RE: Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC: You Know You Want To
Discussion
a very nice looking 130TC on ebay at the moment if I had somewhere to store it I would be bidding on this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-STRADA-ABARTH-1985-...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-STRADA-ABARTH-1985-...
rallycross said:
a very nice looking 130TC on ebay at the moment if I had somewhere to store it I would be bidding on this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-STRADA-ABARTH-1985-...
That is a nice looking thing - beware the vendor is evidently very well connected (" ( wifes new car takes president ) "!http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-STRADA-ABARTH-1985-...
I'm tempted but would only run it during winter...not a Fiat's forte, regrettably.
Love this thread. I had 2 Fiat Strada Abarths. Both were series 1 cars.
The first one I bought from North City Autos in Chingford who mistreated the car and it became apparenlty the day I boguth it they'd thrashed it and damaged a valve. The eventually repaired it but made a mess of other work that needed doing. This went on for months and complaints to them and Fiat UK did nothing so a letter to Giani Agnelli who owned Fiat at the time backfired as they filed for bankrupcy and left the car in the car park with screwdriver holes punched through the bodywork. I caught them doing donuts and handbrakes turns in the car a few times.
The engine work they did turned put to be a bodge and it was soon off the road. I had an Itallian specialist look at it and rekcon it was pretty terminal whihc he said was pretty unusual for these cars as the engines were bullet proof.
I ended up buying another one from a very nice lady and spent some money on this one. I had some headwork done be a place in Wales, I wish I could remember the name. Add in a good exhaust system and Koni suspension. This thing absolutely flew. The torque was nuts. I've had a few quick cars like a rare Legacy Turbo saloon and a gently tweaked Impraza Turbo and the Fiat was one of the few cars that genuinely scared me at times.
As standard I found not much could keep up with it only the Renault 5 Turbo could. Forget Golfs including the 16v and the 8v was left miles behind. Once I had the new head fitted and work done on the carbs it was all a bit crazy. The handling was immense too.
I remember driving a lot of 80 hatches Golfs, Astra GTE MK1 and 2, 205 GTi, 309, Uno Turbo. The only car at the time I felt was as good a handler was the GTe Mk1. Nothing campared for speed due to the torque.
The intake roar from the carbs with the airbox lid modifed was mental and wth the exhaust the car used to set off car alarms. I still lust after those seats although not very practical if you have a larger built pasenger as thay could not get in the back and the side bolsters were so hard they either sat tight in the seats or on them.
Unfortunately I spun the car driving way too fast , when I came round a bend and hit some wet leaves and went up a high curb damaging the suspension and needed some new parts. Unfortunately getting certain parts for these was terrible. I waiting 6-12 weeks for some parts and the suspension bit needed apaprantly had run out and my Italian speaking Fiat guru had a hotline to the man at the Abarth workshop who told him he'd be able ot make them but not for 12-15 weeks.
I stupidly gave up on the car and bought a Rover 220GTi which proved to be dire in every aspect, far less relibale than the Fiats but it didn;t rust and had power sterring.
I vividly recall getting in the Fiat maybe a year after it was taken off the road and tried ot mve it but was convinces the steering was broken.. not it just didn't have power sterring.
Eventiualy I gave into my parents moaning about 2 red ( turning orange) Fiats on thier driveway, one going rusty and sold the two for a pathetic £400. I'll always miss these cars as when on song they were amazing.
Oddly enough years later I got into another car which for me has similar character and is an absolute hoot to drive the Daihatsu Charade GTti.
The first one I bought from North City Autos in Chingford who mistreated the car and it became apparenlty the day I boguth it they'd thrashed it and damaged a valve. The eventually repaired it but made a mess of other work that needed doing. This went on for months and complaints to them and Fiat UK did nothing so a letter to Giani Agnelli who owned Fiat at the time backfired as they filed for bankrupcy and left the car in the car park with screwdriver holes punched through the bodywork. I caught them doing donuts and handbrakes turns in the car a few times.
The engine work they did turned put to be a bodge and it was soon off the road. I had an Itallian specialist look at it and rekcon it was pretty terminal whihc he said was pretty unusual for these cars as the engines were bullet proof.
I ended up buying another one from a very nice lady and spent some money on this one. I had some headwork done be a place in Wales, I wish I could remember the name. Add in a good exhaust system and Koni suspension. This thing absolutely flew. The torque was nuts. I've had a few quick cars like a rare Legacy Turbo saloon and a gently tweaked Impraza Turbo and the Fiat was one of the few cars that genuinely scared me at times.
As standard I found not much could keep up with it only the Renault 5 Turbo could. Forget Golfs including the 16v and the 8v was left miles behind. Once I had the new head fitted and work done on the carbs it was all a bit crazy. The handling was immense too.
I remember driving a lot of 80 hatches Golfs, Astra GTE MK1 and 2, 205 GTi, 309, Uno Turbo. The only car at the time I felt was as good a handler was the GTe Mk1. Nothing campared for speed due to the torque.
