Sport Coupe Restoration Thread:

[kmead]

Looks great, keep up the great work. Thanks for taking pics and posting. Its good to see a different vehicle being redone.

Definitely keep the Spider, its worth keeping for the future as they aren't making anymore.

Can't wait to see where it gets to. I loved the previous owner's cobble job of the shift housing. What a lot of work for something that could be found relatively easily.

[ital]

I enjoy reading and seeing your progress there Chad! I said it before that you found a coupe with rock solid floor pans, and front strut towers (very important) Keep up the good work.


Still going on the Coupe project. I've decided to borrow the drivetrain out of my Spider for use in the Coupe. It's got a smooth trans, 2.0 motor with 1.8 head upgrade, dual IDFs on Waffle manifold.

Chad, a 2 litre engine in the coupe with the waffle manifold you are asking for a bit of trouble!.

Chad, you will need to lower the engine so it sits at least one inch or so lower and /or you will need to mount a cc coupe hood! (73-75 ) That slight raise in the middle of the cc hood adds the extra clearance you need so number 1 carbs (near the rad) velocity stack or air cleaner does not touch the underside of the hood. Plus, you want some "wiggle" room when you floor it! Forget about the turtle back original euro air filter housing, no room for that guaranteed. Plus lowering the engine means that the large oil pan will be very close if not resting on the cross member, so there too some consideration . Plus, the 2 litre engine will hate the 10/43 diff ratio you will have in the car being it’s an original 1608 cc coupe. I don’t think any previous owner installed a 10/41 diff ratio. How ever the 10/39 diff ratio is the desired gearing to have if you plan on distant high way cruzing, and that we have a lot of in North America

The “Alquati” swept back intake manifold is a MUST if you plan to keep your original flat hood.





Why do you think my BC has a CC hood???

I would stay away from the wire wheels. Wires are not exactly the strongest wheel (radial runout) and far from the lightest.

I agree wire wheels on a coupe , no thanks!

Consider installing the front bumper without the over riders as just a clean single blade (you will need to find some small head chrome bolts to do so or add some new fasteners to the bumper and rechrome (not in the budget right now I know).

Very, very good tip! I did this years ago with both my coupes

As for the front bumper, I think I'm going to go for the front spoiler that's available through someone on the 124sportcoupe.com site. It can be used with or without a bumper, but I think I'm going to mount the front signals on the spoiler.

That would be me

Will 8" wheels fit under the stock fender wells?

No problem Chad, and you can mount 225 series in the back on a lowered coupe without problems and 205 up front.

The blue on your car is Mediteranean Blue as I recall, they also had French Blue as well (though it may be the opposite), a quick look at the paint code will tell the tale. I have always like the color of your car and would like to suggest you not change the color for historical reasons as well as the fact that way too many cars get changed to Red, Yellow and Silver.

Agreed, keep it the original “Canns” blue. Please don’t paint it yellow! too many yellow AC & BCs world wide! My AC was yellow! but changed the colour to silver.

That shifter gatehousing repair, mama mia what a joke. Got to add this in the website.

[ventura ace]

Wow! Gorgeous work on the Coupe, Ital. I'd love to see that one in person one of these days. Great attention to details. Accolades to you, too, Chad. You've come a long way -- looking good!

Alvon

[azygoustoyou]

Wow,
That looks great Ital! What an eye catcher. Keep up the great work.

[thechadzone]

Thanks for the knowledge, thoughts and encouragements! I had planned on that engine swap, only to change my mind recently because I didn't want to put my Spider out of commission. I was thinking that putting the 2.0 cross member under the motor might help lower the car that crucial inch, but I'm glad to have avoided the associated misadventures.

I was also inspired by Rob's account of his 1608 motor from 124sportcoupe.com:

"On to the engine: I saw the trophies in Clemente's shop to back up the stories I had heard and the pictures I had seen of their killer 2.5 Challenge coupe and I knew I wanted to have exactly the same type of performance. I was quite surprised when they explained that it didn't take much to make the 124 competitive, the Coupe provided a good platform for modifications and the 1608 motor was an exceptional power plant. Frank & Gio advised me to install a pair of 40mm Weber IDFs on an Alquati manifold along with a set of Breda 40/80-80/40 cams. No porting, no valve work. I did however install a set of new 80mm (10mm domed) "ASSO" pistons measuring at least 11:1 compression but I did no lightening or balancing to the other internals. I used a block mounted electronic ignition adapted from a Lancia Beta and then finished everything off with an Ansa header & muffler; basic bolt on stuff."



