860-871-1990 [email protected]

Check out the NEW www.flu.org
Visit the web for the latest in what’s happening in YOUR club.
We
need your submissions!
RICAMBI needs submissions from YOU! Anything from a
simple photo and description of your car to a nice article telling
about your car or interesting tech knowledge. Send photos and
articles to [email protected] or call 865-604-3271
for instructions on how to submit your articles. FLU thanks you!
Editorial submissions can be sent in for consideration to:
Freeman Melancon Bryant Advertising
Attn: Brett Melancon
145 South Gay Street
Knoxville TN 37902
All submitted material will be considered and is subject
to editing to fit the format of RICAMBI. Material will not
be returned unless arranged before submission. Questions
regarding submissions shoule be directed to Brett Melancon
at 865-604-3271.
Editorial and photos may be submitted electronically via
disk/CD or e-mail. All ads must be at least 270 pixels per
inch, saved as cmyk, RGB color tif or eps. I can accept material
created in most software, call for details. Please do not send low
resolution graphics from web sites unless you call and discuss it
with me first.
Please send all checks for classifieds to Scott Hill, Club Treasurer
3258 Scioto Farms Drive, Hillard, OH 43026
1
www.flu.org
FLU Officers
FLU Board
John Montgomery
[email protected]
(864) 304-1337
President
Mike Greer
[email protected]
Thad Kirk
[email protected]
Jon Logan
[email protected]
Vice President
Tim Beeble
Secretary
Scott Hill
[email protected]
Treasurer
Woody Woodson
[email protected]
RICAMBI, Membership,
FLU Website
Bobb Rayner
[email protected]
Brett Melancon
[email protected]
Editor/Publisher
Chris Layton
[email protected]
Website Coordinators
Jon Logan
[email protected]
Membership
Shaun H. Folkerts
[email protected]
FLU Ambassador
(516) 983-FIAT
Dwight Varnes
[email protected]
John Erskine
[email protected]
Jon Logan
[email protected]
Brett Melancon
[email protected]
Tim Beeble
[email protected]
Chris Layton
[email protected]
Kevin Barnett
[email protected]
Mark Your Calendars!
Join a 43 year long summer tradition in Pennsylvania – Das Awkscht
Fescht! Our Fiat Club will be participating in this huge car show
which brings antique and classic automobiles from all over the US and
Canada. Over 42 acres are jam packed with 3,000 cars, vendors and
food. There are no classes or judging—just beautiful cars and their
owners having a good time. Join us on Saturday or Sunday, August
4th and 5th to help represent our club. Sunday is a “Club Day” –
meaning autos will be grouped by club – and, therefore, an especially
important day for you to attend. On Saturday, our cars will be
grouped with other foreign cars. Click here to register by July 1st –
you cannot register on the day of the show! Registration is only $13 a
day and is well worth the camaraderie and other nice vehicles you’ll
get to see. If you have any questions about this Event please contact
John Rome, Delaware Valley Chapter, at [email protected]
FLU is spreading, if you would like to start a FLU chapter in
your area, please contact John Montgomery for information
on how to become an official FLU chapter. Join the fun!
Arizona "Desert FLU" (chapter)
Eric Lynn– (602) 524-0053
[email protected]
Ottawa Canada
North East
VT/NH/ME/RI/MA
Atlanta (chapter)
John Montgomery– (864) 304-1337
[email protected]
Toronto
Northeast Coast CT/NJ/NY
WYNSO
Pittsburgh
Blue Ridge (chapter)
Jim Aitken– (434) 295-0990
[email protected]
Carolina FLU (NC & SC) (chapter)
Kevin Barnett– (828) 230-8470
[email protected]
Mid-Atlantic
Ohio Valley
Delaware Valley
Indiana
Blue Ridge
Rocky Mountain
East Tennessee
Carolina FLU
Mid-South
Arizona-Desert FLU
Atlanta
Romin Chariots
Delaware Valley (chapter)
John Rome– (610) 336-8454
[email protected]
Detroit (chapter)
Sue Watch–
[email protected]
Mark Your Calendars!
Fiat Freak Out Detroit...
July 27, 28 and 29 2007
East Tennessee (regional contact)
Brett Melancon– (865) 604-3271
[email protected]
Texas FLUud (Houston) (chapter)
Mike Rutenberg
[email protected]
Florida-FLU (chapter)
Kevin Barnett– (828) 230-8470
[email protected]
Toronto (chapter)
Jerry Cucchiara– (416) 496-0071
[email protected]
Indiana (chapter)
Mike Walsh– (765) 345-9883
[email protected]
Mid-Atlantic (chapter)
Haz Neuman– (410) 836-1102
[email protected]
Mid-South (chapter)
Chris Layton– (901) 619-4872
[email protected]
North East VT/NH/ME/RI/MA (chapter)
Kevin Barnett– (828) 230-8470
[email protected]
Northeast Coast CT/NJ/NY (chapter)
Tim Beeble– (203) 743-4954
[email protected]
Ohio Valley (chapter)
Jim Keller– (740) 465-5700
[email protected]
Ottawa Canada (chapter)
Jeff Schneider– (613) 733-5657
[email protected]
Pittsburgh (chapter)
Al Dubinsky– (412) 521-8561
[email protected]
Roamin Chariots (chapter)
Ron Colon– (405) 325-9498
[email protected]
Rocky Mountain (chapter)
Joel Hailey
[email protected]
Texas FLUid
(Houston)
FLO-FLU
West Michigan FLU (chapter)
Jon Prisbe– (231) 788-1649
Jon Prisbe at [email protected]
or Mike Bouse at [email protected]
WYNSO (Western New York, So. Ontario)(chapter)
Darryl Stacey– (716) 822-3812
[email protected]
Spring Driving Event – Douglassville to Delaware Run
by Damon Royal Kane
Saturday April 21, 2007 (no rain date)
Join us for this new run that cuts across the
Berks and Chester County ridges and delivers
twisty roads and great scenery. Starting in
Douglassville, we head south through French
Creek State Park were we first see the headwaters
of the French Creek. We will basically follow the
creek heading south along the twisty roads that
are defined by the creek. We will cross wide
valleys and get some good views, then head into
and through Downingtown. Then we continue
south and scenically and quietly enter Delaware.
The only way to know we cross the state line is by
the change in pavement. We then loop west and
then north and end in the lovely town of Kennett
Square. There we will dine at a wonderful brew
pub, the Half Moon, with a roof deck, a fantastic
selection of brews and great food. Lunch entrees
range from 7 to 10 dollars. Please bring cash to pay
for your lunch.
We will start at the Wawa center just east of
Route 100 on Route 724 in Douglassville. This can
be accessed from Route 422, to Route 100 south,
then exit at Route 724 east. Let's meet at 9:30 a.m.
for a 10:00 departure.
Since this is a Del Val Fiat sponsored driving
event, club membership is required to participate
and enjoy the protection of club insurance. If you
are not a member, please come and join us for the
day and see what club has to offer. A
"Day Membership" is available for guests at a
modest cost of $5 payable to Fiat Lancia
Unlimited. If you like what you see, you can join
the club as a full member and apply this fee to the
full membership fee of $35. If your membership
has lapsed we can renew it on the spot. Renewal is
$35 payable to Fiat Lancia Unlimited.
We request that you bring your CB radio
for communications during the drive. There will
be no rain date, the drive will be good in the rain,
great in the sunshine. So we can plan, please send
a confirming email stating your interest in
the FLU Downingtown to Delaware Run to
[email protected]
www.flu.org
2
Dear Members,
Welcome to spring! This winter we
had record cold winter temperatures,
so perhaps it’s time for a little global
warming? Like any good citizen of
“Mother Earth”, I decided to park my
gas guzzling SUV truck last weekend
for the first spring cruise in my Italian
car. The Bertone X 1/9 came out of the
garage and I firmly put my carbon
footprint on a ribbon of winding
asphalt. It was great to reel off the first
miles of the 2007 Italian motoring
season. There’s nothing like the wind
in your hair while revving up a
hot cam and listening to that Italian
symphony of an exhaust. Sorry Al
Gore, I confess that I removed my
catalytic converter. Hey, if China and
the third world are exempt from the
Kyoto pollution treaty, my X 1/9
should be too. I demand equal rights
to pollute!
I’m carbon neutral on all the global
warming hype. Why? We are still
waiting (since the 1980’s) for the
previously scheduled “acid rain” crisis
to wipe out the planet. We allegedly
destroyed all the rain forests, yet we’re
all still here. Before that we were
waiting (since the 1970’s) for the oil
and global energy shortage to wipe us
out. Seems Exxon and BP are making
record profits these days so there is
plenty of oil and even Jimmy Carter
doesn’t wear his sweater anymore.
Before that we were waiting (since the
1960’s) for the impending population
explosion and a worldwide food
shortage. Perhaps the obesity problem
down at the Wal-Mart is a hint that
we are not starving. All this crisis stuff
is absurd and the only sure thing is
that the doomsayers will “move on” to
another calamity...when the funding
runs out.
However, in keeping with the
times, one must be politically correct.
So as not to offend anyone, here
goes...“I hereby admit to climate
change! Yes, the climate is changing...
for the hobby car collector.”
The global environment for
collector car enthusiasts is sizzling hot.
From a creaky old AMC to an early Z
car; the market for collector cars,
parts, service and restoration work has
never burned brighter. Right now
there are over 2500 Fiat and Lancia
items on Ebay. Our new Ricambi issue
features a great article on parts sources
along with information networks
from all over the world. Some of the
rare parts for our cars are in many
cases now worth more than an entire
parts car. Demand exceeds supply of
some items, so that means prices are
higher. How many times have we seen
Fiat and Lancia parts inventories get
discarded, consolidated or crushed
over the last 25 years? We are paying
the price now because the long term
value of these items for repair &
restoration was given little thought
back in the old days.
I recently saw a repainted brown
Fiat Spider sell on the Internet for
over $9000. It wasn’t even a factory
correct color match. Not to pick on
brown Spiders, but a few years ago
you could not give away a brown
Spider for one third of the price. Nice
Fiat 500’s are bringing nearly
$10K, along with top drawer X 1/9’s.
Even 850’s, 128’s, and 131’s have
appreciated, if you can find one. Five
years ago very few people wanted
these cars since they were never
considered an “investment” vehicle.
I’m certain that dollar for dollar if you
had bought a nice Fiat or Lancia a few
years ago instead of some stocks, you
would have beaten Wall Street. Not to
mention that you’ll look cool driving
around in your portfolio.
I sold two of my Italian cars in the
last two years; a black 1985 Spider
and my 1982 Lancia HPE. Since I use
collector car insurance, it really did not
cost that much to hold on to them. But
the lure of cash money is tough to
pass up. They went to wonderful
owners and I made a nice return on
the investment, but I sold them short.
The Spider would sell for at least 30%
more today, and the Lancia will go
nowhere but up because it was one of
the best examples in existence. This
has not been the first time I have
regretted selling a car. Fifteen years
ago I sold a super clean and mildly
hopped up 1983 Rabbit GTI for a
paltry $2400. I sold my beloved 40K
mile midnight blue 1974 Spider in
1981 for only $1500. I’m still kicking
myself over that sale. The same cars
would sell for many times the price
today...if you can even find one. Well,
at least there is a lot less nagging
around the house after these sales, but
I miss those cars and now realize that
earplugs are very cheap. Remind me
never to sell one of my collector cars
again, would you?