The intake roar from the carbs with the airbox lid modifed was mental and wth the exhaust the car used to set off car alarms. I still lust after those seats although not very practical if you have a larger built pasenger as thay could not get in the back and the side bolsters were so hard they either sat tight in the seats or on them.
Unfortunately I spun the car driving way too fast , when I came round a bend and hit some wet leaves and went up a high curb damaging the suspension and needed some new parts. Unfortunately getting certain parts for these was terrible. I waiting 6-12 weeks for some parts and the suspension bit needed apaprantly had run out and my Italian speaking Fiat guru had a hotline to the man at the Abarth workshop who told him he'd be able ot make them but not for 12-15 weeks.
I stupidly gave up on the car and bought a Rover 220GTi which proved to be dire in every aspect, far less relibale than the Fiats but it didn;t rust and had power sterring.
I vividly recall getting in the Fiat maybe a year after it was taken off the road and tried ot mve it but was convinces the steering was broken.. not it just didn't have power sterring.
Eventiualy I gave into my parents moaning about 2 red ( turning orange) Fiats on thier driveway, one going rusty and sold the two for a pathetic £400. I'll always miss these cars as when on song they were amazing.
Oddly enough years later I got into another car which for me has similar character and is an absolute hoot to drive the Daihatsu Charade GTti.
I remember a bunch of us lads going to Brean in about 1989 and being outside the Beachcomber pub, when we saw one of these briefly parked up.
The owner was sat in it, and with us being 19 at the time, we willed him to 'give it some' when he moved off. He did so, and it sounded great, really took off well too.
I'd echo the post above though about parts being really hard to source. I remember a friend having the same problem with his Alfa back in the late 80s. I dread to think what it would be like trying to get parts for something like this these days.
Interesting cars though.
The owner was sat in it, and with us being 19 at the time, we willed him to 'give it some' when he moved off. He did so, and it sounded great, really took off well too.
I'd echo the post above though about parts being really hard to source. I remember a friend having the same problem with his Alfa back in the late 80s. I dread to think what it would be like trying to get parts for something like this these days.
Interesting cars though.
1602Mark said:
Sorry for the thread bump but anyone have any info on these seats and their rarity / value please?
They are from Recaro, they were a option for the 130TC, I guess pretty rare (at least in NL),I've owned 3 times a 130TC Abarth, a red a grey and a black one, non had those seats... one time I came across such 130TC with those seats (I had a 130TC Abarth brochure, still have) and wanted to buy it, drove 200km for that car...I saw it, the owner stood next to it...telling me, sold 10 min ago to one who offered 1.000 more for it...grrrr he broke his word to me, so I went home without that car with finally long looked for recaro option in them...lol, those days no internet.
Here a example from one of my brochures, have 2 with 130TC in it, those recaro's came in a few variants of upholstery, here is one, the car I saw had different upholstery.
GTRene said:
1602Mark said:
Sorry for the thread bump but anyone have any info on these seats and their rarity / value please?
They are from Recaro, they were a option for the 130TC, I guess pretty rare (at least in NL),I've owned 3 times a 130TC Abarth, a red a grey and a black one, non had those seats... one time I came across such 130TC with those seats (I had a 130TC Abarth brochure, still have) and wanted to buy it, drove 200km for that car...I saw it, the owner stood next to it...telling me, sold 10 min ago to one who offered 1.000 more for it...grrrr he broke his word to me, so I went home without that car with finally long looked for recaro option in them...lol, those days no internet.
Here a example from one of my brochures, have 2 with 130TC in it, those recaro's came in a few variants of upholstery, here is one, the car I saw had different upholstery.
I ask because I'm looking to try and buy these but there's already a £200+ offer on them and considering they need reupholstery they won't be cheap once finished.
1602Mark said:
Thanks.
I ask because I'm looking to try and buy these but there's already a £200+ offer on them and considering they need reupholstery they won't be cheap once finished.
ai... and yes, thats going to cost you.I ask because I'm looking to try and buy these but there's already a £200+ offer on them and considering they need reupholstery they won't be cheap once finished.
looked on duckduckgo and saw some others, but also in a bad worn state... also one that looks out for such seats with a picture of some sort leather examples on those seats, so I guess they would be very hard to find (good ones) since a normal person would not take out good examples out a good 130TC Abarth I guess.
maybe call/internet some junkyard's see if they got some broken down Ritmo's with those option seats... maybe you get lucky.
1602Mark said:
Thanks.
I ask because I'm looking to try and buy these but there's already a £200+ offer on them and considering they need reupholstery they won't be cheap once finished.
