128 - finally

[carl]

1500 X electronic ignition is a nice mod too.

 

[Ulix]

Thanks for the tips Steve.
Sounds tempting.

 

[128kid]

Ulix,

What an incredible car! I love the exterior/interior color combo, and the lowering & wheels do add a nice bit of sportiness. I'm glad a deserving 128 like that found an owner like you

I am all about 2-door 128s, but I have had an itch for a 4-door again (for that little bit of extra utility) and your pictures show how great a 4-door can look.

Any shots of the engine bay? 128 nuts might appreciate the differences from the later cars. Things I remember being unique were cam tower studs instead of bolts, the intake manifold design, throttle linkage, lack of brake booster, and on US cars there was a bracket on the right strut tower for emissions gear.

Your engine experience sounds like mine when I got my '68 124 wagon. I had big block 2L plans but after zipping around in such an early car with a perky little 1197cc, I was having so much fun I decided to leave it original (except the Marelli electronic ignition that Mark Plaia added and the euro side draft that I added).

-Court

 

[NM850]

Very nice 128. I remember mine fondly.

 

[Ulix]

Court, cool that you are still into 128s!
I will take some pics of the engine bay.
So do you still have that 124 wagon?
I loved that thing and wouldn't mind owning one today.

 

[128kid]

Ulix,

I'm still flush with three 2-door sedans and Carl's former SL. All in "project" status other than the Rally, which I've always kept as a runner. I still have the 124 wagon, stored at my mom's place in CA. The wagon is very much in need of restoration but it still runs. I usually pick one project to complete on it each time I visit.

 

[carl]

Of all the Fiat tin tops of that era, I think I liked the 128 SL the most...especially with a 1500 motor.

 

[Shamrockmobilemotorsport]

Love the 4 door such a cool example.

 

[Ulix]

Court,
Here are the pics.
The craziest thing is the strut mounts in the front.
You have to assemble strut and compressed spring on the car. Quite a PITA.
Apparently these were only used in early 1969.

 

[kmead]

That is odd. I would be tempted to ‘update it’ to the later style. Tempted. Are the rubber bits still available new?

It would be a PITA, though with careful jacking and the use of a fast air/impact wrench it is likely do able without too much pain.

 

[128kid]

Court,
Here are the pics.
The craziest thing is the strut mounts in the front.
You have to assemble strut and compressed spring on the car. Quite a PITA.
Apparently these were only used in early 1969.

Wow, that's really something to see! Thanks.for.sharimg those. The strut tops are similar to how they did the rears but having to compress the spring definitely adds an element of excitement. I can see why they changed it. But, hey, no cracked strut towers...

Is the timing cover aluminum?

 

[Ulix]

Yes, alu timing cover.

I did find a trick for mounting the struts.
The nut by itself fits through the hole in the body.
So, assemble the strut with only the nut on top, remove spring compressor, install strut, lower car on wheels, remove nut and install top of strut mount.

Yes, I found the hardware on ebay Italy, but mine were still good.

 

[CandBMotorworks]

I have been lusting after an early 128 4-door for a long time.
By pure luck I stumbled across an outstanding example that has had one owner who drove it 28,000 mls, then the car spent 20 years in an italian Fiat collection.
I had it delivered from Italy to my house here in Germany.
Of course it cost more than one would normally spend on a 128, but I just had to do it.
After replacing a couple of 52 year old parts, I lowered it and installed different wheels and tires.
This is how it will stay, 100% original except for those mods.
It is a 1969 model, first year they were built.
I am still totally in love.

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Like this color combo.

 

[Lowtechprime]

Ulix said: "In the front, I have struts for the Fiat 127, which are identical (as far as I can tell) to the rear stuts of the 1300 X1/9. These have the spring perch 30mm lower than the stock euro 128 strut"...
I just did this same install, but it wasn't exactly a straight swap on a '73 car. The threaded/shaft portion at the top where it goes through the aluminum cone is about 2mm in diameter smaller on the 127 strut so I had to machine a bushing for it. Also, the holes that mount the strut to the hub are not in the same alignment as a 128. The tube must have more inboard lean in a 127, because as fitted in a 128 it gave positive camber. The bottom hole had to be slotted to bring the camber back to zero, (or slightly negative in my case). The height however was perfect!

 

[Ulix]

I did not have a problem with strut shaft diameter. Of course I have no aluminum cones on my car.

Correct on the camber issue.
I tried camber bolts in BOTH holes at first and it wasn‘t enough. I also slotted the bottom hole.
I should have mentioned that.

 

[Simon Oaten]

bloody awesome time machine !