131mirafiori forum

Not for discussions, this is intended as a guide for would-be builders (131 Abarth Replica!)

i start with Pic's and i hope Miro start's with quotation of prices!

http://picasaweb.google.de/enzo.michelini/FIAT131Abarth02#

Enzo ;)

Karl "Carlo" Abarth 1908 - 1979   

I've just copied this over to another forum in Ireland, www.octane.ie
Good links like that need to be shown to the world.

In my opinion restoring the chassis will be much cheaper. It can be done for about 2000-4000GBP plus painting for about 1000-2000GBP. It it needs more work then it will be better to look for a better base car. The chassis parts can be bought from Yagmur for very reasonable cost so there will be no cost of patching the rust just replacing whole rusty panels.

As for the cost of the add ons then it varies depending on what you need. A good LSD can be mought from BMW for about 200euro and independent rear suspension can be made at much more reasonable cost then getting original(or copy) parts which is not too much sense when building a replica as it will never be original abarth(by the VIN number).
As for the engine - well :) honda s2000 is the top choice in my opinion, you can get it for about 2000GBP and it will be much better then even top spec abarth engine.

Thank's Miro and Tomek,

and now the price's and build cost's in EURO! short version.

CAR:
Fiat 131 Racing/Sport to have the engine 2,0 TC 3500 - 5000.- Euro

KIT Gr.4:
from Walezy Tomasz 1000.- Euro

BODY:
rear panel with lights 300 - 400.- Euro
front grill 150 - 200.- Euro
Carello or Cibie 2 pair 500 - 700.- Euro
mirror's california 80.- Euro

INTERIOR:
roll cage FIA 1000.- Euro
2 seats 500.- Euro
2 saefy belts 6 point 500.- Euro
Abarth steering wheel 180.- Euro
fire-fighting-system FIA 500.- Euro
Abarth instuments 700.- Euro
switsh knops fuse-box and relais 100.- Euro
Halda Twinmaster 1500.- Euro
Speedpilot 600.- Euro
Heuer Montecarlo 1000.- Euro
alu-pedal and footrest 120.- Euro
miscellaneous for make door and inner panel's 50.- Euro

ELECTRICS:
Gr.4 wiring loom (new wiring and conector) 200,- Euro

CHASSIS:
4 shockabsorbers with springs Koni or Bilstein 1000.- Euro

BRAKES:
Zimmermann driled disk's and Ferodo pad's,
new Brakes for rear axle and pressure-regulator 500.- Euro  

EXHAUST:
4-1 manifold 400.- Euro
tube's and exhaust muffler Abarth look! 300.- Euro

ENGINE:
to restore the TC engine with all parts 500.- Euro
to make more power! inlet manifold with Weber 44 IDF 1000.- Euro
cam's and pullys 700.- Euro

WHEELS:
Original cd 68 or GR.4 Wheels 2500.- Euro
tyre's semi-slik 600 - 800.- Euro

PAINTWORK:
finish in & out 1500.- Euro
not liveries and sticker on it!  

that's nearly 22000.- Euro
and about 500 hour's if you are a good Mechanik!

Good Luck Enzo ;)

Enzo, Tomek,

Now I believe this gives a notion to all prospective 131 Abarth replica builders that this is not a weekend project ... ;D

Now , how would that compare to a good restoration of a racing or a saloon?  Just off the top of my head -  50% ?   Not much less , I think ...

Miro  

 


 

half of 22 smokes miro? you havin a laugh? i know exactly how much to restore a sport to standard, so no 50% believe me.

Sid.

I knew IT . I knew this bull... would smoke you out  to react.

In fact I believe restoration of a racing and Abarth "looks only) may be very close  in price tag (the difference you do not need CD68's , haldas, ATE calipers, Carello Megalux lights  and similar "sports paraphernalia" ...


You and I know too well you can spend any money on any restoration, but with the same "level of care" the price tag difference between racing and Abarth replica should be ca. 20%- 30% . (This is true for replica Abarth ("looks only) , but when you go into Abarth suspension and Abarth engine you easily double the cost.

Miro

Before you do it I will say- when you restore a racing you have an original and when you build a replica Abarth you have a replica 

Restored 131 R only costs what you can remember spending on it.Enjoy driving it when its finished.If we kept a log of what we spent on beer ,would we stop drinking.What Enzo  etc have done to their cars is GREAT. Same with Marko.Be very proud of what you have done and got. Cheers One poor Kiwi

Man , am I glad I have a very short memory..  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Miro 

It's so damn easy to make a small fortune out of restoring Fiat 131R or Abarth replicas and I am surprised people on this site haven't figured it out.

If you want to make a small fortune start off with a BIG fortune and restore cars

well said lads but the beer we never think of that Gary sure thats not real money, like paying by paypal sure its like you get it for free ;D ;D hit the button & it comes in the post & hit another button to pay the c card bill, great!!
as for counting the costs i think of it as my ciggy money that i dont spend on stupid cigs any more past 8 years at over 40 a day adds up to quite a few grand so free cars ;D ;D

perhaps markoh will tell us when he finishes his project? i suspect it's far less money

Hello,

it is amazing how many guy's here are talking, but they never has Build a Abarth-Replika!

Enzo ;)

hello guys i restore me a 131 abarth gr 4 and i can tell you coast a lot off monny when you will have a nice when with the real engine /gearbox rear axel /suspension/wheels /braekes enz. i think on parts only i spend about now 40-45000 euro without my work.

Well,

You are a living proof of the point we were making ..

Miro

PS Sportsman : pictures please...

pictures are tho big for post whats mus i do so i can post.

email to me & i will post them for you
pm me & i wll send you my email address

After such a long time I would like to make a comment to this topic. You'll never know what your car costs until you start (re)building one. One can build his/her car in the way one desires. Making a replica is relatively easy. I started building my first in 1988 and finished it in 1993. But you're never done. It's like: oh, but this I want to changeand: this is more original. I mean, you're never done. And all these small parts you forget to count. Every Euro, every pound. At the end you stop counting the costs. But when you put it all together...you know?
At the moment, after 11 years of collecting and 5 years of rebuilding my group 4 car, I lost track of the costs. Sure I remember what the cylinder head costed, what the rear suspension costed and every other Abarth-part costed. But it's those minor little things.
But, thats what a hobby is about. Spend money, find satisfaction and use it. That's what counts. Don't try to make your 131 as beautiful as possible to sell it with profit. Forget it, it's not a Ferrari 250 GTO.

On the serious side.
At the end of the day if you Abarth guy's did not spend your money and,
 (big money at that !!) on fixing up original 131 Abarth's and replica Abarths then there simply would not be more than a few on the road's today.
So all i can say is (hat's off to you guy's) for doing what you do with these Abarth 131's.
Just one thing i have to say ! Leave some Sport's and Racing's out there for the rest of us  ;) ;)
Ps A great combo of pictures and price estimate's Enzo & Miro.

Interesting thread this and one that makes me smile ;D

I'm glad that someone has gone to the trouble of adding up the total cost of creating a 131 Abarth Replica, and I am unsurprised that the costs are so high if it is done as thoroughly as the 'Masters' like Enzo and Miro. The moral is I suppose never buy a cheap replica ;D

For what it's worth it's almost worth buying a genuine Stradale for the money you'll have to spend to create an accurate Replica :o although I purchased my car and haven't stopped spending since ::) ;D

Adding up the cost of a car and its ownership is like adding up the cost of raising a child. :-\ For all of us with the 131 disease it matters not one jot - whatever happens you'll end up spending money on your 'baby' so just smile every time you open your wallet and enjoy the experience ;D :D ;D

Even though I haven't rebuild an Abarth but just a normal 131S 4 door I have completely lost the count on money well spent... But it worths every single penny. ;)  Even though at the end was really hard because I was unemployed... :-\

I think the thing is this;