They say that a journey of 1000
miles begins with the first step. This
year FLU members will begin their
journey in Italian motoring all over
North America with car shows,
drives, autocrosses and activities of
every sort. We’ll be rallying, racing,
wrenching and revving in a record
number of venues. Just look at the
schedule! It’s packed full! Plus we
have another great Fiat Freak Out
coming up July 27 to 29th in Detroit at
the Marriot Centerpoint hotel in
Pontiac, Michigan. It’s gonna be great!
Wherever we go, FLU will cover its
members with insurance as part of
the regular membership dues.
Non-members can run with us too
for a measly $5 day membership
fee, except for FFO. We have made
provisions that you and your Chapter
can run as safe as possible with full
liability insurance coverage no matter
what type of event your group decides
to do. Nearly everyone agrees that it’s
important today to be insured for
liability when you put your club or
personal name on an event flyer or
plan a pre-determined group drive out
on the road.
continued on page 25
3
www.flu.org
The
FIAT Freak
by Bobb Rayner
Ciao Bambini!
What a world we live in! As I write
this, I’m several kilometers up in the
sky on an aeroplane headed for Atlanta,
Georgia. Brett is crying out for more
material to get this issue of Ricambi to
you in a timely manner, so I’m taking
advantage of my time in the air to
crank out another installment of my
motor enthusiast musings. Sometime
during the ten days that I’ll be in
Atlanta working at the Atlanta Auto
Show, I’ll be connecting with FLU
president John Montgomery for some
libations and FLU club talk. I visited
John around the same time last year,
and he took me to some of Atlanta’s
landmark areas in his extremely unique
Mercury Scorpio sedan. If you think
Fiats and Lancias are rare, trust me,
John’s European four-door is rarer
still…and a nice ride at that!
THE NEWS
As usual, I comb the internet and
various auto industry publications in
search of news of interest on Fiats,
Lancias, and other Italian cars. As this
article is being written, the 77th annual
Geneva International Auto Show is
underway in Switzerland. Fiat’s display
is focusing on the new Fiat Bravo car
and the introduction of the new Fiat
logo, making their debut in front a
great international audience. The new
logo is an intriguing blend of the old
“Fiat” logo badge that was composed
of tall letters over a red background,
surrounded by a contemporary metallic
disc. It’s very similar to the logo seen on
the hood badges of many Spiders,
X1/9s, and older Fiats, but with a very
modern flair, thus combining an
acknowledgment of Fiat’s past heritage
with a view toward the future.
For the European premiere of the
Bravo at Geneva, the Fiat stand is
presenting ten different models of the
car, featuring three different versions
called Dynamic, Emotion and Sport,
powered by three different engines,
including the 120 BHP and a 150 BHP
1.9 Multijet engines, and a 150 BHP 1.4
T-JET engine. Interior trims features
fabric or leather upholstery in a variety
of colors and embroidery patterns.
I find the new Fiat Bravo to be a
stunning car, with swoopy lines that are
not unlike some racy Japanese or
American sports cars, but it still appears
to be distinctly Italian. I’ve read many
recent articles claiming that Fiat is
NOT going the way of many other
manufacturers in using deep discounts
and sales promotion incentives in order
to sell cars. Instead, Fiat is now focusing
on quality of construction, premium
content, and design appeal in an effort
to improve sales. Hey…that’s the way
it should be! When all is said and done,
it all comes down to product, not price.
The Japanese have always known that,
while the Americans seemed to have
forgotten it for several decades. I my
opinion, Fiat always had the right
product in terms of visual design and
performance, but the days of poorquality construction in the ’70s and ‘80s
hurt the marque badly in North
America and Western Europe.
During the public days of the Geneva
show, the Fiat stand will display
additional models from its renovated
range. Visitors will be able to examine
the Panda 100 HP, a sporty version
equipped with a top-performing power
unit, the 100 BHP 1.4 16v, and
the environmentally-friendly Panda
Natural Power, which combines driving
pleasure with a clean, fuel-pinching
engine running on gasoline and natural
gas. All Wheel Drive is featured on
several new Fiat models, along with the
most modern features such as automatic
climate control and sophisticated
Bluetooth technology called “Blue&MeTM,”
which allows convenient wireless
connection between devices such as
mobile
phones,
PDAs,
and
multi-media players. Also on display is
the newest engine from Fiat Powertrain
Technologies, the 1.4 T-JET, developing
150 BHP as fitted in the new Bravo.
Many FLU members know that I
travel all over the USA working at
major auto shows as a product specialist
and presenter for Lincoln-Mercury. As
a result of my thirteen-year involvement
in the auto business, I am fortunate to
be able to plug into industry news. At
the 2007 N. American International
Auto Show in Detroit in January, I met
one of the Ford Motor Company’s top
executives in Europe, and he told me
that Ford is working with Fiat on a
number of projects, including engine
development. I hope to have more
details about this alliance in the future.
However, one thing I can tell you is that
the automobile industry is changing
rapidly, and the lines between individual
manufacturers are blurring consistently.
For example, in early February of this
year, the new Fiat Bravo was launched
in Europe, featuring a fabulous
audio system that is actually designed
and manufactured by the Visteon
Corporation in China! In the modern
age, there’s really no longer any car that
is totally Italian, Japanese, American,
etc. In fact, after the General Motors/
Fiat alliance was totally absolved over a
year ago, Fiat has been working with
Ford and other competitors in joint
development of parts and complete
automotive systems.
THE VIEWS
The event calendar is shaping up
for 2007, with the annual kickoff
FLU gathering set to happen at the
Carlisle Import Festival in Carlisle, PA,
May 18 – 20. This event is not an
“official” FLU event, but a popular
swap meet, car show, and car sale that
takes place each May in central
Pennsylvania. It’s always provided a
good excuse for FLU folks to gather
continued on back page
www.flu.org
4
by Mike Space
C
oncourso Italiano 2006 was to
be a celebration of Lancia’s
100th anniversary, and since I
have owned several dozen Lancias
since I bought my first Aurelia in
1964, attendance seemed mandatory.
Much as I would have loved to drive
out in one of my Lancias, neither time
nor budget smiled optimistically on
me, and my most worthy car, a 1956
Aurelia convertible, though quite
pretty and nice to drive, was still much
less debugged than I would have
wanted for a venture of that magnitude.
Fortunately my good friend Steve
Katzman, as much a fanatic as I am
and a denizen of Marin county,
offered me use of his 1964 Flaminia
Pininfarina Coupe for the event, while
he would drive his incredibly original
1954 Aurelia Spider. Plans began to
gel in spring, and by July Steve and his
wife Jeanne had lined up a cottage
about a half hour away from the
Concourso site, and just as convenient
to Mazda/Laguna Seca Raceway. I
flew out to join them, and we spent
the first day hanging out, tinkering
with the two cars and planning our
weekend before heading south in a
two-car caravan down the twisty
roads between San Rafael and the
Monterey Peninsula.
Monterey Historics Weekend, as it
is known, is a whole series of events,
many overlapping, ranging from
huge, high end auctions to low key
flea markets, including the Pebble
Beach show, Quail Lodge show,
Concourso Italiano, the Monterey
Historic races, and general “see and be
seen”. There was also a meeting of the
American Lancia Club one evening
that would certainly be well attended,
especially since a large portion of the
nation’s Lancias reside in the west and
the northwest. It was pretty obvious
that we couldn’t do it all, so we
focused on the events where the
Lancias would be. That would be the
club meeting on Thursday evening,
Concourso on Friday, where Steve
had already reserved spots for his two
cars, and the Historic Races, which
included a wonderful re-creation of a
1954 Lancia D-24 sports racer like the
ones that ran in the Carrera
Panamericana, and a D-50 GP car like
the ones Lancia sold to Ferrari to
create their Formula One team in
the mid fifties. It would be a busy
weekend.
The cottage was part of a complex
where Steve and Jeanne had stayed for
other Historics Weekends and there
were several other cottages that were
occupied by Lancia owners, all of
whom Steve knew, so we spent some
time hanging out with them. On
Wednesday we visited the incredible
Monterey Aquarium, well worth the
trip. The Flaminia, sometimes
described as having “two crush two”
seating, provided transportation for
the three of us, while the Aurelia
stayed in the carport at the cottage. On
Thursday we went to one of the flea
markets, which had a huge selection
of books and automobilia. Thursday
late afternoon we drove over to the
Concourso site, at a big golf resort, and
left the Aurelia there in its reserved
spot on the lawn draped with its tarp,
rather than subject it to the inevitable
traffic on the morning of the show,
and drove off to the Lancia Club
meeting in the Flaminia, which is
much more tractable. It was great to
see so many Lancia people from all
over the country and some from out of
the country. Looked like Friday’s
turnout would be impressive.
Friday we were up real early and
piled into the Flaminia for a foggy
drive out to Concourso. There were a
fair number of cars that had also been
brought in the previous evening, and a
constant stream arriving. As the
grounds began to fill up, I realized just
continued on page 7
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6
continued from page 6
what an incredible event this was
going to be. From Fiat Multiplas to
multiple Ferraris, they were all here,
and stretched as far as you could see.
Although there was the inevitable
gout of new Lamborghinis and
Ferraris (yes, there was a plethora of
gold chains being worn) a vast majority
of the cars were older and quite varied.
Literally hundreds of Ferraris were
out, with several real GTOs and Testa
Rosas, along with Lamborghinis
ranging from 350s of the mid 60’s
through the latest Murcielagos. Alfas
were very well represented, including
two wonderful Junior Zagatos, my
favorite Alfa ever. There were dozens
of Fiats, and in contrast to most east
coast meets I have attended, 124/2000
Spiders were in the minority. There
was a great bunch of Etceterinis, as I
love to call the oddball stuff. But mostly it was the Lancias that I was drooling over, and there were almost 100
there, ranging from a ‘20’s Lambda
owned by our neighbor in the complex, and an incredible 1937 Belna
with French bodywork and a
retractable hardtop, through Aurelias,
Appias, and Flaminias of the 50’s and
early 60’s with Fulvias and Flavias of
the mid 60’s and on to the Betas and
Scorpions/Monte Carlos of the 70’s
and 80’s. Some were high point show
cars, but most were obviously meant
to be (and were) drivers, which is the
best reason for owning a Lancia. The
chilly fog hung around until early
afternoon, when the day turned glorious
and I began to get some use out of my
new Olympus SLR camera, and I
must have done at least two turns
around the entire show, which isn’t as
easy as it sounds when you absolutely
MUST stop and ogle so many cars.
We schmoozed and photographed
and compared notes, and most of us
stayed around pretty well into the
afternoon. Dinner was early, as was
bedtime.
Saturday morning it was up early
again, this time over the hills to
Mazda/Laguna Seca Raceway for the
historic races. I have attended many
vintage and historic races on the east
coast, and the Monterey Historics
several times, and it is really an amazing
scene. I often tell people that the haze
hanging over the paddock is slightly
green from all the money being
burned. It is one thing to see cars
sitting still in all their beauty on a
manicured lawn, it’s something else
again to see and hear them being used
like they are supposed to be, and a
multi million dollar Ferrari 330 LMB
at speed is a whole lot more engaging
than one sitting at any car show.
Example: walking through the
paddock, eyes fixed on a blue row of a
half dozen Bugatti T-35s when a shout
comes from behind “race car coming
through” as the driver drops
the clutch to jumpstart the Lancia
D-50 GP car one foot away from my
left leg! Dual overhead cam V8,
straight pipes, what an amazing noise!
Take a walk through the paddock and
up the steep hill to the infamous
“Corkscrew”, probably the single
most photographed corner at any
racetrack in the world. Cars come up a
long hill and as it flattens out they
brake hard and take a ninety-degree
blind descending left into a sweeping
descending right and down the hill
that leads back to the start/finish area.
