1972 124 Coupe
- Thread starter BEEK
- Start date
BEEK
True Classic
Following a great overall work over of the car. This is my report.
1. floors are perfect, no issues at all
2. battery box was repaired for normal rust. No issues, just not the quality of what I would do in a restoration.
3. the car has had a rear 1/4 replaced a long time ago. The drivers door gap is wider than normal but correctly shaped.
4. the car was hit in the same replaced 1/4 panel in the rear. The repair is substandard, but is fixable.
5. The upper rear panel was also hit and suffers from a shoddy repair.
6. both the rear lower wells in the sides of the trunk have had rust repair. Solid now. But I dont like the appearance of the work from the inside.
7. both front fender lower extensions have a minor amount of rust bubbling. rockers are 100% solid
8. the doors are 100% rust free
9. hood is 100% rust free
10. The entire front of the car is rust free except for the mentioned lower fenders.
11. deck lid perfect
12. rear frame rails not damaged by the rear impact at all. seems that everything is superficial.
13. all glass is original and in very good condition.
14. bumpers are straight but need re-chroming
The car was disassembled in the interior. I haven't laid out every piece to see what is missing. But the notable things are the carpet and headliner. the door and rear side panels are there but the chrome like strips on the rears are not very nice. Seats need upholstery. Dash and lower console are cracked but complete.
So here is my thought process and question for the group.
1. do i try to restore the car to a show car status. ( i feel i will spend as much as it would bring to get the car up to that standard, especially not being able to source replacement body parts. Would need a rear 1/4 and upper and lower rear panels.)
2. do i just put it together as a 60% daily driver type. fix what is there. deal with the cracked dash and non standard carpet that I would have to make, realize that it is a survivor and thats it?
3. do i build a "tribute" race car out of it. I am at a point in my life where I wont be seeing any track action, most likely. Mainly lack of time. But i could build a track ready car. This would allow for my 16 valve headed engine and 131 gearbox a place to go. build out the interior like a race car. but not gut the insides so one day it could be put back as a original car if someone wanted. install a 6 point roll cage mainly for looks, but still build it out of correct dom tubing to pass any sanctioning bodys regulations. install some race seats and just have fun with it on the street. I will properly store all the removed parts for later if the car was to ever be put back original.
Those are my options i am thinking about. Please feel free to have an opinion. Thats why I asked. BTW, for what I paid it is worth it in my mind anyway. A running 1608 with dual 40 idf's has to be worth something as well.
1. floors are perfect, no issues at all
2. battery box was repaired for normal rust. No issues, just not the quality of what I would do in a restoration.
3. the car has had a rear 1/4 replaced a long time ago. The drivers door gap is wider than normal but correctly shaped.
4. the car was hit in the same replaced 1/4 panel in the rear. The repair is substandard, but is fixable.
5. The upper rear panel was also hit and suffers from a shoddy repair.
6. both the rear lower wells in the sides of the trunk have had rust repair. Solid now. But I dont like the appearance of the work from the inside.
7. both front fender lower extensions have a minor amount of rust bubbling. rockers are 100% solid
8. the doors are 100% rust free
9. hood is 100% rust free
10. The entire front of the car is rust free except for the mentioned lower fenders.
11. deck lid perfect
12. rear frame rails not damaged by the rear impact at all. seems that everything is superficial.
13. all glass is original and in very good condition.
14. bumpers are straight but need re-chroming
The car was disassembled in the interior. I haven't laid out every piece to see what is missing. But the notable things are the carpet and headliner. the door and rear side panels are there but the chrome like strips on the rears are not very nice. Seats need upholstery. Dash and lower console are cracked but complete.
So here is my thought process and question for the group.
1. do i try to restore the car to a show car status. ( i feel i will spend as much as it would bring to get the car up to that standard, especially not being able to source replacement body parts. Would need a rear 1/4 and upper and lower rear panels.)
2. do i just put it together as a 60% daily driver type. fix what is there. deal with the cracked dash and non standard carpet that I would have to make, realize that it is a survivor and thats it?
3. do i build a "tribute" race car out of it. I am at a point in my life where I wont be seeing any track action, most likely. Mainly lack of time. But i could build a track ready car. This would allow for my 16 valve headed engine and 131 gearbox a place to go. build out the interior like a race car. but not gut the insides so one day it could be put back as a original car if someone wanted. install a 6 point roll cage mainly for looks, but still build it out of correct dom tubing to pass any sanctioning bodys regulations. install some race seats and just have fun with it on the street. I will properly store all the removed parts for later if the car was to ever be put back original.
