The Ultimate Conversion -- Fiat 600

[Fiatdude]

Here is my past build --

Back in the late 70's and early 80's these little Fiats terrorized G/gas and H/gas classes with Porsche motors and they asshanded many a V-8 during that time. The NHRA even made a rule to outlaw them by requiring a vehicle to have the same make motor as body to be under 85 inches in wheel base.

I always loved these little cars and when I found one rusting away in a backyard, I knew I had found a project -- - Back halfing a Fiat 600 with VW trans and motor

OK OK -- here is where we started at







Then we were trying to decide what engine needed to be in this thing. I was wanting haul butt -- but the Money was tight. My buddy suggested this motor



just kidding this motor is in his Hudson Hornet -- cool huh???



Well, I had this 65 Fairlane that I hated and another friend loved the car and he had a big type IV motor so we traded and the Fiat ended up looking something like this



Well -- -- This motor lasted for a while and we were hauling butt with it





BUT -- It just wasn't fast enough -- I kind of like fast things ( like this old bike of mine)



and this wasn't hacking it -- so the decision was made to go turbo. Well the guy who I got the type IV from -- now wanted the motor back because we had it running good and He offered to paint and fix the body work/RUST and this sounded like a deal and he even threw in a 2110 motor--so here we go again.

The motor was put in the car and then taken down to Tom Face at Scotty's Mufflers in San Bernardino for one of his custom Turbo systems with parts from AJ Sims lowbugget.com



Oh and it was painted at the same time



Some rims and we are done



Now were are talking hauling ass

[david58]

Or dragging Azz. Nice write up.

[petew]

very very cool

[Sneaks]

This is cool! I love those old Fiats...even better when it can hauls some ass. Nice ride. Any details on the conversion?

[Fiatdude]

Not a bad onversion really ---- These old 600's are IRS -- So a IRS Pro Strret Box was used and the Stock swing arms were used (highly modified) -- With aftermarket carriers welded on them to hold IRS jack shafts -- these worked fine for the NA motor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H72EkT3ZB8

The axles were custom made units 10 to 12 " long

When we went to the turbo motor -- well, they couldn't handle the extra HP so we made these swing arms

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The stock shocks and springs were used because they worked perfect

[petew]

damn, you weren't mucking round were you!

[volkdent]

Very cool, and kind of a sleeper to boot!

Jason

[Fiatdude]

Sleepers are the best -- -- I'll never forget the look of a z06 owner as I drove around him then out braked him into a corner at theFontana/California Speedway road course

[wack01]

can you post pics of your engine mount please. I have a fiat 600 body also and would like some ideas on fab out a mount

[User Name]

so how quick down the 1/4 mile is it

[66 Shorty]

WOW That is VERY Bad Ass! WOO HOO!

More details! Did you make a completely new frame for this, & did you use the original front suspension? Come on Man we all want to know what you did, that thing is SICK!!!

[Fiatdude]

Fiat's are unibody cars -- If you look at the wheel stand picture you can see that it is all orginal til you get to the trans

It hauled butt -- Never got a good time at the tracks - - that is my story I'm sticking to it

[turboedbug]

that is a freeking awesome conversion.

[ghiaguyz]

Very nice job on the car. Just a couple questions if you dont mind. How were you able to race the car if they had that silly rule?
Why couldnt you get a good pass on the car. Was it scary on the top end with the short wheelbase?
I only ask because I am building one myself.
Thanks,Brian.

[Fiatdude]

It is one of those rules that has faded from the memory of most tech guys -- -- and a lot of those guys when they saw the car just wanted to see it run -- and mainly that rule is for NHRA competion and not for street type drags --

As far as going straight at top speed -- There was a lot of time spent on the stock front end and making sure everything was "right" -- I put Fiat 124 front disc brakes on it and rolled the top control arms to the rear of the car as much as possible and moving the lower spring as far forward as possible -- changed everything to new parts and new steering box polyeurathane bushings -- took a lot of recommendations from the guys that are road racing these 600's in europe -- used every ABARTH (road racing Fiat guru) part that I thought would help me. Car would go straight and turn as required up to 140 mph ( I turned into girlie-man at that point).

The only problem I had with the car was trying to make turns when the front wheels were in the air LOL

Good passes were hard to come by or I had bad luck when i took it to the track -- Would be running real good and blow the intake gaskets out (Highly recommend metal to metal everywhere) -- another time running really hard and drove through the clutch in 2nd and 3rd gears (burnt it to the ground) and by the time I did a change at the track it was into eliminations. The last time out to the track which was where that giant wheel stand picture was taken there was another wheelstand hitting 2nd gear and the car went left and I backed out of it landed real hard and broke a exhaust tube at a flange limiting the boost to 10 psi-- another time had the turbo break --

This car was built with several personal restriction placed on the build (like I wanted it to have a stock appearance ((no wheel flares which limited size of tires)) and the motor hidden) and on a tight budget shooting for 90% street and I drove it almost everywhere and just 10% track -- this meaning there were a lot of high dollar parts on it but there were a lot more high dollar parts NOT on/in it -- so reliability in a racing situation was not a given.