Topic: 68 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe

[evannice]

Hi Gil,

I call those "Sardine can" clamps.  I still have some left over from doing up a Giulietta spider a few years back.  The work fine until you go to loosen them for some reason and then they can be a bit shaky when you tighten them back down.  But they are cool when you really want "the look".

I have a pinhole leak in that really pretty newly blasted and powder coated coolant header tank.  Grrr...

Eric

[viotti600]

I call those "Sardine can" clamps.  I still have some left over from doing up a Giulietta spider a few years back.  The work fine until you go to loosen them for some reason and then they can be a bit shaky when you tighten them back down.  But they are cool when you really want "the look".

Want to trade for the dash trim?

I have a pinhole leak in that really pretty newly blasted and powder coated coolant header tank.  Grrr...

J.B. Weld to the rescue! Hahaha!

-JS.

[evannice]

Okay, now the car runs and drives pretty well, time to tackle the dash.  Someone had hacked in a bunch of non-standard switches and lights.  There was a manual switch and light for an electric fuel pump which I got rid of.  And a manual switch and light for the radiator fan which I will see if I can wire back up the was it was intended.  And you can see a bunch of bad splices, dead end wires, bogus fuse holders, the washer tubes hacked, and some nifty lamp cord.  Grrr...

In the second photo you can see JS's dash trim looking pretty in its new home (thanks JS!).  And the third photo shows the left side dash bits and pieces ready to be reassembled as per stock specs.  The wood is 1/32" basswood and I am waiting for the stain to dry right now.  Looks like a pretty good match.

Eric, San Diego

[evannice]

Looking better today.  First photo shows al the wires and tubes that belong and none that do not.  Turned out that the temp sensor in the radiator is always "on", and that must be why someone had spliced in a switch in the dash.  I'll get a new temp sender and be happy I don't have to rewire the fan and relay connections!

Second photo shows the "stock" Fiat Abarth appearance now.

Eric, San Diego

[viotti600]

The re-worked dash looks great - nice job! All nice & tidy as it should be.

Cheers,
  -JS.

[evannice]

Update:  All back together and sorted out now, I am very pleasantly surprised at how well this car drives.  The ride is smooth and comfortable even though it is so low.  It really helped to take the new Cofap shocks back out (way way too soft for these springs) and put the cleaned up RIV shocks back in.  The conventional air cleaner makes the idle and choke functions much happier than the velocity stacks.  Quieter too, now the only noise is the exhaust.  This car is so much more pleasant to drive than the Alfa GTV that it replaced, both on surface streets and bumps and on the freeway.

Now it's time for body and paint work.  First we are going to find and kill all the hidden rust, then we are going back to the original white color with red side stripes!

Eric, San Diego

[Pantdino]

Sounds good, Eric,

Can't wait to see it!

If you're free the first weekend of November you may want to check out the Best of France and Italy car show the Fiat club here in the LA area organizes.

Jim

[evannice]

Hi Jim,

See you at Woodley Park!  Last year I was there with my GTV.  The year before with a 124 spider.  Probably will not have the 1300/124 finished by then, but I'll still be there looking for your car, it's the best event by far.

Eric

[Pantdino]

I look forward to meeting you!

[evannice]

Update:  Pulling out the glass and the interior panels and headliner.

[viotti600]

Eric,
  If you haven't found the glass you needed, I think I found some of it. I have the roll-up window for the door (both sides), but the rear 1/4 glass I have is the opposite side of what you need (passenger side). I do have the driver side rear 1/4 glass, but the metal frame is missing the 2 metal tabs on the front edge that serve as pivots for the window.

 If you want either of these, let me know & perhaps you could pick it up at Woodley Park in a few weeks.

Cheers,
  -Jeff.

[evannice]

Hi JS,

Thanks for the glass offer, but I did find what I needed.  It appears that there is no difference between the left and right rear window glass pieces.  I was looking for a left rear piece because it looked to me that a right rear piece had been put in its place.  When I checked with a parts car, it had the same thing.  It's the same piece of glass with the same mark in the same place, so the left one looks inside-out.  So I am planning to use the pieces I have, unless you think I have got this all wrong?   I did find a decent driver's side door window to replace the one with weld spatter.

See you and the other Fiat Abarth and Alfa nuts soon!

Eric, San Diego

[evannice]

Update:  bad paint job is off now.  Looks like a plucked turkey to me.

[evannice]

Epoxy primer is on now.

[evannice]

Front suspension and brakes have now all been taken apart, R&R'd, replaced with care just as rear had been done previously.  Going through panel by panel finding all wavy spots and filler over holes and repairing with proper metal work.  Can't believe it has been 4 months, but they are doing a very nice job.