Author Topic: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe  (Read 98214 times)

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Offline evannice

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #45 on: May 05, 2007, 01:51:13 am »
The fuel tank is out being renewed, the head is at the machine shop for new valves and guides because they were stuck with old gunk.  The surface-rusted suspension and engine bay bits are at the blast shop.  And now I have peeled away pretty much everything from the engine bay and back 1/2 of the underside of the car.  Next will be repairs and cleaning up of wiring harness and coolant pipes and hoses.  Then the grungy business of getting down to good metal surfaces!

The engine cross member bolts were spinning and I thought there must be cage nuts that had rusted or come loose.  Turned out that looking in through the holes where the tail lamps and the coolant header tank mounted, you can see and get to the reinforced plates on the frame.  And there were no cage nuts, just through bolts.

Offline evannice

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #46 on: May 19, 2007, 04:03:07 am »
Okay, several evenings of wire brushes and paint stripper have resulted in this.  This part is not fun, so I am breaking it up by refinishing the removed parts.  I have accumulated almost all of the rubber bits that are being replaced just because as long as I've got it this far apart, I might as well...

Offline trevor

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe REAR SUSPENSION
« Reply #47 on: May 24, 2007, 02:05:25 am »
Hello,   
            I ask whether anyone could post photographs or drawings of tubular REAR suspension trailing arms in a Fiat 850 chassis/body pan
         
            I understand tubular trailing arms similar to late Corsa type were installed by Abarth in at least one series of Fiat 850 chassis/body pan,  that of a 1969 Fiat Abarth OT1300 Scorpione SS  (Francis Lombardi).

            References to the tubular trailing arms in a Scorpione SS  are:-
            Greg Schmidt  "Fiat and Abarth Tricks"                             "....special rear suspension with CV axles (like late Corsa)  and rear disc brakes........"
            Al Consentino  "Abarth Guide" page 327                            "....front coil-over-shocks and tubular rear trailing arms......."
            Al Consentino  "Abarth King of the Small Cars"                 "....has the 1000TC Corsa suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes, special halfshafts and constant velocity joints......
            Peter Vack       "Abarth Buyers Guide"                               "....at rear tubular trailing arms, dual CV joints, and... disc brakes"
         
            Many thanks for any images, or advice on where to seek such information.
            Trevor

Offline viotti600

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe REAR SUSPENSION
« Reply #48 on: May 24, 2007, 12:27:30 pm »
Hello,   
            I ask whether anyone could post photographs or drawings of tubular REAR suspension trailing arms in a Fiat 850 chassis/body pan
         
            I understand tubular trailing arms similar to late Corsa type were installed by Abarth in at least one series of Fiat 850 chassis/body pan,  that of a 1969 Fiat Abarth OT1300 Scorpione SS  (Francis Lombardi).

            Many thanks for any images, or advice on where to seek such information.
            Trevor

Hi Trevor,

  I may have a few photos of the OT1600 Sedan rear suspension for you. Similar to the Corsa/Scorpione SS, but perhaps a bit different (I've not compared them). It will be a few days before my scanner is hooked up, then I can the pics & send/post them.

  Yes, the Scorpione SS had the tubular rear trailing arms similar to the late Berlina Corsa. A few years back (1998?) I assisted at a friend's shop, & there was a real SS there for repair/restoration. I got a good chance to see all the differences (mods) done to the front/rear suspensions - AWESOME! :) The work never got completed on the car (the shop closed down), but I'm fairly sure the car is still here in the Southern California area, sitting in the owners garage, unfinished. I've often thought of calling him up & making an offer, but then I don't (can't) fit in the car, so....no reason for me to own it.

