Hey guys, here is a little project I have been working on for my Fiat Strada. I know it's not a pinto but the same rule applies. I needed a part no one had or made, so I did it myself. I have Abarth CD 131 wheels on it BUT I cannot find the caps for them. I have been looking two years for them so I decided to design copies and have them made. I am a Pharmaceutical Mechanical Project Engineer (year, it's a mouthful, takes up the whole top of my buisness card) so I felt if any one could make it, it was me. I designed the model in SolidWorks and sent it out to my machine shop to make. I am so happy with the results! The car looks great and I have my wheel caps! They are made of aluminum and clear anodized, not the brittle plastic that they came. The snap on and take a great deal of force to come off. What you think:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/2981385107_83b89ec778_b.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2982241740_dd4dfbc538_b.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2982241628_3d8f3d6b9e_b.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2982241968_5d31eed3e2_b.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/2981385669_872608dbdf_b.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/2981385785_3cbd807bf6_b.jpg)
looks great man awesome job
Very, very nice, I work as a manufacturing engineer and I LOVE this kind of stuff!! I have not used Solidworks, but have used AutoCAD, and also learned a few years back how to code/drive a CNC machine in a cabinet shop, and it was awesome.
Chris
Ok, I have to ask. Can you make me an Aluminum head for my 2.0... :o :o ;D
75bobcatv6 ,
Thanks!
popbumper,
I learned on Autocad myself. Took me 3 years and I was still slow at it. In 3 days I mastered Solid Works. It is such an amazing program that over the 15 or sl massive projects I have used it for, I have NEVER made mistake. The program wont let you! Try it out (you can find old versions for $50 on the net, we have 2006) and you wont ever go back. I didn't do the CNC coding for this, that I do not know how to do. But the shop we deal with built most of the parts for the Mars Rover (the non- metric/english screwed up ones).
turbopinto72,
Not just Aluminum, Twin cam baby, twin cam.
Very cool reproductions! A Strada? That's the hatchback right? I haven't seen one of those in years! I had a few Fiats, very difficult to get parts for before the internet! Nice engineering!
Chuck
Quote from: turbopinto72 on October 28, 2008, 04:23:07 PM
Ok, I have to ask. Can you make me an Aluminum head for my 2.0... :o :o ;D
:lol:
discolives78,
It is a hatchback but fiat made several. What ones did you have? Here are mine:
The Strada:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/2727128348_2336a3eba5_b.jpg)
124:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3025/2585622987_5ca01f9b38_b.jpg)
131 (Supercharged Abarth Volumex car) restoring:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2571187739_e9e9e61bd5_b.jpg)
128 3p, restoring:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2896569013_f13efd8f34_b.jpg)
i had a small bumper 124 can't remember the year. that was a really great little car. could have used your designinh/machining expertise on a transmission part for that one
holly smokes fiat porn ;D only kidding alberto
Ha ha ha! Nice Chris!
Srt-
The 124's are just great cars, but the 850's were better. Sadly, they were not suited for the US market nor could most mechanics wrap their minds around repairing them. Lovepants72 has two 850 spiders, but he is also a hell of a mechanic.
my Fiats were:
1969 124 4 door ohv 1100 I think (been a long time)
1974 124 Special TC 1600 twin cam
1977 131 Mirafiori sedan (like your blue one)
1977 Lancia (that's close right?) beta 1800 sedan (berlina?) front drive 5 speed, kinda looked like a 79 celica from the front and a chevy citation 5 door from the back with vertical 124 sport taillights. I worked at the last known Fiat repair shop in NM from 1991-1993, I bought my cars from the mechanics that fixed them. Just like pintos, nobody changed the timing belt, and they needed valve jobs after the belts broke. I drove several cars (I was the 'parts driver' I would deliver and pick up parts, and if there was an intermittent problem with a car they gave me a quarter and the keys, drive it till it stops and call us!) The shop I worked at worked on everything european, Fiats, Maseratis, BMWs, Mercedes, Jaguar, Peugeot, Renault, etc. I drove a lot of cars you don't see anymore!
my brother had a 74 124 spyder, like yours only dark green with tan interior and top and a 74 x1/9 that he got rid of to make room for the bus.
