131mirafiori forum

For more years than I care to remember the plan with the 131 was to make it pretty much a road legal "Abarth replica" track/hillclimb car. Now 90% of the panels/parts etc are present to achieve this.

The body shell will be restored using the panels from Yagmur and up to this certain point nothing will change.

However I also have ( apart from the interior ) most of the items needed to return to an almost standard appearance, rear wings, wheels, axle etc.

To carry on with the original plan would mean lots of fabrication for the cage/diff/dash etc etc but it would mean a lot less work ( I think ) to go down the other less modified route. Really want to get going on it this year with a clear view of what I'm trying to do.

Might be kind of falling out of love a little with the "replica" idea as there are so many out there :-\. At this point in time though, if this was what I was doing and it was coming along at a pace, I might not be so undecided so guess it's a time issue ::).

Thoughts anyone ??...

yes do a sport replica ( much rarer now  :D ) and get it on the road and bloody enjoy it this decade not the next  ;) .. you can still do sprints , hillclimbs in a street class car like i did ,,

Or a Stradale replica  ;D

(http://www.niimc.com/wp-content/uploads/chris131abarth.jpg)

Mick,
this is what I am thinking more and more every day. There was a time when "Abarths" (I use this term to label the non-standard 2 doors in general) were scarce. Now there are more Abarth mock-ups than is good for the eye - most of them poser's cars anyway. Today, a "Sport" is something scarce and noce to be preserved. And there's nothing wrong with Jason's idea:

Please not another Abarth replica...... There are almost certainly more Abarth replicas now than Sport/Racing models...

Robert, that's exactly what I'm thinking right now. It's kind of hard to change direction though as that's what I had planned for a good few years but will take some time to think about it ;).

Che - I know what your saying, thing is if I'd got my arse in gear years ago it might have been someone else saying this instead of me..do you know what I mean ??...

Replica ... Would make a very pretty road car

Absolutely Mick, in hindsight I bet you are not the only one who wished they had got it together a few years back and rescued a few :)

It's only my personal opinion, and I of course agree that anyone has the right to do whatever they wish with their car without any snobbery from anyone else, but it is worth thinking about where you'll be in a few more years with these motors. If what's happened with the escort is any guide, a well restored original car *should* be a good investment as well as being something that stands out against the many replicas. I am not in anyway knocking anyone who has built a replica though, they take serious work to pull off, just offering an opinion :)

Actually, there is a middle way - incidentally the road I followed:

(http://www.oelprinz-online.de/images/fiat/2011-bs04.jpg)

All changes (bonnet, trunk cover, seats, rollbar  etc) are completely reversible, as I have kept all the original interior and do have a spare bonnet and trunk cover. However, the car at its present state is quite a nice performer with a FIA car pass and no body cuts for fitting any replica parts.

I really do like your car Robert, it certainly is different from the majority of 131's on here 8).

This has made me think if I was to go down the "replica" route ( mine would not be a replica like Enzo's for example, it would merely have the Group 4 kit ) how many 131 replica's or ones with a Stradale/Group 4 kit fitted are there in the UK ?.

Of the top of my head there's..

Fudge 131's, the recent ebay Alitalia rep, Andy C's, Hicky's...can't think of any more ???

Add 4 from RSD and Dave's car and you're close to 10 Replicas - and that's just from memory and not counting Ireland (Republic and Northern Ireland) - including this poser car, for which a very good Sport gave its life for: http://www.131mirafiori.com/smf/index.php?topic=7231.0

On the other hand, 131Racing/Sport seem to be (from memory again, please forgive my ignorance) almost extinct; Theo's car (the one with the Lancia wheels - does it count at all?  ;) ) is the only UK Racing I have seen in the flesh lately. Bobby's Racing went to Ireland, where Paucas' car went I dunno, the other known Racings are in bits and pieces. Looks like there are more Racings in Germany than in the UK  :o

I know of at least 20 road worthy 131 sport/racings in the UK.

Kev131 could probably give us a more accurate figure - but definately at least 20 that I know of.

But they never come out to play  :o :o

But that doesn't mean they don't exist  ;)

Chris, I'd have said most of those 20 are owned by one man in Northern Ireland  ;D and are kept under glass  ;D

Chris - I gave up trying to keep track of them years ago! What we once thought was a scare commodity has surprised us all with the number of good survivors...and even bad ones!  :)

Mick - Whatever route you choose the main thing is to get it on the road and get involved in the many events that are happening all the time....great memories being created every year!  :)