Rear engine Fiat motors I've had over the years.....#4

Frank L. Di Gioia

Frank L. Di Gioia

True Classic
This is my all time favorite motor even if not the most exotic or rare. It' an Autobianchi 1050 motor bored to 1070cc running a early PBS Series 8-port head. I got it from Norb McNamara. The water outlet at the end of the head identifies it as that. Originally a single DCOE I asked Clark Adams at PBS to fit a dual side draft manifold to it. This is the result with two 40DCOE's using 28mm chokes and his chosen jetting. The motor had carbon fiber pushrods from Greg Schmidt of "Fiat and Abarth Tricks." The oil pan was a PBS split sump that I carefully cut a rectangular hole in where a similar Abarth two piece lower pan would have the word "ABARTH" cast. John Edwards used to cast 600 transmission top plates with ABARTH cast in them. You can guess what happened next.....With a little grinding and sand blasting it was now an Abarth sump. Years later I did find a real magnesium Abarth sump. Cooling was by a rear radiator and a cross flow Abarth unit mounted ahead of the transmission. Oil cooling was by a front cooler mounted in a fiberglass scoop below the front trunk area. It shows in the front clip shot. The oil "catch can" was at the suggestion of Gary Mortensen.
The last pic is to see if anyone can identify the car. It's pre or post WW2 and at the family shop/garage near Yale University. I always thought it a Bugatti but am now less certain.
 

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Jeff is correct. 1938 Talbot Lago T23 with body by Figoni et Falaschi

Strother Macminn went on at length over their bodies in class.

The chrome along the bottom of the fenders and running board is a give away to the F&F bodies. Some of their bodies were amazing, particularly the ones which encapsulated the front wheels.
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Frank, do you recall the color of the car?
 
kmead said:
Jeff is correct. 1938 Talbot Lago T23 with body by Figoni et Falaschi

Strother Macminn went on at length over their bodies in class.

The chrome along the bottom of the fenders and running board is a give away to the F&F bodies. Some of their bodies were amazing, particularly the ones which encapsulated the front wheels.
View attachment 82751

Frank, do you recall the color of the car?
Click to expand...
Not a clue Karl as I never saw the car in person. The photo was in sort of a B&W cross with sepia. The family shop did everything from sell gasoline, paint and repair cars and build custom race cars. During the golden age of midget racing they fielded two cars up and down the east coast. In those days 20-30,000 people attended events! They hired drivers who later became famous Indianapolis winners. The business was still family run in the late 1960's and totally worked on high end cars by then.
 
Frank, that's a very cool engine! I love the oil catch can. :) Those carb velocity stacks bring back memories of the old FAZA magazine ads, with all sorts of stack configurations pictured.
 
Frank L. Di Gioia said:
This is my all time favorite motor even if not the most exotic or rare. It' an Autobianchi 1050 motor bored to 1070cc running a early PBS Series 8-port head. I got it from Norb McNamara. The water outlet at the end of the head identifies it as that. Originally a single DCOE I asked Clark Adams at PBS to fit a dual side draft manifold to it. This is the result with two 40DCOE's using 28mm chokes and his chosen jetting. The motor had carbon fiber pushrods from Greg Schmidt of "Fiat and Abarth Tricks." The oil pan was a PBS split sump that I carefully cut a rectangular hole in where a similar Abarth two piece lower pan would have the word "ABARTH" cast. John Edwards used to cast 600 transmission top plates with ABARTH cast in them. You can guess what happened next.....With a little grinding and sand blasting it was now an Abarth sump. Years later I did find a real magnesium Abarth sump. Cooling was by a rear radiator and a cross flow Abarth unit mounted ahead of the transmission. Oil cooling was by a front cooler mounted in a fiberglass scoop below the front trunk area. It shows in the front clip shot. The oil "catch can" was at the suggestion of Gary Mortensen.
The last pic is to see if anyone can identify the car. It's pre or post WW2 and at the family shop/garage near Yale University. I always thought it a Bugatti but am now less certain.
Click to expand...
That is one heck of an engine. That must have been one very quick little car.
 
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