wide arch 131 ,is it yours

[Bob131]

Hi Barry nice to hear from you on here, how is your brother Deane?

would he or you still have the Guy Croft engine for sale? I wish I had brought that from Deane when I saw him a few years back.

[barry]

Hi guys got 5 mins doing the car i have had a couple of homer doh! moments firstly i went to belgium to buy the body kit which i must say are very rough a month later i find walezy has what i can see is a far superior product a lot cheeper, secondly i got all the floors welded up and what do know yagmur comes on the scene oh hum never mind it would have looked better replacing the panels in one but what i have done seems strong enough i feel if you jack the car up where the points used to be and nothings happens it will do.

Hi turb the system i am using is from RP LAB with the work done by MSD in blackpool because like you i didn't want to cut into the bulkhead it works by having a small mod in the ecu then utilises the crank sensor on the grale engine but what they didn,t say hence why i sent the car down IRS another sensor is needed  on the cam or dist drive. It is a wasted spark system. The engine was out of 87 8v it now has a big valve head off a strada 130 to have flow the correct way and the whole lot was rebuilt by Mark at  IRS.

To counter the balance shafts on the engine the starter had to go on the other side so cut the starter section off the grale bell housing and the corresponding piece off the 131 housing then got them welded unfortunatly not doing it my self the guy didn't get them lined up perfect on the face so when mated to the engine there is a couple of mm gap at the top so i had to space the starter with a couple of washers but it seems it isn't any good so Mark going to recut and re weld it the idea is sound but the execution was not.

Hi Bob yes dean is ok he sold the engine, 45s and 4 branch for i think ?1500 pretty cheap for a croft engine with 1000 miles on it.
                              regards  barry     

[turb]

Hello Barry
Sounds like a great project, should be capable of slapping a permanent smile on any driver. Please keep us updated with your progress.
My project is installing an 89 Thema 8v turbo engine, so similar but I have kept the reverse port head, we are probably suffering from the same never ending headache!
Regards Jeremy.

[miro-1980]

Bary!

Do not take Side's comments too sensuously . He does it to everybody, who decides to do something else than original racing. I get it from him all the time.  

Funny enough despite I have built b a 31 abarth from a racing body I do share one of Sid's point : if the car is in a very good shape - keep it original - of not do whatever you please.

Obviously, Sid makes assumption that we all chop perfect shape racings to make lousy replicas , and this is where he is wrong . In almost all cases I have seen so far the racings which were modified were very rarely in a good shape warranting replica restoration.

Congratulations on the project . Do a good job and be proud of it as you should.

Keep sharing with us the progress ( PICTURES !!!)

Regards

Miro

PS Sid : do you agree              

[sid131]

Obviously, Sid makes assumption that we all chop perfect shape racings to make lousy replicas , and this is where he is wrong . In almost all cases I have seen so far the racings which were modified were veryt rarely in a good shape warranting replica restoration.

Miro!!! i dont think that!! but you have to admit there are some abortions out there masquerading as abarth replicas?
Enzo converted a extremely good walter R 131 but it was his to do as he wished & i have to admire the result a brilliant car detail perfect.
but there are others that dont follow your & Enzos example like to convert properly FAT wallet is need & will be emptied easily enough on the parts.

[miro-1980]

Sid,  

You know I was only teasing...

You also know I agree with you 100% (even though you do  not  race and do not know what a tarmac Abarth is ...   .)

I also believe that discouraging the over eager "abarth replica builders" is a very good idea!
  
It is actually to their advantage - they are told up front how to avoid a project which will be extremely expensive, time consuming and they have 90% odds of failing . This gives them an opportunity to think again save a lot of money , time and frustration before this unfinished project has to be junked , abandoned or worse : scare all fiat lovers who will ever see it.

They are offered a chance of undertaking a project they have a real good chance to finish, get the car to a beautiful shape becoming a heroes among fiat lovers around the world  instead of being looked down by any body who knows and loves fiats as mutants of sorts.  

So, candidates for making 131 Abarth replica be warned ,

Read a lot and count your cash assets for few years into the future . As Sid says . even fat wallets funding such projects get thin very quickly.

Unless you are a mechanic yourself and can do 90% of the work yourself (or your garage staff mechanics)  do not  try starting such project without a budget of minimum $100.000 and a time frame of less than 5 years .

If you think this is B-S , think again.          

Miro

[mirafioriman]

Surely it depends what you want from a car. Not everybody wants a replica that is an exact copy in terms of the engine, suspension and so on. Perhaps some people just like the look of a 131 with the Abarth kit on.

I do agree though that to do the full replica that is difficult to tell from an original Abarth is time consuming and expensive.

[miro-1980]

Oh, I fully agree !!!

Just the look is fine with me !!!

I always enjoy a nice 131 abarth look, but the message I would have is this :

Whatever replica you built ( full, partial . looks only ) you do do it right and be proud of it.

(also have a thick skin as there will be all sorts of critics putting it down (rightly or wrongly).

Stick to your guns and love your car.

The project will be compared to all other known project of this kind and judged based of such comparison. It will be ranked , positioned , described and .... it does not matter - if you love your car it does not have to be seen  by everybody as the most beautiful in the eyes of others./ it is like a woman - what is important is that you love her. Nothing else matters!/

Miro

 
 

[TOAD]

(miro)      Bravo that man, well spoken indeed sir.

                       Roger???..



 P.s    Meant most enthusiastically. 

[barry]

Thanks for that miro it is each to their own and it is great on this site the passion people have for the 131, over the last couple of years reading about the different projects that have been from all parts of the world who would have thought, i have to blame Theo because i read an article on his car and it brought all the memories back as mine in the 80s was grey so my original plan was to buy a nice example from italy convert it to rhd as i had the parts to do it and what happens i end up doing the complete opposite the body was a decision of stradale type arches or integrale shape as i like the black one in turkey. It then went there.

I am total muppet with a computer but i could try to start a thread in the projects  section and give you the whole story and answer any questions.

Hi jeremy is the 89 thema engine pre balance shaft block like the early cromas were.

             regards barry   

   

[miro-1980]

Gents, thank you all for the kind comments.

I am very happy you agree.

This is a fine forum and I am proud to be a part of it. It is really rewarding to have so many "friends-in-fiat 131" from all around the world.  It would not be possible without this forum !

Founding members :
   kev131
   Thotos
   simon131

This is thanks to you !

We all appreciate the work you have put it over the years and continue to put in to keep this forum going.    

Miro


PS Barry , I have started new thread for you  called "Barry's project".
By all means tell us more .... and put some pictures in

M  

[turb]

Hello Barry
We had different specifications down here, as a general rule the Themas had balance shafts, the Cromas didn't. So yes I'm running the balance shafts, I am also using the early ohv 131 bell housing with the reversed starter motor mount.
Regards
J. 

[mirko131]

Gents, thank you all for the kind comments.

I am very happy you agree.

This is a fine forum and I am proud to be a part of it. It is really rewarding to have so many "friends-in-fiat 131" from all around the world.  It would not be possible without this forum !

Founding members :
   kev131
   Thotos
   simon131

This is thanks to you !   

[jasonh131]

hi turb
  barry stated a project thead to follow all his progress
http://131mirafiori.com/smf/index.php?topic=3402.0
jason