850 Barn find 850T Suzzara in Pakistan

[Hunza]

Today was the big day! After cleaning the engine bay with kerosene and a bristle brush the engine looked very neat and respectable. The plugs were replaced and as the point looked shiny and new I didn't mess with the setting. I tried looking for the oil filter but could not locate one. (did it even have one?)

Anyway the oil was changed, a new battery placed in place, the fuel line from the tank was disconnected and a plastic bottle was instead used as a makeshift fuel reservoir. I'll have the fuel tank flushed next before filling up.

Next was the moment of truth....the engine was cranked and within moments it fired. The sound changed in a few seconds as the oil made its way to all the right places. Amazingly she was idling without any difficulty in less than 60 seconds. I was mentally prepared to have the carby taken apart for cleaning and re-adjustment but it needed none.

All the warning lights in the dash are working and what a sight it was. There is even a red warning light for low fuel and it was on as I did not pour any fuel in the tank. The engine warmed up quite nicely so it is one less worry. I can now concentrate on the brakes and the petrol tank. All the rubber lines in the engine bay have hardened and would need to be replaced right away. I have removed the plastic radiator coolant reservoir as it is caked inside with dirt and scales. Tonight I'll fill it with a toilet cleaning liquid to dissolve the calcium scales and loosen the dirt. Hopefully by morning it would be clean with just a rinse.

I have also removed both tail lights and cleaned those under running water and with an old tooth brush. What a transformation! I'll take them to a shop that uses a buffing wheel to shine the lenses. The seals are still soft so I'll re-use the ones that are there.

Looks like it would be a busy few days ahead but I hope to drive her around the block before the weekend.

I have made a short video of the engine being started. I'll ask my daughter to upload it on youtube and I'll share the link here with everyone. I have to admit it would be a very boring video but to my ears the gentle sound of the engine was pure music.

 

[blu73]

great news! them old vw engines are amazing. I would love to see the video

 

[Palio]

great news! them old vw engines are amazing. I would love to see the video

Where has VW engine come into it? I thought it was original & unmolested, so it's a Fiat engine?

No surprise to me that an old Fiat engine started & purred away (well relatively speaking, bearing in mind it's an old ohv unit).

 

[blu73]

ignore me, i'm confusing threads
forums even lol

 

[Hunza]

Where has VW engine come into it? I thought it was original & unmolested, so it's a Fiat engine?

No surprise to me that an old Fiat engine started & purred away (well relatively speaking, bearing in mind it's an old ohv unit).

I have worked on VW engines too but this was my first FIAT. I am just a little concerned about the oil sludge and debris that must be in the engine. I cannot seem to find the oil filter or strainer plate (the type you see at the bottom in VW engines) Can anyone suggest where to look for one and if there is none how to clean the insides of the engine.(short of removing the oil sump and cleaning everything that way.)

 

[fiat903]

hi there
if its like mine the oil filter is a centrifugule affair incorporrated in the rear crank pulley . i seen to remenber that you remove the fan belt and undo a ring of small bolts. i think there is a rubber seal ring . if its never been clean you will see the dirt stuck to the
outside (inside the pulley) and it needs to be cleaned. i think that it works very well.
No filter costs
remenber that the engine turns anticlock wise.
hope this may help if the same.
regards fiat 903

 

[Hunza]

A new battery, a new set of plugs, cleaned the air filter, didn't bother cleaning the fuel tank as i wasn't sure she would start so I used a plastic bottle full of petrol as a makeshift tank. She cranked without sputtering for the first 20 seconds or so till the fuel pump brought the fuel to the carby. A sign of life..cough cough (the engine..not me) and then she started!!!!

Within about 45 seconds she had settled to a nice idle without any adjustments to the carb. It is simply amazing considering she was parked and that too without any proper precautions before she was parked.

The next major task is to get the brakes stopping. The wheel cylinders were stuck solid but half a can of WD 40 and some gentle coxing have produced the pistons with swollen washers out from the cylinders. I am begun calling the parts dealers for the 3/4 size rear and more than an inch size for the front brake cylinders. No luck so far but lets see.
FIAT 903

Thank you for your input. I'll take care of the oil filtering spot. It may be the solution as I haven't been able to find the oil filter anywhere on this vehicle / engine...

I love the internet!

 

[Vin]

That's a certainly an unusual find.

I can also confirm what has been said - the spare wheel is mounted in front of the passenger seat. There would originally have been an elasticated cover for it.

If you can tell me the registration number, I can tell you which area of the UK the van was registered in.

Also, if the van left the UK after 1981, there will still be a record of it with the DVLA. If it was before then any records relating to the van wouldn't have been computerised. You can do a search here - use 'vehicle enquiry'. If it's still recorded, you will at most know when it was last taxed.

https://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/app/home/intro

I have the later version of your van, a 1978 900T, that I am slowly restoring.

Here you can see where the spare wheel goes.

This was it in 2004

All the bodywork is now done. It is currently on stands with all the running gear stripped off it being refurbished. Then it will be to the paint shop.

 

[Hunza]

That's a certainly an unusual find.

