General Morden updates?

[Bigvtwin996]

What common updates d people think worthwhile and others that many not be as good as people think....


These are just opinions ... and we are all entitled to our own...
so here are some common upgrades and my opinions on their values...
Please comment from experience or just a general option


123 dizzy - like because it saves cleaning and changing pints + brand new
Electronic ignition - like removes points ad thus maintenance but could not cure all problems if dizzy worn.

Front disk brakes - like because no adjustment needed and easier to change pads

Rear disk brakes - see little point but would be easier to service

Seat belts - see little point - they won't do anything above 30 mph just give false confidence boost that if you drive fast you will get out - there is no crumple zone..

Extra fuel filters etc - not needed sufficient filtering is provided if fuel system is clean and serviced.

Larger oil pan - yes it aids cooling and provides more oil which is the blood of a 500

Alloy cooling fan - yes are potentially better balanced and more efficient

Sports exhausts - for me no - too much noise

Tripod drive couplings - for me not really the originals worked well for 60+ years

LED lights - yep save crucial amps with such a tiny battery...

Optima type batteries - yes more power reserves

Alloy wheels and slightly wider modern tyres - ok - as the wheels are ancient now and early wheels really should be crack tested etc and a little extra grip helps.

Steering rack conversion - yep more positive steering - but needs some work to fit and may fall foul of new rules.

Engine mods - well...... The 500 is no supercar... a few extra bhp will always help in modern traffic even if used round town, but must be balanced with reliability and cost...

Cosmetic mods are all down to personal taste, but I see no point in leather interiors etc ... the 500 was designed to be a cheap run around not a luxurious cruiser...

I have seen tinted glass.... and this may be a nice to have...


comments welcome but always only personal opinions...

 

[lazylobster]

Being a new owner. My choices are:


electronic ignition is a must. Will fit a 123 soon.


Front disc brakes. As the drums are useles. On mine anyway. No point on rear discs.



Straight through sports zorst. I like the noise!


Already fitted seatbelts. As you never know.


Headlights converted to RHD as mine is a left hooker and I live in UK.



Engine wise. Yes, will look at an upgrade at some point in terms of HC pistons, bigger carb, sports cam etc. But its a winter project. Along with that comes the bigger sump pan, fan upgrade etc.



However, I like to keep the look standard. So mine will still be on the 3.5 wheels with cap. Interior wise, mine is already pretty funky. White piped in green to match the exterior colour. See pic

 

[fiat500]

I think that many people are attracted to the Fiat 500 partly because of the huge range of modified parts that are available for it. So in some ways it's a self-propagating trend. If you like tinkering and tuning I would recommend that instead you invest that effort and a fraction of the expense in consolidating the original features. There's so much to love about the simplicity and quirkiness of the original interior and there's no practical reason to fit any additional instruments apart from a fuel gauge on the "F", and you never hear of that mod being done! The brakes are only poor in comparison with modern cars, and if you're going to compare things in that way then there's a modern 500 you could buy. I am delighted by the 650 engine upgrade which represents a big leap in performance. Engine mods. for extra power seem to bring extra heat and thus lead to extra cooling mods. The steering is really light and precise if the toe-in and tyre pressures are right. The whole character of the car can be easily lost by improving it to "cope with modern motoring". Regularly drive a (relatively b) unmodified but well fettled Fiat 500 with gusto on minor roads and you won't have time for modifications because you'll be too busy having fun.

 

[BambinoClassic]

This is a great thread! I had been pondering a lot of these modifications back in the day, but I couldn’t bear to make any of them on such an unmolested example as I had.
However I never stopped wondering what A 123+ electronic ignition, 650 engine, and some disc brakes might bring me.

I have in the back of my mind finding A not so well preserved sample and putting a 650 in it. To be honest, I found that the standard motor in the old 500 D had the potential to leave me in some tricky situations, or should I say not allow me to get out of some tricky situations. It is a great fun little car and I actually found the steering to be quite responsive, (so now I’m wondering about the steering rack conversion!) But it really just lacks some guts as soon as you chuck two kids some beach gear and a small incline into the picture.

It’s absolutely true though – the endless list of possible modifications in such a classic is amazing! The modifications Are wide ranging, easily accessible, and relatively affordable when compare it with many other classic cars.

 

[Toshi 975]

When I bought my 500L someone had fitted electric screen washers with an additional non matching switch on the dash. So I sourced a matching switch that now blends in. I then discovered that the bracket that held the original rubber push bowl pump was the perfect size for a cigar lighter assembly

 

[Leo6]

Hi All I have an electronic fuel pump to fit on my newly built 650. Is anyone running on at the moment? I've also installed the 123 ignition with the aim of hopefully making the car easy to start.

