Memmeddu
Member
- Messages
- 5,467
- Location
- Italia Sardegna
Hi everyone.
Not so long ago I've lost the opportunity to buy another Fiat 126 .
Because I've never drove mine since I've purchased it with a busted engine and requires a long restoration process.
Anyway last week I've spotted another one in fairly good condition apparently by the pictures and sold at a fair price.
Went there yesterday morning, checked for rust damage and discovered there's very little and not even needed to weld on the body panels .
We attempted to start it , without luck.
I couldn't get a decision without driving it .
So in the evening I've contacted the seller and agreed to try again this morning.
And did so .
Went there with tools.
I've discovered there wasn't fuel in the carburettor.
So I've disconnected the cam actuated pump on the engine , and filled the bowl and filter using a manual pump and a jerrycan, 2 stroke fuel mix in it but the engine sat for months so ... And it wouldn't hurt anyways.
Attempted and started in few seconds.
After little bit fuel came out of the fuel line and we shut off the engine and connected back the pump to the carb .
Let warm up little bit.
And I've took out it for a test drive.
So engine sound is particular , and the gearbox is shorter than I thought, doesn't feel like it has only 24HP really (remember that my daily driver has 150 German horses under the hood) .
Gearshifts are a learning curve, do to its first gear is not a synchromesh as all the other gears .
Then brakes you have to push hard on the pedal cause it's just a single circuit pump and 4 brake drums ,no booster .
The steering box because it has not a modern steering rack and pinion system feels a completely different world compared to what I'm used to drive.
But it does work just need to get used at it I guess.
Pedal box , I have pretty big feet and just imagine to drive using just one foot because otherwise you can't push a single pedal at the time.
The throttle is actually on a side and it's a very little pedal like on toy cars .
At the end of the 10 minutes test drive I was destroyed, my legs were suffering like if I ran for kilometres uphill.
Despite all that this little thing printed a big smile on my face for the entire time I was driving it.
I've even drifted it little bit to turn around.
This thing is capable to make me happy but I just can't fit my feet in it without pain .
Here in Italy it's illegal to modify the pedal box, you can't even fit pads on them.
Came to a conclusion.
Leave this one to someone who can really enjoy it hopefully...
And take the one is already mine and make it become the monster it was intended to be when I've got it.
Modify the pedal box and the inner tunnel to be comfortable and drive it safely, but on a track or at events , race with it .
Making something like this one
Fiat 100 series engine from a fiat seicento, and a Garrett GT 1546.
Speeduino,disc brakes,fly on handbrake, limited slip diff and sequential shifter.
70hp will be enough even though I can reach 110 or 120 Hp with the correct engine set-up
Not so long ago I've lost the opportunity to buy another Fiat 126 .
Because I've never drove mine since I've purchased it with a busted engine and requires a long restoration process.
Anyway last week I've spotted another one in fairly good condition apparently by the pictures and sold at a fair price.
Went there yesterday morning, checked for rust damage and discovered there's very little and not even needed to weld on the body panels .
We attempted to start it , without luck.
I couldn't get a decision without driving it .
So in the evening I've contacted the seller and agreed to try again this morning.
And did so .
Went there with tools.
I've discovered there wasn't fuel in the carburettor.
So I've disconnected the cam actuated pump on the engine , and filled the bowl and filter using a manual pump and a jerrycan, 2 stroke fuel mix in it but the engine sat for months so ... And it wouldn't hurt anyways.
Attempted and started in few seconds.
After little bit fuel came out of the fuel line and we shut off the engine and connected back the pump to the carb .
Let warm up little bit.
And I've took out it for a test drive.
So engine sound is particular , and the gearbox is shorter than I thought, doesn't feel like it has only 24HP really (remember that my daily driver has 150 German horses under the hood) .
Gearshifts are a learning curve, do to its first gear is not a synchromesh as all the other gears .
Then brakes you have to push hard on the pedal cause it's just a single circuit pump and 4 brake drums ,no booster .
The steering box because it has not a modern steering rack and pinion system feels a completely different world compared to what I'm used to drive.
But it does work just need to get used at it I guess.
Pedal box , I have pretty big feet and just imagine to drive using just one foot because otherwise you can't push a single pedal at the time.
The throttle is actually on a side and it's a very little pedal like on toy cars .
At the end of the 10 minutes test drive I was destroyed, my legs were suffering like if I ran for kilometres uphill.
Despite all that this little thing printed a big smile on my face for the entire time I was driving it.
I've even drifted it little bit to turn around.
This thing is capable to make me happy but I just can't fit my feet in it without pain .
Here in Italy it's illegal to modify the pedal box, you can't even fit pads on them.
Came to a conclusion.
Leave this one to someone who can really enjoy it hopefully...
And take the one is already mine and make it become the monster it was intended to be when I've got it.
Modify the pedal box and the inner tunnel to be comfortable and drive it safely, but on a track or at events , race with it .
Making something like this one
Fiat 100 series engine from a fiat seicento, and a Garrett GT 1546.
Speeduino,disc brakes,fly on handbrake, limited slip diff and sequential shifter.
70hp will be enough even though I can reach 110 or 120 Hp with the correct engine set-up