  This particular car was an original Rich Motors (old California Fiat/Abarth importer back in the 1960's-1970's) car, & while the car was at my friends shop I had the chance to "reunite" the car with Mr. John Rich himself...boy, was that a great day! :) John even showed me where/how he personally modified (ie: hammered!) the floors & inner rocker panels in order to gain more head/seat room in the car for it's new buyer/owner (at the time, not the same as current owner). Neat-o. ;)

  Also, if you go to Paul Vander Heyden's website (scuderiatopolino.com), there is a page on remaking a Corsa rear trailing arm. Also a shot of the OT1600 Sedan rear suspension (I may have more detailed pics though?). A cool read..."warm fuzzies". :)

Cheers,
 -Jeff Stich.
Jeff Stich
Norco, CA, USA

Offline trevor

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #49 on: May 24, 2007, 08:52:32 pm »
Hi Jeff,
Glad to know you have  images of tubular rear suspension for Scorpione -Fiat 850 (amended chassis), and I appreciate your willingness to share them.  I look forward to seeing them.   Many thanks    Trevor

Offline SCORPIONE1300SS

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #50 on: May 24, 2007, 11:51:57 pm »
Hello my name is MARC I 'm in FRANCE .
I restaure a scorpione ss .
I have got some photos of my  tubular rear suspension .

Offline trevor

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #51 on: May 25, 2007, 05:17:25 am »
Hello Marc

Great photos of the Scorpione SS rear tubular trailing arms. Much appreciated.

One question if I may. Do you have a photo of the points on the chassis for the inner and outer trailing arm pivot bolts, which would show if these were "lowered" (ie., moved further below the chassis pan) as were the equivalent in the corsa tubular trailing arms?

Many thanks for your help.

Kind regards    Trevor

Offline Paul vander Heyden

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #52 on: May 29, 2007, 01:30:59 am »
Trevor,

Let me introduce myself.

I am Paul  Vanderheijden from Scuderia Topolino.  I have a project in hand at the moment to make an exact duplicate of the "pendolare" suspension, as found on late model TCR and other Abarth automobiles.  I have a page dedicated to this project on my website (www.scuderiatopolino.com)

I have put together some historical information as well as photos of the pendoalre installation.  Part of the project is to make paper templates of the attachment points and to make accurate representations of the locations of the mounting points as well.  You may be able to get some information from this information.

If there is more that you need, please do not hesitate to send me an email  Paul@scuderiatopolino.com

Regards

Offline evannice

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #53 on: June 02, 2007, 05:00:31 am »
Now the underside and engine bay are refinished, and the gas tank that caused all the trouble is all cleaned up inside and out and reinstalled.  There are hundreds of bits and pieces to clean and refinish and reinstall before it's back on the road, but reassembly is more like progress than disassembly any day.

Offline evannice

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #54 on: June 03, 2007, 09:41:20 pm »
Some reassembly progress this weekend.

Offline evannice

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #55 on: June 22, 2007, 11:53:09 pm »
Okay, the left rear suspension is now all rebuilt and reinstalled with new brake hard pipe and flex hose.  Transmission is reassembled with axles and all new boots and mounted back in the car.  The right rear suspension is at the blasters.  I took the sump and the front and rear seal covers off the engine to replace the gaskets and seals.  There were big chunks of metal from the chewed up tappet, and it was neat to see a capital A stamped on each conrod end, I presume the mark of Abarth.  The final part I've been waiting on is a new clutch pressure plate, and it is now on its way, and then I'll be able to put the engine back in.  More photos then.

Offline evannice

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #56 on: July 06, 2007, 09:49:54 pm »
Here's a detail I found interesting and not well documented.  The air cleaner was really big and crammed in behind the fuel filler, so Abarth made the fuel filler housing detachable.   It was removed and replaced with only 3 sheet metal screws every time one had to change the air filter element.  You also had to disconnect the fuel filler hose from the fuel tank inlet.  And for clearance, they banged a depression into the surrounding sheet metal, you can see it here.

Offline evannice

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #57 on: July 10, 2007, 03:10:35 am »
And now here it is after blasting and powder coating the sheet metal surround and the filler pipe, cleaning up some and replacing other hoses and fasteners, and reassembling with care.  Modest progress, more to follow.

Offline evannice

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #58 on: July 10, 2007, 03:31:28 am »
Another photo.

Offline evannice

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Re: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe
« Reply #59 on: July 13, 2007, 07:01:20 pm »
Okay, got the rest of the suspension and brakes back in this morning.  Getting some new and some prettied-up peripherals lined up for the engine installation.

Eric in San Diego

 

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