I'm sorry but your car is not technically an Abarth Ritmo convertible; it is a FIAT Ritmo convertible converted to an Abarth.

I own one of the REAL Abarth Ritmo 100S convertibles. Only 10 were made for Martini racing in 1980. Mine came out of Germany, and it and one other in Italy, are the only ones left on the face of the earth, plus 3 unrestorable junkers.

My car is white with the Martini blue and red stripe down the side, and has the 1600cc twin cam, with a two bbl Weber 36 downdradt. It isn't real happy under 2000 rpm, but smooths out at 3000. It is also VERY stiff (a Spearco roll bar has been added, and it is running on 185/60x 14 tires), but lightens up around 40 miles per hour (the speedometer is in kph). It will do just under 200 kph (about 116 mph) with the top down!

I just got the car, so I need to take some photos. I will post them in the next 24 hours..

Best Regards,
Dott.Ing.Stuart Schaller
Portland, Oregon, US
503-774-3968


(mod note. this post and below moved fron the Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation thread)

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

well thanks for that.. but IF we shall be picky.. lets get to the fact.

The 105TC was never an Abarth not even from the factory
The 105 was a sporty version of the Ritmo.

the only ones that was taken from the productionline and taken to the Abarth factory and was converterd into a real Abarth car was the cars that was fitted with an 2,0 lit Twin Cam engine.

I have never claimed mine is a real Abarth,
coz the convertible never had a 2,0 Twin Cam engine.
The top of the line was the 1,6, 100bhp as the one you have.

However since my car had been converterd and has the 2,0 engine, 130 bhp, a ZF gearbox and complete interior I do think mine is the same as the hatchback but without a roof

here's my 2 cars.. ones a Cab, the other not

sincerely regards

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

fiat abarth said:

well thanks for that.. but IF we shall be picky.. lets get to the fact.

The 105TC was never an Abarth not even from the factory
The 105 was a sporty version of the Ritmo.

the only ones that was taken from the productionline and taken to the Abarth factory and was converterd into a real Abarth car was the cars that was fitted with an 2,0 lit Twin Cam engine.

I have never claimed mine is a real Abarth,
coz the convertible never had a 2,0 Twin Cam engine.
The top of the line was the 1,6, 100bhp as the one you have.

However since my car had been converterd and has the 2,0 engine, 130 bhp, a ZF gearbox and complete interior I do think mine is the same as the hatchback but without a roof

here's my 2 cars.. ones a Cab, the other not

sincerely regards

Click to expand...

I hope you didn't get the wrong impression.....I'm not knocking your car at all; simply saying that it's a modified FIAT and not an Abarth.

I would put a 2 liter in my car, if it didn't come from the Abarth factory with a 1600 twin cam (one Weber 36 two bbl downdraft)...according to the owners manual (Abarth, not FIAT) it's 105 DIN hp......

Best,
Stu Schaller

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

Well that is interesting. So abarth made 10 100s for martini? That's pretty cool if the case.

The first real abarth ritmo was the 1500 sohc with mechanic fuel injection. Very rare and very cool.

Obviously the 130tc was the last fiat abarth factory really worked on. Never knew they made special ones in between. But knowing fiat at the time not suprising really is it.

Keen for some pics Stu, does it have 16v abarth head or normal 8v twincam head. Would be pretty special beast if only 3 survive today

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

dretceterini said:

I hope you didn't get the wrong impression.....I'm not knocking your car at all; simply saying that it's a modified FIAT and not an Abarth.

I would put a 2 liter in my car, if it didn't come from the Abarth factory with a 1600 twin cam (one Weber 36 two bbl downdraft)...according to the owners manual (Abarth, not FIAT) it's 105 DIN hp......

Best,
Stu Schaller

Click to expand...

That's all the Ritmo Abarth is, a modified Fiat hence the badge on the back that says Fiat Abarth. Ok so the car is question didn't actually roll out of the Fiat owned Abarth Factory before Fiat closed it but hey ho.