I'm interested in domed pistons for the 80mm 1608 bores. Tips & info about who sells them, and where my best deal is are much appreciated. My 1608 will be coming out along with its failed trans within the next few weeks, regardless of how damn cold it is in the garage.

Once it is out, I'm interested in a 1.8 head upgrade for it. Beek says it'll bolt on without problems, but I'd like to know if there are plumbing considerations, or anything I should know before mating it to the block. Once it's done, should I use the 1.6 or 1.8 timing belt? I'm thinking that the 1608 should get the Waffle manifold and IDF set-up that's currently on the Spider. Will I be able to close the stock hood with such a combination of factory parts? I know that the Euro 1608 Coupe had the dual carb set-up so I don't see why not, but I'd hate to be wrong at that critical hood closing moment. I'm considering a moderate performance intake cam from an OEM 130 TC Ritmo Abarth to use in cooperation with a set of adjustable cam pulleys and the stock exhaust cam. A weird email and my girlfriend's Russian translation skills tell me that this is a good combo...

I got myself an engine stand for Christmas, and I can't wait to use it. I'm watching Maytag's rebuild thread with interest, and I'm interested to know people's budget combinations that will bring me above 130hp with the 1608 motor. I'm looking to build a spirited weekend cruiser that's good for balls-out drives on country roads, US Coastal Highway 101, and the occasional midnight trip to the grocery store.

Thanks to y'all for your encouragement and expertise.

[Gds4now]

I just read through your entire thread...very inspiring. I'm about to embark on the same adventure with my 73 CC Coupe. I owned a few coupes and spiders many years ago in the 80's. My first car was a 73 Coupe so I'm starting there with my restoration efforts. I'll move on to the spider next. I realize that this is a spider forum but I really appreciate the posting on your Coupe efforts and the willingness of the forum moderator and members to be inclusive of other models, especially the Coupe. Thanks again for sharing your adventure. I look forward to doing the same.
Greg
Sacramento, CA

[thechadzone]

Thanks for the kind words! Progress has been slow with the Coupe this winter, due to it being cold in the garage, I'm poor right now, and my brother's garage has been over-grown with worthless sh*t. I spent an entire day last weekend cleaning out his garage in preparation for the removal of the engine and trans from my car.

I took off the Coupe's rear bumper the other day in preparation for bodywork, and just because I like the bumperless look for the entire line of 124s. I also did a trial fitment of the BMW alloy wheels, and they look very handsome on the car. They look great on my Spider too, but even better on the Coupe. They required machining to clear the front hubs, and a set of wobble bolts that once attached the Spider's factory Roosevelt alloys.

There is huge knowledge of the entire 124 line on this site and though its focus is the 124 Spider, I've seen no objection to features of the 850 Spider, or other 124 models. I would LOVE to have dueling Sport Coupe Restoration threads on this site. Posting pics to this site is a bit like touching your elbow to your ear, but you'll get the hang of it after using the Search feature to find a picture posting tutorial. http://www.turbo124.com features a lot of Coupes, and there's some great folks who post there.

PM me anytime, and welcome to the board!

[thechadzone]

I found a trans! I had to walk it about a half mile out of a salvage yard and into the trunk of my Civic, but it's mine. I paid $80 for it, and after a thorough flush it looks great. It's from an '80 2000. That should do, right? I'm wondering if the speedo drive will need to be swapped out, but other than that, I don't know why it wouldn't work.

I've begun the process of removing the engine and trans. I'm using the Haynes manual, and information from this forum. So far so good! I've been able to get the car two feet in the air and on jack stands. I've never had a car so high on four stands, getting it there was scary! So far the only failure was breaking off a stud in the exhaust manifold. That's ok because I think I'm going to use on from an 1800, which is said to give a little better top end.

