1960 Fix It Again Tony cabriolet
Discussion
Brief background: my name is Tony and I am usually sensible when it comes to buying cars. The NSX was sold to fund an Emira but this has been delayed yet again, a GR Yaris was bought as a stand in but failed to impress. Since replaced by a Cayman. But what i really wanted was a winter project. I like rare and i like quirky.
Rule one is never buy a car in the dark. Rule 2 is avoid anything on Ebay. But hey, rules are made to be broken, right?
Having been greeted by the wife (in her dressing gown!) I was shown the car. There was another parked alongside so I couldn't access the drivers side at all. And it wouldn't start.
But I had enough of a poke around to discover it was remarkably solid and i rather liked it. In fact, I was completely smitten. So I agreed to return when they had it running, which they did. I got to the end of the cul-de-sac before it broke down again. We then spent an hour trying in vain to restart it. Fortunately the drivers side was as solid as the rest of it, so we did a deal.
If you don't know what you are looking at, it's a series 1, Fiat 1500 cabriolet. Around this time the Maserati brothers had developed a twin cam engine with forged bottom end (under the OSCA banner) but needed to sell it in larger quantities to homologate it for racing. Fiat agreed to fit it to their cabrio to compete with other European sports cars (the alloy block was replaced with iron & it produces 80bhp in the Fiat). Around 1000 series 1 cars were produced (series 2 cars got a face-lift and a 1600cc, 90bhp motor).
So it's quirky and rare, one of just a few UK supplied examples. I've since discovered that it was the Fiat UK demonstrator when new and was converted to RHD in period (all came out the factory in LHD).
its now in the garage and work is underway.
Rule one is never buy a car in the dark. Rule 2 is avoid anything on Ebay. But hey, rules are made to be broken, right?
Having been greeted by the wife (in her dressing gown!) I was shown the car. There was another parked alongside so I couldn't access the drivers side at all. And it wouldn't start.
But I had enough of a poke around to discover it was remarkably solid and i rather liked it. In fact, I was completely smitten. So I agreed to return when they had it running, which they did. I got to the end of the cul-de-sac before it broke down again. We then spent an hour trying in vain to restart it. Fortunately the drivers side was as solid as the rest of it, so we did a deal.
If you don't know what you are looking at, it's a series 1, Fiat 1500 cabriolet. Around this time the Maserati brothers had developed a twin cam engine with forged bottom end (under the OSCA banner) but needed to sell it in larger quantities to homologate it for racing. Fiat agreed to fit it to their cabrio to compete with other European sports cars (the alloy block was replaced with iron & it produces 80bhp in the Fiat). Around 1000 series 1 cars were produced (series 2 cars got a face-lift and a 1600cc, 90bhp motor).
So it's quirky and rare, one of just a few UK supplied examples. I've since discovered that it was the Fiat UK demonstrator when new and was converted to RHD in period (all came out the factory in LHD).
its now in the garage and work is underway.A few other faults were apparent when i went to see it, the brakes are stuck on, the handbrake doesnt work, the roof is torn and the starter is a bit iffy. All simple enough, assuming you can find parts for a 60 year old Fiat. First job was to give it a thorough check over. Compression test results were really good, the plugs are completely black and a carb strip revealed a lot of grime.
Yes, that appears to be sand in the bottom of the float chamber.
Removing the inlet manifold (to get to the starter) showed some pretty rotten coolant hoses. And the fuel pipe is quite rough. Just about everything made of rubber is knackered.
Yes, that appears to be sand in the bottom of the float chamber.
Removing the inlet manifold (to get to the starter) showed some pretty rotten coolant hoses. And the fuel pipe is quite rough. Just about everything made of rubber is knackered.
Lovely and good enough to be on the front of my favourite book !
I remember years ago a friend's mother telling me that her father had bought a pale blue one brand new from the main Fiat dealership in London (Charles Follett ?) I guess it was some time in the early 1960s. It was a very expensive car at the time, especially with the OSCA engine. Everyone was amused that he arrived to pick it up in his pinstripe suit and bowler hat.
He gave it to his daughter to use on her honeymoon driving down through France and Spain. She showed me one of her holiday snaps - the car was perched on the edge of a hairpin bend in the mountains, bonnet up and surrounded by sheep or goats. The fanbelt had come off but it was easily fixed and they loved driving it.
I remember years ago a friend's mother telling me that her father had bought a pale blue one brand new from the main Fiat dealership in London (Charles Follett ?) I guess it was some time in the early 1960s. It was a very expensive car at the time, especially with the OSCA engine. Everyone was amused that he arrived to pick it up in his pinstripe suit and bowler hat.