I can also confirm what has been said - the spare wheel is mounted in front of the passenger seat. There would originally have been an elasticated cover for it.

If you can tell me the registration number, I can tell you which area of the UK the van was registered in.

Also, if the van left the UK after 1981, there will still be a record of it with the DVLA. If it was before then any records relating to the van wouldn't have been computerised. You can do a search here - use 'vehicle enquiry'. If it's still recorded, you will at most know when it was last taxed.

https://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/app/home/intro

I have the later version of your van, a 1978 900T, that I am slowly restoring.

Many thanks for your input. The number it sports is LUA 508 P. I'll try the site you mentioned but I doubt if it would be in the records as the first owner left UK in the early 70's. Right now I am more interested in finding out the year of manufacture or lets just say the model year of the van.

The van started fine so the engine is good. The brakes are non-functional and while I have found the washers for the rear wheels, I have not been able to find the same for the front wheels. The brake washers are kind of swollen and I cannot seem to find the correct size for them. Would you happen to know what size washers I should try and get for the front wheel cylinders?

I have spent more time trying to polish the exterior and bring out the original finish to a shine. There is some rust too but it can wait. I had keys cut for the ignition switch and also the doors. The lock on the decklid is broken so a replacement would need to be found. Other than that its all systems go...




early 70's

 

[Hunza]

The lic. plate that came with the Van. It was sold by Bristol Street motors and I e-mailed them but haven't received a response.

 

[Hunza]

The engine as it looked when I found her..

 

[Hunza]

...and now!

 

[Hunza]

The VIN plate.

I'd really appreciate if someone can help with the identification of the model year.

 

[Hunza]

..and finally some pictures of how she looks today. a couple of before and after pictures of the tail light lens that underwent a cloth wheel buffing.

 

[Vin]

That's cleaning up really well Hunza. Nice work.

I can't offer any help deciphering the VIN plate unfortunately.

As expected LUA 508P isn't on the DVLA records. I can tell you though that LUA 508P is a Leeds (UA) registration number. This would mean that the number was issued to a supplying dealer in the West Yorkshire area between (as mentioned previously) 1st August 1975 and 31st July 1976.

I can take some wheel cylinder measurements for you. But if you do have trouble getting some, I may have some spare wheel cylinder rubbers (washers). If I do, you can have them for the cost of postage to Pakistan.

Also, is it the six seater 'mini-bus' version or is it a camper??

 

[Hunza]

That's cleaning up really well Hunza. Nice work.

I can't offer any help deciphering the VIN plate unfortunately.

As expected LUA 508P isn't on the DVLA records. I can tell you though that LUA 508P is a Leeds (UA) registration number. This would mean that the number was issued to a supplying dealer in the West Yorkshire area between (as mentioned previously) 1st August 1975 and 31st July 1976.

I can take some wheel cylinder measurements for you. But if you do have trouble getting some, I may have some spare wheel cylinder rubbers (washers). If I do, you can have them for the cost of postage to Pakistan.

Also, is it the six seater 'mini-bus' version or is it a camper??

Ok so we are narrowing it down somewhat... however I was told by the seller (who wasn't the original owner but a member of the family) that the van arrived in Pakistan sometime in the early 70's and then the owner went back to the UK after parking it in a garage but could never revisit. His successors probably never knew about the existence of this van until they decided to dispose off the property. The lic. plate does say Bristol Street motors ... I am not sure if they have (or had) a dealership in Leeds. Not sure how the reg. number system works in the UK either but going by your estimation we are not off by a big margin (from what the seller told me)

The van is a 6 seater with the two middle row seats removable. I'll post a few pictures.

Thank for for your offer to provide the brake washers. I may even take you up on that. The size I have determined is 1- 1/8 inches...does that make sense?

 

[Vin]

Hunza,

I've had a look and I can't find any spare individual washers/cylinder rubbers.

I do have some complete cylinders though, off of which I have taken some measurements. The diameter of the rubber is 1 & 3/4 inches.

Is this the same as your front wheel cylinder??

 

[Hunza]

I have not had a chance to work on the van but have located the brake washers thru a friend who is big and serious in FIAT's having restored and sold several.

I will try and post recent pictures and account as soon as I get the van rolling (and stopping)

Cheers

 

[Vin]

Glad you have managed to source the brake parts, Hunza.

Further to your quest for information regarding 'Bristol Street Motors', this Fiorino & Citivan brochure was on E-bay. It is from 1981 and has a BSM dealer sticker for the Leeds branch on it...

The address for BSM in 1981 was Water Lane, Leeds.

 

[Sparkymark]

Hi Guys. New to this but noticed you mention Bristol Street Motors in Leeds. It was literally half a mile from my house. I don't think its there any more though but it will give me something to do tomorrow I've just bought a T reg Amigo 900t from London last weekend that has been restored beautifully..... so much so in fact that we saw another one advertised nationally and couldn't resist purchasing this one as well to use as a restoration project this coming winter.
I'll post some pics up of them both when I get the hang of the forum.
These Fiat's are becoming addictive