice the price.

Not a car for passengers in the rear

[ianreeves]

gforceg said:

A mate of mine had one of these in the late 80s when I was running round in Mk1 Golf GTIs. It was savage compared to them, so light and direct. He spent a fortune on it inside and out, including a new straight cut gears box which Fiat told him was one of only two left in the country at the time. I think he paid about £2k for the box (in the late 80s). I'm pretty sure he had a cage fitted at one point and made wild claims for the power it developed. Ah, well we were all young once.

I liked the way the huge front seats couldn't be folded forward far enough to allow easy access to the back because the headrests used to hit the headlining.

This would be a great weekend car to use on empty roads in nice weather but otherwise....

He wasn't based in Cheltenham was he ?

Remember one from my College days, always being driven around the carpark at high speed making one heck of a noise

[thewheelman]

rtz62 said:

Just sold my 1985 C Toyota GT16 AE82 hatch, 30k from new; they don't make cars like these any more.
Ok, no airbags, abs, traction control etc, but they would good, honest cars, where the skill in getting the most out of them was down to the driver, not computer aids.
Modern hot hatches may be quicker, but they arent as raw or exciting.
Bring back the 80's.
Oh, hang on a minute..... my wife says shes looked in my wardrobe and the 80's are still alive and kicking in there...

I think you may regret selling that....

[heisthegaffer]

Stunning cars, always loved, was young when they came out but one of the few cars that'll stop me in my tracks and have a close up nose.

So hardcore.

[soxboy]

In case you missed out on the first one, here's another:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-STRADA-ABARTH-/2807...

[AC Motors]

The Delta HF Turbo was about the same money at the time I think and would still be my choice, good spot though. Can you find me a 131 super miafiori now, in orange please.::

[noclue]

I had 2 105TC's then finally got my hands on a 130TC that had a 1.6 gearbox fitted, and a load spent on handling goodies ( from a guy near Wadebridge Cornwall who ran up credit card debts) I then had the engine rebuilt in blue and gold and had it reprayed 9not great a cheap one).

Absolutely loved it!! Only car I really on ever drove just for the hell of it , major detours all the time!

I stupidly sold it a few years later because I did not have the space to keep it and it had a few electrical glitches that the buyer promtly sorted on my drive beofre heading off with it all working!!

I anybody recognises this story and knows where that car is now I'll buy it back!!

And that price makes perfect sense as would buying any 80's hot hatch in excellent condition, as buying a sub 1k and rebuilding it to the same standard will always cost way more!

[psychoR1]

B848FWE was my 105TC last seen in Farnboro, B297NLW was the Abarth 130 sold to a guy from south London. It dropped a selector fork in the box on the way home but I think it was headed for the track anyway. AAO8T ws the 131 Sport in Arinco Racing Orange.