Technical Difference between 1.1 & Sporting

[Paul106xsi]

I'm sure it's been done to death on here but I couldn't get a clear answer using the search button. What is the difference between the Seicento sporting and any other 1.1? There are some posts saying springs and ARB, others are saying the ARB is the same & it's the springs + shocks & some posts say the gearbox ratios are different.

Just wondering if anyone has a complete list (ignoring the interior). Thanks

 

[David C]

Some non-Sporting 1.1 still used the wet-shaft gearbox. The method of selecting reverse being the easiest way of telling them apart.
All Sporting have the dry.
There are many different p/n listed for complete boxes, some with different ratios, some just updates.
Springs will be different and there are different Sporting/Abarth springs too (so not all Sporting springs are the same). But by 2004 some non-sporting used Sporting springs...
Dampers, some used the same, some different. Looks like they started using the same, but changed to different for more comfort on non-Sportings.

I'm sure all 1.1 had ARB, and they are all the same.

So the spring+damper is not a clear cut "std have this and Sporting have that" answer.

Dampers are consumable items though and many/most will have been changed by now anyway, same goes for springs.

 

[Ouby]

Ride height is according to the Springs.... non-Sportings sit about 20mm higher than a Sporting.
Shocks were standardised-ish.
ARB was fitted to some but not all SPI Sportings, all MPI Sportings had them (some people like them, some don't).
Sportings used the 'dry shaft' c514 gearbox, non-Sportings the 'wet shaft' c526 gearbox.
Gearbox ratio was 3.818:1 for 13" wheels, MPI Abarth/Schumi got 4.071:1 to cope with the 14" alloys.
Very slight differences in suspension/wheel geometry between Sportings & non-Sportings.

Have you fitted Apex springs yet? Correct part number is 30-5010, 30-5000 is for the non-Sportings.

 

[Paul106xsi]

Thanks for your replies guys. I've got a sporting which failed it's MOT a while back. It's covered 100k miles so everything is brittle or corroded, anytime I repair one part something else breaks! A 2003 Sei S (1.1) has come up for sale down the road, I'm wondering if it would just be easier to buy that and swap the sporting bits over.

 

[chrisb7777]

I have always wondered this!

IMO it made very little mechanical difference between S[X] and Sporting models due to the mix and match of parts not unheard of in a fiat.

By the end of the UK run of the sei the differences were only cosmetic to the average road user.

Hence us lot trying to figure out what was actually different!

Chris

 

[petevtwin650]

I know you said not to mention the interior differences but an S will probably have manual windows and no sunroof. Now in some respects this is a good thing as there is less to go wrong. Also my S is only £145 a year road tax. Not sure what the Sporting is. Check the inner driveshaft seals as it appears they are prone to leaking and the gearbox can fail as a result.

 

[Paul106xsi]

The road tax is the same. I thought a later model might save a bit of money (the tax on my 99 sporting is based on engine size while a 2003 car is based on emissions) but turns out to be exactly the same!


Yes the S I looked at had no sunroof, manual windows and no central locking. I actually prefer this as my sporting sunroof leaks! I want to use my car for commuting and a bit of club level motorsport so the lighter the better.