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Sept 16, 2019 3:33:37 GMT
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Normally I don't get to the gingerbread stuff until much later in a build. But I messed up my hand a bit last week, so I'm looking for some light fab work until the stiches come out... I have a couple of pics of Nuova Abarth's, and both of those cars had full size shields & badges ( not the much smaller trim used on the later 500 based Abarth's ) There is a repro version available, but from what I can see, it doesn't fit right. So I decided to modify an old shield I've had for a long time ( it was attached to a Fiat 600 with woodscrews, and I saved it by offering more than it was worth ) I don't think it is original Abarth ( the badge is, the shield is probably not ), but I've seen them on racers so they were used in the period .  It was pretty beat up, and the mounting tabs on the back were messed up. But it is made out of aluminum, so I can do something with that. |
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Sept 16, 2019 3:37:24 GMT
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This is the look I'm going for.  Vs. this...  |
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Sept 16, 2019 3:45:09 GMT
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I took some of the dents out, and made a template to lengthen the top & upper sides.  Transferred to aluminum.  Welded in and hours of hammering and filing. ( very careful, its super soft aluminum, and it is very thin )  |
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Sept 16, 2019 3:49:02 GMT
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Trimming it to fit.  New tabs on the back.  And mounted on the car, with a Fiat Badge ( reproduction, but correct for the period )  |
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Sept 16, 2019 3:54:17 GMT
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Pretty happy with that. (pics to compare)   |
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Sept 16, 2019 4:01:07 GMT
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My old green car had an aluminum dash. The cluster was a very rare casting that somebody had brought over from Italy, but never used. I've seen clusters that looked similar, but those were made out of fiberglass. So as a nod to my green one, I bought the only one I could find in aluminum. Unfortunately, some of the holes for the gauges were not right for the gauges I have. So they had to be opened up.    |
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Sept 16, 2019 6:21:44 GMT
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Hope the hand is on the mend....they don’t grow back very well 😂
Stay safe 😊
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Sept 16, 2019 6:22:01 GMT
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Very cool project, glad you're sharing it here. I'd seen the frog-eyed 500 before, but I didn't know it was US spec. They're quite charming on the car. My Lancia Montecarlo has pop-up headlights, huge bumpers and other indignities that allowed it for import at the expense of aesthetics & performance... It's slowly going back to Euro spec.
After seeing what you gave to the Zagato, I've no doubt that you're the right guy for this car. I like seeing the big Dellorto carb hanging off an aftermarket manifold bolted to a 500 cc 2 cilynder motor, pure fun. Best wishes for your hand's recovery, you're going to need it : )
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Sept 16, 2019 7:55:19 GMT
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Hope the hand is on the mend....they don’t grow back very well 😂 Stay safe 😊 Thanks, man. Yeah, totally preventable and stupid. Fortunately not too much damage, very lucky... |
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Sept 16, 2019 8:02:40 GMT
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Sept 16, 2019 8:39:31 GMT
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The engine was in the yellow spaceframe 500 racecar. It is based on a latemodel Fiat 126 block, 650cc. It has some nice stuff in it. Polished aluminum rods, a better crank, big cam, 4 port Panda 30 head ( dual intake ports, like a dual port VW ), matching Alquati intake manifold, 40 Dellorto, etc. Sounds beautiful with a open pipe...  My buddy who built it said it put out about 50Hp, but even if it is a couple of HP less than that its still 3 times the original HP... It came with a Alquati oilpan, but I'll replace that with a original 4litre Abarth oilpan. Cooling is the Achilles heel with these engines, and you can buy a specially modified oilpump housing that can reroute the oilflow through a cooler. But that is a expensive setup, and puts more strain on the pump that is on the small side already. So I have something else in mind, but I'm still gathering info on that... I'll make some modifications to the aircooling too, which should make it a little more efficient. I'll show all that when I get to it... |
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Sept 19, 2019 22:10:08 GMT
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I love it! I guess this will really be the only Nuova America Abarth.
Is the car a roll top, because it only seems to have a roof in one photo?
Really liking the two tone paint and stepped chrome trim on that car in the black and white pictures.
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Sept 19, 2019 23:14:13 GMT
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Nuova America Abarth. Yeah, kinda... I'm building the one that never was. Mine came with the full length roof, but they got half way into the conversion to a short one before they realized the early cars ( like mine ) didn't come with the 2nd set of pivot points to make it work. They already cut up the roof frame, but fortunately those are being reproduced now. |
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My buddy who owns the Zagato sent me a vintage aftermarket steerinwheel. Its a really nice Fiat 600 steerinwheel ( but in black, so that may also be aftermarket ) with a horn button that includes a horn ring. With a couple of marble pattern plastic to dress it up. Very '50s era correct... The horn button didn't work ( maybe it never did, or maybe some parts got lost/mixed up), but after some time on the lathe and adapting parts off a stock 600 horn button, it does.    |
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Last look.  Before this happened.  I had the rotisserie that the Zagato was in anyway, so it was only a very small amount of work to adapt it to the 500.  And it makes it so much easier to deal with the floors.  |
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  Fortunately they started making the correct floors for a Nuova, some time ago. Before that the only option was to use 500F/500R floors which works, but doesn't look right. These are nice thick steel, pretty good fit. Well worth the extra cost.   |
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Nice work there, keep going!
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Missed this before.
Lovely.
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,921 
Club RR Member Number: 40
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1958 Fiat 500 Nuova Americajamesd1972
@jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member 40
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Loving the grill gives it a nice face, kinda with a moustache !
Nice home for all the bits and loving the ethos of can go back to normal and I suppose this also keeps the long term value as well.
Heal well - those are skilled hands look after them !
James
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Thanks guys... |
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