Projects 1948 Fiat Topolino build

Well it all started with a friend acquiring a steel body Cabriolet. Near as I can figure it was started in April of 1968. Least that is the only date I could find on the paperwork and parts and pieces. Took me nearly 7 years to talk him out of it. Traded him a Harley for it. We both wondered who got the better deal for a year or so. But this car had been loosely, and I mean loosely, tacked together and needed some serious work done to it. So here's a few pics of the start. Oh Lord yes I brought another WTF home.

 

And the work began

 

Took the rear end, well the housing and axles, and cleaned it up. Put a 3:24 posi in it. Made it all new. According to the drag team experts this little rig has the potential to do high 8 second runs at 180 + or -. But it's a street car to me. I also took the tack welded chassis apart and rebuilt it. Had my son's brother come in and weld it back together, he's certified and I'm simply certifiable. My son suggested this as I was going to put a flathead in it. But there was this 471 ci Olds motor with th 400 tranny attached that had no place to go. Soooooooooo

 

Now the body - geez Louise - this thing is rough as a cob. Oh well it's not meant to be pretty. It's meant to be fast. Beware you Honda Mazda drivers. I'm a street racer and I'm coming for you. And a pic or two of the rear end.

 

The chassis. Whoever started this build did a fine job. And I have no idea how many hands it has been in but thankfully they didn't try to "build" it. So the chassis is sandblasted, straightened, and then welded together. Harbor freight sandblaster. I'm a machinist so it irks me to have to pay anyone to do anything. This build has been my baby from the git go.

 

Front end? Oh yeah - same story. It's a torsion bar unit that needed to be broken free and redo the tabs, all were crooked or bent up, so a bit of engineering to figure out which would work for what I wanted.

 

Hot dog - my first drive! Well it doesn't weigh much so I took it out for a spin.

 

Back indoors and time to finish up the rear end.

 

Now the rear end into the chassis. I love this setup. I can adjust this thing till it launches straight - or at least I think straight enough.

 

Brakes. My son insists on them. Says that the Fred Flintstone approach won't work. Well so much for my ideas. A buddy of mine races in the round de round and had a set of calipers and rotors of his old race car. So time to fab up the rear brakes. I need this thing on 4 wheels. It's getting to heavy to pick up by hand anymore. I fabricated the mounts and then it was putting the tires and wheels on it.

 

Did I mention a motor? This came out of a 71 Olds station wagon Vista cruiser. Friend of my sons had it during high school and it pulled that wagon through the quarter in the low 14s. That was nearly 30 years ago but he had it rebuilt after he got out of the Navy so I pulled it apart to look inside. Geez. Thing can't have more than 10,000 on it. Little cleaning and back together again.

 

Has anyone mentioned the total lack of room for much of anything in this little car? But it's mine so onward and upward. Fabbing the motor mounts. Some idiot was really going to put a small block Chevy in it. How fricking droll is that?

 

This build has been going on for a while so if the pictures get a little back and forth bear with me. Here's the rear brakes.

 

OK - It's starting to come together. The steering. I only had to weld this on and take it off 4-5 times to get the darned thing right. Plus some of what I ordered wasn't correct, a drag link is NOT a tie rod. Fabbing the fancy parts - nothing fits. But Speedway has a tech that owned a Topolino many years ago. Oh yeah -

 

OK - Now a put it together to see what it's going to look like - kick ass. You have probably noticed that the original wheels have gone bye bye and some new ones are on it. Well my son seemed to think that rear discs were not enough, the old fred Flintstone thing again, so he talked me into front discs. And there is no way to make those old wheels attach to discs. So I sold them and bought Willwood hubs and will put discs off my son's el camino on the front. Kids - ya gotta make them happy.

 

Should be a cool build.

 

There's a bunch more pics but I'm off for my morning run. See ya all early tomorrow - - I'll leave you with where it is at today -

 

Steering gear - I must have moved it at least 5 times before it settled in. It has clearance and turns the front wheels right and left - all that matters I think.

 

Motor - too small a space but it will fit - -

 

hi, i have a metal piece that will work as a look alike grill if interested ? ( it is really close ) and reasonable price ! john

 

John - sent you my info in a conversation thing. I'd love to see it and work out a price with you.