Parts have arrived for our 1970 Fiat 500 so we can now continue on with the repairs.
We’ve taped up the cut wiring in the engine bay and neaten the whole area.
Adjusted the pedal heights via the stop on the clutch pedal and added a small, rubber buffer to each pedal stop.
The grommet has been refitted grommet on fuel pipe in the engine bay.
Next up, Jon has cut a piece of MDF and covered it in sticky back foam to fit behind the battery. This has helped to secure into position.
Adjusted the nearside door striker, removed the front wheels.
Remove nearside track rod. Strip and fit new track rods. We’ve found the ball pins are much smaller so won’t fit so we’ve had to leave until the correct ones arrive.
Strip and fit new front wheel bearings.
November 15, 2024 7:55 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Who doesn’t love a little Fiat 500? One of the quirkiest and most iconic of classics has now arrived at Bridge Classic Cars and we’re not keeping this one a secret…of course it’s a future competition.
We’ve been looking for a nice one for some time and when this little gem was offered to us as an original RHD example, beautifully restored we couldn’t say no!
Here is what Jonn has been up to with our 1963 Fiat 500:
Investigate clutch issue. Has been fine but clutch went over the weekend. Inspect. Found clutch cable adjuster out of adjustment. Re adjust cable and check. Fit lock nut to clutch cable. Remove cover and inspect while John operates. All looks OK now adjustment correct. Carry out test around yard and all seems fine. Refit cover. Quick spanner check on starter and gearbox bolts. Carry out another drive around yard. Ok. Let customer take and try.
Jonn has been investigating why the rear number plate light on our 1963 Fiat 500 was not working. He found that a small wire had been twisted around a screw as an earth. Jonn removed the light, made an earth wire, and attached it to the bulb holder.
Once everything was refitted, it all worked perfectly.
Jonn has been stripping the engine of our 1963 Fiat 500.
When looking to fit a new starter motor, Jonn found that a suspected missing bolt was actually only half missing! The remainder of the bolt had broken off in the block.
He went on to strip the engine – removing the head and barrels, studs, sump, and pistons.
The crank journals and big ends were checked before Jonn went on to remove the flywheel, which he thoroughly cleaned in the degreasing tank.
A good friend of ours came to see us at the workshop this morning and this is what they arrived in – a 1963 Fiat 500 Transformable!
Finished in Fiat Celeste Chiaro 461 (or light sky blue if you don’t want to be technical) this is one stunning classic and it certainly caught the attention of everyone in the workshop.
As a side note…this is actually Molly’s dream classic!
We have recently welcomed our 1966 Fiat 500 into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
After its owner took this beautiful classic car to a garage for some welding work, it has since been running badly and consistently sitting at high revs.
While it is in the workshop, our team of experienced classic car technicians will be investigating the running problems and finding the best way to resolve them ready for the vehicle to be returned to its owner.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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