Several questions

[lemelina]

Hey all !

First of all, let me apologize if a similar topic was treated before. If it has, I couldn't find it, and I would appreciate if someone were to redirect me onto this said post.

OK, I have a project to build a quite 'hot' Fiat 500 (the original one). I own a 1975 Fiat 500 R. Here are the questions I'm asking:

1. What are the biggest/largest/widest wheels that can be fitted to the original, with the standard wheel arches ? And with larger wheel arches ?

2. What are the largest brakes that could be fitted within those wheels ? Do you have a recommendation on which would be a donor car ?

3. What type of suspension do you recommend ? Progressive ? Is there a particular model ?

4. Is it really worth £600 to fit a 750cc cylinder kit ? Can it be fitted to a 126 engine ?

5. How much power/torque can a 126 BIS gearbox handle ? a 126 transmission system ?

6. I'm looking at figures up to 150bhp, so what is the strongest gearbox/transmission that can fit in the 500 ? Is there a kit ? Does it have to be hand crafted ?

7. Which carb' replacement do you recommend on a 126 engine ?

I'm on a limited-ish budget, meaning I don't want to spend 7656825 thousand pounds on this, but I can stretch to around 3 grand. I'm also exploring the possibility of making an Abarth replica, and I was wondering if there was any kit or website from which I could buy the wider panels, and the boot lid.

Looking forward to hearing from all of you, any comment/advice is appreciated !

Thanks

 

[dombooth]

scout500 would want you to put a newer 500 engine in it.

Dom

 

[fingers99]

150bhp is about what a new 500 Abarth makes with the SS kit. I can't see any realistic way of getting 150bhp (= 200bhp/litre) from a 750 engine!

 

[homeward]

I can't see any realistic way of getting 150bhp (= 200bhp/litre) from a 750 engine!

Would be fun, though!

 

[lemelina]

I may have accidentally fitted a smart turbocharger ... I lifted the front wheels once at the lights, the gearbox didn't like it much, hence my question about the gearbox ...

 

[fingers99]

Box certainly won't take turbo torque.

There was a car featured in PPC about a year ago -- a 500 look alike with a (new) Triumph Triple engine. Essentially a GRP shell with a kit car type chassis.

On the GRP theme, this (now with a mini engine -- at some point it had half a Cosworth) is a pretty well known car on the Sprint circuit.

 

[lemelina]

looks awesome, but i'm looking for a good engine/gearbox combination. I don't want to change the car too much.
I was thinking of putting a ducati street fighter 1098 engine in it ...but i'd have to relink the bike gearbox ...