Popular Post Sunbeam Posted February 2 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 2 Flushed with the glow of success from obtaining legality for the first time in 15 years, I am acutely aware that there is more to do. My exhaust downpipe arrived. It came with an inch and 3/4 outlet and I need to make it 2. Mark: Chop. No going back… Tack. Beer. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbeam Posted February 3 Author Share Posted February 3 Did a bit more today between farm chores and ferrying kids around (to be fair it was for dirt drift karting which I enjoyed as much or more than the kids). First job was to grind off the bottom tacks so I could tweak the end of the pipe down a bit . Then it was time to trim and hang the rest. This took a few goes. Main pipe section is ok Over the diff is good: The rear “muffler” hangs pretty good too, but could do with hanging a few mm lower which is just a small adjustment on the clamp It’s the bit where the front pipe should slip into the first muffler that needs a tweak: It surprises me how much just increasing the diameter of the pipe affects ground clearance. I have 105mm under the front of the first muffler. This is now the lowest point on the car. Also, the hand brake cable is quite close to the pipe- the bare steel bit, not the rubber sheath which will limit my ability to lift the muffler for more ground clearance. Is there a minimum clearance for cables that I need to be cognisant of for WOFs? 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sunbeam Posted February 6 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 6 I have gotten as far as I can go with what I have. I’m very happy with the downpipe I bought, the fit is perfect. All the other joints are aligned now, but this leaves the tailpipe exiting at a 5 degree angle. This will be unfixable without tweaking some bends in the tubing. The lowest hanging part has 125mm ground clearance and it’s close to the rear axle so I’m happy with that. I also haven’t been able to avoid a very tight gap with the rear passenger footwell pressing in the floor. I have 4.5mm… is this too tight? Also, every slip joint has a tiny leak!! I’ve run the engine and it sounds quite stout, a bit more bass but still with all the twinky rasp. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbeam Posted February 7 Author Share Posted February 7 I personally don’t like doing this on slip joints but beggars can’t be choosers. Also I have new rubber hangers so I thought I’d accelerate the stretching process. Yes, that’s an old battery.. 5 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sunbeam Posted February 8 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 8 Yes, 4.5mm is too close. It bangs the floor vigorously when traversing bumps. So I have undone everything again and extended the hook eyes I fabricated for the rubber straps and meddled with some angles and I now have about 10mm. Also, no leaks. Also also it might be a smidge loud. I know, I know but I’m closer to 50 than 40 nowadays and I have enough hearing loss from hundreds of hours in a Cessna 206. Don’t need to be more deaf. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sunbeam Posted February 10 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 10 Been driving around some more. 2200-2800 rpm is punishing to cruise at. Transitioning through this band is fine and generally it makes bad-ass old car tunes. The rear muffler is a straight through bullet style and this needs to change, I think. I have a new problem with clearance though. The exhaust isn’t banging the floor anymore but now the rear axle housing is banging on the inverted U section. I think I need to ditch the slip joints and weld flanges in instead. This will give me some more wiggle room to play with angles before welding the flanges on. Also I may investigate adding another leaf or part leaf to the rear springs. They are so soft I can make the diff housing touch the bump stops (and exhaust)by pressing down firmly on the boot! Increasing ride height is not an option. Servo pic: 8.8 l/100km on this one. I was expecting 10-11 so call me pleasantly surprised. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sunbeam Posted April 22 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 22 1000km post run in oil change time. Then I took it in for some surgery on the exhaust. I got sick of playing around with it so like a coward I farmed it out to a zorst wizard. There was much choppy chop and a quieter centre muffler was grafted in. Still sounds good but is now bearable to drive. Wizard made multiple angle adjustments to clear the diff and brake bias valve and torque arm. One problem to report: Whiff of antifreeze when the heater is on. GROOOAAAN!! Looks like dash out in my future. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sunbeam Posted May 7 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 7 Gratuitous photo. To do list: Leaky weld on muffler Right rear wheel bearing protesting loudly Weeping heater core Left rear tyre touching the inner wheel tub on hard left turns One tappy tappet needs shimming Oil pressure switch weeping Build a good 5 speed from the two I have in stock and butcher modify the tunnel to fit it Rewire main beams with a relay fit electric radiator fan fit retractable front seatbelts, and fit rear seatbelts Otherwise, it starts and runs very well and I’m having fun. