General start of the abarth rebuild/1.4 16v conversion

[andys cinq]

im waiting for blu73 to email me the pics of the front panels he hasyes all my panels do line up fairly well but compared to my blue cinq the gaps are a bit wider between bonnet and wing tops but my mate who does body work as his job and will be painting the whole car has said he can get alot better fit but do i want all the extra work....part of me says do it and the other part says dont do it something will go tits up:bang::bang:
if i just repair it then i will do 2 half inch stitch welds on each section of chassis to front panel then it will be secure
mig welding upside down doesnt bother me and can weld just as well that way as being upright...i just love welding:devil:

 

[fingers99]

I love welding -- I don't like the burns from upside down MIGing.

 

[andys cinq]

I love welding -- I don't like the burns from upside down MIGing.

especially if a spark goes in ur earthink the other bad ones are when they fall into the inner arm at the elbow and ive lost count how many times ive had arc eye doesnt really bother me anymore always use my mask but always get flashes from tacking panels on and i still have 20/20 vision

 

[fingers99]

Get a decent arc activated visor -- and decent light -- I like Speedoglas, and you won't have to tack with the visor up. They really are the best thing since someone invented the TIG.

 

[andys cinq]

Get a decent arc activated visor -- and decent light -- I like Speedoglas, and you won't have to tack with the visor up. They really are the best thing since someone invented the TIG.

ive got a snap on mask now only used it a few times but certainly alot easier

 

[craigb244]

I love welding to... when you get into a good day of perfect welds... some days I just get pigeon **** welds lol

but I agree. getting it in the ear is nasty (hearing skin burning ) but usually never hurts much... what does hurt is when it falls into your boot and mental thru your sock making you do a stupid red Indian style dance with your welding mask on.


definatly get an auto mask like fingers said... don't be tempted by the single setting (cheap) ones cos they are not that much better then a normal mask

one I use has trigger adjustment (how brightthe arc needs to be to turn the tint on) and tint adjustment (how dark the tint is) if you set it just right then when you start welding its as if nothing has changed other then seeing liquid metal

 

[BlueDan]

im waiting for blu73 to email me the pics of the front panels he hasyes all my panels do line up fairly well but compared to my blue cinq the gaps are a bit wider between bonnet and wing tops

You don't mean the bonnet is higher or lower than it should be when closed?

 

[andys cinq]

no edge of bonnet to edge of wings is a wider gap on the abarth compared to the blue one no difference in height

 

[BlueDan]

ah odd, as if the wings have been mounted a bit further out than usual?

 

[andys cinq]

ah odd, as if the wings have been mounted a bit further out than usual?

its almost as though they need pulling in a bit but going to change wings as they have a few dinks in them....got a perfect yellow n/s in the loft and just got to buy another undented wing for the o/s....
also found that the nearside front wheel bearing has a tiny bit of play so for what it costs going to change that while im at itever since ive had the abarth i felt that there was something wrong with the nearside sometimes when steering and u hit an imperfection in the road it would feel as though it would turn even more without moving the steering wheel,this only happened 3 or 4 times and i even got the mot blokes at work to try and find what was wrong but not even the shaker plates on the mot ramp showed it up,then when i stripped it all apart no play but when i reassemble it there is play:bang::bang: but at least i now hope i have found what was causing this baffling symptom:slayer::slayer:

 

[blu73]

OK OK, i'm just getting pictures onto the computer, they'll be sent shortly sorry i'm rubbish..

 

[Lecook]

Can't wait to see this beast this weekend I have lots of questions ready for ya

Subscribed

Lee

 

[Lecook]

any updates buddy ?????

 

[andys cinq]

the panels have arrived from blu73 and i have also picked up a punto gt fuel pump and also just managed to find the tb off the 1.6 16v marea which is a direct plug and play with the punto sporting inlet and that has been a nightmare to find as every single email i sent came back sorry its 4 bolt not 3......now in the next 2 or 3 weeks i hope to get some more done on it but work is so busy and has been for the last month hence nothing had been done:bang::bang:
can anybody recommend some decent adjustable rear shox as i cant make up my mind if i should stick with AVO or go with SPAX or does anyone have any other suggestions:worship:

 

[ycming]

I wouldn't spend a alot of adjustable dampening shocks at the rear!

What is at the front?

 

[andys cinq]

I wouldn't spend a alot of adjustable dampening shocks at the rear!

What is at the front?

24 point adj konis with 40mm drop

 

[blu73]

I have adj spax front and rear on my sei turbo. I rate them highly but i would prob get matching koni if i had them on the front but thats more because i like stuff to match than anything else..

 

[andys cinq]

nobody seems to do koni rears or maybe ive just looked in the wrong places i had spax adj on the back of my old rover sdi and on capris so always favoured them but the avo rears were good but u had to keep the adjusters greased every few days otherwise they started to seize up and often thought they should be facing towards the back of the car not on the sides where all the crap hits them the spax have them facing the back of the car still grease them up but better protected from the elements
will have to look into different shox as well.
anyway ordered my new set of tyres thru work £246 for 4 continentals 195/40x14 see if they are any good not a great fan of contis but its the only make of tyre in that size
anybody else tried them????

 

[fingers99]

I'd forget the rear disks -- spend the money on Punto GT front disks and calipers (if you're running 14" wheels). They're of no use in any form of motorsport except autocross. The 106, on the other hand, IIRC, has adjustable rear brake compensation. In any event, the Cinq (and there isn't really such a thing as an Abarth Cinq, only a Cinq with Abarth bits, 'cos the factory didn't make them) with decent front disks and tyres, will be standing virtually on its nose under hard braking -- even if the disks were ubergood they'd be doing faff all.

To do the rear disk conversion properly will take a lot of time and ballache -- most are dreadful bodges.

 

[andys cinq]

I'd forget the rear disks -- spend the money on Punto GT front disks and calipers (if you're running 14" wheels). They're of no use in any form of motorsport except autocross. The 106, on the other hand, IIRC, has adjustable rear brake compensation. In any event, the Cinq (and there isn't really such a thing as an Abarth Cinq, only a Cinq with Abarth bits, 'cos the factory didn't make them) with decent front disks and tyres, will be standing virtually on its nose under hard braking -- even if the disks were ubergood they'd be doing faff all.

To do the rear disk conversion properly will take a lot of time and ballache -- most are dreadful bodges.

me thinks u got wrong end of the stick here lmao i already have gt front brakes and i was never doing rear disc conversion im on about rear shock absorbers and my new tyres ive ordered
i know there was never a cinq abarth and they are just add on bits but im after every add on,im just after the headlamp protectors,the floor mats and the pedals.