See here http://www.sfconline.org.uk/models/strada/strada-ritmo.asp (105TC Sport)
http://www.sfconline.org.uk/models/abarth130tc/abarth130tc.asp (125TC/130TC Abarth)

So apparently the 105TC was not an Abarth but yes it had downdraft webers.

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

After the Fiat Abarth factory in via Corso Marche (Torino) closed, the whole works team moved to the Fiat / Lancia factory Chivasso plant. Here the Fiat Abarth Works team and the Lancia engineers, now Fiat Group Competition Department worked on the world beating Lancia Delta Integrale and later the Alfa Romeo 155.

The above is a rough summary and some datails (other than Corso Marche and Chivasso) are I think basically correct.

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

I love the hatch hard top it looks amazing. We never got the Ritmo sold in Australia.

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

th130 said:

Well that is interesting. So abarth made 10 100s for martini? That's pretty cool if the case.

The first real abarth ritmo was the 1500 sohc with mechanic fuel injection. Very rare and very cool.

Obviously the 130tc was the last fiat abarth factory really worked on. Never knew they made special ones in between. But knowing fiat at the time not suprising really is it.

Keen for some pics Stu, does it have 16v abarth head or normal 8v twincam head. Would be pretty special beast if only 3 survive today

Click to expand...

The car is technically called an Abarth Martini Racing Ritmo convertible 100S. It is 1585cc with the 8 valve DOHC head. The carb is a Weber 32/34 2 barrel downdraft with progessive mechanical linkage (not vacuum) and a hand choke.

The car has been bored by the previous owner (30 or 40 over), has hotter cams (10.5mm lift), and increased compression (to 10.5:1; just checked with the previous owner..he didn't remember how much the overbore was), and the carb has been re-jetted.

I haven't had it on a dyno, but I would guess 125-130hp at the flywheel.

The tires are 185x60x14 on the stock Abarth mag wheels.

The speedometer is in kph, with a maximum of 200kph. I've had it up to 180 kph (indicated)

Here are some photos.

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

More photos:

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

I tend to think you have been had Stu.

Being a 1980 strada/ritmo it should have sinle large headlight grill. Looking at car i see series three ritmo/strada grill and bumpers. Which weren't made until late 1985. The interior has series two ritmo/strada written all over it. Made in 1983. So either someone has updated the car with later bits, which ruins it's original appeal or has tried to pass it off as an Abarth. The wheels are the standard beta series two rims which would be early to mid 80s. Just chromodora rims i recall. The motor has the standard 1.6 motor set-up with twinbarrell single carb. My question if Abarth made these what did they do?

Also i would question when Martini started to fund Lancia. I don't know but rally teams were 82 or 83?

I hope for your sake i am well wrong and i hope you did all the checks to prove it's a real abarth.

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

th130 said:

I tend to think you have been had Stu.

Being a 1980 strada/ritmo it should have sinle large headlight grill. Looking at car i see series three ritmo/strada grill and bumpers. Which weren't made until late 1985. The interior has series two ritmo/strada written all over it. Made in 1983. So either someone has updated the car with later bits, which ruins it's original appeal or has tried to pass it off as an Abarth. The wheels are the standard beta series two rims which would be early to mid 80s. Just chromodora rims i recall. The motor has the standard 1.6 motor set-up with twinbarrell single carb. My question if Abarth made these what did they do?

Also i would question when Martini started to fund Lancia. I don't know but rally teams were 82 or 83?

I hope for your sake i am well wrong and i hope you did all the checks to prove it's a real abarth.

Click to expand...

The German Papers say Abarth and not FIAT, as do the US papers from Washington. Both also say 1980, but as it is a MK2 (no "stripes" on the grille outside of the headlamps) or a MK3, 1980 is impossible, as you said. The paint is original, as are the Martini stipe decals. I examined the car VERY closely before I bought it.