He gave it to his daughter to use on her honeymoon driving down through France and Spain. She showed me one of her holiday snaps - the car was perched on the edge of a hairpin bend in the mountains, bonnet up and surrounded by sheep or goats. The fanbelt had come off but it was easily fixed and they loved driving it.
Xmas update.
There is a guru for these cars, based in the Netherlands. But he has not responded to any of my enquiries thus far so my search for parts has been made much more difficult. Firstly I want to make it safe and running / driving properly. High on the list is fixing the starter motor.
Can you see the problem? I managed to source a replacement but alas, the drive is different.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/ZHYNvd2i[/url]
The new part is manufactured differently so I can't swap bits over, but 'think' I've sourced the correct one in France. The brakes also need desperate attention. One of the wheel cylinders has leaked and contaminated the shoes, shoes will be relined. Getting new cylinders has been problematic but I've stripped and measured them & new seals ordered (they are the same as some Mercedes parts). And on to the handbrake.
There are a few companies around that manufacture cables, hoping they can supply the missing fitting too.
Obviously it also needs a set of tyres - there was 1 decent tyre on the car and 2 different sizes... managed to source a set of Michelins (a couple are NOS) and gave the wheels some love too. They went from this
To this
No perfect, but a huge improvement. Hoping to mfind a few more parts in the new year (you'd thing finding a fan belt would be easy!).
There is a guru for these cars, based in the Netherlands. But he has not responded to any of my enquiries thus far so my search for parts has been made much more difficult. Firstly I want to make it safe and running / driving properly. High on the list is fixing the starter motor.
Can you see the problem? I managed to source a replacement but alas, the drive is different.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/ZHYNvd2i[/url]The new part is manufactured differently so I can't swap bits over, but 'think' I've sourced the correct one in France. The brakes also need desperate attention. One of the wheel cylinders has leaked and contaminated the shoes, shoes will be relined. Getting new cylinders has been problematic but I've stripped and measured them & new seals ordered (they are the same as some Mercedes parts). And on to the handbrake.
There are a few companies around that manufacture cables, hoping they can supply the missing fitting too.
Obviously it also needs a set of tyres - there was 1 decent tyre on the car and 2 different sizes... managed to source a set of Michelins (a couple are NOS) and gave the wheels some love too. They went from this
To this
No perfect, but a huge improvement. Hoping to mfind a few more parts in the new year (you'd thing finding a fan belt would be easy!).
LarJammer said:
Brief background: my name is Tony and I am usually sensible when it comes to buying cars. The NSX was sold to fund an Emira but this has been delayed yet again, a GR Yaris was bought as a stand in but failed to impress. Since replaced by a Cayman. But what i really wanted was a winter project. I like rare and i like quirky.
Rule one is never buy a car in the dark. Rule 2 is avoid anything on Ebay. But hey, rules are made to be broken, right?
Having been greeted by the wife (in her dressing gown!) I was shown the car. There was another parked alongside so I couldn't access the drivers side at all. And it wouldn't start.
But I had enough of a poke around to discover it was remarkably solid and i rather liked it. In fact, I was completely smitten. So I agreed to return when they had it running, which they did. I got to the end of the cul-de-sac before it broke down again. We then spent an hour trying in vain to restart it. Fortunately the drivers side was as solid as the rest of it, so we did a deal.
If you don't know what you are looking at, it's a series 1, Fiat 1500 cabriolet. Around this time the Maserati brothers had developed a twin cam engine with forged bottom end (under the OSCA banner) but needed to sell it in larger quantities to homologate it for racing. Fiat agreed to fit it to their cabrio to compete with other European sports cars (the alloy block was replaced with iron & it produces 80bhp in the Fiat). Around 1000 series 1 cars were produced (series 2 cars got a face-lift and a 1600cc, 90bhp motor).
So it's quirky and rare, one of just a few UK supplied examples. I've since discovered that it was the Fiat UK demonstrator when new and was converted to RHD in period (all came out the factory in LHD).
its now in the garage and work is underway.
Rule one is never buy a car in the dark. Rule 2 is avoid anything on Ebay. But hey, rules are made to be broken, right?
Having been greeted by the wife (in her dressing gown!) I was shown the car. There was another parked alongside so I couldn't access the drivers side at all. And it wouldn't start.
But I had enough of a poke around to discover it was remarkably solid and i rather liked it. In fact, I was completely smitten. So I agreed to return when they had it running, which they did. I got to the end of the cul-de-sac before it broke down again. We then spent an hour trying in vain to restart it. Fortunately the drivers side was as solid as the rest of it, so we did a deal.
