Author Topic: Fiat 126 -73 restoration [ Now: It's ALIVE...!!! :) ]  (Read 81173 times)

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Tate

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #15 on: October 27, 2011, 09:10:56 PM »
Also the left side inner sill needed some work:



New replacement panel for inner sill already welded:



I also started to fit the outer sill panel.

Fiat 126 -73 project
2 x BMW E21

Emin

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #16 on: October 27, 2011, 09:49:22 PM »
Well done!.. You are doing great and fast. I wish i had time, space, skills and most importantly a car! :)

KAL SPL

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #17 on: October 28, 2011, 02:04:43 AM »
Its funny seeing someone spend so much time on a car that is well , disposable and cheap.
I guess if I could panel beat and had access to panels I would be just as bad :p
Aus's cleanest Niki !

Tate

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #18 on: October 29, 2011, 08:04:07 PM »
Don't know about the skills, but I'm little bit of nuts and I know it  :P

Ok, the last couple of days I have been trying to fit the left side outer sill and rear inner and outer fender.

First I cutted off the old outer sill and started to fit the new one.

New sill welded:



Rear fender had a bit more to do because there was again a alot of rust. I made lines and started cutting gently the outer fender off:



Outer fender removed:



Inner fender removed:



Found three packets of cigarette and a alot of burned cigarettes  ;D





Welded the new inner fender:



Painted it:



And fitted the new outer fender:





Some of the old rusty sheet metal parts  ;D

Fiat 126 -73 project
2 x BMW E21

GTMaster

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #19 on: October 31, 2011, 07:21:25 AM »
Great work you're doing. I had a collection of rusty metal bits too after changing the panels :)
"One more drink, Lacikám?"

All about car restoration can be found in the song
"Got my mind set on you" by George Harrison...

Tate

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #20 on: November 06, 2011, 03:54:25 PM »
Great work you're doing. I had a collection of rusty metal bits too after changing the panels :)

I had to listen that George Harrison "Got my mind set on you" song. Those are so true words in that song  ;D
Fiat 126 -73 project
2 x BMW E21

Tate

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #21 on: December 10, 2011, 05:23:18 PM »
Whats up?  :D

Lately I've been very busy around the car. I think that the car is quite ready what comes to the sheet metal work. Tomorrow I will still do some small things and then it's ready for the next phase which will be painting. I had pretty good luck because this year here in Finland the snow came only a couple of days ago. Outside temperature has also mainly been between 0 and 5'C degs.

If I'm lucky car will be in new paint in the end of this year. I will provide some pictures for you soon.
Fiat 126 -73 project
2 x BMW E21

Tate

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #22 on: February 24, 2012, 07:40:24 PM »
Nothing happened after last update. I had to move to another side of Finland so my 126 is waiting until my temporary job here is finished.

If somebody is intrested of my BMW E21..

Finnish Tuning.fi magazine contacted me last autumn and they wanted to make an presentation about my car. I was very flattered about this because I never really was so keen about putting my car an a magazine or in a trade show. However the issue where my car is will be out in the stores in 5. of April here in Finland. There is a small "teaser" in the current magazine about the forthcoming issue. Journalist just made a small mistake in the text.. My car isn't a genuine 323i but who cares..   :)

I can translate what there is said about my car. "The green one": The green E21 owned by Antti Järvinen is powered by tuned M20B26 construction. Dashing retropacket includes Schrick camshaft, ported head and piquant extra comes from genuine and old parts such as Alpina steering wheel and BBS rims.


Fiat 126 -73 project
2 x BMW E21

Emin

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #23 on: February 24, 2012, 09:56:43 PM »
Very nice and straight E21 there! Delicious!

GTMaster

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #24 on: February 26, 2012, 05:07:21 AM »
The BMW has a nice colour, Waldgrün perhaps?
"One more drink, Lacikám?"

All about car restoration can be found in the song
"Got my mind set on you" by George Harrison...

Tate

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #25 on: March 22, 2012, 04:34:46 PM »
The BMW has a nice colour, Waldgrün perhaps?

It's Pustagrün.
Fiat 126 -73 project
2 x BMW E21

Tate

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #26 on: April 01, 2012, 01:22:37 PM »
I haven' still made my mind what kind of engine will find it's way to the engine bay. Somehow I like the nostalgic feeling of the "orginal" 2-syl aircooled engine. I have already bought 750cc kit and panda head from Ebay. That would be easiest and maybe also the "right" way to tune 126. I have still about 2 months to think about this before I continue building my 126.

I have also planned two other realistic options for the engine:

1. "Orginal" 2-syl aircooled engine supercharged. That would need programmable ecu (Megaquirt or similar) and quite a lot modifications to make it work reliably. This option would add a alot fun factor but I don't know how reliable it would be as that is very important for me in all my cars. :$

2. Cinquecento 0,9l engine with Megasquirt. I have studied a alot which 4-syl engine would be possible to put there and seems that Cinquecento 903cc is the only Fiat engine which is possible to swap according Finnish law's.. ::) I think that with this option the engine would be VERY reliable and there would be a alot potential to tune the engine afterwards. ;) As a big negative aspect is that the nostalgic feeling is gone after that engine. :-X

I have had quite contradictory feelings what this car will be. Roll cage and hardcore engine modifications would be now quite easy to do as the car is just a shell, but I don't know if those would be " not so good" idea as a long term. Orginally this was supposed to be just a restoration and maybe some small mods. Now it's so close that this will get out of control or "moped starts to do wheelies" as we say in Finland. :oops:


Fiat 126 -73 project
2 x BMW E21

MeelisV

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #27 on: April 01, 2012, 06:25:20 PM »
if you dont use 750cc kit and panda head then you know that i´m not far away and interested of these things  ;D

Tate

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #28 on: May 14, 2012, 08:48:51 PM »
OK... Show must go on.. :D

Today I started up one of my spare part 126's.



After few minutes of work I got it running altough it had been just waiting from last autumn. It's an orange Polski 126 and I will take the 650cc engine from it and use it as a base engine for my -73 126. I have chosen to respect the "era" and use the 2 syl orginal engine with some modifications.

Fiat 126 -73 project
2 x BMW E21

Tate

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Re: Fiat 126 -73 Restoration from Finland [Now: Sheet metal work]
« Reply #29 on: May 14, 2012, 09:00:08 PM »
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2krt-LmYbg&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
Fiat 126 -73 project
2 x BMW E21