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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. 7"chop got me fired up today, he had this picture of my Fiat at the Speed and Custom show in 1972, not sure where yet. Also, I met the guy that raced the car and his right had man. There was a car show in Hancock, WI back in late June that Hobo put on, so we went with the car. It was a suprise when we showed up. Hobo called Mike that raced the car and he came over to check it out. Mike is on the right in the picture and Hobo is on the left. A bunch of people were thanking me for saving the car and putting it back together. It made my wife and I feel pretty darn good.
     

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  2. LZ
    Joined: Sep 9, 2007
    Posts: 618

    LZ
    Member

    In law:

    That is a great car and it looks like it fell into good hands.
    I just noticed that it has a 3 speed in it .:eek:
    Thats got to be a handful trying to steer with a Butterfly wheel with one hand..
    Will it Tech?
    Are you going to run it?

    I am doing a Fiat also but its to embarrassing to post pics of it yet. Plus its a more modern Fiat not a Correct one like yours.:eek:

    On a side note when I was looking at youtube with your video. Saw this on the sidebar.. Very interesting and another great Fiat Altered..wonder who bought it??
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxiGA_AFcPA

    Good luck and be safe:cool:
     
  3. krooser
    Joined: Jul 25, 2004
    Posts: 4,584

    krooser
    Member


    Mike Gish isn't doing too well with his health so he was pretty stoked to see his old car running again. I don't think anything could have been a better tribute to him and his crew than getting this car back together.

    I kinda wish I could have gotten there a little earlier with my F100 so I could get a picture of everybody together..
     
  4. dwrfab
    Joined: May 21, 2006
    Posts: 407

    dwrfab
    Member
    from Dallas TX.

    Guys around Union Grove Raceway:
    In 1965 My brother and I sold a Fiat altered coupe to a man that was going to run it at Union Grove. We advertised it in 1965 Hot Rod mag.
    The body was cut out at the top like one that had a sliding roof. It was painted black outside and white inside.The frame was 32 Ford rails bobbed at the wheel wells and had a tube roll bar system welded on to the 32 frame. The rear end was mounted solid to the rear braces of the roll bar and had 1/4" X 3" ridged torque arms. The trans was a chevy three speed using 2nd. and high with an Anson cast steel scattershield. Almost all parts thet would come off were cad plated . It had a Ross center steering box with a hand formed bowtye made of 1/4" aluminum. The front end was a chromed 33 plymouth axle with Ford spindles, spring and spring hangers adapted to it we had two small 5/8" radius rods to keep it straight.
    I don't have any photos of it, but would like to know what happened to it.
    dwrfab Don Ross 214-327-7312
     
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2008
  5. I AM NOT SURE WHAT YOUR ASKING, BUT I'LL TAKE IT. This is from February 1965 Hot Rod.
     

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  6. dwrfab
    Joined: May 21, 2006
    Posts: 407

    dwrfab
    Member
    from Dallas TX.


    INLAW MODEL A:
    Thats it, Now where is the car? Thanks for the phone call Model A.
    My brother and I owned and built it, Danny Borland drove it to a BF/Coupe class win and made it to semi finals at 1964 AHRA Nat's. At Green Vally Raceway Near Ft. Worth TX. I don't remember why we didn't run it again we just pulled the engine and My brother(Dick Ross) put the 327 into a roundy round car. I got the 65# flywheel and Put it into a 27 "T"modified roadster. This started a partnership with Tony Fite and Skip Hearder that lasted till 1967. We ran a AA/FD at the end called the Us Kids, running around the Dallas and Texas area.
    What I am asking is where is it now. No realy I don't remember what we got for the car.
    dwrfab Don Ross
     
  7. dwrfab
    Joined: May 21, 2006
    Posts: 407

    dwrfab
    Member
    from Dallas TX.

  8. D.W.
    Joined: Jun 5, 2004
    Posts: 2,070

    D.W.
    Member
    from Austin Tx.

    Oh HELL YES!
     
  9. best heard as loud as possible... but still way better in person...
     
  10. Here we are running the car at Great Lakes Dragaway, Union Grove, WI
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  11. zapp69
    Joined: Sep 30, 2007
    Posts: 342

    zapp69
    Member

    Was awesome to see it run on Saturday, wanted to get back to talk with you but things on the bleaches got messy.
     
