Discussion
Pericoloso said:
ess said:
Didn't the 131 replace the Stratos in the rally championships ? ]
Yes it did ,FIAT group were messing about with X1-9s too but binned that programme and the Stratos for these.
Candellara said:
Neil, Totally totally amazing!!! Have you still got the 190 Evo 2?
Yep, yep under wraps at the moment until the weather starts getting better. Just got to sort out the trim on the door cards and the car is finished. Done a huge amount of work on it last two years to get it pristine so hope to drive it a fair bit this year. Lagerlout said:
Yep, yep under wraps at the moment until the weather starts getting better. Just got to sort out the trim on the door cards and the car is finished. Done a huge amount of work on it last two years to get it pristine so hope to drive it a fair bit this year.
Wow, you have some stunning cars! 
You could host a PHSS on your own!
Daveyraveygravey said:
You might be thinking of the Volumex cars, but I think they were just Lancias?
You can split the 131 into 3 genre's... 1975 to 1977 - the original cars, 2/4/5 doors; smaller oblong headlights, the 2/4 doors had the same rear lights as the Abarth here. There was no sport model per se (this Abarth Stradale & the Works Rallye cars excluded), and the only twin cam was the 1756cc that only some markets got. There was base spec & the Special, the special having 4 round headlights, a different grille, more instruments & chrome door surrounds.
1978 to 1981 - first facelift. Bigger rectangular headlights, bigger rectangular rear lights, and a side rubbing strip. Inside there was a new dashboard with sliding glove box lids. Introduction of the Sport model (known as 'Racing' in continental Europe). The specs were L, CL, Supermirafiori and Sport (Racing) models. The L and CL had OHV engines (1.3 or 1.6) and the Supermirafiori had the 1585cc twin cam engine (there was also a 1300TC sold in Europe, along with a 2000 & 2500cc diesel - identifiable by their bonnet hump & 4 round headlights). The Sport had the 1995cc twin cam engine and 2 doors only.
1982-1984 - second facelift. Restyled rear lights & lower rubbing strips, new front grilles, new seats, and a single glovebox lid! The 2 door body was dropped, and the Sport was no more. The Supermirafiori got the 2000TC (or 2500D) lump, and electric windows, central locking and power steering for the first time. It lost the Sport's short shifter. Europe also got the Volumetrico supercharged version, but in the Supermirafiori body, not the Sport. Other engines became 1.4 and 1.6 OHC, as well as 1.4 and 1.6 TC engines available in European Supermirafiori's.
Edited by BFleming on Monday 5th March 08:35
The 131 holds a special place in my heart as its the first new car my dad bought in 1978 and the first car I ever drove when I was 14 although not an Abarth but a humble 1600CL. Tenuous link I know but any 131 now is pretty rare let alone an Abarth. Best I can do is my friends RHD 131 Racing here with my Sunbeam on a tour of the Lake District a couple of years back.
Fast Bug said:
Tht's lovely! Mum had a 131 Supermirafiori when I was 8 or 9, I loved that car! Not quite so much the Argenta that replaced it
You've triggered a childhood memory. I remember my dad talking about the only time he'd gone over 100mph in a car and telling me it was a Fiat 131 Supermirafiori. The name was impossible to get my tongue around but I practiced it and practiced it until I could say it perfectly. Pretty sure that's one of the reasons I'm a car nerd.We had various 131's over the years, with my Dad buying his first new one in October 1976 - a 4 boor base spec 1300 in a creamy yellow with black vinyl interior, very 1970's. I remember the day he brought it home, very exciting!
After that he had a secondhand 1978 132 1600. At the time the UK only got the 132 2000, but Ireland also got and one with the 1585cc twin cam engine (no rev counter, electric windows or power steering). He always lusted after an Argenta, but so few were sold new in Ireland, they were rare secondhand. The 132 was sold to my uncle who ran it for many years before replacing it with a 131 Sport! Like every car he owned, he drove them until they dropped.
During the early/mid 1980's Mirafiori's were dirt cheap, and weren't even that rusty (you avoided the ones with rusty turrets). We always had a doer-upper in the garage, which my Dad did the mechanical work on, and I did any cosmetics. This usually meant a good clean out & replace trim pieces that had fallen off. We had turned over a few, and scrapped a few, but stripped them first. An ordinary 131 could be turned in a Supermirafiori-lookalike in a few hours!