One has a perspective of what he or she wants. Could be any 131. Since he (or she) doesn't have the money to buy that car at once he (or she) picks the nearest. For me it was the ultimate 131: the Abarth.
Since I didn't have the money to buy the real thing (back in 1988) I started to build my own. At the end it was a nice replica.  Now, many many years later I'm rebuilding a real one.
What I mean to say is this: none of us in this forum is wealthy enough to buy an expensive car. And we all like to spend our free time working on whatever type of 131, or other type/mark to achieve the ultimate goal; the one we had for eyes in the first place. It don't matter the time it takes or the money it costs, in the end we all have something to be proud of. In the end you can say: Hey, but I did that one. Took it apart completely and every bolt, every screw,every part I had it in my hands and the car is totally me.
That's what it is all about.

Well said Mike!!!

Good man Mike, well said! In my case it's like that: My personal favorite was always an orange Sport with black bonnet (don't ask me why it has to be this combination - I just know for me it is the real McCoy, but not why) and a modified engine; still street legal, but fast and sturdy enough to take it for rallying. Had lots of fun with the blue "Ineptitude" in the past 7 years; now, after her transformation to a WR Replica   ;) ;D the goal is within reach. And, as a matter of fact, I did keep an eye on the costs. They are still a medium 4-digit number (in Euros), including acquisition  8)

I think that's what I said in my posting actually guys, just that you appear to have missed my point. ::)

I am certainly not a wealthy man and could not afford to buy any Abarth now. I happened to buy mine at the right time - before prices went into space! I too have spent seven months of the last 18 without income - so I know what it means to be without a steady income and having to do things on a budget!

My point (that appears to have been missed) is that even if you can afford to buy a genuine Abarth it will still cost you a fortune to keep it on the road and whatever the cost, it should not be counted. End of.... ;D

There is certainly a place for the replica Abarths, especially those we are fortunate enough to experience via the members of this forum. 8)

Hi Simon,

We all are at the same level here. It's not a personal attack to anyone. Some have the opportunity to buy the car they want and some have to spend time and money to achieve the ultimate goal. You're a lucky fellow, having yourself a Stradale. At least there's one who's envying you.. ;) :)
I also had the chance once to buy me the ultimate. As I told you I once had a red Stradale too. Sadly I was forced to sell it again. Now I have the opportunity to get a step further, a group 4 car. Even though I have to put every part together myself.
When you build it from scratch you get to know every part. Even after 25 years I get to learn things I didn't know yet.

Thanks Mike. :)

I have learned a great deal about the 131s since Theo, Kevin and I set up this website and forum back in 2006 in support of the first 3MA event we organised in 2007, and the level of interest, depth and wealth of knowledge worldwide has astonished us all.  :o

I've personally owned 131s since early 1987 when I purchased my first Sport, with three 131s in my current fleet, and the Abarth was always an aspirational car that I never thought I'd actually own myself. In fact I didn't want one back then as I thought they'd be too 'fragile'  - but how wrong was I?! 8)

Anyway - 'every day is a school day' as they say here in England ;D, and I love finding out more about the 131, especially the Group 4 cars, and potential sources of spares and services, so I'll watch and wait with interest to see your car's 'story' unfold. :)

it seemz u have to rob a bank to complete one 131 abarth replica !!
the Q is ,,
which bank should we rob !!!  ;)

You could try to winn the lotery. ;)

Hello,

You're all quite right, but this thread was only to show how much money goes into an replica! and order to decide to destroy a racing. My opinion was to destroy a racing to build a replica,  unfortunately it gives also bad replica's. and than i must say also harm for the sport or racing  :'(

Enzo ;)

Hi Enzo,

You speak of a replica and you post a picture of a real group 4 rally car ;) Did you know this car was for testing and not for a real rally? Walter Rohrl won. Shows again the potention of the 131..... :)

Yes i know, the history of this 131 it was build for Korsika,  and the strike in the factory and Giorgio Pianta.

Look pic 1982 Volta in the same car! Plate TO V33681

Enzo ;)