  12. I went to see Mike Gish that raced the car, and he lent be his photo album to copy the pictures. Here they are. The first one is how he bought it as a used roller in 1968. It was painted the way it is now in the fall of 1971.
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    Last edited: Feb 2, 2010
  13. Very cool stuff! Thanks for sharing.
     
  14. bigchuckstud
    Joined: Sep 29, 2007
    Posts: 87

    bigchuckstud
    Member

    what size wheels and tires are on the rear and how wide is the rear end wms to wms? what is the wheel base ?
    I got a steel body a while back and just gathering specs and parts to buid a chassis.
    thanks chuck
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2008
  15. I know it's been a while since you asked but better late than never. The tires on the rear 10.00-15 M/T Dragsters on 15 x 10 wheels. I will need to measure the axle width. The wheelbase is 96". Good luck with your build!
     
  16. After I got the old photos of the car I thought it would be cool to duplicate the signs used next to the car on display at shows. Here are the two originals. They are not very good quality but it is all I had to work from. The first is from 1968 and the second is from 1971.
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    I talked to a friend that recommended a local sign painter. I e-mailed him the above originals and this is what I got back. I was very impressed! I am having copies made to protect the original. It was hand painted on corrugated aluminum.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2010
  17. Times 2!!!
     
  18. pan-dragger
    Joined: Sep 13, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    pan-dragger
    Member

  19. AA/Fuel34fordpu
    Joined: Mar 15, 2005
    Posts: 1,266

    AA/Fuel34fordpu
    Member

    Just one word WOW!
     
  20. It is finally time to breath new life into the old 301 sbc that used to be in the Fiat. I got the two original engine blocks, one was bare and the other was a long block. I disassembled the long block and I will be reusing what I can. I was suprised to find Isky aluminum rods and TRW forged pistons!! The rods are nice wall hangers but the pistons I can reuse. I bought some h-beam rods already. The pistons were undersized so I had them knurled and just got them back today. Now I need to order some rings and bearings so I can get the rotating assembly balanced.

    Here is a picture of the Isky rod. They are all pretty chewed up. I was told this style was one of the first designs and was later changed because of rod bolt failures due to all the load on one bolt.
    [​IMG]
     
  21. JC Sparks
    Joined: Dec 8, 2008
    Posts: 733

    JC Sparks
    Member
    from Ohio

    One of the first big cars I wrenched on was a Fiat. It had a blown alcohol early model in it, all iron as i remember. We where down in Columbus running pro comp, we put the rods out of it in the lights on the first qualifying attempt and had a big old fire. The guy that drove it only had one leg [ the left one was lost in a crash ] so standing at the starting line I figured it burnt off his left nut for sure. You know no heat shield!! HEHE!!
    So, we went back and put the Donavon short block in it and couldn't qualify it. But it was something to remember. JC p.s. pro comp was bad ass. But,,,,,,,Fuel is badder.
     
  22. 7"Chop
    Joined: May 8, 2008
    Posts: 493

    7"Chop
    Member
    from Denver

    I found another picture it is from the 1971 down town Milwaukee Show.

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    Last edited: Feb 22, 2009
  23. blackout
    Joined: Jul 29, 2007
    Posts: 1,327

    blackout
    Member

    This thread is great.
     
  24. bigchuckstud
    Joined: Sep 29, 2007
    Posts: 87

    bigchuckstud
    Member

    thanks please pm me when you mesure the rear end
     
  25. The axle width, mounting surface to mounting surface, is 40 1/4" Thanks for reminding me.
     
  26. chris55
    Joined: Aug 26, 2008
    Posts: 1,085

    chris55
    Member

    That thing is awesome.
     
  27. oldmuleskinner
    Joined: Mar 8, 2005
    Posts: 261

    oldmuleskinner
    Member
    from CHICAGO

    I pulled these pics out for another thread and remembered this post. I think these may be you car in the early 60's at oswego
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  28. jangleguy
    Joined: Dec 26, 2004
    Posts: 2,668

    jangleguy
    Member

    Wow! Thnks for posting this!!! Made my day... I love the HAMB!
     
  29. Neat pictures! I can't tell if it my car or not. The chute "box" was custom made so it may identify the car. Do you have more pictures? Thanks alot for posting them!!!!!!!!!
     
  30. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    did you see the GY blue line slicks for sale in the classifieds?
     

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