It must take some sort of huge cajones
to toss an old Corvette or sports racer
or some other big bore front engine
beast through that left and then
STAND ON IT all the way through
the winding downhill section, but
that’s the way you are supposed to do
it. I can only imagine what it must
have been like in the Can-Am cars
of the 70’s. After a full afternoon
watching hundreds of cars come
flying past, all I could think of
was…let’s do this again tomorrow!
So early next morning I’m ready to
go when our friend from the other
cottage offers me a ride to the track
in the Lancia Lambda. It’s about
50 degrees and foggy, and the Lambda
is a very open four seater from 1925,
with no top or heater and a windshield
about what you might find on a model
“T” Ford. It takes me about thirty seconds to round up a coat and gloves, the
car’s owner hands me a pair of aviator’s goggles and we are off, with the
wind making my eyes tear in spite of
the goggles, while people turn and
point as we go by. How can being
miserable be so much glorious fun?
Once we are over the top of the costal
hills the fog disappears and I can enjoy
the view over the hood. A hint, if you
ever have the opportunity to take a
ride in an open car with separate fenders, do it. Unlike most cars of that era,
the Lambda has a “carved from one
piece of metal” feel to it, solid and
firm. It’s no wonder these cars, which
had independent front suspension,
OHV V4 engine, four wheel brakes
and a unit body, back when Fords had
flathead fours and straight axles, was
such a revelation and noted by
every enthusiast as a true automotive
milestone.
And so, after another day of touring
the paddock and watching amazing
cars and talking with friends old and
new, we went back to the cottage,
grabbed some dinner, and looked at
the photos on the little screen on my
camera. Monday morning it was off to
the north and home, with me again in
the Flaminia following Steve and
Jeanne in the Aurelia Spider. About
half way up we stopped for a break,
and when Steve offered me the keys to
the Spider, I readily accept (damn near
took his fingers off when I grabbed
them is more like it). Like the
Lambda, and indeed most Lancias,
Aurelias have that amazing “all
together” feel to them and this is
another one of those “if you get the
chance take it” deals. My convertible
Aurelia from 1956, though at first
glance very similar to Steve’s 1954
Spider, feels almost luxurious
compared to that basic, stripped down
car. Still, by modern standards, both
are pretty raw, though there are few
moderns with the direct feel of these
Lancias. So far ahead of their time,
and we could still learn from them.
Tuesday morning Steve dropped
me off at the airport bus stop in the
Spider, and as he pulled away with the
inevitable thin wisps of smoke blatting
from the twin exhausts, I was looking
forward to going back home and
sorting through the photos and
looking at some of my souvenirs, and
getting back to work on my convertible.
Maybe after some work and sorting I
would make the cross country trip in
it. Now THAT would be the way to
do Historics Weekend!
www.flu.org
8
A Brief
History of
124BS1*23560
by Robert Brower
I saw my first Fiat 124 Spider in
1973 on a used card lot. It had the
lines and style of a high end Italian
sports car but I had no idea what it
was. After talking to the salesman
I took it for a ride. I had owned some
Corvettes and MGs but this drove like
something very different. I had never
driven anything quite like it but I was
in the process of moving to Hawaii so
I didn’t buy it. I bought my first
Spider in 1975. I bought it from a
young man with a growing family and
he hated to part with it but part with it
he did. It was a 1969, Positano yellow.
I loved it. I lost it through one of
life’s more difficult but ultimately
rewarding processes; divorce. I have
also owned two other 124 spiders, a
Lancia Scorpion (it suffered the same
fate as the Positano Yellow spider),
and a Fiat 128.
9
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It had been a few years since the last
one had moved on and I decided it
was time to find another. I followed
an advertisement in the paper for an
original owner 1970 because a one
owner 1970 is real rare. I drove up to
Los Angeles from San Diego to take a
look. I found a fairly sound and at
the same time fairly rough red Spider
with an original 1608 with two
Weber 40 IDF carburetors, VIN
124BS1*23560. I had seen better and
I had seen worse but this one was
unique so I bought it.
It was delivered new on 15 April,
1970, at Nordisk Fiat in Copenhagen,
Denmark to an American citizen
living in Caracas, Venezuela and
traveling through Europe and Asia.
The dealer installed a radio and
turned it over to the first owner.
Immediately upon delivery, the
owner started a trip across Europe and
Asia. During the next four years,
23560 traveled through Sweden,
France, Russia, including Moscow,
Leningrad, and Kiev, Spain, where
the car had a 6000 kilometer service,
France, Italy and England via the
ferry from Le Harve.
During the four year odyssey
through Europe, the car suffered an
accident where the left rear was
damaged and repaired in France.
Also, on a street corner in Paris the
owner replaced the rocker panels to
remedy a rot problem.
In 1974 23560 came to the United
States and for most of the next 26
years was a daily driver. In 2000, I
purchased the car from the original
owner who was by then living in
Los Angeles.
During the purchase inspection
I found several things that were
encouraging and a few that
were disappointing. On the plus side,
everything appeared to be there.
Some things were floating around in
the trunk but they were there. The
original turtleback air cleaner was
still there but the under side of the
hood was coated with body
undercoating after an engine fire.
Fortunately the undercoating was the
only evidence of the fire.
The car had been repainted and not
well. There was plenty of overspray
and the paint in the door jambs had so
many runs it was three dimensional.
The sides had the usual parking
lot rash. The interior was in good
condition; in fact, excellent condition
considering the twenty-six-year-old’s
life of travel.
I drove the car home to San Diego
and started planning the next step. A
friend who I met at an Italian car
show referred me to a restoration shop
that he had used for his Alfa. I visited
the shop and one of the workers
showed me some of their projects and
I could see they did great work. The
owner arrived and we talked about
what I wanted done and he said that
he had a space in his schedule if I
could get the car to him in the next
couple days.
I went home and started work. I
removed the engine and everything in
the engine bay, the gearbox, all the
interior including instrument panel,
dash padding and sound matting, the
windshield and frame, the heater and
ducting, all lighting, wiring harness,
trunk mat, door handles, bumpers,
weather-stripping, and everything
else that was not sheet metal. I
steam cleaned the engine bay and the
underside of the car and delivered it to
the restoration shop. Two days had
passed since my first visit to the shop.
Then I went home to organize the
piles of zip lock freezer bags filled
with parts that would either have to be
reinstalled or replaced.
The restoration shop started
immediately to strip the paint and
clean the bare metal. All body filler
was removed and every panel was
straightened. The shop employed a
real, old world panel beater who was
an artist. While aligning body panels,
they discovered that the accident
repair done in France had made the
left side about an inch shorter than the
right. You couldn’t really see it when
it was together and painted but it was
evident when stripped and measured.
That was corrected along with some
minor rust in the bottom edge of the
front fenders below the turn signals.
There was no rust in the floor pan or
doors so that was a plus. They made
new body panels to replace the rust.
You can’t tell where the new pieces
were welded in either on the outside
or the inside of the fender. These guys
were pros.
The new rocker panels that were
installed on the street in Paris were
about half an inch too long and
extended into the wheel opening. The
stainless steel trim pieces that fit along
the top of the rocker were missing;
probably still enjoying life on the
streets in Paris. The length was
corrected and the body went back
together with no fillers and looked as
if it were new steel. I had a complete
series of photos taken by the shop
owner showing the dismantling,
rebuilding, and repainting but a
computer disaster lost them all.
The paint was never intended to be
show quality as the long term purpose
of the car was to be a daily driver.
Why else would anyone own a Fiat
except to drive? With that said, the
paint is clear coated and came out
beautiful. The doors, hood, and trunk
were refitted and aligned and it was
time for me to take it home. Three
months had passed since I left it with
the shop.
While the shop was doing the body,
I was spending my weekends and
nights (well, some of them) evaluating
and cleaning parts. The air horns
were not working when I bought the
car. I disassembled them, stripped off
the paint and cleaned all the parts. I
repainted the horns with a similar to
stock finish and reassembled them.
I also disassembled the compressor
and cleaned it. One of the compressor
vanes had been installed backward so
I turned that around, reassembled and
repainted the compressor. Presto, it
worked and looked like new!
Basically, I followed the same
process I had used on the air horns for
every other part. It took me more
than the three months the restoration
shop had taken. In fact, through a not
too diligent application of spare time,
it took me three years to get the car all
back together.
I stripped the wiring harness down
just to get the overspray off left by the
Paris repaint. I found that the
Parisians or someone had also cobbled
the rear section of the wiring harness
to get the left rear light to work. I
replaced the damaged sections and put
new connectors on the wires. People
always seem to complain about the
continued on page 11
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10
continued from
page 10
11
reliability of Italian electrical systems
but I have always found the basic
system to be sound and well
engineered. The only problem I ever
encounter is weak connectors that
make poor contact; often to the point
of heating the plastic connector body
until it turns brown.
The starter, alternator and radiator
were locally rebuilt. Every part was
stripped, cleaned, and repainted in
original colors. The bumpers and
door handles were rechromed. I
been many miles since the rebuild it
had been a few years and I found some
crud in the water jacket when I took
off the pump. I decided to take the
head off and take a look. I found the
head had eroded around the water
jacket ports. It looked like it had sat
with straight water in it for some time.
I stripped the outside of the block, left
the crank, rods and pistons in, and
blew out the water jackets and cleaned
them with long brushes, high pressure
water, and air pressure. I replaced the
located the trim strips that go under
the doors and over the rocker panels.
They were used but the stainless steel
polished out like new. The tail lights
are new and the head light buckets
were stripped and repainted with
new headlight rings. The original
headlights, being a European delivery,
were halogen but the reflectors were
pealing so I replaced them with Cibie.
When I bought the car some of the
paperwork showed that the engine
had been rebuilt not many miles back
by a very reputable shop (PBS
Engineering in Garden Grove,
California) so I didn’t think I would
need to do it again. While it had not
head with a rebuilt head, new valve
guides, valves, and hardened seats.
The block was repainted and the
engine reassembled. The cam boxes
and covers were powder coated in
bright silver. I rebuilt the carburetors
and the turtleback air cleaner was
stripped and powder coated crackle
finish black.
The suspension was rebuilt with
new bushings, ball joints, and control
arms. All the suspension parts were
either repainted or powder coated
including the springs. The springs
were originally color coded yellow so
they were powder coated in yellow.
The brake lines were removed,
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cleaned out and reinstalled. The
calipers, rotors and master cylinder
were all replaced with new.
The interior was reinstalled with
new carpets. The original wood dash
was refinished and the instruments
opened up, cleaned, and reinstalled.
The folding top frame was stripped
and repainted with new padding
installed. The new top is Hartz cloth.
The original radio was stolen while
the car was living on a side street in
Los Angeles. In fact, after the original
was replaced, the replacement was
stolen. Here’s a hint; if you live in
Southern California get a garage. I
added a new radio console and a retro
look radio.
The wheels are Campagnolo with
205 60 13 tires. The Campy wheels,
the Abarth exhaust header, and the
two inch Abarth exhaust system were
supplied by my friend Alfred
Cosentino. Anyone who has been
around Fiats for a while knows what a
wealth of information and contacts
he is. He also has a huge inventory of
stories about the world and the people
that have surrounded Fiat, Lancia,
and Abarth through their great history.
In the end, this project took more
time then I thought and never really
seems to reach an end. In fact, today
the car is on blocks so I can track
down an oil leak. But the truth is this
is a hobby, not a necessary item but
one I work on when the time suits me
and I drive it when I choose. I just
can’t see myself without a 124 Spider.
