I wanted to sound out some ideas that I have had rolling around in my head for a while. I like to research and think hard before starting a project, but I can't quite make my mind up which car to modify next.
I have a new Abarth Punto engine and plenty of gearboxes and bits and bobs waiting in the garage to go into something. I am trying to limit the expense of a project by choosing a car that is cheap to insure and I can use everyday, rather than doing a wild open-ended project like I had been thinking (FIAT 125 drift car). If it is brilliant, the new project will replace the Classic 100HP Panda potentially.
I bailed out of a fairly committed 2008 Panda 100HP project a couple of months ago. This was due to the cost for performance seeming like it wasn't worth it and I fell out of love with the modern car driver experience after I got sick of no driver involvement or feedback. That project car was insured for 10 times what it will cost me to insure the proposed car and would likely have been a lot slower.
Project goals
Vehicle requirements
The contenders as I see it
The list is not exhaustive, I'm just not interested enough in other things like Mk1 Punto, etc. My current faves are highlighted. For a while I liked the idea of the exclusivity and weirdness of the Prisma or Regata. Regatas almost don't exist and there is only one Prisma that I know of that I have any chance of getting hold of. They are only just under 1 tonne and perhaps won't provide the thrill of the other smaller cars.
I worry that the 127 and 128 will be hard to make go actually fast around corners and a bit of a nightmare to modify in the suspension department, so they are almost a non-starter, although a 128 saloon does really appeal for fun factor.
I don't really like the Strada's looks, although I admit it is retro-tastic. Probably hard to get a decent one in budget too.
I know the Panda so well that I can map out the exact modifications in my head as I write this and the shape and everything else do really appeal to me strongly, but I can't escape the problem of the poor suspension (particularly the front). I have looked at modifying the Panda suspension, but it is all very drastic. There are no pickup points for wishbones, so the battle is almost lost straight away. The unusual hubs have a ball joint integrated, making it difficult to imagine an alternative hub being used either.
The Uno, however has 3rd party parts available, real hubs and wishbones and is simply a better actual car to live with (that is saying something coming from a Panda die-hard). All this and it barely weighs more than a Panda, which always baffles me. I already have an Uno though and it already has the same engine in! Is it just wrong to have two so similar cars?!
So that just leaves the Cinquecento. It is a really quite good contender with respect to what I have been talking about, but I have real concerns about fitting the front mounting turbo in. It doesn't have enough retro appeal to me and I think it is just too small for the everyday things I do.
Anyway, what are other people's thoughts?
I have a new Abarth Punto engine and plenty of gearboxes and bits and bobs waiting in the garage to go into something. I am trying to limit the expense of a project by choosing a car that is cheap to insure and I can use everyday, rather than doing a wild open-ended project like I had been thinking (FIAT 125 drift car). If it is brilliant, the new project will replace the Classic 100HP Panda potentially.
I bailed out of a fairly committed 2008 Panda 100HP project a couple of months ago. This was due to the cost for performance seeming like it wasn't worth it and I fell out of love with the modern car driver experience after I got sick of no driver involvement or feedback. That project car was insured for 10 times what it will cost me to insure the proposed car and would likely have been a lot slower.
Project goals
- (Very) fast road car with no compromises for the extra performance
- Cheap tax, insurance and running costs
- Standard looks inside and out to the extreme
- Perhaps just a touch of luxury like good stereo and low noise ride - I have a track Uno already
Vehicle requirements
- FIAT or Lancia!
- Pre-1997, preferably pre MOT "cat" test (Aug 1992)
- £1000 budget -hopefully only half that required!
- Less than 1 tonne in standard trim
- Ease of modifying suspension and brakes or availability of 3rd party stuff a plus
- Needs retro appeal for me
- 4+ seats
- Needs a parts path for me to be able to install engine/transmission without from-scratch fabrication of parts. So FWD for starters.
The contenders as I see it
- pre 91 Panda
- Mk1 Uno
- Lancia Prisma
- Cinquecento
- Regata
- Strada
- 127
- 128
The list is not exhaustive, I'm just not interested enough in other things like Mk1 Punto, etc. My current faves are highlighted. For a while I liked the idea of the exclusivity and weirdness of the Prisma or Regata. Regatas almost don't exist and there is only one Prisma that I know of that I have any chance of getting hold of. They are only just under 1 tonne and perhaps won't provide the thrill of the other smaller cars.
I worry that the 127 and 128 will be hard to make go actually fast around corners and a bit of a nightmare to modify in the suspension department, so they are almost a non-starter, although a 128 saloon does really appeal for fun factor.
I don't really like the Strada's looks, although I admit it is retro-tastic. Probably hard to get a decent one in budget too.
I know the Panda so well that I can map out the exact modifications in my head as I write this and the shape and everything else do really appeal to me strongly, but I can't escape the problem of the poor suspension (particularly the front). I have looked at modifying the Panda suspension, but it is all very drastic. There are no pickup points for wishbones, so the battle is almost lost straight away. The unusual hubs have a ball joint integrated, making it difficult to imagine an alternative hub being used either.
The Uno, however has 3rd party parts available, real hubs and wishbones and is simply a better actual car to live with (that is saying something coming from a Panda die-hard). All this and it barely weighs more than a Panda, which always baffles me. I already have an Uno though and it already has the same engine in! Is it just wrong to have two so similar cars?!
So that just leaves the Cinquecento. It is a really quite good contender with respect to what I have been talking about, but I have real concerns about fitting the front mounting turbo in. It doesn't have enough retro appeal to me and I think it is just too small for the everyday things I do.
Anyway, what are other people's thoughts?