Your Strada is a blast from the past! They were fun to drive.
Chuck
discolives78,
Those were some rare cars you had! The Lancia Berlina is a great car but god knows they were not popular here. The 69 124 4 door was a basic and pretty car. In fact, it was made for 30 more years after Fiat stopped making it as the Lada Riva (or 1300 series) in the rest of the world. It is the best selling car of all time. Sold over 20 million of them. As for the 124 TC, WOW! Thats a nice one! I am a big 131/Brava fan (i'm also on 131mirafiori.com) and just got the racing/sport body kit for it (not abarth)! My Strada is a beauty! I have always wanted one. I just swapped it over to the euro bumpers. The US spec ones were BAD. Lovepants72 has a 74 and an 80 X1/9 also.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2129/2571020615_d9bbc9d9e0_b.jpg)
I'm almost afraid to find out what your CNC bill was.
So why do Fiats have such wildly different reputations in the US and Europe?
dholvrsn
Well, there is a Radius on the face of the parts that my CNC guy wanted to do on the mill. It gave the part an amazing look BUT the cost was a freaking joke. The 5 (one spare) were $600. If he had used a lathe, they would have been $300. If the face was flat, it would have been $200. I already have 5 orders overseas with the lathe cut face (or course) but mine are much prettier.
Fiats had a bad reputation here because Fiat didn't send over any skilled mechanics, the parts distribution system was a joke, and finally, Americans work on their cars differently than Europeans. Fiats are simple like a ford, BUT built with the tolerances of a Ferrari. So when some general mechanic works on the cars WITHOUT metric tools (happened all the time) and repaired them with out torque specs, without making sure mating surfaces were true (or even clean) and without using the correct parts, Fiats would break down literally leaving the repair shop. It wasn't the cars fault, it was the mechanics but they didn't know any better because no one told them. PLUS OHC fiats need the timing belts changed EVERY 25k miles. If not, they WILL break and blow your motor. These are high reving cars. My Strada will rev to 9k bone stock. my 124 wont run right unless you are at 5500 RPM. Americans are not used to that so they were driven like, well, a Pinto. Pintos are happy at 3k RPM. Fiats are not. Yugo's has the same problem as they were just reskined Fiat 127's. No one EVER change the timing belts on them because they were cheap cars so guess what? They broke down! So basically, Fiat shot themselves in the foot. Since no one knew how to fix them and had a hard time getting the parts, they broke down. If repaired well (and parts are easy to get now, for some reason) they are incredibly reliable. That goes for Yugo's too (I have one also)!
Fiat 127:
(http://maranellohouse.com/myPictures/127%20out%20of%20garage%20after%202%20years.jpg)
Yugo GV (Zastava Koral)
(http://users.chartertn.net/jseabolt/yugo3.jpg)
Quote from: Pintopower on October 31, 2008, 01:13:38 PM
...OHC fiats need the timing belts changed EVERY 25k miles. If not, they WILL break and blow your motor...
Kias have about the same problem from what I have noticed. The manual says to replace the Tbelt @ 60k miles. EVERY one that I have seen that has blown the thing up because of Tbelt failure happened at between 75k and 90k miles. the OEM Kia belts are softer than normal to reduce engine noise! I replaced our Rio's @ 72k with a Gates replacement...(I have never had a problem with a Gates belt or hose, the last Tbelt I replaced with a Gates, outlasted the same motor's #3 piston skirt)
You are correct. Any time a "cheap" or low cost car is bought, they are never maintained and get the reputation for being lemons.
Hey,great job bud,i believe in that theory of yours totally.I was trying like hell to find a set of Quarter window louvres for a pinto,i found a couple sets on the internet but the guy wanted an arm and a leg for them so i decided to make my own.Ive got access to stainless steel and didnt cost a dog gone dime.Time consuming but at least ive got some now,not to mention bragging rights lol