My next great idea is to ship it to Italy
and drive it on the winding roads
through Tuscany and along the
Amalfi coast. That’s not completely
out of the question. Hey, I drive a
Fiat, who knows what will happen.
Round
the World
Fiat enthusiasts are spread around
the world, but of course, no people
admire and treasure Fiat more than
the Italians themselves! Fiat is part of
the Italian national identity.
Pictured here is a vintage 1952 Fiat
500-C in a sunny piazza in Italy.
Chicago resident John “Suits”
Manieri, a good friend and co-worker
of Bobb Rayner, “The Fiat
Freak,” took these photos in June
of 2006 while on holiday in Italy.
Sr. Manieri said, “Bobb, when
I saw this classic Fiat, I
immediately thought of you and
just had to take some pictures of
it. The owner was so proud of
the car, and flattered that
someone in America would
appreciate it.” Indeed, I do, and
You may also register online at www.flu.org
I’m sure all my fellow FLU
members are impressed by it as well.
The “Cinquecento” played a huge roll
in putting Italy back on wheels and
revitalizing the Italian economy after
the devastation of World War II. It
remains, to this day, one of the most
recognizable automotive icons in the
world.
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Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone (H) ______________________ (W) ______________________ ITALIAN AUTOS OWNED (Year, Make, Model)
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Mail to:
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12
Italian
Car Resources on the Web
submitted by David Wase, Member DC Fiats
This Internet “yellow pages” was
assembled to assist Fiat & Lancia
owners in maintaining their cars and
enhancing the Italian car experience.
While many of the cited resources may
be familiar to Fiat owners, there are
links to specialty resources that are
particularly useful for restoration and
for knowledge in topical areas such as
history, competition, automotive
design and the broader enthusiast
community.
There are sites that provide
in-depth historical information about
sports cars, auto racing and the people
and companies that created great
automobiles. Others provide excellent
opportunities to stay current with
the contemporary race, rally and
production aspects of cars. Still others
Broad-range Enthusiast, Tech, Restoration,
Event & Competition Info
Fiat Forum
provide “how-to,” repair and technical
help on maintaining or restoring your
car. Disclaimer: Many links are
provided, but the list is not claimed to
be exhaustive.
If you would like to recommend a
link for inclusion in a subsequent
update, please contact the author at
[email protected]
X1/9 Web
www.x19web.org/
Discussion forums, for sale/wanted and other information useful
to the X 1/9 owner & aficionado.
www.fiatforum.com/
Forums, discussions and information from this site
with a large international following.
Yahoo Groups
www.yahoo.com
Over forums and discussion groups on Fiat with many model-specific
groups for almost every model. Start by typing “Fiat” or “Lancia”
in the “Groups” search box.
Repair & Maintenance & Tech Information
Automotive Lighting
www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/lights.html
FiatSpider.com
www.fiatspider.com/forum/
Covering the gamut of everything FIAT for 124 folks.
Grassroots Motorsport
www.grmotorsports.com
Bodywork
Repairing sheet metal
www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?t=19357
Forums and discussions on a wide range of race and auto-performance issues.
Is Bondo bad? The answers to this and other puzzles about
repairing sheet metal are discussed.
Lancisti
Brakes
www.lancisti.com/
Forums and discussions specific to all Lancia models
Mirafiori
www.mirafiori.com/
Extensive ownership and repair information, statistics and forums on all things
Fiat. A wealth of repair, conversion and substitution data.
Manufacture specific maintenance, upgrade and modification articles are here
www.mirafiori.com/faq/
Click on area of interest: engine, body, Fiat knowledge, electrics
13
Detailed technical information on headlights, wiring, auxiliary lighting
and auto bulbs.
www.flu.org
Brake Bible
www.carbibles.com/brake_bible.html
Explanation of types of brakes, construction and how they work.
Excellent illustrations.
Car Care
Interior/Exterior/Maintenance/Repair/Ownership
Advance Auto Parts
www.advanceautoparts.com/english/youcan/categories.asp
An encyclopedic assemblage of DIY articles, over 80 categories in all.
No advertising or product endorsements.
continued next page
Engine Lubrication
Historical & Contemporary Reference
Oil
Automobile Reference
www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html
Carfolio.com
Interesting treatise on oils and some of the common problems
they have caused in cars
www.carfolio.com/
Oil Filters
Cars from Italy
www.minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html#pl30001
Eye opening information about oil filters, listed by manufacturer
Site with search engine. Stats and some photos of almost every car made.
www.carsfromitaly.net/
Excellent website with photos and specs of almost all Italian cars by marque.
Fiat Electrical System
www.users.chartertn.net/jseabolt//elect.htm
In depth article about diagnosing and treating common electrical problems
Fiat Parts Diagrams
Fiat Parts Warehouse
www.members.aol.com/fiatparts1/index.htm
Extensive resource of diagrams for many parts and mechanical units
Fiat Cooling System
www.mirafiori.com/124/cooling.html
Diagram and tech info on the twin-cam cooling system
Fiat Tuning
www.mirafiori.com/~thad/points.html
Instructions on setting up and maintaining the Fiat dual point distributor.
Paint
Types & Characteristics
www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?t=19760
Cars in Movies
In need of new paint? There are choices so what’s best? This article tells all.
www.imcdb.org
Paint codes for Fiats (or if you want to paint your Lancia “Ferrari Fly Yellow”)
Search by year
www.Autocolorlibrary.com
Photos of actual color chips
www.glasurit.com
A bit complex to use but useful because it provides images
of historic paint cards. Move cursor to “Color” and then click on “Search for a
Formula". Best to use * as wild card where it calls for color name, and some
years only contain new colors for that year, so search prior year (s).
Paint problems?
http://www.standox.com
Paint diagnosis tool: click “Paint Defects Catalog”
Spark Plugs
www.strappe.com/plugs.html
An informative article on what sparkplugs can tell you about your engine.
www.motocross.com/motoprof/moto/mcycle/plug2/plug2.htm
Another sparkplug analysis, written for the 2 wheelers, but pretty
much universal. With photos.
Suspensions
http://www.carbibles.com/suspension_bible.html
A fun site. You can search for movies that a particular make and model appeared in.
Italian Design Houses
Italian car design is one of the greatest manifestations of industrial design
in the 20th century. These sites provide a perspective on the major design
houses and designers who represent the wellspring of many concepts
incorporated in world-wide automotive architecture (and of course Lancias
and Fiats). The interview with Giugiaro underscores his significance and
remarkable longevity as a designer. Click the “History” links on the Bertone
and Pininfarina and Zagato websites.
Bertone
www.bertone.it/en/index_en.htm
Pininfarina
www.pininfarina.it/eng/e_index.html
Carrozeria Touring Milan
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touring_of_Milan
Giorgio Giugiaro
www.designboom.com/eng/interview/giugiaro.html
Zagato
www.zagato.it/
Guide to understanding various suspension systems and their components.
Excellent illustrations
News Related to Italian Cars, Racing,
Events & Automotive Interests
Tires
Fiat Corporate Website
The Tyre Bible (UK)
www.fiat.com
www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html
A very comprehensive attempt to de-mystify tire information.
News and announcements from the official source including a
decade-by-decade history of the brand and company.
Tire Rack
Italiaspeed
www.tirerack.com/about/techcenter.jsp
Extensive information regarding tires and wheels, some with interesting
technical detail.
Longstone Tires (UK)
www.longstonetires.com/help.php
www.italiaspeed.com
Wide ranging news including racing, enthusiast, clubs and product news.
Newsletters
Sign up for emailed newsletters with news and articles
related to the Italian automotive world:
Excellent article discussing vintage tires: cross section diagrams
& tables of modern equivalent sizes.
AutoItalia
Weber Carb Conversion
Newsletter from “The World’s Leading Italian Car Magazine” (per AutoItalia).
www.mirafiori.com/faq/content/weber38/weber__38_adl.htm
Veloce Today
Tech article on converting 124 to Weber 38ADL carburetion.
www.velocetoday.com
www.auto-italia.co.uk
Newsletter plus archived articles, photographs, event information & more.
continued on next page
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14
Ferrari Maserati & Lamborghini of Washington
www.fwash.com/tce/joinintro.htm
Monthly newsletters with information on new models and events.
Importing a Car
www.foreignborn.com/visas_imm/entering_us/7importingy
ourcar.htm
An explanation of the Federal laws and requirements governing importation of
automobiles.
Free Online Translation Services
If you’re dealing with European parts sources or enthusiast’s sites, a translation
tool may be helpful. 2 sites allow you to enter words or phrases for automated
translation
www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html
also:
www.freetranslation.com
Web page translation
www.onlinetranslator.com/srvurl.asp?lang=en
NON-US Based Parts & Accessories
The Internet has made international purchases easy due to email and online
ordering. Parts that are hard to find in the US are often available through
European sources. Compare pricing and shipping costs. A currency
converter is available at:
www.xe.com/ucc/
Ital-Parts ( Netherlands)
www.italparts.com
A wide range of new and reproduction parts Ferrari, Lancia, Carello, Veglia, Borrani
LineaVeloce (Canada)
www.lineaveloce.com
Canadian source (Quebec). No direct
ordering from website, but email your needs
Omicron Engineering Ltd. (UK)
www.omicron.uk.com
Lancia parts for Aurelia through Stratos
allows you to enter the URL (web address) for a site and will produce a
translated replica on your screen of both the page entered and subsequent
pages of that site.
Specialty Suppliers
Broad-line US Parts & Accessories Sources
Black Bart’s Emporium
These suppliers may carry specialty items as well as the most common repair
and replacement items. For hard-to-find items, check both (see specialty
suppliers, below). When comparing prices, consider shipping and packaging
fees and shipping times.
Badges
www.blackbartsemporium.com
Missing a badge? OEM badges (so you know they’re correct).
Brake Master cylinders
Whitepost Restorations
Bayless Fiat
www.whitepost.com
www.baylessfiat.com/
Best known for whole automobile restorations;
they have a specialty service rebuilding
master cylinders.
Parts for Fiats and Lancias
Bruce’s Parts Bin
www.fiatparts.com
Parts supplier for Fiats.
C. Obert Co
www.fiatplus.com/
Supplier of Fiat, Lancia & Abarth parts and accessories.
Body Panels
Wolf Steel Panels
www.alfaparts.net/
Replacement floor & body panels
Di Fatta Bros
Convertible Tops
www.difatta.com
Convertible Tops.com
Inquiries and ordering via email. Direct importer.
www.convertibletops.com
Fiat PartsTrain
Topsonline
www.partstrain.com
www.topsonline.com
Fiat parts for most models.
Cabrioworld
International Auto
www.cabrioworld.com
www.international-auto.com
World Upholstery
Known for their Alfa and Fiat parts and accessories catalog.
www.worlduph.com
Italian Car Parts Inc.
Robbins Auto Tops
www.italiancarparts.com
Replacement and performance parts, hard to find items: windshields, authentic
Italian wool carpeting, original equipment interior vinyl and seat material..
PBS Engineering
www.robbinsautotopco.com
Convertible Tops Online
www.convertibletopsonline.com
www.pbseng.com
Dashboard Replacement/Caps
Race, performance tuning and other parts; 850, 124, x 1/9, 128 etc.
Re-Originals
Vick Auto (Hard Plastic Repros)
www.vickauto.com
www.reoriginals.com
Dashtops
Extensive catalog of restoration parts: body, interior and mechanical.
