Best Of France and Italy 07- Los Angeles, California, USA

[pintopower]

Hello All. This past Sunday, 11/4/07, I attended biggest italian car show for Fiats in California. The show had 300 Fiats and 400 Alfa's there. I am sure that in Europe thats nothing, but here it was amazing. I have attended this show for 4 years now and it has doubled in size every year! There were two 131/Brava's there this year. One of them was there 2 years ago but was sold to a new owner who has made the care flawless. The second is for sale but was in fairly good shape and ran well. I also met 2 more 131 owners that are currently building their cars but were not at the show. I was glad to see the cars there and did inform them of this site. I cant wait until mine is ready!

This car is a 1978 131S Super Mirafiori. It is its original color with black leather interior. The owner added fuel injection along with a 2 liter engine in place of the cars original 1800 Carb.

[pintopower]

Here is the rear

[pintopower]

And the inside...

[pintopower]

This is a 1981 2 Liter Super Brava EFI. It has 110k miles. The car has the 5 sp. Trans and factory, working air conditioning. Mechanicly the car is in great shape. Cosmeticly, it needs everything. You see the 131 racing body kit next to it? Yea....I bought that for my 131! YAY!!!

[pintopower]

And here is the rear.

[pintopower]

And seeing as how my Brava looks terrible and 124 wasn't back from the paint shop, I decided to bring my 1980 Strada. 8 months of mechanical work to get it here.

[Thotos]

Looks like a very good show and those are impressive attendance numbers; we don't have many fields big enough for over 700 cars!

The shiny Brava looks very nice and I really like the wheels. It looks as if there was a second set in black for sale too! I also like the wheels on your Strada and I really like the colour of your Strada. In fact your Strada looks very nice indeed.

Interesting instrument panel in the Brava with circular instruments. I presume that is a custom made panel?

[simon131]

I'd say that the first car is a series 1 California spec Special and not a Supermirafiori The engine fitted to Californian series 1 cars was an unleaded version of the 1800 twin cam unit, which was also available in the 124 Spider at the time (1975-1977). FIAT had to use a twin cam as the overhead valve unit used in the European spec cars would not have had any output at all if fitted with all of the emission control gear

The dials look to me to be out of a 124 Sport (probably a Spider), mounted as Theo suggests in a custom made dash.

The second car is more akin to the European series 2 Supermirafiori, and was fitted with an unleaded 2000TC from the 132 range (which also, in a 'leaded' form, made it's way into the European 131 too from 1978 ).

The biggest differences externally are the 'front to back' grooves in the bonnet and boot (trunk) lid on the earlier cars. On later (post 1978) 131's these panels were smooth. Also, check out the dash boards. The earlier car has a pull down 'flap' on the glovebox, with effectively, side entry, whereas the later (series 2) Supermirafiori had a sliding top mounted lid. The series 3, which I don't think was available in the US, has a large, spring loaded hinged lid to the glove box - different to the other two.

Lovely cars either way and great to see so many Fiats and Alfas out in the Californian sunshine!

[kev131]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fiat-Brava-1981-Fiat-131-Mirafiori-Brava-California-A-C-112K-Miles_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6218QQihZ018QQitemZ280170446644QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

700 Fiat/Alfas in the same field - Are you kidding? Thats an amazing turnout - I had no idea the Fiat scene was so big in the states. Long may it last ...especially with the classics.

[pintopower]

Simon131

Good point Simon. The reason I stated that the Series one 131 was a super mirafiori was because it said that on the rear panel (look closly). I imagine that he installed that. Either way, from the work that was done on that cars engine, it is really fast! It may not be a super mirafiori but it is one SUPER 131!

Thotos

Thanks for the comments about my Strada. That poor car had a hard salty east coast life. The sheer fact that it remains alive was no small task!

Kev131

Good eye. I guess that guy did not sell it at the show! Any one want a US spec car in Europe? Nows your chance!

About the Instrument cluster, I have seen another series one 131 here and it had the same cluster. I just assumed it was factory. I will look into that.

[simon131]

Hi Pintopower,

I don't dispute that the first car is lovely, but the dash is definitely not 'stock' The pic below shows the dash and instruments in my 1976 Special (upon which this first car is closely based).

As you say, the 'Supermirafiori' badge has been lifted from a different car. (Looks like a series 2 rear light mounted badge to me ). The 'FIAT 131 S' badge on the left hand side of the rear panel is the correct one - and that's 'S' for 'Special'

[pintopower]

Wow, well, I will ask the owner what he did to the dash. He certainly did a good job.

[tmvolumex]

The "First car" belongs to Dave Voss a friend of mine here in Northern California.? Dave recently bought this car because it had a perfect body and chassis and then he swapped his favorite parts over from the other 131's he has owned. I think he has owned 7 or more 131's over the past 20 years. Yes, he has made a custom instrument panel, installed an early dash and made several other mods. Dave is a wealth of knowledge on 131's, since he has owned them for so long and he does all his own work. I thought Dave must know about this site but maybe not. Ill let him know about it.
tmvolumex

[pintopower]

tmvolumex - Wow! Thats very cool. He was alot of fun to talk to at the show. I am looking forward to getting my poor Brava together so I can bring it next year. Fixing 25 years of half assed repairs (the car was repainted with a paint brush and house paint!  ) is not fun but seeing what he did to his 131 gave me hope! Ask him to email me.
pintopower@hotmail.com

[FIATCAN]

    Yes, a very knowledgable gentleman when it comes to the 131's. I've recently purchaced some parts from Dave and he has given me a few pointers  with my mini restoration. 
    Maybe Pintopower, you could get the other 131 owners to post pictures and info of their cars. It would be great to see? all the North American 131/Brava's, and chat with there owners.

FIATCAN