1973 Fiat 128 Engine Swap

Sorry to hear about the mismatched title. Time for decision making. I don't know how crazy your DMV gets with registering cars. Pretty simple in Virginia as they just look at the title. Also, at some point you will sell the car and you have to decide if you are going to be fully up front with the fact you DON'T have a title for the car. No one wants to mess with this admin stuff. Even trying to get the real title won't work at this point as you don't have the correct vin plates anymore.
 
In California there are few more desired cars than one built before 1975. The lack of need to smog it or conform or even have the emissions control devices of the time makes them a modders dream.

For my 850 I had to go to a special station to have it verified as they don’t like to let them through, I don’t recall how careful they were to check the VIN stamps on the body and the tag. As my VIN number is missing a complete digit on the title they couldn’t have been too careful.
 
1975 cars are also exempt in CA. 1976 and later are not exempt. However, there are rural counties in CA that don't require a smog check. I know someone who recently registered his X in one of those counties and he managed to avoid the smog check.
 
As this discussion has gone along several Forum members noted that the car didn't appear to be correct for the stated model year.

The "owner" then told us that the federal tags and the title didn't match the Serial Number/VIN stamped into the body.

At that point a Forum Administrator suggests "Ignore the VIN, just have fun".
Several members suggested ways to drive the car without fixing the real problem.

I don't have an easy answer to the title situation, I doubt there is one. However, as a member of this Forum I think we are getting ourselves into a bad legal position by suggesting illegal ways to avoid whatever is necessary to clear the title problem.
 
I bought a 68 Fiat 850 Coupe project which had been unregistered for 30 years. I had a copy of the California title. To get it registered in California, DMV told me that I had to take the car and title to a California Highway Patrol office to get a VIN verification filled out. They have special officers who handle that. I made an appointment and trailered the car down there. I showed him where the VIN numbers and ID plates were. We discovered that the VIN on the title was the number which was the spares ordering type number shown on the engine compartment plate. I told him the VIN was the number which was stamped in the sheet metal and he told me something along the lines of: "Yep, it looks like someone reported the wrong number to DMV when this was originally titled." He told me that the info on the car all lines up and he signed the verification paperwork.

I told him that I planned to restore and sell the car and could he correct the VIN paperwork instead. He told me no, red flags go up at DMV when you try to change the VIN on the paperwork or the car. LEAVE IT ALONE.

Based on my experience, if that 128 is not a stolen car, I think CHP will verify the VIN because the windshield VIN does match the title VIN.
Beware: If the windshield VIN plate or its rivets have been tampered with, you probably have a problem. Maybe someone can post pics of a 73-76 128 windshield VIN and rivets for comparison.
 
Gene, as one of the bad actors you point to, I still stand by what I did to the 124 coupe for me as the body was free to me (I certainly could not afford a good coupe) and had 100% intentions of NOT reselling the car with that title. Was it a stupid idea, probably. I'm not advocating anyone else doing this but I guess by talking about it I did potentially put the seed in other peoples minds. I like to assume everyone here has half a brain and can make up their own minds but we all know what happens when you assume. I know of only one police officer who would instantly recognize the registration did not match the year of the car since he is a Fiat fanatic.
 
I bought a 68 Fiat 850 Coupe project which had been unregistered for 30 years. I had a copy of the California title. To get it registered in California, DMV told me that I had to take the car and title to a California Highway Patrol office to get a VIN verification filled out. They have special officers who handle that. I made an appointment and trailered the car down there. I showed him where the VIN numbers and ID plates were. We discovered that the VIN on the title was the number which was the spares ordering type number shown on the engine compartment plate. I told him the VIN was the number which was stamped in the sheet metal and he told me something along the lines of: "Yep, it looks like someone reported the wrong number to DMV when this was originally titled." He told me that the info on the car all lines up and he signed the verification paperwork.

I told him that I planned to restore and sell the car and could he correct the VIN paperwork instead. He told me no, red flags go up at DMV when you try to change the VIN on the paperwork or the car. LEAVE IT ALONE.

Based on my experience, if that 128 is not a stolen car, I think CHP will verify the VIN because the windshield VIN does match the title VIN.
Beware: If the windshield VIN plate or its rivets have been tampered with, you probably have a problem. Maybe someone can post pics of a 73-76 128 windshield VIN and rivets for comparison.

I agree with your statement about the number stamped in the body being the correct Serial Number.

I always understood that the windshield tag was for easy identification of a car without having to get into the car to find the stamped Serial Number. I agree that there are serious penalties for tampering with this. Most joy riders aren't going to pull the windshield or the seal and replace the tag before they dump the car on the side of the road.
On the other hand the number stamped in the body requires cutting and welding to change it. Again, if someone accepted the title of a car that didn't match the stamped number I see that as being a problem.