One afternoon in 1985 my Dad got a call from his mate; a friend of a friend was selling a 'Mirafiori with a blown engine'. Off we went to see it, and sure enough it was a 1983 Supermirafiori 2000TC with a blown lump. £300 later we trailered it home, and stripped out the blown engine, and put one of many 1600TC engines we had lying about into it. That car served us for many years. The troublesome front electric windows were converted back to manual, same with the power steering.The central locking worked funnily enough! I remember the colour of that particular one was Fawn Beige.
I think that was the last of the 131's we had; after that it was a Ritmo S85 (Superstrada), Regata 100S, Regata 85, a Tipo, and finished off with a Marea.
After that he had a secondhand 1978 132 1600. At the time the UK only got the 132 2000, but Ireland also got and one with the 1585cc twin cam engine (no rev counter, electric windows or power steering). He always lusted after an Argenta, but so few were sold new in Ireland, they were rare secondhand. The 132 was sold to my uncle who ran it for many years before replacing it with a 131 Sport! Like every car he owned, he drove them until they dropped.
During the early/mid 1980's Mirafiori's were dirt cheap, and weren't even that rusty (you avoided the ones with rusty turrets). We always had a doer-upper in the garage, which my Dad did the mechanical work on, and I did any cosmetics. This usually meant a good clean out & replace trim pieces that had fallen off. We had turned over a few, and scrapped a few, but stripped them first. An ordinary 131 could be turned in a Supermirafiori-lookalike in a few hours!
One afternoon in 1985 my Dad got a call from his mate; a friend of a friend was selling a 'Mirafiori with a blown engine'. Off we went to see it, and sure enough it was a 1983 Supermirafiori 2000TC with a blown lump. £300 later we trailered it home, and stripped out the blown engine, and put one of many 1600TC engines we had lying about into it. That car served us for many years. The troublesome front electric windows were converted back to manual, same with the power steering.The central locking worked funnily enough! I remember the colour of that particular one was Fawn Beige.
I think that was the last of the 131's we had; after that it was a Ritmo S85 (Superstrada), Regata 100S, Regata 85, a Tipo, and finished off with a Marea.
Excellent thing, and so much better than any of its peers imho!
I may be in the market for one shortly and have been following one at a distance for a while, but it will no doubt end up being a POA type sale which I hate (always feel the vendor waits for you to say “Well, I’ve got £40k to spend” and adds another £10l to his price..
I’ll be the first to ask the rude question, what sort of ballpark figure are these fetching now?
I would t like to stab a guess but guess it’s anywhere from £40-60k?
No matter what the ££ you have a thing of beauty there, and if it were mine I don’t think I’d ever sell it, so it’s ‘value’, Post-purchase, would become irrelevant
I may be in the market for one shortly and have been following one at a distance for a while, but it will no doubt end up being a POA type sale which I hate (always feel the vendor waits for you to say “Well, I’ve got £40k to spend” and adds another £10l to his price..
I’ll be the first to ask the rude question, what sort of ballpark figure are these fetching now?
I would t like to stab a guess but guess it’s anywhere from £40-60k?
No matter what the ££ you have a thing of beauty there, and if it were mine I don’t think I’d ever sell it, so it’s ‘value’, Post-purchase, would become irrelevant
they don't come up for sale very often so its hard to say. there is a re-creation listed at 30k euros
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/fiat-131-gasoli...
and one for sale in london which is a late model sport with some extras for 20k euros
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/fiat-131-e2-gas...
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/fiat-131-gasoli...
and one for sale in london which is a late model sport with some extras for 20k euros
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/fiat-131-e2-gas...
Edited by rallycross on Wednesday 7th March 12:29
rallycross said:
they don't come up for sale very often so its hard to say. there is a re-creation listed at 30k euros
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/fiat-131-gasoli...
and one for sale in london which is a late model sport with some extras for 20k euros
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/fiat-131-gasoli...
the London one is the same link.. im looking for one so keen to see what's about.
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/fiat-131-gasoli...
and one for sale in london which is a late model sport with some extras for 20k euros
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/fiat-131-gasoli...
the London one is the same link.. im looking for one so keen to see what's about.
I had a 1970 Lotus Elan and had the exhaust manifolds, which were mild steel, nickel plated instead of painted. This was quite expensive at the time, but well worth it, as over the 12 years and 35,000 hard miles, the plating remained intact: in fact it dulls a little and gets a lovely blue/silver colour.
It is just a suggestion....and it would finish off that impressive engine bay !
aha, i was hoping it was a standard sport. Thanks
rallycross said:
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