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Hot Rods My Project....1938 Fiat Topolino.....Lil Beast...........

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Topolino Kid, Jan 30, 2010.

  1. Thanks!! We re getting closer.....mainly a money issue @ this point...yeah we still have lots of fab work ro do....but getting the 48 willys out of mothballs n gonna try selling it...not really wanting ro get rid of it...hell i ve had it for over 25 yearz....but...i want the topo drivable and it looks.like the only way.to get the funds.together is to sell Lil Willy..as my kids.named him.when i got em
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  2. Randy me n Bob right last sunday n picked.up a new v 6 for the jeep...found out that my anticreeze fester has gone bad..the hard way...block in the jeep.split down the left aide.between the freeze plugs/sand casting plugs...so when i winterized it last year...welll it wasn t good enough even though my tester said it was...hopefully i got the jeep out of.the way by weekendz end....also throwing new clutch setup in it as it.is.warranty thru the.zone...pissin them guys offf cause the.clutch setup.i.bought in 92 isn t available now..so they have to give me.something of equal.value and also.extend the lifetime warranty...bout 30,000 miles.on.it in over 25 years of ownin it...

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  3. BrerHair
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 5,006

    BrerHair
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Been quite an odyssey Mark. Your perseverence is remarkable and inspiring. So glad you finally got the damn village placated. Good show!
     

  4. Yeah that started 2 years and 2 months ago....it was quite a battle towards the end....now it s a matter of.work...been so.bad at the.truck.stop this year i ve.worried about having to sell Lil Beast...right now with winter coming i m looking for a new job..after damn near 10 years there....
    T
     
  5. fiat gasser
    Joined: Sep 5, 2008
    Posts: 1,591

    fiat gasser
    Member

    Mark,
    I can imagine how slow work has been.I hope you can keep and continue with The Beast.
    It looks real sweet with the hemi sitt'in in there. keep it up.
     
  6. Von Rigg Fink
    Joined: Jun 11, 2007
    Posts: 13,418

    Von Rigg Fink
    Member
    from Garage

    Im keeping my ears and eyes open for ya Mark
     
  7. Hi Mark , i hope things sort them selves out for you soon and a good job comes your way or you just get very busy. I would hate to see you have to part with Lil Beast as its part of you. I have a 35 and 37 Willys besides my rpu that i've had for over 30 years and know how attached one gets . Im looking forward to your post telling of your 1st test drive. Good luck and best wishes Mark. JW
     
  8. BrerHair
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 5,006

    BrerHair
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I feel your pain, brother. I've been in residential construction for 40 years and it was a total train wreck by fall of '08. Most of us have struggled to survive or re-invent ourselves, not easy to do at our age. Best of luck to you and yours!
     
  9. Guys i thank every one for the kind words of support in the income department ......as the wife knows, sellin Lil Beast is the last resort ... i ve just about sold everything hotrod wise i ve collected n traded for in the last 25 years to help with the building of Lil Beast...she knew when my vega wagon...of 13 years of ownin and evolution was sold to generate cash for the topo that this is the last and most prized of alll hotrods to me....we re not close to having to sell the topo..not yet...i ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve :cool:.....one of the reasons i m pulling my 1948 willys back together to sell...been mine for 25 years...plan is to use the money from that to help get the cleves house liveable..to rent it..

    I just keep going on Lil Beast as much as i can still...honestly i find myself in the garage just stare n at the topo.....toda i m going to make a run at gettin the motor out of the jeep...gettin it back to driveable.will help change my mood...and i m goinv to try and get the fiat s clutch in the next week.or so..being

    move able will turn up.the fires under my ass for Lil Beast...


    uploadfromtaptalk1350050726066.jpg
     
  10. Tarlo
    Joined: Dec 7, 2008
    Posts: 185

    Tarlo
    Member

    I've been in the same boat mate.

    Financially, I've had the worst two years of my life. I've barely done anything on my Topo this year, and haven't posted on the HAMB for so long I don't care to remember...

