1973 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe 1800
Discussion
Breadvan72 said:
Middle Barton look good, and are only 30 mins drive from me, but I am sure that they are quite pricy!
There was a poster on here who would point out to anyone seeking legal advice and mentioning price that there are good lawyers and there are cheap lawyers.Perhaps the same maxim might be employed here?
Dunk130TC said:
If you want to spice it up a bit, the simplest way is to acquire a 105 or 130TC head, it has larger valves, peakier cams and is nicely flowed. Add it to twin 40 downdraughts and you'll have 120ish bhp from the 1.8.
This is the route I'm heading down with my Spider, fortunately it had twin 40's fitted when I bought it, and my hoarding of Strada bits over the last 3 decades has left me with enough to build another 130TC head. My Spider being a US model, is low compression so I'll also need to change the pistons to make the most of the other mods. Fortunately Vik Auto (in Texas) are a great source of Spider bits, and new hicomp pistons and rings are inexpensive.
Guy Croft was deemed to be the twin cam guru, I haven't used him, but I know he far from cheap and getting on a bit. I suspect Middle Barton will be a bit top end too, but are highly credible.
On the oil pressure, the best bet is to replace it with a mechanical gauge. I've an elec one in the Spider and mechanical in the 130TC and I know which one I trust as it doesn't move when I tap it.
That's the sort of info that make ph worthwhile This is the route I'm heading down with my Spider, fortunately it had twin 40's fitted when I bought it, and my hoarding of Strada bits over the last 3 decades has left me with enough to build another 130TC head. My Spider being a US model, is low compression so I'll also need to change the pistons to make the most of the other mods. Fortunately Vik Auto (in Texas) are a great source of Spider bits, and new hicomp pistons and rings are inexpensive.
Guy Croft was deemed to be the twin cam guru, I haven't used him, but I know he far from cheap and getting on a bit. I suspect Middle Barton will be a bit top end too, but are highly credible.
On the oil pressure, the best bet is to replace it with a mechanical gauge. I've an elec one in the Spider and mechanical in the 130TC and I know which one I trust as it doesn't move when I tap it.
CostaBrava1972 said:
Breadvan72 said:
Here is a random picture of Michael Caine and Britt Eckland to remind us of just how super cool the late 60s/early 70s were. Until last Sunday I had a lockdown hairdo that was pretty much as Mr Caine's in the pic. Yesterday i drove the Fiat while dressed in a vintage 1970s brown Leather car coat (remember those?) not dissimilar to the one that Caine is wearing in the pic, plus a long collared and lairy floral patterned shirt. Slim jeans and Italian brown suede driving shoes*. I looked like a tool, but I felt great.
*Good idea, the Fiat has small pedals placed close together. Not a car to drive wearing clumpy boots.
Thank you for the picture of Britt Ekland (and Michael Caine).
My friend was a mounted policeman - I forget the name of his horse.
On Cannock Chase he happened to meet Britt Ekland (and Patrick Lichfield).
She stroked his fetlock.
My nephew was stroked by Britt Ekland on an episode of Loose Women a few years back.*Good idea, the Fiat has small pedals placed close together. Not a car to drive wearing clumpy boots.
Thank you for the picture of Britt Ekland (and Michael Caine).
My friend was a mounted policeman - I forget the name of his horse.
On Cannock Chase he happened to meet Britt Ekland (and Patrick Lichfield).
She stroked his fetlock.
He was weirded out and wasn’t aware of her past. I suggested a course of Get Carter / Wicker Man and TMWTGG to get his mind right.
C Lee Farquar said:
There was a poster on here who would point out to anyone seeking legal advice and mentioning price that there are good lawyers and there are cheap lawyers.
Perhaps the same maxim might be employed here?
I agree 1 million percent. Alas, we all have the dreary realities of cash flow Perhaps the same maxim might be employed here?
...
That 124 coupe is a thing of beauty, I don't think that I've seen one in the flesh let alone for sale so well bought there. Please keep up your reports, with plenty of photos of course 
Useless trivia: I went to the same school as Michael Caine, but about 20 years after, so unfortunately I never got the opportunity to be in this photo rather than him.
Useless trivia: I went to the same school as Michael Caine, but about 20 years after, so unfortunately I never got the opportunity to be in this photo rather than him.
Edited by Justin Case on Friday 10th July 11:13
Cheers all! Thanks to all those techo car know how boffs for handy comments on the techno stuff. Me, me no understandee cars, me, I just like them. I might be the sort of petrolhead who thinks that the Otto cycle is a bike belonging to a German bloke.
