Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post pics of your car in here
Post Reply
Erik Bredius
Posts: 5
Joined: October 10th, 2013, 3:18 pm
Contact:

Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by Erik Bredius »

I bought this 124 Rally Abarth from Guy Moerenhout in 2009. It's an ex Fiat Works car licenced To H04938. Fiat Torino had the car in posession from dec.1972 up to dec.1989. It has been used as a press car but never rallied. The engine is a standard stradale version but a wide works oil sump was added. The car is still very original and in top condition. As an indication to this condition: only minor wear to the original carpet is visible under the heels of the driver. The rest is impeccable!
2009 Abarth meeting Savigny les Beaune with my friend Jack Hoogland behind the wheel.
2009 Abarth meeting Savigny les Beaune with my friend Jack Hoogland behind the wheel.
124 Abarth Savigny horizontaal.jpg (140.49 KiB) Viewed 30335 times
At this moment I'm working on a stage III engine using parts and advice from GC. I find it thrilling to do all de hand labour (like port grinding) myself and it's very nice to do with the GC's great Red book as a guide!! The machining is done in colaboration with Jeroen at "Oldtimerland", the workshop famous by my friend Harry Minnekus (best known as "The Spiderman") here in Holland. Most parts are already sourced and reworked now so the engine is almost ready for dry build. I'll post some pictures when the engine is ready.
Attachments
2009 Abarth meeting Savigny les Beaune
2009 Abarth meeting Savigny les Beaune
Abarth Savigny les Beaune 080 (800 x 600).jpg (181.47 KiB) Viewed 30335 times
The 124 Abarth when I just bought it, still with the original Italian licence plates. In the back my 500D still waiting a makeover with all original 595 Abarth Esse-esse parts.
The 124 Abarth when I just bought it, still with the original Italian licence plates. In the back my 500D still waiting a makeover with all original 595 Abarth Esse-esse parts.
124 Rally Abarth 053 TO H04938.jpg (381.03 KiB) Viewed 30335 times
Last edited by Erik Bredius on December 14th, 2013, 11:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
GC_39
Simon
Posts: 145
Joined: August 1st, 2009, 6:55 pm
Location: Leicester
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by Simon »

That's a lovely example of an original car Eric, there can't be many around like that!
GC_15
Erik Bredius
Posts: 5
Joined: October 10th, 2013, 3:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by Erik Bredius »

Thanks Simon,

yes, there certainly aren't many 124 Rally Abarth's left where the only welding is done by the Abarth Works to reinforce the body and attach the independent rear and stronger front suspension!

I feel very privaleged when I drive and enjoy this car. Apart from the sheer balance of the car itself this knowing it's so special makes the driving experience remarkably different from driving any other car.
Last edited by Erik Bredius on November 22nd, 2013, 9:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
GC_39
Guy Croft
Site Admin
Posts: 5039
Joined: June 18th, 2006, 9:31 am
Location: Bedford, UK
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by Guy Croft »

all true!

I had one once.

BTW - Look out for the Dec issue of Phil Ward's AUTOITALIA magazine, goes to press on Monday 21 Oct, released Nov 6th .

Big feature on these cars and esp Mick Wood's Gp 4 in action at Bill Gwynne Rally School - with usual fabulous photography.

Contributions by me and others, great article, I have seen it.

G
Guy Croft, owner
Erik Bredius
Posts: 5
Joined: October 10th, 2013, 3:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by Erik Bredius »

A Fiat Abarth 124 Rally doesn't come "out of the blue. "

And so it wasn't with me. I've had many Fiats and special attention to Abarth since 1982. I started with a Fiat 500 for which the local Pizzeria had to pay the respray because I had no money being student.... But the result was good for the both of us: prominent advertisement stired up by the loud Abarth exhaust in exchange for free respay and pizza's. And it made many people smile in the proces:
"Pizza 500" in front of the Colosseum. This picture was taken in the 80-ties but San Marco in Delft is still a good place to go!!
"Pizza 500" in front of the Colosseum. This picture was taken in the 80-ties but San Marco in Delft is still a good place to go!!
pizza Colloseum.jpg (115.08 KiB) Viewed 30110 times
Nice anecdote: when I was in Berlin with this Pizza 500 friends took me to the local San Marco and I got my pizza there for free also after parking on the pavement in front of the pizzeria!

In the mean time I bought the "perfect low mileage Fiat 500 from an old lady". It appeared to be not perfect because within 2 weeks it caught fire and burned down completely .... I should perhaps have trown it away but didn't. After a complete and pinpoint rebuild it was the most perfect car I've ever had! It had all the original Abarth parts I collected over the years (including the magnesium Campagnolo wheels and Jaeger dashbord) to make it a Fiat Abarth 595 esse-esse. I and my wife used it every day till 8 years after the rebuild it was "run over by a big Volvo". Luckely my wife Annelies had only a few scratches and the Abarth parts all survived but the car was bent completely and beyond sensible repair. After these 8 years in Dutch rainy wether (and salt in winter!) there wasn't any rust so I did a pretty good job rebuilding.... Some people said I should not have used this perfect car so much and "look what you have now" but in those 8 years I have had the pleasure of a lifetime and I would do the same again!!
Fiat Abarth 595 esse-esse (replica with all genuine original Abarth parts from the 60ties and 70ties)
Fiat Abarth 595 esse-esse (replica with all genuine original Abarth parts from the 60ties and 70ties)
Abarth 595 Molebeke.jpg (115.69 KiB) Viewed 30110 times
I bought a 1964 Fiat 500D with suicide doors two years after the 595 was crashed and used it for many years. It's now waiting for a complete rebuild and collect of all the genuine 595 Abarth parts from the shreaded dark blue car. Here a picture on top of the famous Fiat Lingotto works in Turin:
Fiat 500D on top of the Fiat Lingotto works Turin
Fiat 500D on top of the Fiat Lingotto works Turin
2007 06 10 selectie 50 anni 500 018 (568 x 426).jpg (44.04 KiB) Viewed 30109 times
In 1989 I bought a Fiat 124 Spider USA. Since 2 years I use this again as my daily transportation after a slow 8 year "rebuild"/storage. It runs cheap on LPG which costs only 1/3 of gasoline here in Holland. Last year I drove more then 30.000km with this car alone.
Fiat 124 Spider USA having dedicated frame for classic lightweight bicycles
Fiat 124 Spider USA having dedicated frame for classic lightweight bicycles
2012 05 05 Spider.jpg (200.33 KiB) Viewed 30110 times
GC_39
miro-1980
Posts: 687
Joined: December 3rd, 2007, 3:40 pm
Location: Warsaw suburb , Poland
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by miro-1980 »

Hi Eric,

Great car with an great history.

Because of this it seems to be a one-of-a-kind ex-works 124 Abarths.

It is quire likely one of the cars used to obtain FIA homologation !

I noticed that your car original license plate number is very close to the license plate number of a car which driven by Rafael Pinto in 1973 RMC:
1973 RMC Pinto start no  5.jpg
1973 RMC Pinto start no 5.jpg (102.94 KiB) Viewed 30045 times

I am building a replica of gr 4 (1973) 124 abarth driven by Achim Warmbold ( in Rally Sweden and Rally Poland ) license plate number H 47494 TO.

I am doing a lot of research and came across an issue of alloy parts.
Maybe you will be able to help.

My questions are:

1/ What body parts were alloy on a 1972/73 124 Abarths

2/ Was it the same on Stradale and Corsa ?

Thanks for your help.

Miro
www.Fiat-abarth-rally.com
GC_93
mickwood
Posts: 40
Joined: February 14th, 2007, 4:27 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by mickwood »

Re Alloy Panels on 124 CSA.

Door skins were aluminium obviously.
Over sills were aluminium
Rear three quarter panels (the ones behind the rear wheels and below the main body section) were aluminium.

….and that is it i think! - I have heard people talk of "aluminium scuttles" (the panel below the windscreen that the wipers go through) but mine is steel and i have magnet tested a couple of others and they were steel as well. Be interesting to do this simple test on Erik's lovely original and unmolested car!
miro-1980
Posts: 687
Joined: December 3rd, 2007, 3:40 pm
Location: Warsaw suburb , Poland
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by miro-1980 »

Thanks Mick,

I believe that with your input we have it all figured out ( allowing for some year version variations as well as not registered factory modifications... )

I agree that magnet testing Erick's car would be very useful.

On another subject :

How was the diff hung on the chassis floor ? ( like the 131 abarth ?)

What were the brakes front/rear? ( there must have been several setup versions)

Rte rear axis: any chance for dimensions of the gr 4 version.

Any and all pictures from you or anyone else who has one or had such pictures would be very useful as we are to "dry fit" the parts which are to arrive next week and these are the parts we are still missing.

Miro
Last edited by miro-1980 on September 26th, 2014, 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
www.Fiat-abarth-rally.com
GC_93
mickwood
Posts: 40
Joined: February 14th, 2007, 4:27 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by mickwood »

Hey Miro

I will try and send you a photo of the Diff attachment - it is pretty hard to get at as quite high up, but i will try.

Brakes - front were (from memory) 258mm diameter 20mm think vented discs, (homologation papers will have correct sizes) - Normally ATE alloy forged two pot Calipers (the gold anodised type as on RS porsche and 131 Gr4), but some later cars had 4 pot lockheed (never homologated and only fitted from '76 though)

Rear - (from memory) 256mm x 11mm thick unvented (again homologation papers will show) - the main brake used a Steel ATE two pot calliper. Handbrake varied considerably and i don't know what would have been fitted in '73.
a) Some cars used a small drum type mechanical handbrake, with the bell of the rear disc forming the "drum". I had these discs re- manufactured some years back, but (frankly) the mandrake is poor!
b) some late cars used a separate brake calliper mounted on a second set of lugs on the upright. For this you need the final type of upright but this was only homologated in 75
c) on some cars, this second calliper was mechanical, but some cars had another hydraulic calliper actuated by a master cylinder under the rear floor - This was never homologated but was certainly used on at least one of the late cars
d) some cars used an in line hydraulic handbrake working on the main callipers - again this was never homologated

Not sure what you are after when you ask for dimensions of the "rear axis"

M
mickwood
Posts: 40
Joined: February 14th, 2007, 4:27 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by mickwood »

PS - i do have a number of parts on the shelf which might be of use to you in this project and which i surplus to my requirements, - for example….
a) i think i have a set of the correct wheel arch extensions (remember you will need to cut back the arches to accommodate wider wheels and larger suspension travel)
b) a pretty fresh GC built 8 valve engine which is built to look like a works 8 valve, but is actually much better than my original works engine. This is only surplus as i have gone over to 16v power
c) a set of built up 260mm x 21mm vented front discs on alloy bells - easy to machine down to 258mm x 20mm if FIA get picky, These are mounted on non period Alloy hubs.
d) i do have two new remanufactured rear discs on the shelf, but theory are my last two spares - i could find out how much it would cost to make some more
miro-1980
Posts: 687
Joined: December 3rd, 2007, 3:40 pm
Location: Warsaw suburb , Poland
Contact:

Re: Fiat Abarth 124 Rally

Post by miro-1980 »

Mick,

I do not want to steal Eric's thread , so I will continue on my thread : '73 Fiat Abarth 124 Rally - project

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3278&p=22462#p22462

Miro
www.Fiat-abarth-rally.com
GC_93
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests