General 124 saloon 1974

[Smithydar12]

Hi i hv a 1974 124 saloon that now has a 132 2.0l twincam in it.
Im just wanting to know the best radiator to fit in it. I built a westfield years ago with a 2.0l redtop vauxhall in it and the radiator for that was a vw polo rad.
Just wondering what would be best for my current build.or what other people hv used
Ive found in the past its always better to ask the question before buying.
And forums are the best place for that.thankyou

 

[bugsymike]

Hi i hv a 1974 124 saloon that now has a 132 2.0l twincam in it.
Im just wanting to know the best radiator to fit in it. I built a westfield years ago with a 2.0l redtop vauxhall in it and the radiator for that was a vw polo rad.
Just wondering what would be best for my current build.or what other people hv used
Ive found in the past its always better to ask the question before buying.
And forums are the best place for that.thankyou

I would have thought most modern radiators are designed "crossflow" to cope with lower bonnet height etc. Unlike the 124 and I assume the 132 which would have top and bottom header tanks to align with the top and bottom hose positions better.
Providing hose position can be sorted and a good pressurised seperate coolant tank can be mounted then presumably anything with a good number of tubes to match a 2 litre engines needs, along with a efficient electric fan would do the job once mounts sorted as presumably height will be less of a problem than length of radiator.

 

[Smithydar12]

Yes i was kind of thinking along those lines. I know with my westfield the polo rad worked well and wasnt massive. Also with electric fan. Just need to make sure whatever i use fits .mountings i can make . And geometry of hoses havevto be correct for engine.
Thanks for the reply.
Darren

 

[bugsymike]

Yes i was kind of thinking along those lines. I know with my westfield the polo rad worked well and wasnt massive. Also with electric fan. Just need to make sure whatever i use fits .mountings i can make . And geometry of hoses havevto be correct for engine.
Thanks for the reply.
Darren

Sounds like a fun conversion, although I worked on customers Fiat 132s etc. in the late 80s, my only other claim to fame? in the slight direction of 124s whilst working as foreman at a Lada Dealership in the mid 70s mostly 1200/1500/1300/1600 and very early Nivas.

 

[Smithydar12]

Ive also had the joy of ladas years ago. And pretty much what i hv although a lot different to look at now

 

[bugsymike]

Ive also had the joy of ladas years ago. And pretty much what i hv although a lot different to look at now

So not quite a "street sleeper". No chance of going unnoticed.
How do you find the front suspension compared with the Ladas, we use to have to reset the steering geometry with the shims in lower wishbone inner bolts on nearly every brand new one. Caster Camber and KPI then redo the normal wheel alignment or the tyres would wear out in 600 miles and extremely heavy steering.
Mind you we were also agents for Moskvich which was a lower level again!!!!
Having owned both makes as the price was right as with all my vehicles, so I can't say much.

 

[Smithydar12]

Ive bolted everything on all suspension .but that's it. Will do an alignment on all of it once it's finished with everything on the car
To be honest it's a basic set up that I dare say works .all new on mine .
So hoping it wont be too bad. I hv an original fiat workshop manual and it says to alter it put washers between lower wishbone and body.
High tech stuff mind
Also hv a mk 1 golf steering rack instead of the original box.
I need to try an rotate it backwards somehow. To get a nicer straighter connection to steering column. I dont like how it is at the mo.
Its getting there tho

 

[bugsymike]

Ive bolted everything on all suspension .but that's it. Will do an alignment on all of it once it's finished with everything on the car
To be honest it's a basic set up that I dare say works .all new on mine .
So hoping it wont be too bad. I hv an original fiat workshop manual and it says to alter it put washers between lower wishbone and body.
High tech stuff mind
Also hv a mk 1 golf steering rack instead of the original box.
I need to try an rotate it backwards somehow. To get a nicer straighter connection to steering column. I dont like how it is at the mo.
Its getting there tho

Once set up, the rack and pinion steering should be much better.
Re the shims in lower suspension, once we had checked what was needed with our caster and camber gauge, we used to slacken the bottom wishbone bolts as far as possible without causing suspension to collapse then you could get inbetween the bar and the subframe to either snip a shim or so out and then twist it to remove it, or if some needed putting in then again one cut of shim and it could be twisted into place before all tightened up and geometry rechecked.
I like the principle as it means you can set it up with a bit of negative camber to improve cornering. just with the shims, unlike my Ford Anglia as an apprentice when I drilled the lower cross member further out to get a less accurate modification, it did work though and stopped tyre squeal when fast cornering along with the lowered suspension, 5.5 J Dunlop steel wheels and1500 engine.
We got quite good at it as nearly every brand new Lada was miles out.
Many double wishbone setups do this method, but most do it on the unloaded top inner wishbone mounts, unlike these with all the spring load on the bottom wishbone.

 

[Smithydar12]

I will keep your advice for when doing final set up I did think to shim it id do exactly what you said so I don't hv to remove it all.
Good advice
This is why I use forums .lots of ppl with lots of advice and help.
Peace of mind that somebody somewhere can advise and help.
When done it will hv all the original oliofiat livery on it.
I can get this from Italy but is €800
So will speak to a local sign writer and theyl make them .
Will look something like this pic

 

[bugsymike]

I will keep your advice for when doing final set up I did think to shim it id do exactly what you said so I don't hv to remove it all.
Good advice
This is why I use forums .lots of ppl with lots of advice and help.
Peace of mind that somebody somewhere can advise and help.
When done it will hv all the original oliofiat livery on it.
I can get this from Italy but is €800
So will speak to a local sign writer and theyl make them .
Will look something like this pic

Those tyres look good for rolling tarmac.

 

[Smithydar12]

Yeah haven't got wheels/tyres yet need to make right choice on size etc and hv to look right.
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