You will see that we have made it in Auto Italia Mag for a sort story the other month, plus we have had a story run about Targa this year in the Fiat Car of GB (Avanti Mag). Targa is 2100 Km all Tarmac Rally around the Island State of Tasmania, the Video you see is just the pro loge that seeds the field. I have all stages from start to finish on Video, as we record all of the competition we do. We are currently putting together a DVD of high highlights from this year event, were you get to see us hunting down and rounding up Alfa GTV 6’s, our sister car Jack Waldron in his Fiat Abarth 750GT & then round up a Holden Torana GTR XU1 an Australian made 3L 6 Cyl touring car from the 1970,s, Jags and all sorts of cars.
Most Drivers get very up set when a Diesel go's round them, we were becoming to be known as the silent Assassins as no body could hear us coming and we made almost no noise as we went by. We did the whole event on 177 Liters of Diesel averaged 9 liters per 100 kms.
Under Targa Rules we must run as a Standard show room car as it came from the dealers but with safety mod’s Roll cage, driving seats, 6 point harness, Fire Ext etc. we can up grade the susspension. But for the rest of the events the car dose it is allowed a few more changes, I can make use of the bigger brakes it has available, the Exsystem freedoms, suspension system, & LSD.
And yes I have also looked Hi & low for a LSD for the Punto but they are not making them as yet officially, I have my own I made based on A older Salisbury type as used in the Fiat Dino etc.. I make these in my work shop in Melbourne for my different cars, from Min’s, Nissans, Ford Escorts and many of the Fiat range, 127,128, Fiat 600, 124,125, 131 etc..
I will be putting up some more videos in the coming weeks. We are have entered the car in the up coming Tarmac Challenge in Oct 4-5 this is also a all tarmac event based again in Tasmania will be a round of the ARC (Australia Rally Championships)
I know I have rattled on & you want me to let you know about the turbo failures I have had to date? Well I need to be very careful hear, you I have had some problems in fact we have lost 4 in 18 months much to my wife’s frustration as I have no Factory support from Fiat as I am a Privateer I have been Racing & Ralling Fiats for over 30 years and have had a great deal of sucsess in these cars from 124 Sedan’s 124 AC turbo’s, 124 Spyder Abarth.
I restore & service these cars as a passion, I know I am nuts about them, I have been all of my life and the Punto Sport is no different in Fact I own 2 Grande Punto sports “THE BOSS” (That’s The Wife) drives one every day & I have the Race/Rally car as well all of my other babies (Fiat Dino Coupe, 124cc, 124 Spyder Abarth, 127 Special with a EFI Turbo 903 Grin!! My son has taken over my old 131 Panarma wagon 2L EFI Turbo as well).
The assistance I receive is via my local dealers in Melbourne ZAGAM who are really good people and very good to me. In short I have had 2 shaft failures & 2 bearing failures, the shafts & bearing faults come as a direct result of the turbo being over speeded under high boost applications for prolonged periods of time, also the fact that the turbo has a Particulate filter right be hide the turbo Ex, which puts the Vero Vain system under even more stress as when it also gets to hot is fails to work properly and adds to the problem of over speeding & over boosting. I have seen Ex temps on the Piro of 950C.
If the Turbo had a Roller bearing it might make a go of it but Garret do not make such a thing to suit these small turbo’s used in the Punto Grande 1.9 JTD.
The car has a Alfa 159 KKK turbo that the works cars use on modified manifold the changes to fit this are quite extensive, which means dropping the sump blanking off the standard Turbo drain, welding in a new point in the sump, making a lot of custom changes to the turbo its self to get it to all fit, new plumbing from the air box to the turbo, new ex system etc.. I do have all of this documented and now the car is running very strong, and Ex temps don’t go much over 550C. the car can over power the LSD I have built with great deal of ease. The car is capable of tipping 220Kms with out much effort.
The Tyres we have settled on are a Silverstone Simi Slick FTZ-R215/45/17” witch just suit the car to the ground, they are just so much better than any thing else we have tried to date, the tyre had almost perfect sit on the Factory 17” wheels.
I am more than happy to help you guys out but I need to be careful how much I say on this forum as I do not wish to do anything to strain my relation ship with Fiat Cars Australia or my local dealer.
Best regards Phil B
