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Resurrecting a Vintage Fiat Topolino drag car built in 1964

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by INLAW MODEL A, Apr 7, 2008.

  1. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    I will be there with more than one car...weather and help permitting
     
  2. Well I finally got back to working on the Topo again. I pulled apart the rear end and ordered axles from Moser, and spider gears from Nitro. Both stock olds axles are twisted and I blew the spider gears out in August. I will post pics Friday when I get the parts. I am also thinking about adding a battery so I don't have to push start the car all the time. It is a real hassle. I am hoping that Mike Gish finds the hamb and will post some info and stories about the car. I just spoke with his wife tonight and was going to tell him. I am keeping my fingers crossed on this!

    This is what stock spider gears do eventually. I hope nothing else breaks on the car.
     

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  3. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    :Dbetter tighten that loose nut behind the wheel:D
     
  4. Today the UPS lady stopped over with some parts. Moser axles and Nitro Gears spider gears. You can see the twist in the old axles and well you get the problem with the gears.
    Now I need to assemble the rear axle.
    I am also going to replace the starter with an era correct hi-torque one.

    [​IMG]
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  5. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    how about the Ice Drags tomorrow. Best get thrashing!

    Can't wait until it is done and you are ready the beat on it. Good luck with the repairs, Paul.
     
  6. the new axels look very sweet!!! i'm running an olds rear..but it is loaded with old Henry's axels..been told they are really stout..but i don't intend on putting the ponies you are to em...maybe a few years down the road that might change...is yours the 3 ribbed center??also i have not seen an olds housing that has a rear center that looks like mine..i'll get pics up tomorrow......
     
  7. I have a 55-64 Chevy housing with Olds housing ends welded on. I guess it was a popular choice in the early 60's. I will post a picture for you.
     
  8. I called Mike Gish today and talked with him for a while. I told him that I had the rear end apart on the car and that I was fixing a few things. I said that he drive the car when ever he is ready to and he laughed like I was kidding. I said I was serious and that he is welcome any time to drive it. I am hoping this works out! I was thinking about trying to make it happen at Symco this summer because it is close to his home.
    I also spoke to Mike about writing down his experiences with the Fiat. He does not do much on the computer but his daughter does so I hope between the two of them they can post on here some of the history of the car. He told me today about the time they drove to Philedelphia to show the car and the truck had a bad wheel bearing half way there and when they got there, it took 10 hours to thaw the car out due to the ice from driving in winter with an open trailer. He also said they never really had major problems with the car. He broke an axle once and had valve spring issues with the motor but nothing serious.
    I sure hope Mike looks up the Hamb and can add to this post!
     
  9. Today I was able to mock up the rear end on the bench. The new axles are not bolt in and require a little custom machining on the lathe. I have to also make a bearing spacer to space the axle farther out of the housing. The wheel studs will not work because the axle flange is thicker so I got the closest wheel stud I could find and I will need to machine it in the lathe as shown. The silver one is the replacement. It is much easier to set the axles up this way than in the car. I figured it was going to be easier to put in new axles. Not bad though. I am close to being done now.

    Here are some pictures of it on the bench:

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    The width axle flange to axle flange is 40.5"

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    Here you can see where the Olds housing ends were welded to the Chevy housing.


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    Note the Cragar mounting brackets for the Airheart 4 piston calipers.


    [​IMG]
     
  10. Well tonight I managed to machine the wheel studs. The originals were too big for the axle holes plus the knurled shoulder was not long enough, plus they don't make this one anymore, so I found a close one and machined it to fit. They work great. Now I can do the final assembly.

    Here are the old and new studs:

    [​IMG]
     
  11. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    you have talent!
     
  12. So the moser axles I bought were made to the dimensions of my old axles and were "bolt in's" but I soon discovered that they base their axles off of oem 58-64 Olds and the critical measurements are from the outer face for brake drums. I need the critical measurement from the backside where the aluminum Cragar Brake hat bolts to. So when I test fitted the new axles, the disc brake rotors touched the caliper brackets. I needed to space the axles out .17" on each side so I got a piece of 2" od 6061 aluminum and made 2 spacers in the lathe to do that. It was a lot of messing around but it turned out fine. Now the rotors are centered in the calipers.
     

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  13. Today I managed to install the rear axle back into the Fiat. I also bolted in the starter that I had rebuilt. It is the original style starter that bolts to the bellhousing and it is a high torque. It looks better than the late model starter I had in it. I will post pictures later on.
     
  14. Chuckles Garage
    Joined: Jun 10, 2006
    Posts: 2,365

    Chuckles Garage
    Alliance Vendor

    Threads like this are why I love the HAMB. Awesome.
     
  15. I have just determined I have been ruined (or saved) by the Hamb. Tonight I found myself working on my vintage race car, drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, and listening to the Hot Rod Hucksters. Gee wizz!!!!!!! 10 years ago ago I would have never seen it coming!
     
  16. 29hotrod55kustom
    Joined: Dec 19, 2005
    Posts: 701

    29hotrod55kustom
    Member

    uuhhhhhhhh-mazing. love it. wish i had the wherewithall to build/own a drag car.. im green with envy!
     
  17. Thanks! I love it too! It is a pleasure to work on it.
     
  18. Here is the new fuel shut off bracket I built. After watching the Hot Rod Reunion video where the fed could not shut down, I got to thinking the one I had was not very stout. I made this one from some scrap aluminum angle iron. I used my bandsaw to cut it out and then drilled some holes in it. I sanded it on the belt sander to give it some grain, and bolted it on.
     

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  19. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    looking good
     
  20. Tonight I made a sting of tennis balls for the injection stacks. I bought 1/8" nylon cord from the hardware store, and drilled a hole in the balls and used a wire to thread the rope through. I think they turned out pretty good. The people in the store probably didn't get me buying tennis balls in winter though.
     

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  21. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    The people in the store probably didn't get me

    I would guess that happens often
     
  22. So are you saying I am special?
     
  23. the injection is such sweet ass eye candy:p:p:cool:....your balls look great, even if they look a bit green:p:p...one of these days i'll get over you way to check it out....very nice peice of history,,,,,,,,,wish i could find some of the background on mine:confused:
     
  24. Kan Kustom
    Joined: Jul 20, 2009
    Posts: 2,739

    Kan Kustom
    Member

  25. Here is a shot of my freshly built starter, Bellhousing mount, hi-torque Delco. It looks way better than the one I had. Not as much power though so I hope it will start it.
     

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  26. I wish my balls were red instead of green:D. I will have to keep lookin'. Why don't you go to the Hunnert Car Heads Up May 8th? Otherwise you can come and visit anytime.
     
  27. i'ld love to do that one on the 8th...even though i really don;t see me gtting mine done by then..or i guess i should say road-able...think i start looking for options...
    but yeah, i'ld love to see mine setting along side of yours...that would be cool......
     
  28. Check out Ol Skool Rodz issue #40. Page 24 has a small picture of the Fiat on it. It is an article about the Symco Shakedown!
     
  29. Well today I got bad news: Mike Gish past away April 25th. Rest in peace Mike. Thanks for the memories and the help.
    Mike is on the right.
     

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  30. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    that is too bad. He would have been proud of the article in Gasser Wars.
     

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