Hi there!
Lovely car.
I own the same color in Egypt.
But to avoid complications as spare parts in my country are at 0.1%! i have fitted in a fiat 132 2L Engine along with its Gearbox as well.
The nice thing about it is that the engine fits directly into the Engine Bay and no need for any modifications, the gearbox fits nicely as well and the gear shift comes directly between the 2 seats in the same place of the old one.
Of course the original propeller shaft is shortened and welded to the new one.
of course you will cry out: "What about performance??????"!!!
Well, i must confess that the 2L Engine does a fine Job and carries the car nicely up to 140KM/H!
Don't ask for more!
Fuel consumption is the same as the original engine to the extra weight.
As the original Fiat 132 2000 is 1300KG and the fiat 130 1600kg.
After swapping engines the fiat 130 would weight approx.: 1500...!
So u have 200 KG extra!
As for wheel bearings a real problem in fiat 130's....i found a nice way!
if the surface inside the bearings are not damaged, u just look for a fiat bearings with the same size and u will find many models and just replace the bearings only!
meaning u put the steel balls from the new into the old and just clean the surface well.
I have a friend in egypt too who owns a fiat 130 coupe! original engine.
Even he is running out of spares!
And still refuses to swap engines...
You see in egypt we have great craftmanship, we do everything!
From welding, to grinding to creating things similar to originals, u name it!
The only thing i don't approve is the way they take the old brake pads, clean them and fit on a new one which they cut to size.
However, in doing so they only make half the original thickness because of the bolt they put in the middle to hold the damn thing in place....
I don't like that very dangerous.
I am trying to figure out a way to rebuilt the old pads with same thickness....
Can't sort it out yet!
I have no problem with the front grill or rear lights.
In egypt they take the size and make u a new stainless steel grill in 1 week for less than: 30$!
As for the rear lights, some plastic companies make new ones and the plastic material is real good.
But as i have an old pair, i'm still looking for the cleanest company.
As for the fenders, they take it off, size it out and make u new ones and u can even choose it thicker for impacts!
As for the steering links, i found out that the ball joints bars are similar to fiat 132 so i fitted them and no problem at all!
The real problem is the Ball join arm at the end of the steering!
It is one piece ball + arm!
Nothing is close to it.
So the guy who is a specialist on steering links did the following:
He cut the upper part of the ball joint, took off the lower plastic circle we call in egypt (Plate), then cut a new fiat ball join from another fiat 132 model and took the plastic thing and fitted it inside the fiat 130.
Then welded the whole thing again to seal it.
And even made a small screw at the bottom of the ball joint to tighten it up every once in a while when it gets lighter.
Say every 30.000km or so.
When i asked him if it was safe he answered: "It is safe as long as the cutting & welding are done right"!
In fact we sacrificed 2 Ball joints Arms to come up with a clean welding!
It's working fine as brand new.
But i'm still trying to find another way for that damn Ball joint!
As for the middle link Bar, i created a steel rounded bar similar size to original with 2 open ends at each side, and bolted in 2 fiat 132 balls bars and here u are!
In fact i owned 4 fiat 130 saloons since i was 20!
Now i'm 41.
My first was a v6 3.2l and i spent all my money on it......i lost everything!
Then the 3 others i fitted in the fiat 132 2000 engine and saved lots of money.
The one i have now has been off duty for 36 years!
And very well preserved in a farm.
Red leather interior.
Well, sorry to make it so long....
But passion for a car makes you write a lot!
Hope you still have ur car and we can exchange ideas.
Hi there!
Lovely car.
I own the same color in Egypt.
But to avoid complications as spare parts in my country are at 0.1%! i have fitted in a fiat 132 2L Engine along with its Gearbox as well.
The nice thing about it is that the engine fits directly into the Engine Bay and no need for any modifications, the gearbox fits nicely as well and the gear shift comes directly between the 2 seats in the same place of the old one.
Of course the original propeller shaft is shortened and welded to the new one.
of course you will cry out: "What about performance??????"!!!
Well, i must confess that the 2L Engine does a fine Job and carries the car nicely up to 140KM/H!
Don't ask for more!
Fuel consumption is the same as the original engine to the extra weight.
As the original Fiat 132 2000 is 1300KG and the fiat 130 1600kg.
After swapping engines the fiat 130 would weight approx.: 1500...!
So u have 200 KG extra!
As for wheel bearings a real problem in fiat 130's....i found a nice way!
if the surface inside the bearings are not damaged, u just look for a fiat bearings with the same size and u will find many models and just replace the bearings only!
meaning u put the steel balls from the new into the old and just clean the surface well.
I have a friend in egypt too who owns a fiat 130 coupe! original engine.
Even he is running out of spares!
And still refuses to swap engines...
You see in egypt we have great craftmanship, we do everything!
From welding, to grinding to creating things similar to originals, u name it!
The only thing i don't approve is the way they take the old brake pads, clean them and fit on a new one which they cut to size.
However, in doing so they only make half the original thickness because of the bolt they put in the middle to hold the damn thing in place....
I don't like that very dangerous.
I am trying to figure out a way to rebuilt the old pads with same thickness....
Can't sort it out yet!
I have no problem with the front grill or rear lights.
In egypt they take the size and make u a new stainless steel grill in 1 week for less than: 30$!
As for the rear lights, some plastic companies make new ones and the plastic material is real good.
But as i have an old pair, i'm still looking for the cleanest company.
As for the fenders, they take it off, size it out and make u new ones and u can even choose it thicker for impacts!
As for the steering links, i found out that the ball joints bars are similar to fiat 132 so i fitted them and no problem at all!
The real problem is the Ball join arm at the end of the steering!
It is one piece ball + arm!
Nothing is close to it.
So the guy who is a specialist on steering links did the following:
He cut the upper part of the ball joint, took off the lower plastic circle we call in egypt (Plate), then cut a new fiat ball join from another fiat 132 model and took the plastic thing and fitted it inside the fiat 130.
Then welded the whole thing again to seal it.
And even made a small screw at the bottom of the ball joint to tighten it up every once in a while when it gets lighter.
Say every 30.000km or so.
When i asked him if it was safe he answered: "It is safe as long as the cutting & welding are done right"!
In fact we sacrificed 2 Ball joints Arms to come up with a clean welding!
It's working fine as brand new.
But i'm still trying to find another way for that damn Ball joint!
As for the middle link Bar, i created a steel rounded bar similar size to original with 2 open ends at each side, and bolted in 2 fiat 132 balls bars and here u are!
In fact i owned 4 fiat 130 saloons since i was 20!
Now i'm 41.
My first was a v6 3.2l and i spent all my money on it......i lost everything!
Then the 3 others i fitted in the fiat 132 2000 engine and saved lots of money.
The one i have now has been off duty for 36 years!
And very well preserved in a farm.
Red leather interior.
Well, sorry to make it so long....
But passion for a car makes you write a lot!
Hope you still have ur car and we can exchange ideas.
