Another bike engined project bites the dust :(

[Gadge]

Here’s another one

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F302893821173

Chopped up in 2004 when the car would’ve only been about 14 years old it’s never been finished and still needs its front suspension finishing. The configuration of this conversation means that the engine sits so far forward that there’s no passenger seat so totally unusable. Despite all that the owner wants somewhere in the region of £4500 but is willing to break the car up so maybe he also thinks after 14 years the project is fruitless....... will the butchery ever end! 

[thepuddlejumper]

Gadge, I agree butchered, this will never see the road in my opinion to much needed to pass SVA or BIVA inspection, so much structure to put back.
Ralph

[Xylaquin]

another one for the hall of fame!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/253915977823

[Gadge]

And another although not a bike conversion but just as bad. Bought because the owner saw a few YouTube clips of Punto engined 126s and thought it’ll be a good laugh this 12,000 (!) mile BIS has had its engine removed and then just sat in storage while until the interest dwindled now there is a loss of storage so it’s listed as a dreaded “spares or repairs” vehicle

There is a small glimmer of hope for this car though as it does come with its original engine but it’ll need rebuilding and refitting. It’s fate now rests in the highest bidder

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F123552185080

[Gadge]

Aaaaaannnndddd one more  This one is a prize example of why I dispare at bike engined projects.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223370089357

This one which is a BIS (of course! they are the cheapest and most unsuitable versions to try and squeeze a bike engine into after all!) was by all accounts a sound enough car before its fate was sealed by two people - one a car restorer and one and engineer. If anyone could muster the courage to pull off the seemingly impossible task of completing a successful bike engined 126 you would think an engineer and a car restorer could get it done but sadly not. A start was made by admittedly doing the right thing and upgrading the antiquated leaf Spring/drum brakes with something more suitable for a high powered bike engine - a wise and often overlooked thing to do but then  "Life got in the way"  (they lost thier storage, realised it was a bigger job than originally thought and got bored of the idea) so now this half baked once salvageable car is now gutted, modified partly and now up for sale 

There is at time of rant 1 bidder but it might as well be scrapped - will the madness ever stop!

[Bar Vitelli]

All of that said, it does look like it would at least make a good BBQ grill or half car trailer...

[Gadge]

All of that said, it does look like it would at least make a good BBQ grill or half car trailer...

Oooh a BBQ grill! There's an idea! 

[Bar Vitelli]

Oh dear, don’t look on eBay, Gadge,there is another one that’s just been listed although at least this one has had a new rear spoiler added...

[Gadge]

OH JESUS!!! 

Ok so as Bar Vitelli has just eluded to here's another one..... 1 day after the last and pretty much the same scenario "was gonna put a bike engine in but never got round to it" AHHHHH ##*%%#** 

What cracks me up is that they've spent time fitting a bucket seat and a spoiler but not even attempted the engine bit!! How on earth can people just simply get bored!!!

[Bar Vitelli]

Deep down, you’ve got to respect people for trying or at least dreaming with these projects, I must admit it would be nice to have some extra oomph sometimes with our little cars, I once did 76 mph downhill in my green car and it was amazing and I can understand why people give it a go with the conversions, truth is, they are very small cars and Fiat was years ahead of its time in what they were able to achieve in such a small space, improving on that is always going to be difficult.

[Gadge]

Not really feeling the respect thing. It's not the conversion that bites me - engine conversions are a natural thing to car enthusiasts - I've seen the YouTube clips from Poland with successful bike engined cars and they're fantastic but over here in Blighty we don't seem to possess the same skill. We have the dream but no foresight to carry the project through. This thread alone is full of "projects" where people want to fit the most obscene engines in these cars yet seemingly can't seem to finish the job and the cars they're chopping up are reasonably good cars! Bought for beer moneny then discarded when the realisation sinks in that it can't be done  and the most fustrating thing is that nearly all of them seem to end in the same way, the owner strips the car starts to do a bit of work then ........nothing! It ends up on eBay! 

There is an obsession with fitting high powered engines in 126s and I'll never get why. They could choose an old mini or a cinquecento yet it's the 126 they want. A FIRE engine 126 using an aircooled shell is the ideal engine conversion and one i'ld love to do myself but nooooooo its got to be a bike engine with its complex gearbox set up and unrealistic mounting position "how hard can it be!" they say yet they never finish them off. I wonder where all of the 9 pages worth of posts of still born bike engine projects are right now? Sitting in a yard by some wannabe engineer wondering how to fit an engine with chain drive and no reverse gear into a car that was designed to use an engine mounted in the rear? My campaign to highlight this travesty will continue until this madness stops! 

[Bar Vitelli]

Trikes are the thing that hurt the most, I’ve nothing against them as such but when I see some of the cars that were chopped up to make them it breaks my 126 heart. 

[Xylaquin]

There is an obsession with fitting high powered engines in 126s and I'll never get why. They could choose an old mini or a cinquecento yet it's the 126 they want.

This. I think it's simply the looks and uniqueness. Everyone's seen a classic mini, not everyone's seen a 126.

I'm no longer bothered by failed conversions, and have taken to the opinion that it makes the remaining unmolested cars more valuable.

[thepuddlejumper]

The thing is in Poland you don’t have to pass SVA or BIVA or what ever our masters decide we need to do to keep the vehicle on the road. Therefore, it is much easier to do what you want provided it’s safe. On more modern cars you can’t install larger engines as you have to keep the emissions as per the original vehicle. Big Brother

[Amateb8]

.......and yet another 126 Bis bite the dust. Another unfinished bike engine project.

 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-126-bike-engine-project-car/264359631932?hash=item3d8d0fdc3c:g:2C8AAOSwul9dATFH