Fiat 500 In The All Clear
June 17, 2021
Our Fiat 500 has passed in MOT with flying colours and has now been completed and awaiting collection. We’re delighted to see this little Italian
1969 Fiat 500 (Abarth)
Fiat 500 Awaits MOT
June 10, 2021
Our Fiat 500 Abarth has now been finished and is awaiting an MOT. We’ve soldered the wires to the bulbs in the rear lights to
Fiat 500’s Steering Correction
June 2, 2021
We’re on the home straight with the steering correction on our 1969 Fiat 500 Abarth. The new column is now in with new bearings and
Fiat 500’s Recent Modifications
May 28, 2021
We’ve made some more modifications to our 1969 Fiat 500. The demister diverter heater control for the floor and windscreen has been modified and moved
Fiat Abarth Prepped For Surgery
May 27, 2021
Our 1969 Fiat 500 isn’t doing too well. It came in a few months back for a steering rack replacement to fix a dangerous modification
Fiat 500 Parts Finally Arrive
May 25, 2021
We’ve bene waiting on the parts for our 1969 Fiat 500 Abarth for many months as they were stuck abroad due to a shipping error.
Great Things Come In Small Packages
March 25, 2021
We’ve got some seriously tiny cars in the workshop at the moment. They may be small but they are…or will be, mighty. On the whole,
Fiat 500 Off The Rails
March 23, 2021
We’ve had a quirky 1969 Fiat 500 Abarth come in recently for some care and attention. One of our technicians soon found a dangerous issue
New In At The Workshop: Fiat 500 Abarth
March 16, 2021
Our 1969 Fiat 500 with Abarth styling has come in to have its steering column addressed as well as some other small mechanical faults. We
Fiat 500 In The All Clear
June 17, 2021
Our Fiat 500 has passed in MOT with flying colours and has now been completed and awaiting collection. We’re delighted to see this little Italian Fiat back on the road.
Fiat 500 Awaits MOT
June 10, 2021
Our Fiat 500 Abarth has now been finished and is awaiting an MOT. We’ve soldered the wires to the bulbs in the rear lights to resolve the poor condition, repaired the number plate light, choke, fitted a fiddly gear stick head, completed the steering rack conversion, amended the electrics and brake master cylinder reservoir.
Fiat 500’s Steering Correction
June 2, 2021
We’re on the home straight with the steering correction on our 1969 Fiat 500 Abarth. The new column is now in with new bearings and strengthening plate. We’ve modified the existing shaft to facilitate a new one. We’ve then patched up the holes. The steering has changed from a box to a rack during this conversion.
Fiat 500’s Recent Modifications
May 28, 2021
We’ve made some more modifications to our 1969 Fiat 500. The demister diverter heater control for the floor and windscreen has been modified and moved to accommodate the new steering rack.
Fiat Abarth Prepped For Surgery
May 27, 2021
Our 1969 Fiat 500 isn’t doing too well. It came in a few months back for a steering rack replacement to fix a dangerous modification that had caused it to lose steering, however the parts were stuck oversees and it had sat in the workshop awaiting repairs ever since. Now that we have the parts, we can get started on making this little classic safe again.
The aim is to fit a new steering rack and column however it currently hits against the clutch pedal and universal joints, so we need to take apart the brackets that hold in the rack and column, move the bracket over by 10mm or so, and then refit the steering components. A big job of tearing apart the brackets and mounts, rebuilding them and fitting them back in is on the horizon.
The surgery has begun…
Fiat 500 Parts Finally Arrive
May 25, 2021
We’ve bene waiting on the parts for our 1969 Fiat 500 Abarth for many months as they were stuck abroad due to a shipping error. Now, finally with us, we can get started with replacing and modifying the steering rack.
Great Things Come In Small Packages
March 25, 2021
We’ve got some seriously tiny cars in the workshop at the moment. They may be small but they are…or will be, mighty. On the whole, many classic cars are smaller than what’re we’re now used to. Thanks to a series of design decisions or simply just smaller engines, some of the early classics were manufactured almost half the size of modern-day cars. The Fiat 500 was designed for tight Italian roads, the Austin nippy was only a few steps after the horse and carriage and powered by a small engine, and the BMW Isetta bubble car coming in at only 2.3m long and 1.4m wide, was an engineering vision into the future of solo city travel. A design that never really took off and stayed firmly placed in the 60s and 70s, but none the less has made them desirable collectables today.
We’ve recently received a slightly worse for wear Isetta Bubble Car. With only the shell and chassis intact, we are in talks with the owner over how he wants this restoration to be managed.
There’s also been a small orange truck parked up by the ramp, which after thorough inspection and service is ready to go back to its owner, Loick Ranson. This little motor belongs to Craig’s 4-year-old son called Loick.
We had a rather unusual delivery on Friday evening. The trailer pulled up as the afternoon light cast a golden haze over the workshop, and with it, came this unique classic…
This bubble car, unlike the other, is in pristine condition. Gordon has even taken it for a drive! Stay tuned to find out what we have in store for this classic Isetta.
Fiat 500 Off The Rails
March 23, 2021
We’ve had a quirky 1969 Fiat 500 Abarth come in recently for some care and attention. One of our technicians soon found a dangerous issue with the steering column that we are now making top priority to correct. It seems there is a Fiat 126 steering rack fitted with fiat 500 elements, meaning the components in the steering rack didn’t match up, making steering and driving unsafe. James has removed the potentially dangerous steering rack conversion from the steering box so that he can re-design and refit the steering to make it safe.
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New In At The Workshop: Fiat 500 Abarth
March 16, 2021
Our 1969 Fiat 500 with Abarth styling has come in to have its steering column addressed as well as some other small mechanical faults. We look forward to working on this interesting little classic.
Classic Fiat 500’s were built and designed for small Italian roads. Made with practicality and reliability in mind, these tiny classics are a similar size to a modern-day smart car. James may describe it as a “potent symbol of Italian utilitarian chic, the Latin driving temperament and creative solutions to everyday parking problems.”
