Well you wanted some photos!

[mirafioriman]

As requested, some photos of my latest purchase. Photos posted here:

www.dropshots.com/argentaman

Had a good look at the car today. It looks as good as I thought it was. Due to the weather I have not been underneath it yet, but if it is as good underneath it is a good project.

As far as I can tell everything works such as the heater and blower, wipers etc. The car has a blow in the exhaust and stuttered a bit on the way home, but other than that drove really well. Brakes, steering and suspension seemed fine.

Seems to have been 'rustproofed' at some time pretty well. This has most probably helped to ensure it's survival, as has the ten years in the dry under cover.

[kev131]

Good report on the car Dave - Well worth the money and very saveable.

A few photos of the rest of your Fiat fleet would be appreciated when you get the time.

K

[eugene]

Dave i hope you gave the man that you bought the car sum luck,as it was your gain and his loss.Usually it's the other way round

[simon131]

There's no doubt in my mind that certain body colours seem to 'save' the 131 more than others. Possibly something to do with the pigment....I don't know, but it certainly seems that "Paper Blue" 418 seems to preserve the 131 more than "Lacquer Red" 118 or "Champagne Yellow" 238. When was the last time you saw a 131 in either of these two colours?

Good on ya Dave . Another 131 to add to your increasing fleet. Just need to get a few more of them roadworthy now. Which one are you bringing to 3MA08 Scotland?

White was never a very good colour for the 131 either (or any other FIAT of the period for that matter). Probably something to do with the rust showing through a little bit more on white cars.

[kev131]

Colour as a preservative...? - Interesting theory Si.
In the hotter countries certainly white seems to be a very popluar colour although this is probably more to do with it's heat repellant characteristics than anything else.

Taking this theory a step further which Sport/Racing colour do you think resists rust most...?

[simon131]

I'd have to say that orange appears to have stood the test of time better than the other colours available but that might just be that enthusiasts want an orange 131 Sport.

Back in 1986 when I had my first 131 Sport, a 1981/W black example, a work colleague had a 1979/T silver car which after six months of ownership he drove to the scrap yard. It was rotten as a pear - even in places it was impossible to get rot - or so I thought, and it was only 7 year old.

In more than 21 years of owning and buying 131s (the last one I sold (stupidly!) being a blue 1984/A-reg 2000TC Super back in late 2001) I'd say that when looking for 131 Sports/Racing the colour is less important than the year of manufacture.

Generally - For UK sourced cars, Sport/Racing produced from early 1980 to close to the end of two door production about Sept 1981 are best in terms of overall rust treatment. (This would cover V and W reg cars). Later X and Y reg 131 Sports were 'old stock'. Shells were produced and stock piled outside until they were ordered - much like the early Lancia Delta 4X4 and Integrale.

Silver 131s seem to suffer the worst. Theo's 'Dudley' (131 Sport), my silver X-reg 131 Sport, my mate Steve's 131 Super 2000TC have all suffered more than most. Blue definitely seems to be the better of the colours, although my wife Wendy had a 1981/X reg 1600CL in colour 400 - metallic blue, which was a rot box.

Perhaps 'metallic' colours were the problem?

[mirafioriman]

Had a good look under the blue car today, and am glad to say that due to a thick layer of black waxy substance, it seems really solid! So this project is go. I would like to turn this into a really nice car. I don't think it will remain as a 1300 4 speed though!

[bellamacchina]

I have the same experience, the metallic cars rotted even faster as the non-metallic cars. I don't know if it is something with pigments. Here I always wondered that from 2nd serie 127s the yellow ones lasted the longest and Toyota Corollas in chocolatepiebrown also lasted very long.
The part Simon told about Racings is very true as they are actually built a short period and later registered cars were often standing for a year or longer. Our Racing with a/c was 1st registered in 1980 but shows wheels from 1978! My Racing Vx is first registered in 1984! Surely built in 1981 or before! See also the story about Volumetricos in general discussion!
But it's true that Racing rusted almost as fast as they were if not protected and cherished very well!

[mirafioriman]

Perhaps peoples colour choice is related to the way they treat their cars. That light blue colour was perhaps popular with people who were conservative in their outlook and the way they treated their cars. My most recent blue car spent the last ten years in a dry garage, no doubt that helped to save it!