So what do you all think of Fiat 128 Coupes?

[tdskip]

The front wheel drive section of the form doesn't seem to get much traffic, so forgive me for asking a question here.

Fun to drive? Usable as around the town daily driver? Parts supply ok? Is there any market for them if I buy then decide to sell after having my fun?

Thanks!

 

[carl]

The two door is the holy grail of 128 owners based on a purely style issue. Certainly useful as a daily driver. Just swapping in a 1500 motor from an X1/9 makes a big difference in driveability (more torque). Interior bits can be hard to find but mechanicals are not too hard to locate. When I had my 128s, I found Midwest Bayless had a lot of stuff and much of it was not on their on-line catalog so I always had to contact them and ask. The 128 owners who are on this website are almost painfully helpful with finding parts going way out of their way to try and help. As with all Fiats, rust is always a major concern. Check the frame under the battery and the tops of the rear strut towers.

 

[dragonsgate]

I have not been one for taking pictures so this is one of the three I have. I bought this 1975 from a friend of my wife when it was barely a year old. Loved the car and drove it across the US several times. I gave my son a two door for his 16th birthday. I liked the two door but the four was so much easier to get people and things in the back. The car was comfortable and fun to drive as it was so I kept it stock for about ten trouble free years until my wife was out with her mom and dad. The alt/water pump belt broke while they were about 5+ miles from home. My %# father in law told my wife she could drive it home and the air flowing through the radiator would keep it cool. I am sure you know didn't. Its a wonder the car was still running. I worked on the engine but it never ran right after that so I put in a 70 Strada and five speed. I had that car for thirty five years. Sorry I got rid of it.

 

[tdskip]

Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving all.

The one I am looking at is a ‘73. Any do/don’t related to that specific series?

 

[motoTrooper]

Yeah, specifically don't buy it for yourself and do help me get it!

Really neat little cars, there've been some build threads here and GRM that I've followed. Hopefully you can figure out the photobucket extortion masking workaround. I haven't done it yet though.

 

[dragonsgate]

A couple of things to look at. My 128 was a Cali car until 1989 then spent the rest of its life in Arkansas. Around 98-99 had some rust around the front bushing brackets on the sway-bar. The left side bolts and surrounding metal came lose allowing the tire to move back and rub the inner fender. When I went to fix it found that both sides were rusted to the point of failure. Also look for cracks in the metal at the corners closest to the windshield inside the engine compartment. At one time I had five 128's. Two had the the cracks, one of which was real bad. My 4dr was showing signs of starting.

 

[rachaeljf]

Erm, the above aren't Coupes!

 

[kmead]

Indeed, two door sedans.

The coupes came in two varieties. The fastback with a trunk and the fastback as a lift back. Any of the 128s are great cars, particularly when they get breathed on with a 1500 but fun regardless.

Like all things old, rust is the enema.

 

[Coupefan]

I had a 1973 128 Sl for about six months in 1984. I unfortunately only have one memory from owning that car. There was a park we liked to go to in the evenings for walks. One night, I turned into the lot, and was immediately swarmed and surrounded by at least 80-100 kids. One kid took a swing at me with a golf club, putting a dent in the left quarter panel. Another kid took a swing with a baseball bat on the trunk, creating similar damage.

It turns out I stumbled into a high school grudge match between two local high schools. The kids must have thought I was a student of the opposing side. Cops couldn't do anything about it.

 

[carl]

I wasn't going to bring up the coupe name thing since the picture on the original post was a 2 door 128, not a 128 SL coupe. I had an SL and it is a very pretty car with a really nice interior, same drivetrain as the sedans.

 

[rachaeljf]

I've driven the saloon and owned an SL and two 3Ps, they were all great fun to drive. I put a 1600 TC in one 3P, from a Strada 105TC, but I never looked after the bodywork and just didn't appreciate the cars I had back in those days. I let them all succumb to rot. I still have the TC engine in bits in the shed.

 

[dragonsgate]

I got excited and let the "coupe" slip by. Still kicking myself for not keeping the sedan.

 

[tdskip]

Great discussion and information, thank you.

Anyone every drive on of these and a Mini to compare the two?

 

[JimD]

The front wheel drive section of the form doesn't seem to get much traffic, so forgive me for asking a question here.

Fun to drive? Usable as around the town daily driver? Parts supply ok? Is there any market for them if I buy then decide to sell after having my fun?

Thanks!

Hi td

All new posts in any forum will show up in the "New Posts" results from the button at the top of the forum. There is no problem posting it in DF, but posting it in DF makes it less likely that the Front Wheel Drive forum will see more traffic.... right?

Now, on to the car. You should buy that 128 just to get the cow print seats. They might look good in an X. Oh wait... nope.... not at all.

 

[Greg (in Conn)]

You can't fool a Ferrari.

 

[tdskip]

Fun! Point noted Jim. Thanks for being flexible

 

[Kevin Channer]

Comparing the original Mini to a 128 Fiat I would guess the Mini handles better out of the box, ( I never drove the Mini, but was a passenger many times) The 128 will respond well to lowering, sway bars, etc. The early ones like the 73 you are considering may have been lower than my 76, 78, and 79s. It seems that they raised the height when they added the US spec heavy bumpers. The "73 probably has a 1100 motor which is fairly anemic, but a 1300 or 1500 motor without smog, a header and exhaust, a tweaked or dual carbs will make it a fun driver. Probably on par with a 70s BMW 2002. As far as collectability, the variant models: 3p, Sl coupe, original 1300 Rally, and to a lesser extent the wagon, probably command a higher resale. I think the Sl was desired for racing due to the improved aerodynamics. I almost bought a turbo, lowered, Flared, Sl coupe with a roll cage and a fuel cell. But smog rules and the fluttery feel of the valves under boost in the primitive turbo set up gave me a distinct impression the motor as not to be long on this earth. Courtney Waters or Jeff Stich could probably chime in for some more recent impressions.

 

[carl]

I have never driven an 1100 128 but that's a fairly tiny motor. All my 128s and the SLs started out as 1300s but I felt they were always foot to the floor motors. I converted them all to 1500s and that made them really drivable cars. Set the ignition timing at 10 degrees, get rid of any air pump and stick a single 34 two barrel Weber on and you have a very nice package. The 128s weigh less than an X so while you sit much higher, your HP/weight ratio is much better.

 

[tdskip]

Thank you for the additional background and impressions.

How involved is a 1500 swap?

 

[tdskip]

Just drove it, it was rough for than ever ties, not much of a shocker there.

The current owner rebuilt the carb on it but it was running really rich and stumbling badly still. Every once in a while it would come up on song and just feel like a really happy car, but it needs a new fuel system before it's drivable.

I'm more concerned about the rough spots in the pictures, the one on the back underneath the window is a complex shape and getting that right is going to be a challenge and less there are donor parts available from a car that has the same stamping.

The handling was a bit soft, it's probably time for shocks and bushings etc.

I can squint my eyes and imagine it healthy and totally understand why these were so much fun to zip around it.