Seicento Seicento Autosolo/Rally car

[RHFabrications]

I doubt it, the front dampers are only two weeks old. I did consider using the arb on the back but I can't really be bothered with the effort in fabbing it all up. Lazy, I know. New rear dampers are floating around a DHL warehouse somewhere but I doubt they will make much difference when they get here (if?). I think polybushed are next on the list and maybe some engine work. I'd like it to be able to compete with 1275 minis without it costing what a 1275 mini does nowadays.

 

[RHFabrications]

I stuck the new rear dampers on last night (DHL delivered them to a farm a 1/4 mile away, thanks DHL!) and the cars about as good as I can expect to get it before its next Solo on Sunday. All that's left to do is clean it out, wash and polish it, check levels/pressures etc and its ready. I'm hoping to do a little bit more to it in the next few weeks. If I can find another head I'd like to have it maximum skimmed, do this 40mm throttle body modification and an 866 camshaft, having read a few bits and bobs on here that seems to be the way to go.

I think 13" wheels are probably a better bet than the 14" abarth wheels its got, if not simply for tyre choice, but also I prefer steel wheels to alloys. I have a collection of 3 space savers from Sèicentos and two road wheels. Apart from one space saver having a spacer attatched to it (the one from my car) what are the differences between the wheels? They're all stamped with different numbers but as far as I can tell they're the same?

 

[RHFabrications]

Taking the anti-roll bar off was a really stupid thing to do.

 

[fingers99]

Taking the anti-roll bar off was a really stupid thing to do.

Ma perche?

 

[RHFabrications]

The photos should explain all. It gave the marshals a laugh mind you. I'm going to have a rethink about the suspension, and the anti-roll bar is going back on. It was like driving a space hopper! Admittedly my ineptitude was the biggest problem as I got three 'wrong tests' which put me right down the score board. Never mind, it's all part of the fun. I had an excellent day out doing skids in my car, for very little money so I can't complain too much. I've also now got a full polybush set and new rear brakes to fit.

 

[fingers99]

Er, yes.

One cheap trick the mini folk used was to run wider rims/tyres at the front. FIAT went part way with the Abarth 14" wheels and spacers at the front only.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if there was something in the homologation docs.

 

[RHFabrications]

I'm going to ditch the 14" wheels and go to 13", as tyres are cheaper and easier to get hold of. I might drop it a little bit too, fit the ARB again and have another go. It was bloody good fun like this, and to be honest it would have done ok if I hadn't made such an abortion of the whole thing by getting lost on my first two runs and again on the 4th. Once I had that sorted it was holding its own. I beat an MG Metro whose driver had similar directional issues to myself, but not much else.

 

[blu73]

they certainly feel more lively on 13" wheels, especially if you don't have turbo or 16v power

 

[RHFabrications]

I need a new sump pan, mine is unfathomably rusty for something full of oil. I went to my local motor factor and asked for a sump and a gasket. He said "There's no gasket, use RTV". The Internet says there IS a gasket available. Who's right?

 

[blu73]

i have always just used sealant on the sump, never had any problems...

 

[fingers99]

OE there's no gasket.

Trick to using RTV is cleanliness and give it time to go off before putting the oil in.

You'll need to drop the exhaust or you're likely to damage the oil pick up.

 

[RHFabrications]

Smashing, just the answer I wanted, thanks very much.

 

[RHFabrications]

I spent Saturday with a friend changing both wishbones, both rear arms and refitting the front ARB with polybushes throughout. I've never had a car on polybushes (most of my cars either don't have bushes or they weren't available) so it's been interesting seeing how its changed, it's taken a couple of days for the car to settle and me to get accustomed to it but its certainly an improvement in how precise the car is and how lively it feels (even with the dreadful electric power steering). Not having the constant rattle from the rear suspension has been nice and was probably worth doing them just for that.

I'm now looking at changing it onto 13" wheels so I'm looking for a pair of standard Sei steels if anybody out there has a pair they would like to part with? I have two already. I'm in West Sussex but don't mind an hour or so travelling to collect them.

The next Solo is mid September which I'm entered for and now it's comedy suspension issues are sorted I might take this one a little more seriously. It looks like we're also doing a 12car rally towards the end of the month, we'll be using the Fiat for that too.

 

[RHFabrications]

I hope to be collecting a set of steel wheels tomorrow, are the wheelnuts the same for both standard Sei steel wheels and 14" abarth wheels?

 

[bargepower]

Your wheels are waiting your collection tomorrow!

 

[RHFabrications]

Magic, thanks. See you about 11-12.

 

[RHFabrications]

Well I didn't realise fitting fiat seicento wheels on to a fiat seicento would be such a pain in the bum.

To fit standard steels to an abarth means modifying the wheelnuts and making a pair of 3mm spacers for the front and a pair of 5mm spacers for the rear. Or raiding a scrapyard for a set of wheel bolts, but that'd mean doing away with the hub centric spacers on the front.

Why is nothing bloody simple?

Anyway, most of that's done, just need to head down the local part worn tyre place and see what they have that'll fit. I might even push the boat out and buy four new tyres for it.

 

[ycming]

You need 10mm spacers at front only.

Also get studs and nuts from Rally design, its pretty cheap !

 

[RHFabrications]

I've used rally design when I had fords and minis, I agree they're good but I need these bits before the weekend. Machining the capped ends off the wheelnuts isn't a massive problem but its still half an hour on the lathe that'd be better spent doing actual work really. I've decided to retain the front (standard) spacers but there's a 3mm deep 45deg taper on the spigot which prevents the steel wheel sitting properly.

Anyway, aside from modifying the nuts it's pretty much all done, the spacers are made up, the tyres are sorted and after work tomorrow I'll clean the crap out of it and throw a bucket of soapy water over it (race prep) ready for Sundays autosolo.

 

[RHFabrications]

The new budget tyres were total rubbish and really needed cycling for a few days and not thrashed and abused from brand new. I came fourth in class but had a lot of fun, I must admit I'd have done better if the temptation to be flamboyant and sliding it around wasn't so great. Importantly I beat my mate in his mini again although he was slightly faster he made a couple of errors that put him down the order. The car wasn't too bad, the girly power steering was pretty handy this time as some areas were pretty tight (how the old boys in escorts and mx5s with no pas cope I don't know) and if I'd cycled the tyres and calmed down a bit I'd have been in the top three easily. Never mind, I had loads of fun and hopefully the photographer there has some decent pictures of it on three wheels or opposite lock.

A few polish guys turned up to play with us and one of whom had a 650cc 126 which went like a bloody rocket! I almost made him an offer to buy it, he was wiping the floor with mx5s, mr2s, escort mexicos etc. Great fun!