General South Cumbria new owner 500F

[andyrousecar]

Hi All,
Just joined the clan with a 1971 500F, it's been tidied up in Italy ( restored but I know what that probably means ) and I am awaiting the DVLA to stop finding non- existent issues with its paper work to finalise it's UK registration.
Started having a poke around her ( sex already decided ), first issue is the battery Earth is a bodge up, anyone got a photo of what the battery Earth to body shell attachment point should look like? Would really appreciate this first help ��
Do you guys get together at a meet/show etc, would love to meet up with fellow 500 owners?

 

[IanEmery]

Hi All,
Just joined the clan with a 1971 500F, it's been tidied up in Italy ( restored but I know what that probably means ) and I am awaiting the DVLA to stop finding non- existent issues with its paper work to finalise it's UK registration.
Started having a poke around her ( sex already decided ), first issue is the battery Earth is a bodge up, anyone got a photo of what the battery Earth to body shell attachment point should look like? Would really appreciate this first help ��
Do you guys get together at a meet/show etc, would love to meet up with fellow 500 owners?

Hi Andy,

Welcome aboard. Great looking rig you've got there. Wife, Jackie, and I are serial Hymer owners but currently between motorhomes. Did you get your 500 in the UK or bring it back from a holiday trip?

We've just gone through registration on our 500 and have serious sympathy with all that you are going through now. We got our registration by sending in a translated Italian certificate showing date of build, this seems to be the main stumbling block with DVLA. Our main problem was to find some way to get them to accept a date of build without sending in the original Italian logbook as I didn't want to loose that. Keep at it - we found they were much more help when I phoned and spoke to an officer rather than sending letters.

I don't have a picture that would help you at the moment but I can take one tomorrow if nobody else posts one.

Regarding your comment about meet ups, Whereabouts are you in the UK?

Ian

 

[andyrousecar]

Hi Ian,
Glad to hear there is fellow motorhomers on here as well. We have had the Frankia since new in 2008, 60K miles on and we love it, just needed a classic 500 on the back to make perfect!
Bought our 500 in UK but will be the first UK registered keepers.
The battery on our's is not secured and its earth connection is not satisfactory. It would be good to see how it was originally attached.
So, you guys getting another Hymer?
We are on the border between North Lancashire and South Cumbria, how about you guys?

 

[fiat500]

Nice to hear from a 500 owner in that area. I have probably driven past you recently in my 500 as I grew up in Preston and travelled between Nairn, in Scotland to Preston a couple of months ago, passing around Kendal and over Shap on my journey. Here is an old image of what was left of the battery area on my car when it arrived.
DSC_6121 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr
The original earth lead is spot-welded to the body at that point.
The new-manufacture, original-style battery clamp is rubbish quality in my experience but is available here.
http://www.ricambio.co.uk/815-battery-clamp--classic-fiat-500
I expect that one might be reasonable quality from that supplier.

 

[andyrousecar]

Hi Peter,
Well, next time your passing let us know and call in for a coffee, Lavazza of course!
Thanks for the picture, our earth lead is 'stuffed' into a panel tag in the area of yours, think I will drill a hole and attach a ring terminal on the earth cable. We also have no battery box like yours, I have already found the ricambio battery kit, can it be used without a battery box?
The more I see photos of what state some 500s are in before work begins the more respect I have for you 'real' owners! I love the idea of carrying out such a project but I could never imagine finding the time!
Guess I will never know our car like you know yours.....

 

[stevehg]

Welcome on board.

My earth was connected to the chassis mounting point for the fuel tank on that side. My battery, like yours was unsecured and just wedged against the front panel with a block of polystyrene foam.

I bought a battery retainer similar to the one linked above, but with the new battery I sourced, it was too close to the positive terminal and clamp for my liking. So, I purchased a standard battery kit, cut it down to the right size and secured it so that it pulls the battery back to the bulkhead panel...

This seemed to be a better solution and kept everything away from the terminals.

cheers, Steve

 

[IanEmery]

Hi Ian,
Glad to hear there is fellow motorhomers on here as well. We have had the Frankia since new in 2008, 60K miles on and we love it, just needed a classic 500 on the back to make perfect!
Bought our 500 in UK but will be the first UK registered keepers.
The battery on our's is not secured and its earth connection is not satisfactory. It would be good to see how it was originally attached.
So, you guys getting another Hymer?
We are on the border between North Lancashire and South Cumbria, how about you guys?

Andy,

From our, limited, experience it would appear it's not unusual for Italian restorers to leave out the battery clamp but with Peter's photo you will at least be able to make a judgement on how it should be earthed.

