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Hello folks, I would like your advice & opinions on the above mentioned car. I have been on the look out for another 4 wheeled project since completion of my garage & it would seem there is a strong chance I might be able to relieve someone of a Black, 1982 Fiat 127GT without parting with much (if any) cash. I am a Ford man as a rule so thinking this would make a refreshing change but I've never had anything to do with any Fiats so am worried I might be entertaining a possible money pit. Having restored it, I sold my last retro car (Escort RS1600i) roughly 5 years ago now as spares prices for anything MK3 Escort related were becoming unreasonable in my eyes. I haven't seen this car since I was a teen. It was & still is my uncle's, him being the only owner from new. I have a horrible feeling there may not be much of it left when I view it next week but time will tell. They seem very scarce in any form so my main concern is buying panels & parts to restore it & then keep it on the road. Not looked at owners clubs yet as I might not take it on if there's not enough of it left to fix! I would appreciate any thoughts on this between now & next week as it may influence my decision.  |
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life's short & it's hard, like a body building elf.
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dunk11
Part of things
Posts: 156
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Hello,
Spares availability is pretty limited - unless you want to source from Italy or are lucky and find decent second hand bits.
GT is a desireable car, and certain model specific bits may be difficult to find.
Rust is your major enemy, these can rot like crazy. Main areas for concern: around the inner rear arches, under all the plastic trims, sills, ... and pretty much any other piece of metal...
Generally; door rot like crazy (bottom part often missing!) very occasionally a spare skin will come up on ebay, but haven't seen a whole door in the last 9 months! Fortunately if you have the large plastic trims (which I'm sure th eMk3 GT does) then a quick (untidy) fix is covered.
Panels are pretty rare also, but do occasionally come up (mainly for series 1 and 2 though).
A good place for parts is fiat127.com, seems like quite a few people have a few sat around and willing to strip bits that are begged for...
General consumables; brakes, suspension (other than rear leaf springs), ignition parts, are available.
Any specific question and I will have a go at answering them, have been playing with an old 127 since March last year - so picked up a few bits!1 also if you go ahead and need anyspecific bits let me know, I have a few spares I may not need.
Duncan
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Jan 18, 2012 13:01:00 GMT
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Thanks Duncan for the advice & offer of spares. You have pretty much confirmed what I suspected. It seems such a shame for this car to stand idle in a garage but then I don't fancy the relentless search for non existent spares that will go with owning it. Decisions decisions.  |
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life's short & it's hard, like a body building elf.
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dunk11
Part of things
Posts: 156
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Jan 18, 2012 14:41:27 GMT
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No problem. It's do-able but not the easiest car to restore - mechanically parts can be taken from other Fiats from the era - but bodywork is scarce due to the rotting nature of the finest steel used in production.
I couldn't find any doors - they flapped when I drove as no metal in bottom 2 inches - so I bought some steel and spent two days bending and hammering bits into a useable shape.
They are great fun and get lots of attention. What sort of state is the car in, if it's been kept dry it might be OK?
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Jan 18, 2012 20:28:44 GMT
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It's been kept in a garage that is integral with the flat above so should be fairly dry. I haven't seen it yet. I will let you know how it goes when I view it. Thanks again Dunc.  |
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life's short & it's hard, like a body building elf.
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Jan 18, 2012 22:21:25 GMT
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Pics please when you do go to see it.
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Jan 18, 2012 22:24:33 GMT
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The 1301cc engine is pretty much unique to the 127 GT, its a larger version of the 1049cc "Brazil" engine in the Sport, They're different to the the 1.1 /1.3s found in 128s, Unos, Stradas etc., some Lancia Y10s had these engines too, in fuel injected and turbocharged form.
Even if its rotten, it'd be worth pulling the running gear out of it.
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Are these valuable?
I've an old ex racer stuck out the back. Its a good runner -sounds brill, fully caged, hydraulic handbrake, sealed foam tank etc etc. Quite a few old spare panels too.
Is it time to sell?
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dunk11
Part of things
Posts: 156
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Jan 19, 2012 12:22:31 GMT
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They seem to go for a decentish price, as they are rare - but don't seem that desireable largely, compared with early mk1 golfs etc - balance of rarity and lack of parts availability i suspect.
I haven't seen any track ones for sale recently. Probably be of interest to someone wanting to do some hillclimbing - track parts are had to come by second hand or have to be improvised, from what I have seen - I'm certainly no expert. There are a few people on fiat127.com building hillclimb cars, still something i am considering with mine - although keeping a car engine in it now - bike engine too much destruction and have very limited time now
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Jan 19, 2012 15:46:24 GMT
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I intended to return mine ot the road, but a surfeit of more interesting cars has just got in the darn way.
Its still Uk registered, & I've got as far as finding a drivers seat & appropriate belts- but not fitted them. Then it'll just need the standard 'recommissioning'' to get going again.
No rust in it -plain to see in a stripped shell! Reckon it could be a right hoon. Must get it out....
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Jan 19, 2012 18:24:26 GMT
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Ooooooh you've got me thinking now... . I have just built a double garage in my garden to house my motorbikes (all old cheap ones I'm not showing off) with the long term plan being to build myself a light weight, mid engined something or other using a bike lump. I was thinking along the lines of a space frame sand rail but I'm sure a little 127 shell would lend itself nicely to this project. ;D
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life's short & it's hard, like a body building elf.
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seven
Part of things
Posts: 69
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Jan 25, 2012 11:03:54 GMT
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Apologies for the thread hi-jack, but any ideas how rare these are? Tempted to start looking for one but not sure how much of a task it would be to find one based on the above.
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dunk11
Part of things
Posts: 156
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Jan 25, 2012 11:26:23 GMT
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Pretty rare, very very few come up for sale. Especially if you are after a GT or sport model as they are more desireable and mechanical parts a more sought after.
Best chance is asking for someone to sell one they have, or ask on fiat127.com - seems to be a majority of owners are on there. If you are after one needing work there may be a few people willing to let them or bits of them.
What sort of thing you after?
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seven
Part of things
Posts: 69
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Jan 25, 2012 21:56:44 GMT
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Had a glance at fiat127.com the other, seemed vaguely active, which i suppose is the norm for rarer cars haha.
Really more of a viewing the market type deal, hopefully freeing up some cash closer to the summer so was just after an opinion of how much of a task i'll have finding one.
Italian ebay here i come!
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Jan 25, 2012 21:59:46 GMT
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Hijack away chaps, I got my answer. Good luck with your search seven.
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life's short & it's hard, like a body building elf.
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Mar 18, 2012 17:09:20 GMT
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Holy thread resurrection, Batman!  I had a 1300GT 5 Speed as my first car back in 1995 (BLK 879Y - Long since fragged...) As we said at the time - 'still passing MOT's; and XR3's...' ;D This is my friend's car at the time - Mines was red.  Unfortunately it suffered HGF after 2 months of ownership, and was sold to man who wanted to fit an Uno Turbo engine to it. (He didn't - He lived locally, and it sat on his drive for 18 months, before disappearing one day). The sickening thing is - I had a spare gearbox, 2 cylinder heads, a Weber carb, and a block complete with pistons sat in my old man's garage for a few months afterwards... Till he cheerily informed me that he'd got £10 in scrap for all the old junk that was cluttering up the place... Oops!  Did you ever get around to investigating this car further, thewindscreenman? |
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