1958 Fiat 500 Nuova America

This is a superb thread, as was the Zagato body refabrication, such advanced skills/abilities/achievements. I consider these little FIATs to be jewels, and this one, that somehow got to the American Southwest, which likely made its survival possible while giving it a George Hamilton-like tan, is on another level. Is any of its history known? Someone, sometime long before the car found you must have been quite the enlightened and atypical Arizonian.
Do you ever see any 126's? A year ago I saw a Polski-FIAT version during business travel on Long Island, NY... not in pretty condition, but the only 126 I've seen in almost 40 years Stateside. Here's a common refrain on this excellent forum, "My Mum had one"... a white '77 DeVille with blue corduroy, light grey carpets and a fabric sunroof. Four winters led to its early and untimely demise, yet it was a true beauty. Hence 126's occupying a special, rather cozy little nook in my mind/heart. Best, John in Connecticut.

Re high level brake light ... could you put a longer thin led behind the grill ? it will be less noticeable when not in use but still very effective when needed ... just a thought

@projectbobcat, sorry for the delay.

The rubberized anti stonechip coating I used is by Permatex.



            

I was going to replace the brake fluid reservoir with a plastic one ( meant for a Tilton clutch cylinder ), but then I found out how rare and desirable the original is.

Turns out that same reservoir was used on Racing Ferrari's of that period, which has jacked up the price of them to stratosphere levels.







So I decided to take another look at it before I'd replace it.

A day of soaking it in CLR cleaned it up really nice, inside and out and its good to go...

Cooling on these cars is always a problem.

When I drove my '72 to school ( long time ago... ), I had a oil temp gauge in it.
And the highway top speed was determined by the engine oil temp.
( a finned aluminum oilpan would have helped, but when it was my daily driver I didn't have one )

These days you can buy a oil cooler kit for it that plumbes into the oil system.
But it is kind of expensive for what is there, and it puts more demands on a oil system that I think is already marginal.

So instead I decided to get a electric Tilton oilpump ( these are used in Nascar Racers, etc, to cool the rear axle gears. I'm already using one on the gearbox of my Capri, and it works nice).

No plumbing on it yet, but I plan to mount a cooler under the front bumper, with braided AN lines going to it.
The pump itself will be on a switch, which I'll turn on and off depending on oil temp.
I'll plumb in a remote oilfilter as well, and it will run completely separate from the regular oilsystem.

These things are supposed to be good for 1000Hr of run time between rebuilds, so that should work nice for me.

In the pic is also the new electric fuelpump.

Thanks jamesd1972

With various vintage Fiat specialists.

The highest one I found was a NOS one that was sold out but still on the site ( so I'm guessing that is what their last one sold for) for almost $750.

No idea on the hours.
One of the luxuries of when I'm working on my own stuff is that I don't have to keep track of them..

No, not full time.
I'm doing this inbetween other projects, and whenever I can steal a bit of time...

Its a cleaner that takes off lime calcium stains, rust stains, etc.

Its sold at all the regular stores here, there must be something like it where you're at.



I could have gotten Muriatic Acid from a pool store, but that might be too harsh and attack the galvanic layer on the inside...

Looking at the fueltank made me fear the worst of what it would look like on the inside.

But the inside is fine, no rust, no damage to the galvanizing.

But there was a caked on layer of what looked like very fine silt.

I bet this car has been driven on dirt roads a lot ( in the '50s and '60s, a lot of the Tuscon roads were still unpaved, and even today a bit outside the town some of them still are. Like the one I live on...)

So I guess it inhaled some dust with every tankfull that was used up.

I could have gotten the tank cooked and coated, but because it was so nice I just rinsed it out with water, and left it open for a couple of days to dry out.





This is great.

That tank is specific to a very early 500, and I'm sure replacing one would be expensive.


Most of the fuel line was clear plastic ( but dried up, rock hard & brittle ), some parts of it were hardline (mostly in the engine bay) but rust damaged.

So it all needed to be replaced.

I planned to put a return line in, because the much more modern Fiat 126 engine has one.
( I probably wont use the carb that engine came with, but I think I have a way to put one on the carb I do want to use )

Looking at the tank pick up attachment I saw that the tube had broken free of the mounting flange.
It also has the low fuel warning light sensor ( no gauge ), which means plastic parts and fragile electric parts.

I figured if I kept the heat low I could get a good braze while not cooking the plastic.
I was wrong.
I didn't get a good enough braze, but I did cook the plastic.

Cant run to the local parts store for a replacement, so I went to plan B.

I cut the pick up tube off the flange, and drilled a M8 bolt lengthwise.
After taking all the electrics off, I brazed the tube to the bolt.

I then modified a brake fitting to have M8 on one side and 1/8 Pipe on the other.
Now I have a bulkhead fitting that will go through the flange.

I made a second similar one for the return, and re-assembled everything.





Checked if the low fuel lever warning light switch still works.

It does, I may have dodged that one...





Back in place.





Hooked up with new hardline.

After I put the new hardline through the tunnel, I could put the shifter back in and the starter lever with a new cable.