Hi all

I small post in newbie central as I have two old Fiats ( the other a 1963 Fiat 1500) but thought I would add a bit to the 500 classic section.

I bought the car about 3 years ago and on my first drive on the way to rego inspection t broke down and needed to be delivered on a truck!

At least I knew from the start that owning this car was going to be an adventure.

I bought it with a 500 engine bored to take the 650 Pistons

However the engine had a very loud knock in it.

I was fortunate to have a freind in the fiat club who had a car sitting in his backyard with an engine I could borrow to get the car on the road

Fitted new brakes, bearings etc and away I went

I have finally nearly collected all the parts I need to rebuild the 650 engine so will start post some pics as it progresses.

First pic is sorting the bits out on our dining table

And the car

Here is the engine

Good to see a dining-room table being used for its proper purpose We seem to be gathering quite a number of Australian 500 owners onto the forum--where do you hail from? Welcome to the Forum and all the best with the project.

I'm in Canberra. Where are you?

Have recently been reading the classic 500 posts and learning a lot .

I have a YouTube channel called classicfiats with quite a few fiat 500 videos of fiat nationals and Autoitalia Canberra

Here's some examples
[ame]http://youtu.be/FUEGC0KH-wQ[/ame]
[ame]http://youtu.be/s_8D0-6mKEk[/ame]

good little videos--also good to see so many 500s so far away from their homeland. I, sadly, am a bit too far away to pop over for a 'tinny'--I live just outside Chester--north-west England.

Yes that is a bit far, even for a bambino...

Heres another photo

Here

Try another

1500500 said:

Try another

Click to expand...

OOOOER!!!

I hope that the Mrs is on side, do you fix the engine in the dining room too??

All the best with the car

Ian.

On side... Kind of .... she was on the other side of the world when pic was taken.

Sent the photo to her and got a laugh.

Was too cold to sort parts out in the garage so bought all the boxes inside

Now everything back in boxes but sorted out.

How in heck's name can it be too cold to work in the garage in Canberra--in Australia?! I also have a canal-boat with a 1933 designed/ 1948 built small marine engine pushing it along. When I started to strip it, my garage had no heat, it was November and my wife , when she came out at about 11.00pm to see what I was doing reckons that she could see where I was (lying on my back trying to undo big-end bolt--old marine engines have no removable sump) by where my breath was hanging in the air--I did concede that it was a bit 'nippy'--I had an old jacket on over the overalls!
Seriously though, how cold was it to make you bring everything indoors?--but we are all impressed that you are 'house trained' enough to know that you must always put a table-cloth on under items put onto the ding-room table

This is working when it's cold, and the garage is full of another project

Was -3 C that night, but cold is always a relative thing. I spent many colder nights in the garage restoring my 1938 Austin 7 (similar vintage to the canal boat) but when you are sanding panels at least you warm up a bit

Hi 1500500 I am located in Adelaide and am looking to do a 650 rebuild in the future aswell. Any idea what the parts have set you back so far? Cheers!

I have bought a few body bits as well but including postage from Germany and Netherlands

About $2800

five shipments as I researched ( thanks fiat forum ) and found more bits I needed eg didn't realise at first that the last owner still had a 500 head on the 650 barrels so a new head, and everything including exhaust manifolds and brackets all need upgrading

See the list there is not much left of the engine mechanicals that I haven't replaced so pretty good value

I decided to get new crankshaft as the original need machining and standard bearings were cheaper

Axel gerstl

Front panel
Fiat 500 R (F) 19.00 1.00 52.02 € 52.02 €
Fender, front left
Fiat 500 F/L/R 19.00 1.00 29.41 € 29.41 €
Fender, front right
Fiat 500 F/L/R 19.00 1.00 29.41 € 29.41 €
Convertible top with front bow and middle stick, black
Fiat 500 F/L/R 19.00 1.00 58.74 € 58.74 €
Front badge with grill and wings
Fiat 500 F (N/D) 19.00 1.00 16.81 € 16.81 €
Fan/blower hose, woven fabric
Fiat 500 N/D/F/L/R/126/126P 19.00 1.00 13.36 € 13.36 €
Strap for fan hose
Fiat 500/126 19.00 2.00 0.76 € 1.52 €
Heater hose (to heater tube)
Fiat 500/126 19.00 1.00 2.69 € 2.69 €
Crankshaft (engine number 146091 onward)
Fiat 500 F/L/R/126 19.00 1.00 171.43 € 171.43 €
Chock for control chain gear (on rocker arm)
Fiat 500/126 19.00 1.00 1.34 € 1.34 €
Standard crankshaft main bearing set
Fiat 500/126/126 BIS 19.00 1.00 42.69 € 42.69 €
Set of big end bearings (3 holes)
Fiat 500/126/126 BIS/Cinquecento 19.00 1.00 14.20 € 14.20 €
Cylinder head gasket 650 cc (1.2 mm)
Fiat 126 P 19.00 1.00 4.37 € 4.37 €
Set of piston rings (for 2 cylinders)
Fiat 126-650 cc 19.00 1.00 19.24 € 19.24 €
Cylinder base gasket
Fiat 126/650 cc 19.00 2.00 0.92 € 1.84 €
Standard camshaft, new part
Fiat 500 F/R/126 19.00 1.00 41.93 € 41.93 €
Timing chain gear set w/o radial shaft seal and w/o gaskets
Fiat 500/126/126P 19.00 1.00 21.68 € 21.68 €
Axle coupling (torsion damper)
Fiat 500 F/R/126/600 D 19.00 2.00 10.92 € 21.84 €
Spacer bushing, big for rear wheel bearing
Fiat 500/126/600
Exhaust system, IMASAF (italian production)
Fiat 500 R/126/126P 19.00 1.00 30.67 € 30.67 €
Exhaust bracket, bottom (talian version)
Fiat 500 R/126/126P 19.00 2.00 8.24 € 16.48 €
Exhaust bracket, top (italian version)
Fiat 500 R/126/126P 19.00 2.00 8.24 € 16.48 €
Exhaust manifold
Fiat 500/126 19.00 2.00 9.16 € 18.32 €
Safety plate for exhaust nut (at manifold)
Fiat 500/126 19.00 2.00 0.76 € 1.52 €
Complete clutch: thrust bearing/thrust plate/clutch disc
Fiat 500 F/F-Giardiniera 19.00 1.00 69.75 € 69.75 €
Mounting nipple for sill trim-strip, 8 mm
Fiat 500/600 19.00 12.00 0.42 € 5.04 €
Distributor rotor
Fiat 500 D/F/L/Giardiniera/600 19.00 1.00 3.28 € 3.28 €
SoPo: Vergaseransaugkrümmer für Weber 28 IMB, gebraucht
Fiat 126 0.00 1.00 12.50 € 12.50 €
Carburetor intake manifold gasket
Fiat 500 R/126 19.00 1.00 0.76 € 0.76 €
Air intake hose (carburetor/tube)
Fiat 500 R/126 19.00 1.00 1.26 € 1.26 €
Water pump for windshield washer
Fiat 500/600

Fd ricambi 19.00 1.00 4.71 € 4.71 €
Set of wiper blades, stainless steel
Fiat 500 since '66/600/850 N
2x :Con rod Fiat 500/126 (MO1059)
1x :Lock ring crancshaft nut (MO1065)
1x :Hollow bolt crank shaft, Fiat 500-126 (MO1176)
1x :Oil pump gears (2x), Fiat 500 F-L (MO1369)
1x :Rubber mat for bonnet floor, 500F-L-R-G 2nd serie (BK1303)
1x :Fuel pump old model, Fiat 500-126-600 (BV1014)
1x :Air filter 500-126 (BV1035)
1x ynamo brushes generator, 124-126-127-128-500-600-850 (DS1005)
1x :Front dynamo bearing, 500 (DS1012)
1x :Rear dynamo bearing, 500 (DS1014)
1x :Oil pressure sender- M12 (MO1017)
1x :Thermostat, 500-126 (MO1029)
5x ush rod tube concertina, Fiat 500-126 (MO1049)
1x :Nut for thermostat, 500- (MO1060)
1x :Repair set thermostat housing with flap, 500-126 (MO1289)
1x :Spring for oil pump, Fiat 500-126 (MO1352)
2x :Sparkplug cover, 500-126 (OS1004)
1x :Sparkplug leads, N D F (OS1008)
1x :Electronic ignition kit, Fiat 500-126 (OS1015)
1x istributor cap, 500 N-D-F-L (OS1016)
4x :Bonnet-sunroof handle stop rubber (RB1006)
1x :Rubber seal front bonnet, Fiat 500 (RB1007)
1x :Jack retaining rubber strap Short (RB1009)
4x :Engine lid side rubber stops (RB1012)
4x oor stop rubber (Small) (RB1014)
1x :Spare wheel retaining rubber strap (RB1015)
10x :Rubber floor plugs (RB1017)
4x :Bump stop in rubber, 5 mm (RB1021)
1x riveshaft set complete, Fiat 500 F-L-R (VB1006)
1x :Carburetor to head spacer plate R, 126 (BV1019)
1x :Gasket above carburator spacer, 500 R-126 (BV1049)
2x :Inlet valve 32 mm, 1-groove (MO1010)
2x :Exhaust valve 28 mm, 1-groove (MO1011)
1x :Head 650cc (MO1053)
1x :Set of bolts main bearing front (MO1104)
1x :Set of bolts main bearing rear (MO1105)
1x :Set pistons Fiat 126, 77,0 mm (MO1180)
2x :Exhaust elbow to exhaust gasket D, F, L, R (PK1024)
1x :Carburetor refurbished 28 mm, 500-126 (US1106)

Good collection of parts! What sump have you got on the engine? I couldn't see 1 on the table, and I can't see 1 in your 'goodies' list. I would recommend that you fit a 3-1/2 litre Ally sump. (a) because it will help the engine run cooler (about 30% more oil in it vis-a-vie a standard sump), and (b) with the 3-1/2 litre sump, it is a simple bolt-on job (with the rubberoid gasket, NOT the cork). On various 'pages' on the forum, I have mentioned, and described, a mod (recommended by Abarth) to the top 2 studs that secure the exhaust brackets to the crank-case. If you can't find it on the forum, e-mail me direct and I will describe it in detail to you.--All the best with the project, keep the pictures coming. Are you going to be allowed to re-build the engine on the dining-room table?

Good work dude. It is easier to beg forgiveness than permission.

One hint though... One I have learnt from hard won experience. If you clean your tools in the dishwasher, take them out before Her Indoors comes home.

Most likely do the rebuild out in the garage

I am planning to keep the engine looking as original as possible so for now thought I would use the original sump. Can always swap later.
For everyday driving I'm assuming that will be ok??

I have my 1963 fiat 1500 with twin cam for when I want to go faster...
[ame]http://youtu.be/IGQVONUFguw[/ame]
[ame]http://youtu.be/m5KzlR4gutk[/ame]

Oh and I did see the post re the exhaust. Thanks for the reminder.

Visited mini friend this morning then popped down to the shops
Car running well

Only just got it back on the road two weeks ago after trying to sort out intermittent electrical ignition fault. I tried an accuspark electronic ignition but with new rotor and cap could not get spark to leads. Also bought new coil. In process of trying to start it the old frayed starter cable broke so I gave up on accuspark, reverted to points and put new cable in. Starts and runs much better than before so for now I'm not touching anything. ( need to keep it all good for imminent return to Michael for his car.).

Also discussed a good way to improve power to weight ratio of the 500, I'm going to try and lose 15-20kg?