Enzo is back

[Enzo2]

You may remember a few years back that there was a fiat 126 painted Ferarri red with Ferarri badges.  Well I have just bought it.  My name is Josh and I am 15.  I am going to restore the car as a Hillclimb/circuit racer.  At the moment the starter motor isn't working, it just clicks when I turn on the ignition.  Does anyone have a spare?  Also do you know where I can get a good price on a roll cage?  The car is taxed and tested so my dad is driving me around in it (when the starter works).  At some point I will be looking for tuning tips but to start with we are stripping out any excess weight.

Josh

[DanRodd]

oh dear,another nice car scrapped

[jazz]

Welcome to the forum, at least you are not making a buggy out of it
Did'nt Enzo have a prang at the front end a while ago?

[stuey]

if the starter is just clicking it sounds like the battery is flat and there isnt enough power to turn it over might try a jump start first to see if thats the problem before splashing out/having the pain in the arse of getting your starter out....battery is alot easier to change  :wink:

[Enzo2]

Yes it did have a bump and it still shows the scars.  We will probably get a new panel fitted in the summer.  Thats how I knew that Enzo had been here before because there was a photo of the damage and the reg number was the same.

[Enzo2]

We did charge the battery and try a spare but a jump start is an easy test.  Both batteries could be faulty and like you say the starter isn't easy to change.  Will give it a go tomoorow if it ever stops raining.  Thanks for the advice.

[Master Nazim]

Dear Friends, just to introduce myself, I am Master Nazim and I have bought a Fiat 126 from Idle steve,

[Enzo2]

Tried to jump it but no joy.  Looks like a new starter but for now we are sorting out the interior.

[Maddog]

Ho Josh, welcome to Fiat 126 UK,

and please just ignore any negative comments, everybody is entitled to their opinion and this is an open forum.

the starter problem could be a loose electrical connector on the starter itself as this is common issue, check them first before replacing it, the click you can hear is the starter solenoid moving,  

my advice to you on modifying the car is approach it carefully, dont go ripping it all apart before knowing exactly what you are going to do with it, and then  priced, sourced and obtained any parts you wil require, or you will end up with a stripped out shell and boxes of parts lying around until you get pissed off with it and buy a corsa.

start out with the simple bits, dealing properly with any rust which will always be 10 times more than you think it is, lowering it, set of alloys, front disc brakes, clean up the bodywork by ditching crappy plastic trim etc,  

there is nothing to be stripped out of a 126 that actually weighs anything and tuning these tiny two pots is hideously expensive.

not only will a cage cost you about £350, it will add about 50kg and unless you are a person of restricted growth makes it even more cramped inside, you'll also lose your rear seat which is a PITA when the first thing you want to do after passing your test is cruise about with your mates.

[hudsonhenry]

Hi

I remember the car, I think it was owned by a guy called Rich. I helped him remove the old starter motor but the one he had bought to replace it was a key start motor not lever start (or vice versa) anyway it would not fit. I went back (50 mile round trip) when he found another replacement only to find that it was shot (cheap ebay purchase) as well, I seemed to remember that one of them clicked internally but nothing moved – tested on bench. I left him to refit whichever one he saw fit, my patience ran out!!! I would say it needs a new/recon one

Nigel

[DanRodd]

please ignore my earlier comment,it is very true that its your car and you can do what you want with it,just a bit of a sore point with me as my last car,a Reliant Kitten,was bought by someone who did exactly what you are planning to do with your 126,only didnt follow it through and chopped it up :shock:    As Maddog said,sit down work it all out,cost,what you want to do,aquire all the bits you need,then go for it.

[Tomasz]

Welcome
Sounds like an interesting project.  I have been thinking lately that i would eventually like to build my own 126 rally car like the group2 126 ones to do historic rallies with, but it will be an expensive project so it will have to wait....a long time!
I will look forward to seeing your progress

[Enzo2]

Thanks for all your advice.  The plan is to do hill climbs to start with.  My dad already does a bit of hillclimbing.  Good point about the rollcage as the regs don't require a cage.  Then later we might move on to classic saloon car racing or historic rallying (my dad has worked with slowly sideways who do Group B rallying).  We have stripped the interior and the floors are quite good.  I suspected that the starter motor might have had it as we checked Enzo's history on this forum.  We thought he might not have fixed it properly.  Anyway we will take it out and see what it looks like.  

I'll try and post a few pictures this weekend.