Club126UK
Fiat 126 Chat => Your Restorations => Topic started by: GTMaster on March 13, 2011, 11:39:08 AM
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Ahem.... :oops:
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Entered a slalom race on the weekend. All went well until the last round and in the last sector >:( It would've been a good lap. I rolled the car onto its side and slid a few metres on the concrete. Two guys came over and helped me onto my four wheels and helped push the car off the track (if i find their footage i'll post the link as one of them had a camera.) Some petrol and gearbox oil poured out, but the engine was still running :P Sad indeed, helmets were compulsary on this event.
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As in Street Rod 2: "Damn, it'll cost $200 to get this baby running: Fix it; Junk it" :)
Naturally it'll be fixed
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The mirror took it quite well (scratches on the back and only a small piece chipped off the mirror).
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I'm still not sure how i managed to get the right side of the car in the air. The turn was sharp but it did happen fast (around 60 km/h), maybe i clipped the tyres ??? The winter tyres weren't good as i found out after two laps, the edge of the tyre had been rubbed off and the air temp. was around 15 deg. celcius so i guess the tyres didn't like the warm weather and the sliding.
Pictures will come along after repairs [-/
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I just shed a little tear :cry:
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this is similar to my car after it got hit by the lorry doesnt look much but what a bugger as its all out of shape!
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Yeah, but after hammering the water channel (where you connect the roof racks to) back a bit the door still opens and closes :D
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As long as your still in one piece you have the skills to to repair the damage, have you got a game plan of what panels your going to replace or repair ???
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I'm taking this to a panel beater as i don't feel sure about doing such repairs (the wheel arches are complicated to repair). I'll try to find a replacement door (might keep repair costs down) and the panel where the side indicator is has to be replaced as well. I'm sure the arches, top of a-pillar and water channel can be hammered back into place. I'll need a new door handle, side indicator and tank filler cap.
The paint work will be done by me or my mate (oh, puttying again :(). I checked the engine oil level today and don't understand where my oil has gone ??? There's about a 1/4 left on the dipstick and i didn't notice any oil spills (there was some oil deposit on the air filter housing). It started ok after the accident and drove it home (about 85km) without a problem (no smoke either, had oil pressure).
So after repairs it'll need a wheel alignment, wheel true has to be checked as well, front wheel hubs and brakes all round will be checked (hubs need adjusting i reckon) as well.
I'll only resort to cutting and welding panels if the repairs are to cost too much....
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Update: due to cost cutting in the budget ( :P) i'll be doing the repairs myself. Ordered new wheel arches (yes I managed to find a local shop that can order them at a fraction of the price i bought them... live and learn ;D) and found another door from the wreckers that'll be used in case i can't fix the one on it now properly. Got the paint mixed as well (not the same type so it will be a fraction lighter).
Now i just need some good weather and spare time....
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Might be an idea to lower and stifen the suspension so it doesnt happen again [-/
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One day, one day there will be a 126 used for races and slalom events..... 8)
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i had few occasions to roll mine 126, luckyly i did not
i can propose u cuting the spings by 1 coil (you'll get negativ camber, positiv camber in original 126ers couse the whell to get under and then you're rolling) and stiffer shocks if you want to race your 126,
and 60 is fast when turnig in 126 :P
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Definitely, when tuning best to start with the suspension. However i wanted mine to remain stock and in good shape... yes 60km/h is quick around a slalom course (doesn't seem fast from the outside :P) 8) (fastest i managed in the straights was around 75-80km/h)
Unfortunately the local auto part store that had listed 126 parts said they can't get 126 body panels... so wasted two weeks waiting for them..(didn't have much time to work on the car anyway, all that overtime, been missing not driving it for the past 3 weeks). I've made contact with 126fan.sk and will be sending off the sufficient funds and the parts will arrive next week ;D
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Hooray, parts from 126fan arrived today (thank you, good service). Time for cutting and pasting... ;D
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I only had time to work on the car during the Easter holidays and this weekend.
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The situation turned a bit hot when the left interior trim caught fire... burned the breather pipes on the fuel filler and the bottom half of the plastic trim.... not worth trying to spare 25 mins of work removing stuff and removing the petrol tank as well. Good thing i had a fire extinguisher (yes was stupid not taking precautions and cutting corners thinking i'd finish faster)... :$
In the end i cut out the wheel arch section. Removed the whole side of the inner arch and replaced that too. The rust that was left there has at least been removed now.
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Repaired roof...
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I first thought about just removing the bad bits but then thought it'd be easier getting rid of the whole thing...
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If someone would've said that my car would look like this 6 months after restoring it i would've laughed...
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The outer arch is on too. Needs tidying up at the bottom corner though. Unfortunately a big gap remained since it was difficult to trace out (the arch was a bit twisted, could only fit it by cutting off the end of it as that part didn't line up with the panel), lined up fine everywhere else. One big problem i have with them is that there's a big gap between the outer edges of the arches (where they otherwise would be spot welded). They are both fine in their positions but don't match up together.... will be rectified with filler i guess. It'll look good and will also be very rigid. Time to go on to the front arch tomorrow...
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Also removed the steering mech as the sector gear axle was wobbly (probably from the accident), tightened it via the thread on top of the steering box. Greased the king pins while i was at it too. Only need to check the wheel bearings as they seem a bit loose...
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More progress:
Unfortuantely couldn't get a hold of a new front inner wheel arch, so the original stayed but looks ugly as the edge had to be cut off and it was also wrinkled. Oh well...
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And on went the new panel and indicator light bit.
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Puttying left to do (and there will be a lot of it). Going to paint the inner wheel arches and spray it with underseal. Hopefully will be finished by the end of the week (depends how much time i have).
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Thought i'd show this too. This was the rear left bump stop. I guess it didn't like the flip...
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Got the car primed (yay) but because of work my progress is slow (also my mate who'll spray it doesn't have a lot of time either)...
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So far that's it. Work will commence start of next week. :D
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Nice work :)
George Harrison eh ! How about "While my lil car gently weeps" :$
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Yes, it may have shed a tear but not anymore!
I finished it about two weeks ago and have been using it daily but only got around to making photos now. The new paint is a shade lighter... still, satisfied with the result. 8)
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Just still need to polish and wax it... and clean the interior. Bought summer tyres in the meantime (Sava type).
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I got in touch with vavrek (who has by now fitted the shelf Rusty :thumbup) in the meantime who was able to acquire some cool yellow headlight bulbs :D
I'll be using them for a while and then will take them out and leave them for autumn/winter weather driving.
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All's well if it ends well :) Still on the lookout for the interior plastic trim that goes next to the rear seats. Enjoying driving it again ;D
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I know it happened a while back, but i forgot to show pics of the race. Nothing special but at least it shows the machine on the move 8)
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But this is my favourite by far ;D
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Well done! It is great to see the car again in its former glory. I didn't know one could still buy yellow bulbs. I found a pair of yellow bulbs I bought from France many years ago for my Talbot but unfortunately it does not fit my 126 Bis.
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Thanks! The yellow bulbs are old original Polish types (the box they came in shows its age) as i couldn't get any new ones (i don't think they make them anymore). Might be easier to acquire halogen types but my headlights are the original bilux (simple bulbs) types.
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hi, i see your 126 is fresh and shiny again, check this link on my site how close i was to roll mine fiat
http://www.wirtualnygostyn.pl/ii-ytp-2011-na-torze-poznan/