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbeam Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 Leaky weld on muffler Right rear wheel bearing protesting loudly Out No in pics. Due to a lack of a press I dropped the axle and bearing kit off at Italian Job (nice fellas) who swapped it over for cheap. Wow, sooo much quiet! Much more pleasant to drive. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sunbeam Posted May 25 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 25 If the running in process wasn’t quite finished before, it is now! Fiat club track day! Thrashed mercilessly and made the brakes stink a lot! And realised my son is not a naturally gifted photographer… Nothing broke and many people told me my car sounds good. There were a couple of Ferraris, 3 Alfa 4C, and a Lotus Evora which was very nice. My car was one of the slowest but the only comparable OS cars out today were a V8 Fairlane, a MK2 Jaaaaag and briefly an Alfa spider. The Jag couldn’t catch me but I spent a fair bit of time being passed by modern turbo hatches. I’m very pleased with the way the Fiat handles for a fairly stock road car on chinesium tyres. Juuuust squeezed 100mph at the end of the pit straight which coincides with the red line on the tacho. If there’s a next time, I need better brake pads and I need to get the twin sideys on, she runs out of breath at 5k rpm. Son was fizzing as he got to go for a hoon in a Lancia Montecarlo race car (with added volumex). 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbeam Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 Not done anything lately except order parts. Nice to get a proper steel expansion tank cap. Plastic one supplied by Midwest Bayliss lasted 1 seconds. Heater tap wasn’t cheap but worth hoovering up. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sunbeam Posted September 28 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 28 I haven’t driven this thing in months! I mainly haven’t had the time to commit to removing the dash to address the leaking heater core, so I’m afraid it’s bodge o’ clock Sucessfully hooned. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iaroslav Shubin Posted October 3 Share Posted October 3 Hi Sunbeam! Yesterday night, I found this page and was fascinated by the journey. I'm here with a question regarding a 1972 fiat 125s Recently, I have come across a Carsales listing for a 1972 fiat 125s in Victoria, Australia (which is where I live). The car is listed for A$7,500 and has almost 90k on the odometer. It has been shedded for the past couple of years, after being bought from Sydney. https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/1972-fiat-125-special-manual/SSE-AD-17929137/ In the breif description, the owner states that it is rust free, and that he isn't sure about the history of the car. From the photos you can tell that the car was stored in a huge barn, along with many other classics which can be seen in the background. I have recently fallen in love with this car, maybe it's something to do with my european nature, but I have been dreaming about owning it, driving, working on it ect. However there is a bit of a twist. I am 16 years old, have never owned a car and don't have great access to tools or a garage. None of my family memebers are interested in cars, with me being an exception. For however long I can remember - I have always anjoyed automobiles and found older cars (<2000) interesting. With that, come slight knowledge of fixing things, working on motorcycles for fun and exploring mechanisms, however experience is clearly lacking. My question is wether it's a smart idea for a person like me to drive 4+ hours to check out the seemingly "faultless" fiat, drive the fiat back and expect a reliable, fun and unique classic without spending much more than the asking price (in the sense of parts, replacements ect...) Since you are rather experienced with these cars, should I be expecting a rust free, perfectly running fiat for $7,500? or would I be sitting in the engine bay, with a welder - patching up rusts spots and pooring thousands into replacement parts within the first years of ownership. My intuition is telling me that buying such a car without much experience is a terrible idea, almost certanly resulting in financial troubles, and it rotting away on the streets from lack of use and harsh weather. Yet the second half of me says to not miss out on such a deal, (as other examples are over 2x $$), and simply go for it. I have not yet consulted with my parents, as i am not sure of how to approach the situation, and wether to a bystander the situation seems ludicrous. I do not yet have the full funds for the car (if any) and will likely need their support, which i will be slowly paying back over time. If the car turns out to be a shitbox, constantly on jackstands, then the money situation will be a bad one to be in, which is why i'm asking for your experienced opinion. I want to thank you for your time in reading this essay I spat out in emotion, and hopefully you can get back to me before the poor thing goes to someone else. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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