We are in Lowestoft, in East Anglia so a meet would be difficult but there are sure to be other owners in your area.

After 20 some odd years of Hymers motorhomes with, at best, very unshaped and unsuitable rear seats we needed proper security for our little grandson's travel seat so for now we have had a change of equipement and bought a caravan, albeit still a Hymer, to tow behind our Saab but I can't wait to get a 'van that I can trail our 500 behind, the perfect rig in my eyes

Ian

 

[andyrousecar]

Welcome on board.

My earth was connected to the chassis mounting point for the fuel tank on that side. My battery, like yours was unsecured and just wedged against the front panel with a block of polystyrene foam.

I bought a battery retainer similar to the one linked above, but with the new battery I sourced, it was too close to the positive terminal and clamp for my liking. So, I purchased a standard battery kit, cut it down to the right size and secured it so that it pulls the battery back to the bulkhead panel...

This seemed to be a better solution and kept everything away from the terminals.

cheers, Steve

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the photo and information.
I will obtain a battery box and securing kit and copy what you have done.
I'm sure there will be loads more of little jobs I will need your help with.
Thanks again ?

 

[fiat500]

Andy, coffee will be accepted at the earliest opportunity when I am passing in the real car.
The box part is needed from a technical point of view as it includes the hole into which one of the clamp hooks fits. I am sure you could manage without.
I found that the "pattern" clamp's angled secton was so flimsy that it was bending under the strain and I also didn't like how close it came to shorting the terminals.
I the end I trimmed the hooked studs and placed the almost flattened clamp bar at right angles to normal fitting, equidistant from both terminals and I have had no issues.
In fact, barring rolling the car, the battery isn't going anywhere from its cosy position, even without clamps.
I think that it's more important to make sure the positive has a cap over it and that there is a plastic mat over the top.
I suspect that this relatively local company could be agreat help...no connections I just "Like" their work.
https://www.facebook.com/customretr...8105244906896/814683431915737/?type=1&theater

 

[andyrousecar]

Visited the 500 again today, it's funny what you do not take in when you do not know a car, it has already got a battery box! So, I will order a fixing kit and see how I get on. Modified the earth today to my own design. The original earth lead was badley frayed, found an earth strap in the workshop so have used that:

 

[fiat500]

This is my earth strap welded as on the original panel. My clamping arrangement is safe and secure but non-standard.
The missing blue paint is from when my petrol tank started to leak.
DSC_8870 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

 

[andyrousecar]

Evening Peter,
Thanks for the photo, planning to spend some time with the now christened 'Flavia' on Saturday. Have a box full of goodies from motobambino to play with including a standard battery fixing kit so I will let you know how I get on.
I'm impressed that you found time to post the picture considering what else you have got going on!

 

[IanEmery]

?........... planning to spend some time with the now christened 'Flavia' on Saturday.

Hi Andy,

Our girl has also been christened Flavia! Here's a picture of her with her new boyfriend who has been named Flávio. He is a '62 D with the short roof while she is two years younger and has the long roof.

He looks very tough here as we had his chrome work off for some detailing.

Shame we aren't close enough for them to meet up.

Cheers, Ian

 

[andyrousecar]

Hi Andy,

Our girl has also been christened Flavia! Here's a picture of her with her new boyfriend who has been named Flávio. He is a '62 D with the short roof while she is two years younger and has the long roof.

He looks very tough here as we had his chrome work off for some detailing.

Shame we aren't close enough for them to meet up.

Cheers, Ian

Hi Ian,
That's a brilliant post, you have two........there's an idea. This is like pet owners, buy one...then buy another to keep the first one company, love it.
Never say never on a meet up, us Northerners love to travel

 

[Vitesse]

Here's some pictures of my battery fixing kit in place for some additional guidance Andy.

The back one is fitted to the vent hole in the panel but I found I had to cut it shorter and rethread it further down the shaft for it to work properly. The added bonus is my battery has a lip on it at the top so it stays well clear of the + terminal.

The front one hooks around an eye at the bottom of the battery box.

Tony

 

[andyrousecar]

Hi Tony,
Sorted the battery today. Intitially I found the same problem as Peter with regard to the location of the positive terminal. Following a short period of head scratching I've just turned the battery around!

 

[stevehg]

Where does your extra positive lead go to?

 

[andyrousecar]

Well spotted, it is as I purchased the car, it currently goes no where, taped up just out of view. Planning to extend via a fuse to a discreet USB for a bit of modern tech life support! Not sure why it is there, guess it's not the original positive terminal.