Many are newly manufactured.
www.dashtops.com
Rayce Import Parts
www.international-auto.com
www.rayce.com/
Search by make, model, year.
Rock Auto Parts
International Auto Parts
Just Dashes
www.justdashes.com
www.rockauto.com
Exhaust Systems & Components
A diverse automotive parts supplier.
Online search by model and year.
Vick Autosports
Stainless exhaust systems.
http://www.vickauto.com/
Parts for Fiats and Lancias
www.stebro.net
Gauge & Speedometer Repair/Restoration
D & M Restoration
www.dandmrestoration.home.mind spring.com/
Palo Alto Speedometer
www.paspeedo.com
Cosmetic and operational repair and restoration of gauges
15
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Hardware, Fittings, Switches, Weatherstripping, and more…
Libreria dell’Automobile
www.restorationstuff.com/
www.libreriadellautomobile.it
A very large selection of parts for automotive restoration; while geared for US
cars, a lot of universal parts and pieces that can be adapted to any application.
EWA1
Heat/Sound InsulationUnderhood, Firewall & Carpet
Nitron Industries
www.nitronindustries.com
Synthetic lightweight padding, foil faced for under-hood padding,
Ignition & Fuel Systems
RML Automotive
www.rmlautomotive.com
Manufactures systems to replace Motronic and Bosch systems; also fuel pumps
and fuel-injection lines.
Search engine for model or topic.
http://ewa1.com
A website featuring many car models, F1 clothing, pens and other collectibles.
US representative for many UK specialty auto magazines including Practical
Classics and Classic & Sports Car.
Magazines
All of these magazines have websites that provide varying amounts of free
information and pictures as well as subscription info.
ClassicCar (UK)
www.classiccarsmagazine.co.uk
Service Lighting.
Some excellent reference material including a “Makes and Model” section that
has an extensive collection of photos of cars that includes many touring, rallye
and race cars rarely seen in the US.
www.servicelighting.com
Practical Classics
Replacementbulbs.com
www.practicalclassics.co.uk
Lighting & bulbs
similar to above
Website contains a searchable database that gives specs and pictures and a
“Financial Details” tab gives available results for auction sales.
Susquehanna Motor Sports
Classic & Sports Car
www.replacementlightbulbs.com
www.rallylights.com
Auxiliary lamps (fog & driving lights) and replacement Hella headlamps and
bulbs, relays, wiring kits etc.
Nuts, Bolts, fasteners
Bolt Depot
www.boltdepot.com
McMasters
www.classicandsportscar.com
Free content is growing with review and test articles on classic cars, a search
engine or cars for sale (Europe and UK) and a set of reader’s forums
Octane
www.octane-magazine.com/
The website for Octane magazine offering articles and news. A bit thin on
content however, some archived articles for download . To access the archives
you will need to go to the home page and click on the “Features” tab.
www.mcmaster.com
Maryland Metrics
www.md-metrics.com
(Baltimore based)
Fasteners and other hardware; brass, steel, alloy, stainless.
Seat Belts
www.andoauto.com/
A comprehensive selection of seat belts and harnesses including period
appropriate belts and fittings for 50-60’s, and 70’s cars.
Supplies, Chemicals and Specialty
Refinishing equipment for restoration
Eastwoods
www.eastwood.com
Extensive source for specialty tools, chemicals and materials for the restorative process.
Upholstery & Carpet
World Upholstery & Trim
www.worlduph.com
order here and DIY or take to a local auto trim service.
Weber Carbs
Pierce Manifolds
www.piercemanifolds.com
Weber Carbs Direct
www.webercarbsdirect.com
Specializing in carbs, parts and conversion kits.
Wiring
Rhode Island Wire
www.riwire.com
Electrical connectors, wiring harnesses, parts, & wire Will duplicate old wiring harnesses.
Books, Manuals Periodicals, Models
Car Models
www.alpimodel.com
Large variety of car Italian car models in all scales and eras.
Owners & Parts Manuals on CD
Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car
www.hemmings.com
Has car and parts ads for the most part. Their printed publication Sports & Exotic Car
is impressive featuring articles on unique collectibles and restorations.
______________________________ ______________________________
Please note: no endorsement is conveyed by the inclusion of
any source, nor does exclusion of any source imply a negative
judgment of same. Information contained herein is believed
to be accurate as of the date of publication, is for reference
purposes only and is provided without any liability on the
part of the author. Names and trademarks are the property
of their respective owners. Copyrights are reserved and no part
or the entirety of this article may be reprinted or disseminated
without the express written permission of the author.
www.cardisc.com
Includes PDF file scans of service manuals and parts books.
Books 4Cars.com
www.Books4Cars.com
This information is provided as a benefit to FLU members
courtesy of the Club and the author. Published January 2007.
search engine turned up 277 items on Fiat, 102 items on Lancia.
www.flu.org
16
Racing X1/9s
by Matt Brannon
F-Production: 1500 carb or 1500 FI @
1750 lbs, 4 or 5-spd trans, unlimited
compression, port and polish allowed,
dry sump, unlimited suspension mods
G-Production: 1300 carb @ 1900 lbs,
4 or 5-spd trans, unlimited compression,
port and polish allowed, dry sump,
unlimited suspension mods
H-Production: 1500 Carb or 1500 FI @
1900 lbs w/5-spd trans, or 1300 carb @
1800 lbs w/4-spd trans, 11:1 compression,
no porting,polishing,dry-sump, or
suspension relocations.
Building a limited prep Fiat or
Bertone X1/9 is a pretty straight forward
endeavor, with a few exceptions.
The car is very well balanced and has
excellent competition potential in this
trim.
Without getting into all of the
intricacies of SCCA production rules,
the following give an approximation
of the class differences
17
www.flu.org
Unfortunately, without a perfectly
prepared package, including a closeratio transmission, the 1300/4-spd
combination in H-Production is
simply not competitive. With a
gearbox tailored to enable peak
RPMs nearing 9500 RPM, the best
performance you can find out of the
motor in that trim is mid-90’s HP at
the wheels. The 1500 combinations,
however, put the car squarely in
competition, with significant HP and
torque gains proportionate to the
increase in displacement, making the
car relatively equal with the power of
other full-prep cars in the class.
The competition in H-Production is
so varied now that the car has to be
“on” in most every sense to be
competitive. The AH Sprites, with
their 1275 engines would seem like
little competition, but with 50 years
of R&D behind them, the tricks to
making them work have all been
discovered. Coupled with a nearly 500
lb difference in minimum weight and
unlimited suspension these cars are
very fast and nimble. The Limited
Prep Triumph Spitfire, comes in two
variations; dual carb 1300 and single
carb 1500. These cars, in the right
hands, have excellent straight-line
speed and very good handling, and are
capable cars. The Limited Prep Mk 1
Scirrocco, on the other hand, has terrible
handling characteristics because of it’s
front-wheel drive platform, but an
incredibly powerful engine, which
makes these cars among the absolute
fastest on the track in terms of
straight-line speed, regularly posting
fast trap-speeds at the end of long
straights.
All of that said, the X1/9 entered in
HP has to be prepared from every
angle. The most important factors in
generating speed and performance in
this trim are, in order:
• Engine and carburation
• Transmission
• Struts and suspension set-up
H-Production rules allow either a
single 40DCNF carburetor, or a stock
fuel injection throttle-body and
runners. A digital programmable fuel
injection system is required to get the
absolute best performance and power
from an FI engine. A stock FI system
will flow a little less than a race-prep
40 DCNF configuration, but resolves
many problems inherent in carbureted
set-ups, such as cornering and jetting
issues. Several solutions are available
on the market, from high $$ old-school
names (Motronic, Electromotive) to
build-it-yourself Megasquirt systems.
Bang-for-the buck, Megasquirt has
the others beat hands-down, but can
be a bit daunting to get put into place.
That said, a race-prep carbureted 1500
engine has the potential based on flow
rates to make a bit more power with
sacrifice in other areas of usability.
Exhaust headers are required, and a
lot of performance can be found in the
engine with a properly tuned header.
1300 and 1500 engines require different primary tube lengths! Be prepared
to do some dyno work to find the correct combination, although the 1500
header sold by IAP is not too far off
the mark if the collector is cut off and
opened up to 2 ?”.
Contrary to popular belief, the X1/9
transmission, when not abused, is a
very reliable gearbox. The argument
between open and welded differential
is always in-play between X1/9 competitors. I have been coached to believe
that welded diff is not necessary if the
car is well balanced and set-up correctly.
An open diff also limits the stresses
and strain put on the gearbox, resulting
in intrinsically greater reliability. A
limited-slip differential, when one
can be found, is certainly a great
improvement. The stock gearbox's
biggest downfall is the gear ratio split
between 3 rd and 4 th gear. This split
is very large and causes the engine to
fall flat on 3 rd -4 th upshifts. It is
highly recommended to find a
close-ratio PBS or Colotti gearbox
(with matching limited slip differential),
although the prices for these units in
good condition ($5000+) will match
the cost of nearly everything else you
put into your car. An aluminum
flywheel is also essential to reduce
reciprocating losses and improve
throttle response but make sure that it
is attached with high-quality fasteners
and has been inspected for cracks or it
will buzz-saw it’s way out of the
bell-housing!
If using a stock 5-speed gearbox
with 4.08 rear diff, you will be limited
in your cam selections, as the RPMs
required at top end on a long straight
will be relatively low, requiring the
engine to find a “working” peak range
between 5000-7500 RPM. 40/80
seat-to-seat in this configuration with
260 degrees at .050 is about the
high-end of cam duration or else the
car will make it’s peak horsepower at
an RPM that is higher than the usable
top-gear range on the all-important
long straight-away. If the gearbox can
be fitted with a lower-ratio rear diff,
the cam duration can be increased
proportionately. A 4.42 rear diff will
enable a working range that approaches
8000 RPM. Even higher diff ratios
or lower custom 3rd-to-5th gearset
combinations will enable cam selection
that approaches a 9000 redline.
Building the engine with 11:1
compression is not a big mystery and
can be accomplished relatively
economically with a set of wedge-dome
pistons and deck/head milling.
Although the suspension or steering
component relocation cannot be
modified in HP, there are a few
changes that can be made. Spherical
bearing rod-ends can be utilized as
replacements to the stock tie-rod ends,
and this is a critical change to help
eliminate bump steer problems. The
simple technique is to fit rod-ends to
the steering rack, and fasten them to
the bottom-side of the front carrier
arms to help reduce the amount of
angle induced due to lowering of the
chassis. Unfortunately, no other
changes to the steering system are
allowed. Obviously, strut modifications
are essential.
A high-quality
double-adjustable, coil-over with
camber plate set-up, using shocks such
as the Koni 8611-1257 insert, is critical.
Expect to spend at least $2000 on a
good coil over and strut set-up. Finally,
a light front sway bar (i.e. Addco street
bar) will further help reduce bump-steer
characteristics, and stabilize the
rear-end of the car in high-speed
turns. A rear sway bar is not needed!
Wheels, track, and other parameters
of the HP car is identical to that of
G-Production, (56.3- front / 56.6 - rear)
and makes transition of the chassis
between H, G, and F possible.
For wheels, Circle Wheel (Spinwerkes)
manufactures excellent-quality one-piece
wheels at any backspace measurement.
They have the exact specifications
on-file to manufacture a 13x6 wheel
that sets an X1/9 within ?” of
maximum track front and ?” in the
rear for G/H Production
With all of this said, building an
X1/9 from scratch into a competitive
H-Production car will total somewhere
in the $10-$15K range when figuring
the engine, suspension, wheels, tires,
seat, fuel cell, gauges, roll-cage, flares,
fire system, FI controller, and so-on. A
close-ratio gear box is extra!