 

[Toshi 975]

Not sure if this mod fits the bill being an invisible thing inside the engine. I always find that removing the oil pump from inside the timing chain cover can be quite tricky as you cannot get a 10mm socket onto two of the fixing bolts unless you part dismantle the pump by removing the dreaded circlip. So I refit the pump using suitable high tensile socket head screws which makes life so much easier

 

[Bigvtwin996]

Not sure if this mod fits the bill.......... I refit the pump using suitable high tensile socket head screws which makes life so much easier

Certainly does... along with the exhaust studs mods and teh silencer stud one that Tom describes...

 

[the hobbler]

Interesting to hear other peoples thoughts on 'up-rating' the 500. As Peter, quite correctly, points out the whole point of the 500 was to produce a simple car for the masses. Properly maintained, a 500 left in its original specifications will be a simple, reliable vehicle. BUT, traffic speeds have increased considerably since the 500 was 1st put onto the road (and it wasn't noted for its sparkling performance even then!), so some 'improvements' are, in my own personal opinion, fully justified. A simple "Hall effect" electronic ignition (I have an ACCUSPARK system fitted, but there are others) will assist reliability. One does not need to go to the expense of a '123'system., as will LED lights (but NOT headlamps--not legal) and disc brakes on the front (only). If discs are fitted, I would strongly recommend that either Mk1 126 wheels (4in wide) are the very least that are fitted. Steel wheels can be 'banded'--where a strip of steel is inserted into the main part of the rim to increase the width of the wheel, possibly out to 4-1/2 ins, and then the original wheel trims can be retained. Staying on 3-1/2 in rims with front discs is a recipe for locking wheels up--even in the dry! (in the wet it can become bloody embaressing)There are also a variety of aluminium wheels to choose from.
In our 'yoof', Ann and I thought nothing of driving to/from south London and Edinburgh in what was basically a standard 500. In 4-1/2 round trips it broke down once--and I was able to rectify that 'on-site'.
Before I am accused of being a hypocrite, yes, my own 500 is tuned, lowered and modified--but I decided right from the outset that, due to my love of "ABARTH" and my time at Radbourne Racing that what I wanted was a "695ss" replica---and that is what I am slowly building up. To use an old Naval expression-----"different ships, different cocoa"

 

[AndrewHarvey]

My car is non standard in extremus- apart from a two cylinder air cooled engine - I have ended up with a Frankenstein car.
695 near race spec engine
5 speed gearbox
Discs all round
Independent front suspension
Coil over rear suspension
Flame spitting carbon fibre exhaust
Fiat 600 engine lid (favourite mod)
Bolt on wheel arches
Five dial dash pod with three auxiliary gauges
Quick release steering wheel
Oil cooler
Period racing buckets
Period racing livery
................and on and on......
My car - my taste.

 

[Toshi 975]

Certainly does... along with the exhaust studs mods and teh silencer stud one that Tom describes...

OK there is another one, I will socket to ya
Behind the timing chain you have the front main bearing. Held in place by 4 standard hex head screws and two countersunk screws that have a very large cross head screwdriver drive and are secured with special shakeproof washers. Those two screw heads often get a bit mashed because of the difficulty undoing or tightening them and not having the right size bit. These two can be replaced by M8 x 25 countersunk screws to make life easier. Additional point here , the four hex screws allow a very small radial movement on the bearing but the countersunk do not. Whatever screws you use it is best to lock down the countersunk screws first otherwise you risk cracking the cast iron bearing housing.

 

[Paolo66]

I like the look of this one to the steering idler arm. Bearings instead of using the tension and friction of the rubber blocks

 

[Bigvtwin996]

I am sure there are ones that people have done themselves without realizing they may be useful to other people...


Also as these last mods are to make life easier or such...
So not only include what has been done but also what improvements it brings over std..

 

[the hobbler]

I think that you will find that most of the after-market suppliers now supply the 'cap-head' version of the countersunk screws rather than the 'cross-head' versions, which I agree, are a pain in the bum to torque up correctly (I used to use an "impact" screwdriver), and an even bigger p-i-t-b if somebody has previously 'mashed' them.

 

[fiat500]

I like the look of this one to the steering idler arm. Bearings instead of using the tension and friction of the rubber blocks
View attachment 192074

I like that but the thing with the rubber bushes is that I've always thought they help with the self-centring of the wheel.

 

[fiat500]

These two can be replaced by M8 x 25 countersunk screws

I don't know if these are the right grade but I've been using the smaller sizes for various jobs as they are so neat and so cheap. They also do nice, mushroom-headed ones to match.

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Sc...ainless+Steel+Socket+Countersunk+Screw/p75710

PS. If you have the right bit on your impact-driver (PZ3 I suspect), removal is a doddle. When re-torqueing I put the 1/2" driver socket that accepts the screwdriver bit onto my torque-wrench and tighten the ring of setscrews in stages working on opposing screws in sequence as with a cylinder-head or road-wheel.