You probably have already guessed that I disagree with the CHP Officer but I apparently disagree with a whole lot of people so that doesn't really matter.....
 
I note that on my Miata the dash vin plate is pretty much permanently attached to the dash pad so I don't know how folks repair a cracked dash with a replacement one from a junkyard car.
 
I appreciate everyone’s input! I do. But we have gone completely off topic. The car is registered as a 1973 Fiat 128 here in California according to pink slip, window vin plate and license plate number. Renewing registration shouldn’t be a problem. I’m just looking for tips and tricks or advice on how to install a 1.5L engine. Possibly keeping it fuel injected.
 
I appreciate everyone’s input! I do. But we have gone completely off topic. The car is registered as a 1973 Fiat 128 here in California according to pink slip, window vin plate and license plate number. Renewing registration shouldn’t be a problem. I’m just looking for tips and tricks or advice on how to install a 1.5L engine. Possibly keeping it fuel injected.

Sorry, it is one of the features of this forum :) We do tend to digress.

You can change engine for engine with a few minor components switched between them to deal with the reality of the four speed transmission. As Carl suggested to get the thing rolling under its own power moving the carb and its intake to the 1500 will work fine. Just harvest the wiring from the fuel injected X so you can easily change it over in the future or use MicroSquirt which is a great system and more than up to the job of runnning a SOHC Fiat motor.
 
I appreciate everyone’s input! I do. But we have gone completely off topic. The car is registered as a 1973 Fiat 128 here in California according to pink slip, window vin plate and license plate number. Renewing registration shouldn’t be a problem. I’m just looking for tips and tricks or advice on how to install a 1.5L engine. Possibly keeping it fuel injected.
Back on topic per Carl’s 4 August post - I have 1300 flywheel, starter, manifolds, and possibly an oil pan. Will PM you
 
Progress so far...

I have valve cover, cylinder head, pistons removed from block. Everything will be going to JMS Racing Engines in El Monte, CA for surfacing, valve adjustment, etc.

When everything is ready to install, I’ve decided I want to keep it fuel injected for now. For economical reasons.

The question here is does anyone know a step by step DIY on how I go about this? How much of the harness I have to remove from the X and run into the 128?
 
Does the X you have start and run now? I would work on getting the X running to ensure that moving all this stuff will be successful. Trying to figure out if the problem is the parts or the install when the car won’t run is worse than frustrating.

Download the manual for the X and the 128 from Mira Fiori

Down load this from Mira: https://www.mirafiori.com/faq/fiatFI_may2002.pdf and get conversant with it, although it centers on the 124, the system is effectively identical in terms of what is there and how it works with the exception of the intake manifold coolant heating system which doesn’t exist on an X.

The fuel injection is effectively a stand alone subsystem added to a carbureted car. This image from MWB shows the primary components:
9DFC672B-5FC4-4CE8-AB5E-09F4F2A513E0.jpeg

First get the X with FI wiring diagram, it will help you identify what to look for, preferably the exact year of the car, you may find it here in the WIKI or by becoming a member at MiraFiori.

Here is a video of some of the conversion and some of the parts:

All of the injection electronic hardware and most of the wiring either start or end in the X spare tire well. There is the ECU and the combo relay in there. Start with the combo relay, there is power at the fuse box with an inline fuse that provides power to the combo relay, pull that from there back to the combo relay. From the combo relay outward you will remove the wiring related to the fuel pump and over to the ECU.

From the ECU there is one large connector with a rubber seal inline which goes from the ECU to the engine bay on the other side. This leads to the ignition system and all the sensors on the engine along with air metering assembly etc.

You will want all the brackets and wiring related to the electronic ignition which has a relationship to the injection system as well. Again another basically stand alone system added to a car which was designed to have points.

I would disconnect the main harness from the ecu, push it through the hole and then drop the engine with all the components attached to the engine and the harness as a unit. If you choose to pull the wiring, label each thing with a painters tape tag, photograph the tag and the connector and what it is attached to and then take great notes.

There isn’t a complete guide, this would be your opportunity to create such a thing to guide others in how to do the conversion. Many people have made the conversion, they just weren’t the type of people to do a how to tutorial.
 
Karl, from his post it sounds like the motor has already been removed.

Can you keep the X until you have the 128 up and running? This would allow you to keep going back to it when you find you are missing yet another component. Don't forget the fuel pump and electronic ignition.
 
Karl, from his post it sounds like the motor has already been removed.

Can you keep the X until you have the 128 up and running? This would allow you to keep going back to it when you find you are missing yet another component. Don't forget the fuel pump and electronic ignition.

The electronic ignition? What is that?
 
Does anyone happen to have the wire harness diagram? Or know if a site I can look it up? I completely removed it from the car. Big mistake.
 
Go to the parts for sale/wanted section of this forum and ask. I'm sure someone has one but may not be reading this thread.
 
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