Board logo

Fiat Strada 130tc Abarth - finally some piccies!!!
NS Dev - 29/8/09 at 09:55 AM

Those with long memories will recall that a couple of months ago we bought a Strada 130tc Abarth, and I promised piccies, well, finally we've more or less finished getting it back to being a road usable proposition, and here's the piccies.

Its on ebay as a classified, up for £4000, we'll see what happens, just hope I don't crash it first!!















[Edited on 29/8/09 by NS Dev]

[Edited on 29/8/09 by NS Dev]

imp paul - 29/8/09 at 09:59 AM

nice car lots of fun would look even better with standard colour covers on engine

[Edited on 29/8/09 by imp paul]

NS Dev - 29/8/09 at 10:08 AM

To those who aren't familiar with these, its fiat's answer to the mk1 golf gti. The launch of this somewhat upset fiat, so their "reprisal" was to launch the strada abarth, in various forms, culminating in the now very rare (only around 500 ever made in RHD form) 130TC.

At its launch it made every other "hot" hatch look like a lame duck!!! It has a 2.0 fiat/lancia twincam 8v engine, on either twin 40DCOE webers or twin 40 solex carbs (our has the solex's), ZF 5 speed close ratio box, faintly ridiculous recaro seats with slots for 5 point harnesses, which won't fully fold forward because they hit the roof, making entry to the rear seats tricky. In std form the engine was quoted as being 130hp, though many make more than that, and I am nigh on certain that ours is not standard, it lights up both front wheels in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear on a dry road at the prod of the throttle!

Driving it is just amazing, it is the closest thing I have EVER driven to a sevenesque car. It's less refined, and more involving, than most rally cars I have driven. There is NO play in any of the suspension mountings, which is great for driving experience, though not so good for bodyshell longevity!!!

Have to say it has made me think twice about my statement about never having another FWD car!!

Having driven a few others lately (saab 9-3 turbo, pug gti, audis etc etc) I hate them all, btu this little fiat just instantly makes you drive it like you stole it!!!!!

mangogrooveworkshop - 29/8/09 at 10:08 AM

Better not take it to the carwash........might just dissolve like most Fiat products

Dads got an UNO turbo built in South Africa that goes like stink.......just lucky they dont salt whats left of the roads other wise it would be knackered.

When we lived down on Durbans Golden mile our cars lasted only a few years before you could `sea` through the doors.
He now lives in Limpopo miles from the sea so the Fiat will last a good few years

NS Dev - 29/8/09 at 10:09 AM

quote:
Originally posted by imp paul
nice car lots of fun would look even better with standard colour covers on engine

[Edited on 29/8/09 by imp paul]


they are the standard colour covers!!! The abarth carb inlet is always red and the belt cover is moulded from yellow plastic!

mookaloid - 29/8/09 at 10:12 AM

quote:
Originally posted by imp paul
nice car lots of fun would look even better with standard colour covers on engine

[Edited on 29/8/09 by imp paul]


I agree but not too much work to correct and a quick visit to the trimmers with the seats would make it a really nice car

mookaloid - 29/8/09 at 10:15 AM

quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
quote:
Originally posted by imp paul
nice car lots of fun would look even better with standard colour covers on engine

[Edited on 29/8/09 by imp paul]


they are the standard colour covers!!! The abarth carb inlet is always red and the belt cover is moulded from yellow plastic!


Ah.....

I'll get my coat

NS Dev - 29/8/09 at 10:20 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
Better not take it to the carwash........might just dissolve like most Fiat products

Dads got an UNO turbo built in South Africa that goes like stink.......just lucky they dont salt whats left of the roads other wise it would be knackered.

When we lived down on Durbans Golden mile our cars lasted only a few years before you could `sea` through the doors.
He now lives in Limpopo miles from the sea so the Fiat will last a good few years


oh this one had done its share of dissolving in the past. My neighbour had one and it was scrapped at its first mot, totally shot, and his mate had one that was scrap at 18 months old

This one has had a seriously comprehensive rebuild early in its life (all the repairs were gas welded! ) and has then had some bodging that I removed, but some of the original repairs had rotted through, despite being very nicely done, so it was evidently a long time ago.

We've now sorted the rough bits, and it is totally structurally solid, as well as unbodged in a couple of spots where mot repairs had previously been done.

Its had new 1/4 panels on it sometime ago, as well as new inner 1/4's, new inner arches, new rear panel, new boot floor, floorpan repairs both sides, new sills, new floor to sill joints both sides..............the list goes on!!

NS Dev - 29/8/09 at 10:24 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
quote:
Originally posted by imp paul
nice car lots of fun would look even better with standard colour covers on engine

[Edited on 29/8/09 by imp paul]


they are the standard colour covers!!! The abarth carb inlet is always red and the belt cover is moulded from yellow plastic!


Ah.....

I'll get my coat



lol, lost count of the times we've said "carzy italians" working on this car!!!

On the seats, the only realy wear of significance is where the driver's seat has rubbed on the side. Getting in and out of what are very deep buckets rubs them through in no time at all, and as these go, those seats are as good as you'll ever get.

You can't buy the correct cloth, the owners club has been trying to source it but you can't get it even in italy, and seats worse that those in our car recently went on ebay for £400

That's the trouble with these cars, hardly any bits available now

blakep82 - 29/8/09 at 10:26 AM

very nice, i mean fiats weren't the prettiest of cars, but thats a very nice restoration

shame you didn't get the seats re-done. the rips let the rest down a bit

mookaloid - 29/8/09 at 02:51 PM

quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
quote:
Originally posted by imp paul
nice car lots of fun would look even better with standard colour covers on engine

[Edited on 29/8/09 by imp paul]


they are the standard colour covers!!! The abarth carb inlet is always red and the belt cover is moulded from yellow plastic!


Ah.....

I'll get my coat



lol, lost count of the times we've said "carzy italians" working on this car!!!

On the seats, the only realy wear of significance is where the driver's seat has rubbed on the side. Getting in and out of what are very deep buckets rubs them through in no time at all, and as these go, those seats are as good as you'll ever get.

You can't buy the correct cloth, the owners club has been trying to source it but you can't get it even in italy, and seats worse that those in our car recently went on ebay for £400

That's the trouble with these cars, hardly any bits available now


I see - If it was mine and I was keeping it I'd probably retrim the seat sides in Leather

mookaloid - 29/8/09 at 03:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
quote:
Originally posted by imp paul
nice car lots of fun would look even better with standard colour covers on engine

[Edited on 29/8/09 by imp paul]


they are the standard colour covers!!! The abarth carb inlet is always red and the belt cover is moulded from yellow plastic!


Ah.....

I'll get my coat



lol, lost count of the times we've said "carzy italians" working on this car!!!

On the seats, the only realy wear of significance is where the driver's seat has rubbed on the side. Getting in and out of what are very deep buckets rubs them through in no time at all, and as these go, those seats are as good as you'll ever get.

You can't buy the correct cloth, the owners club has been trying to source it but you can't get it even in italy, and seats worse that those in our car recently went on ebay for £400

That's the trouble with these cars, hardly any bits available now


I see - If it was mine and I was keeping it I'd probably retrim the seat sides in Leather

RoadkillUK - 29/8/09 at 08:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
Better not take it to the carwash........might just dissolve like most Fiat products


He's not far wrong, we had a Strada as our first car (me and my brother), we had to remove the passenger side mirror before going through the car wash as it was embarrasing enough driving a 65CL without having ask the bloke to fetch the wing mirror.

Ninehigh - 29/8/09 at 09:07 PM

Actually patching the sides with leather sounds like a good idea, like those half-leather seats that are around