Here's a shot of what will likely be my choice of wheels:

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/thech ... .jpg[/img]
Fiat Coupe Engine Removal 3 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/thech ... .jpg[/img]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/thech ... .jpg[/img]
Fiat Coupe Engine Removal 5 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]
Fiat COupe ENgine Removal 2 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/thech ... .jpg[/img]
Fiat COupe Engine Removal by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]




Fiat COupe Engine Removal 4 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/thech ... .jpg[/img]
Fiat COupe Engine Removal 4 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

[ital]

Please put your car back on the ground before you have an accident Chad!! Are you nuts!

Those ”wonky” jack stands look so unstable

You always put the rear stands under the diff housing! Where you have them at the moment under the jack points is a no no. Plus those rear stands are barley supported on those bricks. Get them on the ground. Just think of the slightest wiggle of the car while you are under it? all could come tumbling down.

Tell me, are you planning on lowering cross member trans and engine all in one piece?.

[thechadzone]

Agreed. I've since reconfigured things, while also adding another set of stands front & back with the HD floor jack also in place for double redundancy, but that was after my phone died, so no pics. I took that picture to show the maximum height that I can get my car into the air to allow for the trans to be lowered enough to clear its housing. I came scary close to being crushed by my 924 in my back in my '20's, and I still remember how lucky I am to be here. Thanks for the tip on placing the stands under the diff. I'll get right on it. I jacked from the diff, but the rear jacking points seemed like a logical place for the stands...

I put both front & rear up to get more workspace before bringing the engine & trans out the top (that's why I took the hood off). If you think I'll be fine with the rear on the ground, let me know (I still haven't been under there yet). I'm only an hour into the engine removal, but having officially begun is a real psychological advantage for me. Other than helping my brother with his 850 motor, It's been ten years since I've removed a motor by myself, and that one was air cooled. I'm sober, slow moving, and clutching the Haynes manual as I read it one step at a time. I'm reasonably confident that I'll get away with only minor injuries during this operation

It may "take a village" to get the motor & trans out & in, and I'm glad this "village" exists! I remember mentioning something like that at the beginning of this thread. One of the reasons I like this site is that it's approachable to mental health counselors who know cars, but don't turn a wrench every day. Croft's site is cool, but not in this way...

[ital]

Good, I feel better now Chad!

[thechadzone]

The motor and trans are now ready to come out! Now I need to buy or rent an engine hoist to finish the job. I got to use my ball joint puller that I hadn't used in a million years. It was an expensive tool that I bought back in the day when I was even more poor than I am now, and I only used it for one job. It's nice to get a second use out of it.

I guess I thought it'd be harder to do... Still, the heave-ho part will prove interesting. The manual gives a narrative of it, but suggestions are welcome here!

[narfire]

It might be a bit of a stretch but have you or do you have access to the overhead ceiling joists. If the car is on its wheels and you have a GOOD anchor point, (I'd guess engine and trans about 300-400 pounds or so) you might be able to get away with pulling the engine that way. A 3 or preferably 4:1 rope pulley has worked for me when I did'nt have access to a proper engine crane.
Without a doubt a proper engine hoist/crane is best though.
Chris

[ital]

any updates Chad?

[thechadzone]

In short; no. But thanks for asking! I've been bogged down with work and travel out of town on my days off, so the Coupe progress has stalled.

I've been thinking more about what I'm going to do with the motor that's coming out soon, and I think I'm going to keep it simple. Just the dual Webers, a pair of Mark's cams, and maybe a lightened/balanced flywheel. I'm poor and I'm fighting my brother's hoarding problem in his garage. I REALLY need my own space! The motor & trans are just sitting in the bay ready for an engine hoist to take them out. I should be able to get it on the stand in an hour if I'd just go get that hoist...

In the meantime, I brought my '69 Spider out yesterday. It's dirty, and needs some this & that, but it's running like a gladiator. It's finally getting nice outside in Oregon, and not a minute too soon...

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/thech ... .jpg[/img]Fiat in Driveway by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]