My Fiat Topolino is a Flip Top now

Thanks Mike same to you.

 

Wow that IS small! Whats your wheelbase now, 33" or so?

 

close It's actually 90" now. Stock was 80" the front axle is 35" wide and the rear housing is 29" flange to flange. It seems everything is half scale. lol

 

Looking forward to the video of your first trip down the track. I'm sure its gonna be a handfull, if not a "skidmarks in the skivvies" moment.

 

Wow, that's a cool pic! We forget the size of these cars. Which one is quicker from zero to 60???
Tom

 

Already had one skidmark in the skivvies moment when I had it completely sideways going down the driveway. Didn't get that one on film though.

 

These short wheel base cars can be a real handfull. Thank goodness I got some new underwear for christmas. LOL!

 

I have been wondering how much the Fiat would weigh especially wondering how the setup is from side to side if it would be close on the numbers. Well hear it is total weight 2120 lbs. and for the most part pretty close on the side to side weight. The only concern I have is with the Fiat being so narrow just how accurate the scales are. Will the weight transfer from side to side in a cense weighing a percentage of the weight twice.

 

Add a 9 lb weight to the left front side and see if the front weights' even out. I'm curious to see if there might be a slight drop in right front weight. That might tell you something.

 

Added another bracket to the front 4 bar brackets so they will now have a double shear for more strength and safety.

 

Jeeze we are all hoping you get to make some runs in this bad boy THIS YEAR.

 

if all goes to plan yes hopefully at some point this summer it should be ready to take out and play. I don't like making predictions but that is the goal. I decided while I was working on the front end that I was going to change the front ride height. The coilovers on the front were not the right size after I had stretched the wheelbase. So I raised the front up to more of a gasser stance. Not nose bleed high but up off the tires a few inches. The main purpose is to get some suspension travel in the front. Went from a 7" spring to a 12" and added a taller shock. Also lowered the rear of the car about 1". Even though the changes are not overly drastic, the feel sitting in the car is totally different. Cant wait to drive it with the new stance.

 

Installed the new coilovers. Finally have the front end so it has a little travel and not totally rigid like it was before. You can see the old shocks compared to the new. Picture below is the front panhard bar. When I raised the front it put the bar I had at way to much of an angle. This new bar is longer and now level across.

 

Nice coil overs, boy those look pricey.

 

They are strange shocks with QA1 springs.

 

Cool shot, lookin' great!

 

Thank you TFoch

 

So you switching from being a car builder to a photographer now. One hell of a shot

 

The quality of pictures you can take on a phone is amazing these days. When I was a kid our rotary dial phone only took polariods. lol

 

Been a busy day. Pulled the engine out and started laying out the firewall. first I used a large sheet of paper to make a pattern for the basic shape. then I taped the paper on both sides to make it more rigid. refined the pattern a little more and then traced the paper pattern on a piece of cardboard and fit into place. plan on making it out of aluminum in two pieces with the seem vertically up the center. the frame and roll cage is so narrow up front I had to bend the cardboard to get in place. You can see by the size of the engine plate how narrow the front is.

 

After a lot of trial and error I finally have the firewall template made out of .040 white aluminum. This will serve as my pattern to cut .063 polished aluminum firewall.

 

That is sweet!

 

Finished the firewall. The aluminum still has the clear plastic film on it. It will be like a mirror when the plastic comes off. going to wait until final assembly so I don't scratch it up in the mean time.

 

a little fun tonight pulling out the tranny. Have the car stripped down to a rolling chassis. Next it's off to the body shop to get body work massaged and a squirt of color. After that finish work on the chassis and then it will get powder coated. it can't happen soon enough.

 

Exciting time, can't wait to see how it turns out.
Tom

 

Neither can I Tom, it is exciting I just hope it all goes without a hitch. I have a fair amount of work to do on the chassis that I can't do with the body on the car. Also need to flip the chassis over to finish weld a few spots I couldn't reach.

 

Have you decided on a color yet?

 

I am planning on a 2013 ford titanium candy blue. It highlights round edges in the sun real nice. With the round fenders,nose and body I think it will compliment the car. Modern car picture just to show the color. If it is offensive please remove.