Don’t be daunted, however, because
a modestly-prepped car is still very fun
and competitive to drive at the regional
level, and depending on your skill,
a potential winner.
It’s also a
challenge to build your car faster
season-after-season with modest
investments.
www.flu.org
18
Delaware Valley Chapter Autumn Drive
by Bobb Rayner
In an effort to spark some
enthusiasm among Fiat and Lancia
enthusiasts in the metropolitan
Philadelphia area, FLU member
Damon Kane organized a fantastic
drive through the rolling hills and
forests of southeastern Pennsylvania
on September 30, 2006.
Great weather greeted a total of
nine cars, including three X1/9s,
four Spiders, and two relatively
uncommon cars: the pristine Lancia
Beta Coupe of Charlie Jeffries (who
drove nearly two hours to participate
in the event), and the rough but ready
Fiat Strada of the famous Shaun
Folkerts.
Truth be told, Damon Kane is also
the owner of a Mazda Miata (we
wonít hold that against you, Damon!),
and his Miata club conducts member
drives on a regular basis. Damon took
the liberty of using the plans from a
past Miata club drive, adapting it
to the delight of his fellow FLU
comrades. Autumn leaves, scenic
meadows, and flowing streams were
the backdrop as our Italian steeds
filled the fall air with the sounds of
whirring camshafts and squealing
19
www.flu.org
tires. There were some
GREAT roads that
really tested the mettle
of drivers and suspensions, with a few pleasant stops along the way.
The day ended at a small but
extremely accommodating Italian
restaurant, where a great lunch was
had and plans were made for future
get-togethers. A lively discussion followed, at which time Mr. John Rome
(what an appropriate name for an
Italian car aficionado!) volunteered to
take the lead as the Delaware Valley
chapterís new chairperson. Since
then, John has kept the DelVal members informed, and pledges some
appealing events for the future,
including the famous ìFiat Freeze
Outî winter party to be held in the
beginning of 2007.
Itís event like these that bring the
true spirit of club FLU right into the
back yards of Fiat and Lancia enthusiasts, and an example of what other
chapters can do if just a few people
take the initiative. Thanks to Damon
Kane for organizing this event, and to
John Rome for his unselfish dedication to the Fiat and Lancia enthusiasts
in PA, NJ, and DE. Mille Grazie!
Is This Why Italian Car Designers Shun Cup Holders?
To prepare for an upcoming estate
sale at my parents’ house, I have started going through the belongings that
Mom and Dad accumulated over a
lifetime.
At first glance there
appeared to be a disorganized stack of
boxes in the corner of a closet.
Brushing away the dust revealed
something unexpected: Christmas
gifts. These were not gifts they had
planned to give. No. These were gifts
they had received. Lacking the desire
to return the items to the stores from
where they came or to simply use the
items, over the years my parents
assembled a little mountain of semitreasure. What follows is a countdown of the best (worst?) of what they
found wanting under the tree.
figure out why dad frowned on this
present. Releasing the cartridge to
retrieve the sockets and bits is so obvious yet it is provokes frustration. And
once you’ve realized how doggone
easy it is (a dope slap moment), you
flick the trigger and- zing- the cartridge
shoots from the handle and crashes to
the floor scattering everything.
#1 Fast Perk Auto Coffee
Maker (see attached picture)
Keep in mind this is still in the box,
brand new and probably 30 years old.
This gem will boil up 4 cups of coffee
in a mere 15 minutes when plugged
into a cigarette lighter socket in your
car. It even has a ‘handy-bracket’ that
mounts to your door to hold the pot
securely (!) while you drive along. The
submitted by Jerry Lee Phillips
message on the box says you can even
use it while car pooling. “Hey, Ernie,
be careful closing the door!!!”
Anyway, I can’t understand why
Mom and Dad never used this thing. I
can just see Dad barreling down the
highway and soon telling Mom to
prepare a hearty cup of joe. Once the
brew is at a toasty 212 degrees, Mom
would remove the coffee maker from
the car door. With one hand she’d
hold the maker and with the other
she’d hold the attractive harvest gold
cup and begin to pour. Next there
would be a bump in the road and...It is
rumored the inventor of the Fast Perk
Auto Coffee Maker went on to create
the infamous 'Liposuction Kit for
Do-It-Yourselfers'.
#3 The Gary Player
Golf Bag Drink Holder
Even if Dad had played golf, he could
not have used this less. Made to look
like a quarter scale leather golf bag,
one can disguise a 16 oz. bottle of
water and a set of keys to look like,
well, a small, clunky golf bag that you
can latch to your belt. Just what every
golfer wants swinging from the hip
while concentrating on the next
stroke. Gary Player may have been
happy with his product endorsement.
Dad wasn’t.
#2 The Multi-Ratchet
This Taiwanese wonder came complete
with 18 attachments that rest in an
easy-to-store cartridge that slides into
the ratchet’s handle. It didn’t take but a
minute- no, make that 3 or 4 minutes- to
www.flu.org
20
Pizza at Pietro’s
by Mike Bouse
West Michigan FLU got together
recently to discuss the 2007 driving
season at Pietro’s Restaurant in Grand
Rapids. The meeting was an open
event, so all of our friends and
recent contacts over the winter were invited to attend.
We gathered round the
dinner table to share good
wine, and good Italian
food. Of course, there was
some garage talk that
occurred as well.
It seems that our driving
schedule will be quite full this year.
We will be very active in Leelanau
Peninsula, around the greater Lansing
area, as well as along the vineyards on
the Lake Michigan shoreline. There
are lots of areas to explore in our
Italian Steeds. We have committed the
group to ten different events over the
seven month season starting with the
kick off to the season on April 14th
with a trip to Auburn Cord
Duisenberg Museum, in Auburn
Indiana. Weather permitting; we’ll be
able to dig out our favorite rides from
winter storage by then. We are going
to have one weekend cruise “up
north”, and attend at least two car
shows together during the summer.
Mike Slayton has volunteered his shop
for a tech session. I am personally
looking forward to seeing my Spider
up on a hoist; never had the
opportunity to do this! Joining us for
the afternoon was Woody and Leela
Woodson from F.L.U.I.D. The east
coast chapter of FLU has invited us to
host a driving event during the 2007
Fiat Freak Out, in Orchard Lake! We
are very enthused about this, and are
looking forward to everyone’s arrival.
Before concluding for the day, we
happily added a new member to
our ranks. President Jon Prisbe
introduced Karl Mead to the group as
the latest addition to our growing
ranks.
Delaware Valley Chapter met at the
Kane’s for “FREEZE OUT!” which
included a tech session led by Damon,
warm company and great Italian food.
The tech session was held in Damon’s
state-of-the art, custom-designed
home garage – where we discussed
rust repair and learned how to arc
weld. After a homemade dinner of
pasta, salad and cannoli, the group
enjoyed viewing photos of Shaun and
Nancy Folkert’s November wedding.
The wedding party rode in a selection
of Shaun’s own vintage automobiles.
Ahhh...Freeze Out!
submitted by John Rome
Another Saturday Night and I ain’t
got nobody…..Sam Cooke could sing
it, but he didn’t know where the good
times were! On Saturday night,
February 10th, good times and good
company were shared by all at Damon
and Michelle Kane’s house. The
Reader’s Rides...
Send us photos
of your ride!
You may end up
seeing it in the next
RICAMBI.
21
My wife and I purchased this sweet 1100 in Calcutta to use
when we are there. I am having a ground up restoration done
on it and hope to show it at next Januarys Statesman Concourse
and Rally.
The deluxe model is quite rare as is the wagon, but the
standard sedans are still plentiful and very inexpensive. I saw a
60 fiat 1100 wagon at the Concourse where I was one of the
judges and hope to purchase it, have it fully restored, and being
a left hand model have it shipped back to Toronto where we live.
The cost of a concourse restoration is around $2,500.
Thought you might enjoy the photo.
John Milne
www.flu.org
Send us your favorite tech tip!
You may end up seeing it in the next RICAMBI.
Convert That Unused Ash Tray to Something Useful
by Mike Bouse
Built-In Cell Phone Holder
1. Remove the ash tray from the
center console and take the top
off of the base.
2. Remove the door and springs from
the top. Discard the door and springs.
3. Inspect the base and top for rust.
Wire brush and scrape off the rust
& accumulated crud. Paint if
necessary.
4. Purchase some wide Velcro with self
adhesive backing. Discard the needle
portion and keep the softer side.
FLU Book Review...
by Brett Melancon
Occasionally, a book comes across my
desk that I feel cannot be ignored. The
Lancia Stratos, by Veloce Publishing is
just such a book. This book is part of
the Rally Giants series.
Everyone knows about the infamous
Lancia Stratos that dominated the rallies in the 70s. As schoolboys, most of us
had posters or notebooks with the
Stratos represented larger than life
hanging on our walls. While the Stratos
image is famous, the specific
history may not be quite as widely
known. Veloce Publishing has seen to it
that history is preserved with the Lancia
Stratos edition of the Rally Giants.
5. Cut several pieces to line the inside of
the base. Three or four small pieces are
easier to handle than just one or two
large pieces. Put one piece on the
bottom last. Overlap this piece on the
pieces installed for the sides.
6. Reinstall the top to the
completed base.
7. Reinstall the assembly to the console.
This wonderful softbound book is
part of a of a series of books that will
feature individual coverage of the
world’s greatest rally cars. The books
in this series will explore the car
and rally teams that drove them.
Competition stories and records are
listed to provide historical context and
preserve the history of these great rally
cars.
The Lancia Stratos features many
color and black and white images, some
of which have not been seen in print
very often. Information regarding
the development and production is
presented in context to the rally
information. This provides a rounded,
complete history that is sure to keep you
interested from cover to cover.
I highly recommend this book
for the Fiat/Lancia enthusiast. I also
encourage you to visit the Veloce
Publishing website at www.veloce.co.uk
and see what they have to offer. As
Italian auto enthusiests, we need to
support efforts like this to preserve the
historical significance of our cars.
www.flu.org
22
FFO 2007 Overview...
Fiat Freak Out is an annual event
hosted this year by Fiat Lancia
Unlimited of Detroit (FLUID). The
Fiat Freak Out (FFO) brings together
the largest collection of Fiat and Lancia
automobiles in North America to swap
stories and tips, show off our cars, and
share our passion for these wonderful
automobiles. In 2007, we are celebrating
our 24th Freak Out! The complete
FFO program is inside this issue of
Ricambi magazine. The FFO is three
days of events that include a concours
car show, a coordinated drive, an
autocross and lots of socializing. The
FFO is not just about show cars, it is
a great opportunity to talk to
knowledgeable people and sponsoring
vendors about your vehicle.
23
www.flu.org
Besides being the 24th year the Fiat
Freakout is being held, this year is also
a celebration of 50 years of the Fiat
Nuova 500. Last years Freakout had a
great turnout of 500’s and we hope to
see more this year as we celebrate it’s
50th birthday!
In addition, this years Freakout is
being held at the same location as the
2007 Alfa Romeo owners club event.
The AROC meeting starts August first.
Plan on spending a couple of extra days
to see more of the Fiat family! Check it
out at: http://www.motorcityalfa2007.org/
You must be a current member (or
immediate family) of Fiat Lancia
Unlimited to participate in Fiat Freak
Out. Membership is available online at
www.flu.org for $35/year. “Walk up”
member registration and this event
is available, but ALL meals require
pre-registration before the July 10th
deadline.