I drove it all the way from Portland, Oregon to the car events at Monterey, California last week; some 1700 miles up and back. No problems at all!

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

i do find that strange as abarth did not produce any cars from 1971 until 2007 when abarth as a manufacturer resumed production.

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

dretceterini said:

the german papers say abarth and not fiat, as do the us papers from washington. Both also say 1980, but as it is a mk2 (no "stripes" on the grille outside of the headlamps) or a mk3, 1980 is impossible, as you said. The paint is original, as are the martini stipe decals. I examined the car very closely before i bought it.

I drove it all the way from portland, oregon to the car events at monterey, california last week; some 1700 miles up and back. No problems at all! :d

Click to expand...

Based on what I've seen I can only agree with TH130. It looks like someone has taken a 1985 or 1986 Fiat Ritmo 100S and done an Abarth conversion on it. In my opinion that car cannot be a 1980 model car because the Cabrio was only introduced in 1981, it is sporting features only introduced on the last 1985 facelift and wearing Lancia beta alloy wheels. It would have looked like this if it was an early example



It looks like someone has taken one of these and modded it.

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

thepottleflump said:

Based on what I've seen I can only agree with TH130. It looks like someone has taken a 1985 or 1986 Fiat Ritmo 100S and done an Abarth conversion on it. In my opinion that car cannot be a 1980 model car because the Cabrio was only introduced in 1981, it is sporting features only introduced on the last 1985 facelift and wearing Lancia beta alloy wheels. It would have looked like this if it was an early example

It looks like someone has taken one of these and modded it.

Click to expand...

The German TUV specifically says Abarth 100S and NOT Fiat 100S. The 2nd owner is listed as Cromodora Wheels, in Turin, Italy, so I have no idea why the paperwork is German rather than Italian. I found the car in Washington state, US about 2 months ago. On close inspection, it appears that everything except the larger 185 rather than 165 tires are original. The VIN of the car is: ZBB148ASO*07017502* The nose is different that the car you have pictured above.

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

as has been said by all the previous posts,the car is not original. no abarths were made between 1971 and 2007,wheels, all the exterior trim etc.

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

20vturbo said:

as has been said by all the previous posts,the car is not original. no abarths were made between 1971 and 2007,wheels, all the exterior trim etc.

Click to expand...

I have to respectfull disagree. Even the serial number is odd; not 138AS000*xxxxxxx or 138AS001*xxxxxxxx or 138ASA002*xxxxxxxx but ZZB138ASO*07017502*

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

dretceterini said:

I have to respectfull disagree. Even the serial number is odd; not 138AS000*xxxxxxx or 138AS001*xxxxxxxx or 138ASA002*xxxxxxxx but ZZB138ASO*07017502*

Click to expand...

Why are you selling so soon after buying, thought you only bought this last month? https://www.fiatforum.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=15393

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

thepottleflump said:

Why are you selling so soon after buying, thought you only bought this last month? https://www.fiatforum.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=15393

Click to expand...

I bought the car for resale about 6 weeks ago. I want to buy a 1957 Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce that is for sale, but I need to sell the Abarth to do so.

:idea:

Maybe I should sell one of my other cars instead....

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

$25,000 is alot of money for a Ritmo Cab, I presume you paid nothing like that for it?

Re: Ritmo Abarth Convertible Renovation

Have a look at this photo, same wheels and Abarth badge on the B pillar. The only difference on the nose that I can see is that the grill has been changed and fitted with the Abarth shield which just screws on. The shield looks alot bigger than the ones on the 125TC/130TC. Whats the thing on the A pillar that appears on both cars? The black plastic covers fitted to the 125TC/130TC Abarth models are missing on this car but the bodykit is coded white so that might explain it. I believe that Fiat sold a Bianco special addition with an all white bodykit in the 100s configuration.

If it was a fiat I think it would have a chassis number of ZFA138, but because Bertone produced these cars I suspect that the ZZB chassis number indicates Bertone.