I am in THAT LONDON with my modern Jaguar. It shows that it is a proper British car by having failed central locking while parked overnight next to Battersea Park (no sign of it having been slept in by a tramp), but after I get back to ye Grockleshires I will take some more pics of the FeetKoop. The two below are filched from the for sale ad that my good friend Lowtimer spotted and kindly drew my attention to.
BTW, the Jag is from 2009, so to the boys in General Gassing who like white hotboxes on lease finance, it is SUPER MEDIEVAL MEGA OLD.
The more I know about Fiat the more I admire what they did in the 60s and 70s, making small but tech-forward cars for family motorists and sporty types. I have for long been an Alfista, and I adore Lancia (but cannot afford their most beautiful cars), but am now a confirmed Fiat fan also.
I also have two Italian motorbikes. Italian food, wine, clothes, cars, bikes, you name it, are ace.
If I can get this car to be a reliable car, I might in a year or two consider a madcap scheme such as driving it in stages to stay with a friend near Lake Trasimene in Umbria, blatting it around by the Vittore Emanuele monument in Rome, and parking it on the cobbles while I have lunch at Fortunato Il Pantheon, one of my fave eateries in the Eternal City.
Click here and turn up yer speakers -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04ckV9QueXc
[
I am in THAT LONDON with my modern Jaguar. It shows that it is a proper British car by having failed central locking while parked overnight next to Battersea Park (no sign of it having been slept in by a tramp), but after I get back to ye Grockleshires I will take some more pics of the FeetKoop. The two below are filched from the for sale ad that my good friend Lowtimer spotted and kindly drew my attention to.
BTW, the Jag is from 2009, so to the boys in General Gassing who like white hotboxes on lease finance, it is SUPER MEDIEVAL MEGA OLD.
The more I know about Fiat the more I admire what they did in the 60s and 70s, making small but tech-forward cars for family motorists and sporty types. I have for long been an Alfista, and I adore Lancia (but cannot afford their most beautiful cars), but am now a confirmed Fiat fan also.
I also have two Italian motorbikes. Italian food, wine, clothes, cars, bikes, you name it, are ace.
If I can get this car to be a reliable car, I might in a year or two consider a madcap scheme such as driving it in stages to stay with a friend near Lake Trasimene in Umbria, blatting it around by the Vittore Emanuele monument in Rome, and parking it on the cobbles while I have lunch at Fortunato Il Pantheon, one of my fave eateries in the Eternal City.
Click here and turn up yer speakers -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04ckV9QueXc
[
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 10th July 10:28
Pah, they're not colours!
We grew up very close to a Fiat garage. We had a new 124 Special T (M reg) in turquiose, like this
After that a florescent green 131, like this but not a sport
I thought the Special T was the coolest and fastest car in the world, but I see now it only had 85hp.
We grew up very close to a Fiat garage. We had a new 124 Special T (M reg) in turquiose, like this
After that a florescent green 131, like this but not a sport
I thought the Special T was the coolest and fastest car in the world, but I see now it only had 85hp.
C Lee Farquar said:
I thought the Special T was the coolest and fastest car in the world, but I see now it only had 85hp.
It was the coolest and fastest car in the world when all your mates' dads had tedious British saloon car products. Even the not quite as disreputable as he wished he was uncle with the bog standard MGB could not catch the Fiat on a B road, or indeed on a motorway (not least because the MGB would be on fire). Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 10th July 12:21
LAIRY. Note the plusho orange seats, as found in some 130 Coupes, but this car does not have the Mr Smoooooooooth attributes of a one of those.
https://www.classic-trader.com/uk/cars/listing/fia...
A friend who has a Lancia Gamma Coupe that he and I love, but which does not love anybody back, says that a Fiat 130 Coupe is like one of those, but with an engine that does not explode every five minutes.
https://www.classic-trader.com/uk/cars/listing/fia...
A friend who has a Lancia Gamma Coupe that he and I love, but which does not love anybody back, says that a Fiat 130 Coupe is like one of those, but with an engine that does not explode every five minutes.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 10th July 12:21
Check out all these 131 Racing Loonbat machines -
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=fiat+131+racing&iar=...
There are some youtubes of one of these getting very airborne indeed. It could probably get a medal at a snowboarder freestylin' big air contest.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=fiat+131+racing&iar=...
There are some youtubes of one of these getting very airborne indeed. It could probably get a medal at a snowboarder freestylin' big air contest.
Breadvan72 said:
Blimey, they've gotten expensive!Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff