Hi All,


Don't know if I have posted this twice, apologies if I have.

I am changing my Barchetta from UK spec to European. If I replace the Speedo for one that reads KPH, what controls the mileage recorder, is it built into the Speedo or is it controlled by the sender on the gearbox.
If anyone has imported a European car and wants to swap the rear fog and reversing lights to UK, Also I am looking to swap a MPH for a KPH speedo.

you will need new background dials, you can ask MoMan for plasma dials.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fiat-Barche...es&vxp=mtr&hash=item1e6d2524f4#ht_2273wt_1140

or contact him on facebook to create some
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MoMan/126428024095629?sk=wall



not cheap solution, but if you are interested into that...

i also send my dials to http://www.xtuners.com/ and told him to create exact same as original in both MPH and KPH versions. still waiting...

bfaiers said:

Hi All,


Don't know if I have posted this twice, apologies if I have.

I am changing my Barchetta from UK spec to European. If I replace the Speedo for one that reads KPH, what controls the mileage recorder, is it built into the Speedo or is it controlled by the sender on the gearbox.
If anyone has imported a European car and wants to swap the rear fog and reversing lights to UK, Also I am looking to swap a MPH for a KPH speedo.

Click to expand...

Hiya,

Can you post a pic of your rear lights, curious to see the difference from UK to Euro.

thanks

Bernie, welcome to the forum and yet ANOTHER ex-pat with a Barchetta...must be something in the water.

Firstly re the speedo, if yours has the mph dial isn't the kmph printed on it as well? Mine is an ex-UK one and it has both, it has been through two CT's with no bother.

Secondly changing from driving on the left to driving on the right reversing and rear fog lights hasn't been an issue at the CT. I thought about changing when I got it but thought I'd wait until the test, wasn't even checked. And no I didn't go to a friendly tester, I deliberately went to one known to be on the ball because I wanted it done right. HA! Fat lot of good that was, nice old (cheek) car, I love Italian cars, handbrake could do with adjustment (it didn't hold), bit of corrosion underneath, must be from the UK. 10 minutes later new ticket printed out. Ah well. At least the local Fiat dealer in Auch is on the ball and gave it a thorough going over and did the work I wanted done at a pretty reasonable prive (for a main Fiat dealer).

Hope this helps. All the best.

Like to know how many Brits are in France with Barchettas. I’m in 63.
The rear fog and reverse lights are identical on UK and EU cars the only difference is that the reverse and fog are on opposite sides. Probably won’t be noticed on the test but I’m just fussy and would rather the correct ones. Don't know how to load pictures, Help.

What is involved in fitting plasma dials? I have noticed that my trip meter is stuck; pressing the button has no effect. Is it a D.I.Y. job to rectify? How do I get the milometer to record in Kilometers instead of miles?

The car is spotless underneath with no signs of corrosion. The only problem area was the exhaust. I have just removed the gearbox to replace the thrust bearing and six bolts were seized and sheared off when I tried to remove them, not too difficult to repair, just drilled out the broken stud and re-tapped the holes. The top bolt of the starter motor was a real pain, could only get at it by moving the engine forward. Might do a write-up of the procedure for removal, it’s not quite as the manual suggests.
The Problem will be getting the gearbox back; when I removed it I just let it fall into my lap, will have to make a mandrel to re-align the new clutch plate before I can put it back.

Pictures of UK rear fog and reverse.

How easy is it to fit the Plasma dials?

Good morning.

May I please join in here ?

I don't know if it is something in the water either, but I too live in France (46200) and have bought a Barchetta from the UK.

Having the dual kph/mph speedo meant that this was not a problem at the Contrôle Technique (MoT) but the headlights were. I did get my certificate and have successfully negotiated French bureaucracy and now have my plaques (French number plates), BUT I have 2 months in which to get the headlights sorted and then taken back for a re-test on these alone. Quite a good system this. No sudden death situation because of some trivial technicality and of course the MoT does last for 2 years.

My problem now is to get the headlights changed. As some of you may know there is a wheeze whereby you dismantle the headlights, turn over a metal plate inside and put it all back with lights dipping the other way. My local garage whipped the headlights out in double quick time but discovered that the metal plates were not the reversible type. Not sure why this was changed or when. The car is pre-facelift.

So if any Barchettista in the UK has imported a B, from Germany for example, and wants UK spec headlights in a hurry, a straight swap might suit us both.

ANYBODY ? PLEASE ?

Finally, as a longshot, if anyone is holidaying in SW France in the next few weeks, my local garage will swap us over while we pop next door for the other sort of light refreshment.

Welcome to the forum.
What year is you car? I need to do my headlights but haven't had the time, Bollie69 has european headlight inners. Perhaps contact him to see if he has still got them.

Thanks for the welcome.

My B is a '96. We appear to be about 130 miles apart so I guess my local garage is probably not much use to you in getting your lights changed, assuming that you do have the reversible plate. If you do find yourself in this part of the world the Lot, 46200, I would be happy to make the intro.

I have had sticky trip meters on other cars although not the B. I believe that this is sometimes down to the dial itself binding very slightly on the number wheels, after someone has taken the speedo out. Take the speedo out again, get hold of the dial and in the words of Ronnie Barker, jiggle it a bit. Another thing which worked for me many years ago is to turn the button through about 90 degrees and then push again. I think the end of the plastic rod can wear at a jaunty angle and simply slides off the bit that it is supposed to push. Not overly technical but it might work.

Just to pick up on your earlier points, if you have a speedo showing mph AND kph, then it is up to you if you change. The Contrôle Technique will accept it. Kph alone is a lot clearer but having the mph in place can be a useful reminder of what you doing. The simplest way of making the change is just to change the dial. I admit I haven't yet got round to that one although I will if I ever bet breathing space. There is a UK company that will make you up a dial marked up to your spec. and which you (or they) simply stick over the existing one. According to them, there is such a great variation in dials that you need to send them the complete unit. Not convinced about that. If you do decide on that route, let me know and I'll try to rummage out their details. Another alternative is to buy a non-working European speedo and pull the dial off it. Of course, you do realise that your present speedo showing that you have done say 90,000 miles will now suggest that you have only done 90,000 kms. Gosh, fancy that ! I leave that to your imagination.

I have read of many people worrying about fog and rear reversing lights but I didn't give it a thought when going for the C.T. My local garage did me a pre-test check over and they didn't mention it. Anyway, the car sailed through with only the headlights to done and re-inspected within 2 months. No mention of "little lights round the back". .Mind you the young CT engineer was drooling over the car and now wants to buy it, so he may have been a bit dazzled.

I have only just noticed that much of this has already been pointed out by Crachat so my apologies to him.

As most of us are probably aware there is already an established French Barchetta club, but it would be interesting for the moment within the cosy confines of these Anglophone pages, to know how many of us there are. Who is going to volunteer to collate or coordinate ? Take one pace forward, that man.

If I remember correctly the fog and reversing lights can just be swapped over after extending the wires in the relevant direction. (not sure if they reach without any extension)

My old b was imported from Germany to the UK and it just meant that the plastic cover was upside down, never had any issues with the MOT. One of them let water in aftera few years, but don't think this was because it had been swapped over.

Good morning all.

Following on from my previous observations and questions on Barchetta headlight changes, I'm not sure if this is going to be an egg-on-face apology or just a rant to get something out of my system, so here goes:


When I bought the car, the seller in the UK told me that changing the headlights back to European spec was a simple matter of reversing a bit of metal inside. No need to buy any new lights. I had kept in touch with him with occasional progress reports, as he had seemed interested to know how "his" Barchetta was getting on. A Couple of months ago I mentioned the headlights again and the fact that we still had to get them changed or converted. There was no response.

Last week I told him that we had just discovered that the headlights are NOT convertible and that I would be buying replacements. Yesterday afternoon, I received the following email from him:


Meanwhile, I had had to delay the MoT and registration by a couple of months, pay my local garage to remove the headlights. Tomorrow I shall be asking him to put them back so that I can re-visit the MoT station to get them passed. They were not even inspected first time round, as everybody knew that they needed changing.


I do have to wonder how the seller had obtained a collection of MoT certificates with headlights which should not have passed muster in the UK.


I hope I shall soon be able to report a successful conclusion to this saga but I am not ruling out the possibility that the lights are still wrong 'uns.

In the meantime please accept my apologies for wasting space here

bfaiers said:

How easy is it to fit the Plasma dials?

Click to expand...

I think its just a matter of removing the clocks, 4 screws that hold the plastic cover and then unpluging the connections.

Overlay the plasma dials on top of the existing and there must be some simple wiring to do to connect with the wiring loom.

But if your prepared to wait a while I will be orderring mine shortly and can give you a definate answer and guide.

I'm in no hurry, will wait for you to do your dials, have got to sort out why the trip meter is not working.
Going to have a look at my headlights today to see if they are convertable. There seems to be different plates fitted inside so don't know what to expect. My car was registered in 2005 Just.
I think I have located a pair of european fog and reverse lights. I have moved the wiring over to the opposite sides with no problem, the wiring loom is long enough to move them, just undo the clips and and change them over.

bfaiers said:

Hi All,


Don't know if I have posted this twice, apologies if I have.

I am changing my Barchetta from UK spec to European. If I replace the Speedo for one that reads KPH, what controls the mileage recorder, is it built into the Speedo or is it controlled by the sender on the gearbox.
If anyone has imported a European car and wants to swap the rear fog and reversing lights to UK, Also I am looking to swap a MPH for a KPH speedo.

Click to expand...

After 7 years on UK roads, last MoT the garage advised that fog and reversing lights needed to be changed over to meet British law. I wonder how it passed before!

My B was imported from Italy and just has a kph display. Doesn't bother me, but it's probably not strictly legal I wonder how easy it is to swap one speedo unit for another.. simple job?

I remember you had problems to put the needles just right. Have you sorted that too? Would love a green one!

barch said:

After 7 years on UK roads, last MoT the garage advised that fog and reversing lights needed to be changed over to meet British law. I wonder how it passed before!

My B was imported from Italy and just has a kph display. Doesn't bother me, but it's probably not strictly legal I wonder how easy it is to swap one speedo unit for another.. simple job?

Click to expand...

Hello Barch.

I think that bfaiers has first claim here if you want to swap with someone. If he is not yet ready I would be interested. Either way, it seems to me that simply swapping the dials has got to be the simplest route, particularly when it comes to sending through the post.

As soon as I have had my B re-tested, which I hope will be this week, I plan to haul the speedo out and to see how readily the dial comes off. I will be happy to report my findings for the benefit of anyone else doing the operation.

Still no volunteers to collate or coordinate ex-pat Barchettistas in France ? Perhaps this needs a thread of its own. I'm not a forum expert but I'm certain somebody can advise on how best to go about this.

That sounds good Gonflage, interested to hear how it goes.

Think I have sourced a pair of European fog and reverse lights, when they arrive, my UK lights will be up for grabs if anyone is interested.
Went to remove the headlights but the bolts were seized, have soaked them in WD and will have another go tomorrow.
Removed the Speedo instead, quite easy to do, Five screws hold the cowling around the steering wheel. If you remove the needles to change the facia, on re-assembly don’t push them on to far otherwise the needle will catch on the facia. I took the trip meter out by undoing two screws under the facia. The numbers didn’t seem to rotate very freely, gave it a squirt with WD, wiped off the excess and re-assembled. Pushing the button now returns to all zeros.