    Things are finally improving and I think I'll be able to find time and money early next year, so I'll be back!

    I too sold a bunch of stuff to pay bills, I feel your pain.

    Hang in there, just looking at Lil Beast should be enough to get you through.
     

  11. Tarlo i wondered what was going on with your topo...hadn t seen any updates in a bit...selling hot rod stiff...i hate selling just about any of it ...i guess ya could call me a hoarder....but my steel hemi valve covers just sold as i m posting this,so.... :eek:


    But today i hauled the 22' fours winns out to a friends for storage
    Now it s not blocking the garage door so i can move things around for the motor swap in my 48 Willys jeep....so i rolled Lil Beast out to sweep out the garage for the.motor swap in the 48....damn thing always looks so big in the garage when ya been stare n at it for years..first time it s been aloowed to peek out in a couple of years...being outside it s like it shrinks when it is outside:rolleyes:

    So i thought i ld let it hang.out till it got fully dark...lets just say it helps to turn up my morale...

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    Last edited: Oct 13, 2012
  12. That profile looks so perfect Mark and glad to hear you aren't close to selling Lil' Beast. JW
     
  13. Kenneth S
    Joined: Dec 15, 2007
    Posts: 1,527

    Kenneth S
    Member

    Time are hard, my steel 38 Topolino body has been in my garage for the last 3 years hanging from the rafters. It's sucks not being able to build it.
     
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  15. Tarlo
    Joined: Dec 7, 2008
    Posts: 185

    Tarlo
    Member

  16. toppo tony
    Joined: Oct 24, 2012
    Posts: 9

    toppo tony
    Member
    from Tasmania

    Hi TK,

    What a read, really got absorbed in.
    Am a fellow Topolino rodder from Tasmania, Down under.

    Certainly hope you never have to let yours go.
    I now have 3, but might have to unload 1 for a spot of cash flow.
    Took me years here to find 1 for sale.
    It would devaste me to part with our daily driver.
    I only run a worked GM six, triples stromies and 3 speed.
    Mind you near 200 bhp at wheels.
    Undriveable in the wet.
    Even with 345 Mickeys at rear, which I went to to get more rubber to the ground,
    in dry it's still very easy to break free.
    On saying that I reckon yours power to weight would be a handful in the best conditions.

    Note yours is an A series, are they hard to find over there.
    You wouldn't find one here in Oz for sale, would have to import or buy a glass one.
    However B series which mine are, are hard enough to track down.
    Id own the majority here with the 3.
    Im 5'10" and yes when my wife and I go on rod runs you tend to peel yourself out the other end.

    Thanks again for the great read.

    TT.
     
  17. Tony the A model.topolino's are getting prerty rare state side...yeah there's quite a few here on the hamb....but not too many after that to be seen...other then when i saw Walt's Puffer historic fiat drag car at Cobo for autorama i haven't ever seen any other there ..and i been going to it for along time now....

    I've looked.for years.to buy a topo..looked at glass cars mainly..never saw a steel body other then the early AA/FA topo's years ago...

    Drive wise me i m only 5'6"...so i fit my topo fairly comfortably ....i have intent to cruise the usa once i have it done...hauling a teardrop camper i have behind:cool:
    Motor wise i can t wait to feel tbe hemi s torque...200 ft lbs or.so around 2 000 rpms...in stock trim.....in a lil lite weight short wheel.base.hot.rod!!!i haven t weighed the fiat yet...but i shoved the hemi and the 5 sp trans as far back as i could and still keep.the.motor from.stickin.in the door opening..and the big olds.housing in the rear it just might not be too out of balance ...


    I.know.it s been.a.long time trying to get it built enough to drive it.:rolleyes:

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    Last edited: Nov 1, 2012
  18. kennkat
    Joined: Aug 25, 2011
    Posts: 1,385

    kennkat
    Member

    Topolinos rock!!!
     

  19. Yeah i agree!!! I get my 1948 willys back together i ll be able.to get back on Lil Beast....Cobo will be rollin up before ya know it......:eek: uploadfromtaptalk1352566409943.jpg


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    Last edited: Nov 10, 2012
  20. Topolino Altered
    Joined: Nov 18, 2012
    Posts: 1

    Topolino Altered
    Member

    Great project! Congrats on your progress and the pics of the car at the show look awesome! I also have a '47-'48 Topolino street rod and am in need of a front grille, and also looking for a 1937 to 1948 Fiat Topolino title. Any help with finding either or both is appreciated. Will post some pics of my Topolino when I figure out how to do it! Thanks, Bill
     
  21. Thanks Bill...been a long road trying to get Lil Beast done...
    There s a few.different ways to post pics...i find posting in threads easier then in.private messages..fairly simple if using a smart phone witb the Jalopy Journel/hamb app installed..let me know if ya still are havin a hard time..i can go broswer on.my phone and walk ya thru it....mark

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  22. Took a break and went to my brothefs for the past weekend...5 days in beavercreek....had an early turkey day get together ...so i toom a break from the 48. Willys tonite and started fitting in the lower micro bear claw latches in.the.doors...there was a stock.guide that i ised the recess for..it waz nust a vuide withojt any latcb-ability to it...had to open it up a 1/2" but fit well..and it is reinforced from the.factory there in.the.door


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    Last edited: Nov 20, 2012
  23. Got the 48 together to run it around town a few miles worth ....upgrade motor..new clutch set...new radiator...still alot left to do but is driveable to move it around uploadfromtaptalk1354591269538.jpg
    Then noticed that the old radiator i pulled from the willys looked about right size for Lil Beast....copper and brass rad..not original for a willys either..forget what i pulled it out of...but it fits the topolino welll.

    uploadfromtaptalk1354591406370.jpg
     
  24. BrerHair
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 5,006

    BrerHair
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Good to see you back at it Mark.
     
  25. fiat gasser
    Joined: Sep 5, 2008
    Posts: 1,591

    fiat gasser
    Member

    Mark,
    How wide and tall is the radiator? Looks real good sitting in the Beast.
     
  26. It s good to be working on the topo...i ll be goinv back n forth between the fiat and the willy s..just some minor stuff to do to have the jeep mechanically .finished....just happened to notice how close the rad looked sitting there in the garage...i trimed the rear of the front cross member and got it sittin just about where it needs to be....

    Bob th radiator measures 20" wide by 19 tall... core is 20" wide by 13 1/2" tall...2 1/2" thick...i think it ll be plenty for the hemi..plus the fact there ain t much enclosure to hold the heat...my blown 400 i ran in the vega wagon had a 16" by 17" griffin in it and it never had an issue....the radiator is sitting in place in this picture with the grille/nose in place..

    And it hides behind the grille nicely


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  27. fiat gasser
    Joined: Sep 5, 2008
    Posts: 1,591

    fiat gasser
    Member

    Merry Christmas Mark.:)
     
  28. davo461
    Joined: May 13, 2007
    Posts: 345

    davo461
    Member

    Merry Christmas Mark, great to see it all happening again.
    I had a CJ3, '57 model, and loved it. The Hurricane motor 'blew away' so I replaced it with a (don't tell anyone!) Toyota18R, 2 litre and it was a reasonably good conversion, after I fabricated an adaptor plate. It went like stink, for a jeep, 80mph was easy, and bloody dangerous!
    When I lived in the city, my Gold Wing seemed to have a target on it so I sold that and bought the Jeep; no-one wanted to run into it! lol When I moved to the bush, it was ideal. Then I went completely off-topic and had 4WD Ford Rangers; wimp!
    Is your '48 a CJ or WD?
    Keep up the good works; looks close to the road, now.
    Davo.
     
  29. Twas the nite before christmas....not a creature was stirring .....not even my mouse......

    MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!Bob..Davo..and all....



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  30. S.F.
    Joined: Oct 19, 2006
    Posts: 2,895

    S.F.
    Member

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