Those seats with the Fiat 5-bar grille on them are the optional Recaros from the Mk3, so 1986 to 1988. Earlier ones were the light grey cloth. On thing they all had in common was they they wore badly, so many have been reupholstered, and sometimes with leather. The original cloth is rare / non-existent, hence you see so many variations on the internet - leather/vinyl, etc. Fiat themselves never did leather in the Ritmo, they all came as cloth, and probably vinyl in an early 60L!I ask because I'm looking to try and buy these but there's already a £200+ offer on them and considering they need reupholstery they won't be cheap once finished.
Dunk130TC said:
dugsud said:
Used to lust after the 130 back in the day but alas I could only afford on of these.....which were fun too :-)
I went through about 10 of these in the late '80s! 70 peaky horsepower, a redline at 7200, they were far better than the wheezy 1275 GT alternative. They looked like a mini 928 if you removed the back bumper and swapped the tyres from 135 to 185. Still got a piece of the rear seat of my first car 127 sport as a kneeler in the garage!AC43 said:
Was that a 1.3? I had a 128 3P in the early-mid 80's and the fact that a factory car would rev to 7,200 was a matter of incredulity to people familiar with the Fords, Vauxhalls and BL cars of that era.
They were 1.1 and great little engine terrible gearboxes though ( typical Fiat!) the later car 127 Gt was a 1340cc was quicker but not as much fun.rallycross said:
AC43 said:
Was that a 1.3? I had a 128 3P in the early-mid 80's and the fact that a factory car would rev to 7,200 was a matter of incredulity to people familiar with the Fords, Vauxhalls and BL cars of that era.
They were 1.1 and great little engine terrible gearboxes though ( typical Fiat!) the later car 127 Gt was a 1340cc was quicker but not as much fun.Carnnoisseur said:
viggyp said:
I've had four Strada's.
First one was my dads which he bought new in '82. It was a burgundy five door MK 1 65CL which was a blast to drive and reliable despite being driven by a 17 year old hooligan such as myself.
The second was a black MK 1 105TC which you can see below. I sold it to a mate who dropped the 2 litre block from a 131 Sport into it.
My third was the same as the second albeit in red.
The fourth was a C reg MK 3 Abarth in black with half leather and just had a K&N panel filter, Tarox discs and Leda adjustable fronts. It sounded great, went well and cornered well. I really do miss it.
A mate is currently restoring one. Below are a couple of resto pics.
This is so taking me back, absolutely love it. Would be great to see more pics when you have themFirst one was my dads which he bought new in '82. It was a burgundy five door MK 1 65CL which was a blast to drive and reliable despite being driven by a 17 year old hooligan such as myself.
The second was a black MK 1 105TC which you can see below. I sold it to a mate who dropped the 2 litre block from a 131 Sport into it.
My third was the same as the second albeit in red.
The fourth was a C reg MK 3 Abarth in black with half leather and just had a K&N panel filter, Tarox discs and Leda adjustable fronts. It sounded great, went well and cornered well. I really do miss it.
A mate is currently restoring one. Below are a couple of resto pics.
As shown, my mate was the sprayer who did a great job and this car was the one that ended up on the show Bangers and Cash. It went for close to £15K if I remember correctly.
The 130TC is the ultimate "nearly car" for me.
Aged 19 I was running around in a 205 GTi but fancied a change.
Local to me I heard of a 130TC where the owner fancied a swap, was '86 on a D, in black as I recall.
Got the reg plate and phoned my insurance company and was given a price that made me sit down and wince in one motion.
The 130 went to someone else and I ended up with the first of my XR2s
I still love the looks of the 130 lol
Aged 19 I was running around in a 205 GTi but fancied a change.
Local to me I heard of a 130TC where the owner fancied a swap, was '86 on a D, in black as I recall.
Got the reg plate and phoned my insurance company and was given a price that made me sit down and wince in one motion.
The 130 went to someone else and I ended up with the first of my XR2s
I still love the looks of the 130 lol
K50 DEL said:
The 130TC is the ultimate "nearly car" for me.
Aged 19 I was running around in a 205 GTi but fancied a change.
Local to me I heard of a 130TC where the owner fancied a swap, was '86 on a D, in black as I recall.
Got the reg plate and phoned my insurance company and was given a price that made me sit down and wince in one motion.
The 130 went to someone else and I ended up with the first of my XR2s
I still love the looks of the 130 lol
agree, a 130TC Abarth is nice, yes sadly FWD but a lovely one, thats why I owned 3 of those (all second hand) a Red, a Grey and a Black one, they made a lovely sound, especially with a different filter that les deaden the sound.Aged 19 I was running around in a 205 GTi but fancied a change.
Local to me I heard of a 130TC where the owner fancied a swap, was '86 on a D, in black as I recall.
Got the reg plate and phoned my insurance company and was given a price that made me sit down and wince in one motion.
The 130 went to someone else and I ended up with the first of my XR2s
I still love the looks of the 130 lol
see here my Fiats and Peugeots I've owned in real life, also the 3 Fiat 130TC abarths, on the right, now also in 1/43 scale :-) I collect all my once owned cars in 1/43 to not forget and to look sometimes.
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