Hi, I'm here in Sydney and many years ago I owned a Fiat 126, known here as a Niki. It was hands down the worst car I've ever owned, but also the funnest. Despite its shortcomings I loved it. I've been toying with the idea of getting another one, but I'd rather do without the two main problems I had the first time: unreliability and an underpowered engine. I know anything's possible, but realistically, how difficult and/or expensive is it to swap the engine for say a Punto engine or similar, or would it be simpler to keep the stock (Polish) engine and do a complete rebuild and maybe drop a hot cam in it or something to increase horsepower? I'm thinking there wouldn't be a whole lot more you could get out of a 650 motor. I'm not mechanically minded so I would be paying someone to do it for me.
I'd really love to get another Niki but if I had to endure the same problems I had last time I probably wouldn't bother, it's not worth the nightmare of endless trips to the mechanic and almost stopping whenever you encounter a hill. Is there a viable, preferably not hideously expensive, solution? Cheers from Australia.