Freak Out 2007 July 27, 28 and 29 REGISTRATION FORM
Names of Adults:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Names of Children, ages 5-11:______________________________________________________________________________________________
Names of Children under 4:_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Street Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City:__________________________________________________State/Prov:_______ Zip/Postal Code:_________________Country:___________
Daytime Phone #:_______________________Evening #:_______________________E-mail:____________________________________________
Please list all vehicles that will be displayed in the concours show. Please indicate if you are showing or displaying your vehicle.
You must pre-register to show your vehicle on the field.
Make
Model
Year
Concours Registration
_______
$25 per car to show
(all meals are pre-registration only)
Show / Display
Motor City Freakout Awards Banquet Dinner at Centerpoint
Adults - $33
# of Adults_____
_______
Child under 12- $16.00 # of Children_____
_______
Roasted Pork Loin ___ Tuscan Chicken ___ Portabella Gratinee (veg) ___
Includes salad, vegetable, rolls, coffee, tea, and dessert. Cash Bar
Thursday July 13
BONUS DAY Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village
Sunday July 16
http://www.hfmgv.org
Sunday Autocross competition
Group Tour (10 Hours) Fun Pack
Adults - $22
# of Adults_____
Child 5-12 -$15.50
# of Children_____
_______
_______
(<5 free)
subject to SCCA safety rules
_______
Number of Vehicles _____x$25_____
Sunday Evening Autocross Awards Banquet
Family Style Italian Dinner including dessert & beverage. Cash Bar
Friday July 14
Motown Museum Tour
http://www.motownmuseum.com
_______
_______
Adults - $8
# of Adults_____
Child under 12- $5
# of Children_____
Frankenmuth Ride sponsored by West Michigan FLU
http://www.frankenmuth.org
Car _____ x$1
Friday Night Family Style Italian Dinner
Adults - $24
# of Adults_____
Child under 12- $12.50 # of Children_____
Attendees - _____# of Attendees x$26_____
Raffle tickets
$1 per ticket or $10 for 15 tickets # of tickets_____
Pre-order FFO Logo wear, (prices higher at event)
_______
________
T Shirt size (S to XXXL $15.50)
Long Sleeve T Shirt (S to XXXL $17.50)
Sweat Shirt (S to XXXL $22.50)
Classic Hoodie (S to XXXL $25.50)
_______
Add totals.....
_______
_______
FLU membership must be current to show/display your vehicle. Make sure your membership
is current when submitting your registration form. If you are renewing your membership or
if you are a new member, please include your membership dues. Member dues are $35.
Includes Meat and veggie entrees. Served family style. Salad, potato & desert, cash bar
Free form cruise of Woodward Ave, follow the local FLU members.
________
FLU Membership # __________
Renewal: _____ New Member: ______
Saturday July 15
Concours Lunch at the Upper Room
Beef ___ Turkey ___
St Mary’s Athletic Center Hockey Arena
Ham ___ Vegetarian ___
Sandwiches, Salad Drinks and Dessert
Adults - $9.50
# of Adults_____
_______
$________
Grand Total $________
Completed registration forms must be completed by June 29, 2006. A late fee of $25 will be applied after this date.
Credit car payment is accepted with on-line registration only. Your cheque or money order (in US dollars) should be
made out to: FLU-FFO Canadian Residents send only money orders only (no personal cheques) in US funds please.
Register online at... www.flu.org
or send completed form with check to...
Sue Watch
4008 Parkview Dr
Royal Oak, MI 48073-6374
If you have any registration questions call
(248) 549-1368 (evenings only) or email
[email protected]
Call 248-253-9800 for reservations or visit
http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/DTWPO?groupCode=FIAFIAA&app=resvlink
www.flu.org
24
continued from page 3
Unfortunately, the DC Fiats Board
of Directors has decided to not require
the in place FLU Day membership
provision for their drives. As a result,
they can no longer be listed as a
Chapter of FLU. Chapters that elect
to offer independent membership to
individuals within their local Chapters
without memberships in FLU-National
(annual or Day Membership) are not
covered by FLU liability insurance.
Chapter leaders who permit such
practices are subject to liability arising
from any incidents which may
occur. FLU-National and its current
membership in good standing are not
responsible in such circumstances.
It is important to know that the FLU
BOD acted to confirm and clarify
excerpts of the FLU Chapter
Guidelines on Feb. 15th, 2007, with the
following:
“In accordance with the FLU Chapter
Guidelines, a Chapter shall be de-listed as an
officially recognized FLU Chapter at the start of
Blast from the past...
25
www.flu.org
any solely sponsored car show, tech session or
driving event in which a non-member of FLU
is permitted to participate.”
My goal and that of the FLU BOD is
to do what is best for the club, even if it’s
not PC. The Day Membership plan has
gone a long way down the road to
bridge the impasse but the DC Board
has not moved or compromised a
single inch. Annual and current FLU
members in Chapters need not do a
single thing under the Day
Membership plan. Walk on's or expired
FLU members pay $5 and fill out a one
minute form, that's it. But the DC
Board rejected the plan so regrettably
they will be de-listed from the Chapter
roster.
It is important to state here that
participants who go on a DC Fiats
drive are not insured by FLU but are
now fully underwritten by the DC
leadership. We have many wonderful
friends in the DC Fiats group and most
are happy with FLU and continue to be
long term members. The ruling covers
all Chapters, so no one Chapter is
being picked on here. This is not an
adversarial ruling just as much as it's
not an appeasement.
We wish them well, but I and the
FLU Board are not going to put the
Fiat Lancia Unlimited and its
membership at risk.
The annual Carlisle Import Kit Car
event (www.carsatcarlisle.com) is right
around the corner and Fiat Freak Out
will soon be here! Look for full
registration information on Fiat Freak
Out in your mailbox very soon. I hope
you will make plans to join us for this
classic summer reunion. By the way,
our friends in the Alfa Romeo (AROC)
club will be at the same hotel the
following weekend so if you’ve got a
few extra days of vacation coming, I
can’t think of a better use for your carbon footprint.
Stay warm!
John Montgomery
FLU President
Helpful Sources
Blast from the past...
Bayless Fiat Lancia World
1111 Via Bayless, Marietta, GA 30066-2770
[email protected]
Bruce's Parts Bin
6 B Enterprise Court, Sewell, NJ 08080
856-582-7770
[email protected]
C. Obert & Co., formerly Fiat Plus
2131-D Delaware Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-423-0218
[email protected]
Fun Imported Auto and Toys
143 Tunnel Road, Vernon, CT 06066
860-871-1990
[email protected]
International Auto Parts
P.O. Box 9036, Charlottesville, VA 22906
800-953-0813
Vick Auto Sports
5200 Vesta Farley Road, Fort Worth, TX 76119
800-466-3428
[email protected]
For a list of FLU friendly clubs and vendors,
visit http://www.fiatlanciaunlimited.com/links.asp
Thanks to our supporting vendors!
Be sure to give them a call
and tell them thanks!
www.flu.org
26
Customize your shirt with optional artwork of a Spider or X1/9!
All items custom made with the 3 color stitched FLU Logo, or substitute
the Spider Logo or X 1/9 logo in custom colors! Sizes are Meduim, Large,
X-Large, 2-XL. USA Shipping $5.95 for up to three items. International orders
extra. VISA/Mastercard accepted.
770-932-2380
A
FLU Polo Shirt
White, Red or Black
choose
your own
design!
B
FLU Wrangler Denim
Long sleeve Shirt
Blue or stone color,
Men’s or Ladies
Cut-$35
C
FLU Full Zip Fleece Vest
Red, Black & Charcoal-$42.50
27
www.flu.org
Basic FLU Shirt
$29.00
FLU CapsBlack, Khacki,
Navy, Red,
Natural-$13
FLU stoneware
Coffee Cup with
four color logo
$6.95
www.flu.org
28
PARTS–For Sale
Cars–for sale
1980 FIAT Spider RACE CAR, SCCA ITB
legal with logbook. Roll cage, Konis,
race seat, adj panard rod, nylatron
bushings, heim jointed rear links, locked
diff, carbon race brakes, lots of spares
including an open diff come with it.
Featured in a Ricambi article. $2500
Gary Blessing 316-684-9440
[email protected] 03/07
_________________________________
1982 Lancia Beta Zagato-See
photos and full description at
http://zagato.lofland.net/main.php
316 371 7666 The car is in Pensacola
[email protected] 03/07
_________________________________
1975 FIAT Spider– Orig Owner!
Bought new in August ‘75 from
Scottsdale, AZ. Dealer. Car spent most
of it’s life in Arizona and Utah. Older
restoration. Beautiful Ferrari Red, tan
interior, tan top, Cromodora aluminum
wheels. Dealer installed AC (not currently working). 98,000 miles, phone:
937-830-0872 $4200.00 01/07
_________________________________
1991 Yugo GV Plus– Auto, AC – Pistine
cond, 14,500 orig miles. Being sold as a
Package, includes car, $15,000 plus of new
spare parts, rare memorabilia that not
even people from Yugo of America, Inc or
ex-dealers even saw or known to exist
set of new 14” American Racing Wheels
complimented with “Top of the Line”
speed rated tires plus MORE! Documentation
and receipts on everything ever done,
bought, or serviced except for the
memorabilia as proof. Too much to
explain for this ad. Please call for
details, explanation(s), and pictures.
Price is $15,000. Call Arnold at
610-626-1436 or [email protected] 01/07
_________________________________
1983 Pinninfarina Spider–75k, Red/red
blk trim, new top, stereo, Roll bar. New
exhst, new tires, new batt. gd paint, no
rust, always garaged and summer driven.
Runs great and ready to drive, $5800 OBO,
201-692-9174 06/06
29
www.flu.org
1980 Fiat Brava–75,000k. Retrieved
from storage and new brakes, master cyl,
vac booster, rear brake compensator,
starter, timing belt, v-belts, ign switch.
Rebuilt radiator. Photos available.
$2300 419-281-1403 OH
[email protected] 06/06
_________________________________
’75 Lancia Beta Sedan–blue/blk, not
rusty, grt eng, many NOS & used parts
incl, pictures available. near Athens, GA
$700 Hugh (706)340-2688 or
[email protected] 006/06
_________________________________
1975 Fiat spider–1800cc, upgraded ‘79
ign, CD, lowerd suspension, skirt package,
50 series tires. Exc cond, handles like
new. $8500 US.416-494-0178(days),
905-640-5786(eves.) 06/06
_________________________________
1980 FIAT Spider 2000 FI, body
excellent shape, motor frozen, garaged,
$1,500 or best offer. Jerry 904-261-8752 09/06
_________________________________
1975 FIAT Spider–Orig Owner! Bought
new, August ‘75 from Scottsdale, AZ. dealer.
Spent most of it’s life in AZ & UT. Older
resto. Beautiful Ferrari Red, tan int, tan
top, Cromodora whls. Dealer installed
AC (not working). 98,000k, 937-830-0872
$4500 [email protected] 09/06
_________________________________
1981 Fiat Spider 2000–FI, 5 spd,
ALL original and like new condition
with ONLY 17321 original miles! Car
is one of it's kind, with no need for
restoration just well maintained with
low weekend miles since I bought it in
June of 1981.$17,000 [email protected]
770-663-8132 09/06
_________________________________
1981 Lancia Zagato–2nd owner. Recent
Paint, NO RUST!!! White with Blk Lthr
Int. 5 Spd, PW 11,8000k. New Top. Extra
Parts. $3500, Ivan (703) 626-2383 09/06
1974 X1/9–fully restored in ‘99, This
car came in second place in it's class at
FFO ‘00. It's in the front row of group
photo. Driven once a month. Show room
cond. No radio,so no dashboard cut
outs. Color is the original grn from the
factory. $8500 invested $4500 Maryland
410-518-9809. [email protected]. 09/06
_________________________________
1981 FIAT Turbo Spider–1000 produced
by Legend Industries; less than 200
remain. The FIAT register (www.fiatspider.de) lists 70. Orig owner, 140K miles.