If you don't know what you are looking at, it's a series 1, Fiat 1500 cabriolet. Around this time the Maserati brothers had developed a twin cam engine with forged bottom end (under the OSCA banner) but needed to sell it in larger quantities to homologate it for racing. Fiat agreed to fit it to their cabrio to compete with other European sports cars (the alloy block was replaced with iron & it produces 80bhp in the Fiat). Around 1000 series 1 cars were produced (series 2 cars got a face-lift and a 1600cc, 90bhp motor).
So it's quirky and rare, one of just a few UK supplied examples. I've since discovered that it was the Fiat UK demonstrator when new and was converted to RHD in period (all came out the factory in LHD).
its now in the garage and work is underway.
that looks great, love an old Fiat 
Aluminati said:
Lovely car.
The starter dog would indicate the flywheel teeth will need a v file on them. Boiling the brake shoes in a pan of water will clean them up.
I didn't know I could boil the shoes! One of them had started to delaminate so decided replacement was a sensible choice.The starter dog would indicate the flywheel teeth will need a v file on them. Boiling the brake shoes in a pan of water will clean them up.
I saw a red one of these at a car meet in November and have also seen them at auto Italia Brooklands ,what an interesting old car but what a disappointing number of posts in this thread .
Only 5 other people are interested in this .....
Hope you can get some parts for it OP and back on the road where it belongs .
Only 5 other people are interested in this .....
Hope you can get some parts for it OP and back on the road where it belongs .
Lots of progress on the little Fiat, much of it slow! Rear cylinders rebuilt, shoes relined and all assembled.
I was worried about the handbrake cable but Speedycables came up trumps, and for a bargain price.
So the rear end is just about done which feels like a massive milestone. All of the engine work was complete but it wouldn't start the other day, I found a very erratic spark. There seems to be excess play in the distributor advance, that's a job for nest week. In the meantime have a pic of the sexy little 4 pot.
I was worried about the handbrake cable but Speedycables came up trumps, and for a bargain price.
So the rear end is just about done which feels like a massive milestone. All of the engine work was complete but it wouldn't start the other day, I found a very erratic spark. There seems to be excess play in the distributor advance, that's a job for nest week. In the meantime have a pic of the sexy little 4 pot.
Edited by LarJammer on Thursday 19th January 19:35
BananaFama said:
I saw a red one of these at a car meet in November and have also seen them at auto Italia Brooklands ,what an interesting old car but what a disappointing number of posts in this thread .
Only 5 other people are interested in this .
I'm not doing it for likes or clicks! It's an oddball car so will have limited appeal. If any of those 5 people give me a wave when it's finished I'll consider it worthwhile.Only 5 other people are interested in this .
BananaFama said:
My recruitment drive worked with 2 new posters .
My work here is done....
I have an old Fiat too ,about half the age of the cabriolet here but not sure whether a reader car thread is worthwhile .
Not a new recruit as I was in the original 5, but I'd love to see another thread about your old Fiat please! My work here is done....
I have an old Fiat too ,about half the age of the cabriolet here but not sure whether a reader car thread is worthwhile .
I had a couple of 70s Fiats back in the 70s and have a soft spot for Italian cars of that era.
Another little update. The car was sold at auction in 2018 and the listing stated lots of paperwork was included along with the buff logbook, details of the restoration etc. That has all gone missing which is annoying. I've managed to find some info including an article in Motorsport magazine which features this very car.
Plus there is a plaque on the dash.
Which led me to this advert in a 1960 Autocar mag
Plus I've found an original workshop manual (in English!) Which has some nice images.
All interesting stuff, if not particularly useful.
Plus there is a plaque on the dash.
Which led me to this advert in a 1960 Autocar mag
Plus I've found an original workshop manual (in English!) Which has some nice images.
All interesting stuff, if not particularly useful.
Finally managed to get hold of the guru & have ordered a small mountain of parts. Until they arrive (no doubt there will be a delay at customs) I've been doing some less important work. Cosmetics aren't high on the list but I've been twiddling my thumbs recently. The factory boot seal is an odd sponge affair which is glued in place.
Removing the bootlid gave much better access, Removing the residue is going to take some time. Also tidied up the grille, repainted the black and polished the chrome.
Now looking a little smarter.
Removing the bootlid gave much better access, Removing the residue is going to take some time. Also tidied up the grille, repainted the black and polished the chrome.
Now looking a little smarter.
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