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Re: New car - guess what it is, everyone loves these threads...

Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 7:26 pm
by Wilspeed
Tidy.

Re: New car - guess what it is, everyone loves these threads...

Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 4:50 pm
by integrale_evo
Cleared the stuff off the roof, checked the engine was still there, put the bonnet on ( slight fitment issue )

I think it's nearly ready for the road :lol:

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Sod ratlook, I'm going for shatlook :?

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 6:48 pm
by integrale_evo
I gave up trying to find the original wheels, suspect they've long gone. Picked up a set of 4x98 13s someone had on a panda for £20, just to be able to move it. Tyres are slightly too big, but with a bit of attention I think they'll look pretty good.

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Before fitting them I freed off the brakes which were a little sticky. Bolted the wheels on. The standard bolts for the steel wheels don't sit in the alloys very well. I tried some spare mito bolts, unfortunately they didn't fit. Tried a spare e36 bolt - perfect fit 8-)

Put the wheels on, removed the blocks it was sat on and lowered it back into its own wheels for the first time in decades.

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Cleared some of the barn detritus and it rolled forward and back a couple of feet.

A bit later after finishing the clutch on the compact it was nudged towards the daylight.
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Which meant we could get a proper look at it for the first time.
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A couple of weeks ago I had arranged to get it picked up, unfortunately they had to cancel at the last minute. However it did spur me on to clear the rest of the clutter and mouse nest from the inside. Quickest way?

Push the front end out, open the doors and use a leaf blower :lol:
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While doing so I checked out the spacious padded load area by folding down the rear seat
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And managed to find a thankfully unchewed original owners manual
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They didn't come with carpet, just some horrible hessian sack type material covered with a big rubber mat. Can't wait to rip it out and wash it and use some modern floor insulation which isn't going to act like a massive sponge.
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Then today we decided we needed it out of the way, pumped the tyres up and pushed it the 300yards to the house. With tyres pumped to 40psi and only weighing 650kg it wasn't too bad to push.

Only 45 years since it last saw tarmac 😀

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Pert Italian bums
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The camera perspective doesn't really show just how small it looks in real life, especially the width, it's almost comically narrow.

And temporarily parked in the 1960s build garage. Chest freezer and bike behind it and still room for a ride on mower in front 😂
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Hopefully it'll be being brought here next weekend...

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 6:56 pm
by Zonda_
I've never seen one of these on the road, bearing in mind I was born in '74. 126's and 7's weren't uncommon round here.

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 7:30 pm
by integrale_evo
This is the only one I've ever seen in real life.

They were basically a slightly larger rebodied fiat 600, they share the same suspension and engine layout, although the engine in the 850 runs the opposite direction for some reason.

The rarity is part of the appeal, although it's making some of the parts pretty tricky to source, unlike the 500 which you can pretty much build a brand new one from parts.

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 7:33 pm
by jamcg
Are you doing a rev and mentally planning how to fit an ls motor in it?

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 7:36 pm
by NotoriousREV
jamcg wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 7:33 pm Are you doing a rev and mentally planning how to fit an ls motor in it?
And if not, why not? 😂

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 9:35 pm
by integrale_evo
#LSeverything

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:34 am
by Marv
#jealous.

Wish a relative left me something obscure to restore like this!

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:54 am
by Carlos
I suspect they have removable floor covering for a reason :lol:

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 11:54 am
by integrale_evo
Marv wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:34 am #jealous.

Wish a relative left me something obscure to restore like this!
My uncle is still very much alive, although I think I'm the only one daft enough to attempt to fix it. Shame he didn't stockpile the parts back in the 70s when they were a bit easier to get hold of!

Probably only worth a couple of hundred quid as a parts donor for someone else, worth more to me as a piece of family history to try and get back on the road.

The plan is just to make a useable classic to potter about in, not a full on nut and bolt show car restoration, but we'll see :lol:

My mrs pointed out you can still see 'on tow' written in the dirt on the back, presumably from when it was recovered from the crash, I hadn't ever noticed it before.

And no, I don't know why it's got an extra overrider on the bumper, I always assumed it was one that got knocked off the front just sat in there but it's bolted on properly :?

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:10 pm
by PaulJ
I'm starting to slightly fall in love with this little motor. I remember them being a relatively common sight on UK roads, and the very pretty 850 coupe version added a little affordable glamour to the urban landscape too. Please keep us informed as it progresses.

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:30 pm
by Rich B
What are the two little shrouded pipes either side of the number plate? Cool exhaust placement or lights?

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:46 pm
by Carlos
Rich B wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:30 pm What are the two little shrouded pipes either side of the number plate? Cool exhaust placement or lights?
Just about to post the same thing ?

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:46 pm
by integrale_evo
They are reversing lights, presumably an aftermarket add on as I've not seen another with them. I'm not keen on them either so they'll probably get removed. That whole panel is a simple bolt on / off piece to make working on the engine easier.

The exhaust is missing, they usually just hang underneath with a single silencer and a little pea shooter.

The coupe / spider versions certainly seem to be more popular, especially in the states. The sheer amount of variations, and how late some of them continued to be made, mean the mechanical bits are fairly common and easy to find so I've not really paid much attention to them so far. It's mainly the body and trim I'm trying to source.

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 1:31 pm
by Marv
integrale_evo wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 11:54 am
The plan is just to make a useable classic to potter about in, not a full on nut and bolt show car restoration, but we'll see :lol:
Yeah, that's how I treat my 968 and M3, not cosmetically perfect, but mechanically sound.

Good thing with your 850 is no tax or MOT either, so once up and running, should be super cheap to run 😎

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 3:58 pm
by jamcg
My bet would be the extra overrider is hiding damage, probably reversed into a lamppost so instead of fixing a dent just bolt that over the top

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 4:30 pm
by Sundayjumper
jamcg wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 3:58 pm My bet would be the extra overrider is hiding damage, probably reversed into a lamppost so instead of fixing a dent just bolt that over the top
Good thinking.

And on an entirely unrelated note, remind me to never buy a car from you :lol:

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 12:31 pm
by PaulJ
jamcg wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 3:58 pm My bet would be the extra overrider is hiding damage, probably reversed into a lamppost so instead of fixing a dent just bolt that over the top
I think it's a weight distribution thing, to balance out the weight of that steering wheel. :D

Re: Fiat 850 sedan thread

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 3:52 pm
by integrale_evo
Got it picked up. Pictures don't convey just how small it looked on the massive trailer behind a discovery :lol:
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Temporary position so I can give it a wash
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Seats should come up ok
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Starting to smell a lot less like mouse piss 😂
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I'm 6ft but can sit behind the drivers seat when it's in a position I can comfortably drive it in. Definitely more interior space than a mini, but then the car is quite a bit longer then one although I'd guess a similar width. Most of the engine is under the rear parcel shelf with the gearbox under the back seat.