Everything works except the seat belt
light. Passed CA smog Feb. ‘06. Paint
old but shines up. Books, tools, factory
service manual, complete service
records. Oil cooler, Carello H4 headlights,
driving lamps (both with relays), canvas
top. Exhst syst reworked to avoid manifold cracking. Wood instrument panel/
glove box lid, with Veglia clock. Pictures
at http://www.dimebank.com/images/FIAT_
turbo $3750, OBO Email [email protected] 09/06
_________________________________
1978 Lancia Beta HPE-63K daily driver,
needs TLC. met brown with saddle leather
int. Body straight and mostly rust free.
runs strong with a rebuilt 34 DMTR carb
upgrade. The paint is faded on all top
surfaces, although the sides are still shiny.
More pictures at http://www.artbase
ment.com/home/cars/lancia/main.htm
$2000, you also get a spare windshield
and various parts, and brochures. Erwin
202.255.1118 Washington DC. 03/07
_________________________________
1978 124 Spider–79,000k and a body
in great condition. The problem is the
transmission and electrical system.
$1500. Andrew Kellam Holland,
Michigan 616-392-1638 03/07
_________________________________
1978 and 2-1979 Fiat 124 Spiders–
(parts cars) I also have a 1980 Fiat 124
Spider 2000 with FI, power windows, cd
player, 5 cromadora mags, good tires.
The 1980 is partially disassembled and
close to being ready to paint. Moving,
must sell, cars are in Manchester,TN.
931-409-2917, [email protected]
03/07
Fiat 850 Coupe parts–cylinder head,
trans axle, starter, gauge cluster, etc.
contact Brad Fischer at 905-436-1220
or email [email protected] I live
in Whitby, but parts are located in
Scarborough 09/06
_________________________________
1982 Spider Parts car–Hard top vgc,
Lancia wheels, good doors, hood, trunk,
etc. No trim. Good tranny, diff, engine
w/o inj. Bring a trailer and $200 and
Central Ohio. 740-272-2158 09/06
_________________________________
Smog pump system for 1978 Lancia Beta
Coupe–Incl the air pump, delivery pipe,
one-way valve, 2 diverter valve, vac signal
lines, air hoses, bracket and screws for the
air pump, belt, adaptors for hoses, electrovalve.
Only parts missing is a belt tensioner and
cam pulley. I have the screw to fix the
pulley onto the cam. Make fair enough
offers to all these parts. Parts are located in
north Cal. Local pickup is welcome. Contact
me via email at [email protected] 06/06
_________________________________
Original FIAT Sales brochures–Showing all
models, interiors, features. All prices per year:
‘49-’55 $35; ‘56-’59 $25; ‘60-’64 $20; ‘65-’69
$18; ‘70-’79 $15; ‘80-present $12. Add $3.85
shipping. Specify year model. Have literature
Lancia, Alfa Romeo and other Euro cars. Walter
Miller, 6710 Brooklawn, Syracuse NY 13211.
315-432-8282 www.autolit.com 06/06
_________________________________
Fiat X1/9 literature–Car & Driver tests of X1/9 May
73, Aug 74, Jan 78, June 79, May 1980 convertible
comp with MGB & TR7.-R&T Sport & GT 76, X1/9 test.
-Car (europe) Aug 89. Goodbye to the X1/9. 6 CAR
magazine writers all say goodbye to the X1/9. Articles only (tests on the X1/9 unless noted otherwise): AutoWeek Dec 28, 81 Project X1/9 Part II, Car
June 82, Consumer Reports September 74, R&T Dec
83 Baker Automotive X1/9, R&T May 77 Owner
Survey, R&T 80. -Numerous pictures, broch, & ads.
Bertone X1/9 broch acquired at the Bertone factory in
82 - perfect cond. Owners Warranty and Service Book
for a 77 X1/9. Clymers Fiat 128 & X1/9, 71 - 78. Fiat
X1/9 77 Spec & data manual. Numerous other spec
sheets. -PBS Engineering manual & catalog. Fiat
North America Project X1/9 - The complete Guide to
Racing Alquati March 82 catalog, in Italian, obtained
from the factory. Serra catalog. -FLU Fiat RICAMBI
March / April 98, July / August 98. Ciao! News: Fall
95 (2); Spring 96 Summer 96 Fall 96 Winter 96
Winter 97. - BO. [email protected] 06/06
_________________________________
Racing seats–Two very nice new racing seats.
Very comfortable and fit in a FIAT. No tracks
[email protected] 865-604-3271
X1/9 misc. parts–May have what you need
[email protected] 865-604-3271
_________________________________
Fiat Sales Brochures–mint shape - 200 diff
avail. 124 Spider & Spider 2000 double sided
color sheets, 76, 78, 79, 80, 83 Pinin, $5 ea.
81-82 Spider 2000 8pg color folder, opens to a
17” x 22" poster $12, X1/9 color sheets, 75,
76, 78, 80, 83 Bertone $5 ea. 81-82 large folder/poster $12 68-69 124 oversize color catalog
$12, 70 124 full page color catalog $12 850 full
line catalogs 70 and 71 $10 each, Grab Bag
Assortments (You can specify years you prefer)
128 - 5 different broch coupes, sedans, wagons
for $5, 131. 5 different broch $5, Strada. 4
broch/$5. Multi page Catalogs 78 full line 20+
pgs $10, 75 Family Cars $7, 74 Family Cars $7,
Older broch avail. Call or write for list. Shipping
is a flat $4.50 within the US or Canada, Doug
Schellinger, 13717 W Green Meadow Dr. New
Berlin, WI 53151. 414-687-2489 eves or email
[email protected] 06/06
_________________________________
Service Manuals, History Books- Owners
Manuals, Parts interchange manuals, history
books, & more for 500, 600, 850, 1100,
1200, 1500, 128, X1/9, 124, Spider, 125,
131, Strada, Brava Alex Voss Tel: 206-721-3077
www.books4cars.com Alex Voss 206-721-3077 06/06
_________________________________
SHIFT BUSHING KIT–for Lancia Beta manual
transmissions. The factory plastic bushings are the
primary cause of linkage problems. Lancia Beta
shift bushing kits are available for $95 (US) plus
shipping. We can press the new bushings in for
$145 (US) plus shipping. Single bushings are $20
plus $5 shipping. Each bushing comes with a retaining
ring and nut. John Montgomery 770-932-2380 06/06
_________________________________
Parting Out 1973 124 Spider–Stored
20 yrs No seats or bumpers White Top
w/hardware, no defects and clear window
- $75 or trade for equivalent black top.
Red Boot - Good Shape - $25
1592cc eng, 5 sp trans - 80,000k - Make
offer Hub caps and other various items.
pictures available upon request Prices
don’t include freight Call Chris at
[email protected] or call 610-391-8972 06/06
Pirelli P4000–to complete a set. Size
P185/60/14 black wall tire, low-moderate.
Bob Durgan, 92 Pinnacle Rd. Ellington,
CT 06029, or e-mail: [email protected] 09/06
_________________________________
PARTS–wanted
fuel pump wanted to fit "75 Beta. Should
be O.E. or O.E.M. rotary pump type, not the
diaphragm type, please. David King: [email protected] (please use "Lancia" as
subject), or phone 912 303-0369 (iffy- I'm
out of USA too much). Thanks. 09/06
Any fiat 131 or help finding one @248 620
1040 or email me at [email protected]
Wanted...X1/9 parts- Anything rare or unusual for
X1/9. Please call me at 865-604-3271 or email me
at [email protected] 06/06
_________________________________
Advertising is FREE to all FLU members. For
non–members, cost per ad is $10.00. No
commercial ads please! FLU reserves the
right to edit all ads. Ads are published in
two issues of RICAMBI and posted on the
FLU.org website for about four months or
until item is sold. E-mail text with photo to
[email protected]
www.flu.org
30
continued
from page 4
with a supplied tent and an exclusive
infield parking area reserved for Italian
cars. Just $15 gets you, your car, and a
guest into the grounds and on the show
field for three full days.
Visit
www.carsatcarlisle.com for more
information and to register on-line
(be sure to indicate “Fiat Lancia
Unlimited” in your registration. We
usually have a great time in a casual
atmosphere that’s well-attended by Fiat
Freaks from all over the mid-Atlantic
area, with some FLU folks coming all
the way from Canada and down south.
Speaking of events, you should know
that plans are well underway for the
next two Fiat Freak-Out gatherings.
FFO2007 is returning to the same
venue as last year in metro Detroit,
USA. I’m told by the organizers that
this year’s conclave is being fine-tuned
to be even better than last year.
Meanwhile, over the past six months or
more, I’ve been gathering information
on possible venues for Fiat Freak Out
2008, which will mark the event’s 25th
anniversary. As mentioned in previous
articles, we hope to return the famous
FFO event to its original birthplace in
the Pocono Mountain area of northeastern Pennsylvania. It will be a great way
to celebrate a quarter-century of fun
and friendship. A select group of FLU
members will begin making investigative
sit visits sometime in the spring of this
year. Watch these pages and the FLU
website for developing details.
Calling all FLU members who are
ardent internet surfers or computer
geeks: I think we need to have a regular
column in this magazine devoted Fiat
and Lancia-related websites. Along
with our excellent FLU website, there
are quite a few other sites in cyberspace
devoted to Fiats, Lancias, and Italian
cars in general. Even a visit to
www.fiat.com is sure to delight any Fiat
fan who wants a look at the wonderful
cars we can’t have in the USA or
Canada. I suggest that an internet editor
feature a regular article reviewing a
different I-car website in each issue of
Ricambi. I know I’d find it of interest,
and I’m sure many other FLU members
would as well.
Within the past few weeks, several
long-time FLU members have come
across some old documents from
the very early beginnings of the
club, including some of the earliest
photocopied newsletters that even
included hand-written articles submitted
by some of the founding members of
the organization. Mind you, this was
way before the internet even existed!
I’m going to try to compile some of
FLU Membership
3258 Scioto Farms Drive
Hilliard, Ohio 43026
www.flu.org
them for publication in future issues of
this magazine. I’m sure you’ll be
amused and enlightened at the true
enthusiasm displayed by some of us in the
very early days of this club’s beginnings.
Well, enough of this rambling. I
began writing this article in my home
office, continued it on an aeroplane, and
now I’m completing it in the comfort of
my hotel room in Atlanta. Now, the
only thing left is to get back home to my
X1/9s and Alfa Romeo 164 and hope
for some warm weather so I can spruce
them up and see all of my fellow Fiat
Freaks out on the open road later this
year. Meanwhile, as I always say,
PLEASE contribute to the contents of
this magazine and PLEASE get
involved in motoring enthusiast activities
in your own home areas. The magazine
is great, the website informative and
entertaining, but nothing takes the
place of the face-to-face fun we all have
when we gather our Italian machinery
for shows, rallies, picnics, and the like.
Be sure to use the resources provided to
you by the club to solicit participation
and promote your local events.
Keep those Italian cams whirring
and exhaust notes singing! Love you,
love your show!
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