Those are my options i am thinking about. Please feel free to have an opinion. Thats why I asked. BTW, for what I paid it is worth it in my mind anyway. A running 1608 with dual 40 idf's has to be worth something as well.
Seems like option #3 gets you behind the wheel and enjoying the car sooner rather than later. Leaving the stock body features in place for any future resto should soothe any angst felt in your restorer's soul. Put it together as a tribute and drive it BEEK. Just my 2 cents worth of free advice. 
kmead
Old enough to know better
I would go for option 2 with the racer go fast parts. Not a big fan of the racer angle…
It will be interesting to see you actually do something restrained…
Congrats on finding a bit of a unicorn car, there just aren’t many left, particularly in decent shape.
It is a great daily driver car, at least for me. I miss driving mine as I need to get the drivers side fixed after an accident.
It will be interesting to see you actually do something restrained…
Congrats on finding a bit of a unicorn car, there just aren’t many left, particularly in decent shape.
It is a great daily driver car, at least for me. I miss driving mine as I need to get the drivers side fixed after an accident.
fiatfactory
Steve Cecchele
16 Valve head into a 124 coupe means firewall mods to get it all to fit.
One suggestion, get rid of the hideous USA spec side clearance lights in the front and rear fenders.
SteveC
One suggestion, get rid of the hideous USA spec side clearance lights in the front and rear fenders.
SteveC
Joe F
Hi Miles, Lo Maintenance
It is almost exactly like the '72 I bought new. It was nicknamed "The Tomato" by my girlfriend.
The nostalgic me says restore to a daily driver level. Even people in the passenger seat were impressed by the way it handled.
Great car!
BTW, I have all the parts for my '80 Spider.
The nostalgic me says restore to a daily driver level. Even people in the passenger seat were impressed by the way it handled.
Great car!
BTW, I have all the parts for my '80 Spider.
BEEK
True Classic
I drove a coupe as a daily driver 2 times in my life. When i was in my early 20's I had a 74 coupe. Put 100k miles on it then transferred the parts after rebuilding into a 75 spider chassis I was given. The second time was the most regretted time in my life. I found an absolutely perfect 69 coupe. Drove it for a year or so then traded it for a zagato. This was in the mid 1990's. For what its worth, I still have whats left of the zagato, not the white on in my signature though.
BEEK
True Classic
Ill mock it up to see what you are saying. I only think there might be a clearance issue at the back of the head but i am unsure. I will use a block mounted plex distributor. Routing a custom header seems to be the biggest mountain i feel I will face. Coolant passage for the radiator is another thing. I want to look at the core plug on the front / original back of the head to see if I can make a coolant outlet there and just plug off the original one on the other side of the head. I havent researched that yet. It is on my to do list.
If this proves to be too much, Ill just got with a built 2.0
And yes, side markers are going to be gone!
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BEEK
True Classic
Thanks. not what my wife says! You got another @#$@#%$@ fiat! How many do you need! She does admittedly remember the rides in the 69 coupe and says she liked that car.You don't see many 124 coupes anymore. Nice project.
BEEK
True Classic
here is where I am at on the 16 valve head. Just got the intake and carbs. Still need camshafts, valve guides and pistons. Then to fabricate the exhaust. The one big thing I have determined I will need is a pushrod bellhousing. I want to use a 131 transmission. So finding a euro 131 with a 1600 pushrod engine will be the issue.
twincam69
True Classic
These do look good with Roosevelt wheels.
JKIDD
Auto Addict
Based on Fiat rust, this pic was probably taken in 1975??
kmead
Old enough to know better
Regarding the bellhousing, Egypt would be a good market to look in. There is an Ebay seller of Fiat parts from Egypt who I see there quite regularly, perhaps he could find one as that is the standard spec for the 131 in that market as I recall.
BEEK
True Classic
Looks like Steve C. has everything I need. So long boat ride from down under!
Fiataccompli
Chris Granju
That's pretty much what I remember most Fiats looking like around that time. (which isn't to say that's how most Fiats looked!)
KBabcock
True Classic
In Chicago with high usage of salt in the winter, Fiats took a real beating.