[V8] RE: Fiats!

[Stafford, Kenneth A.]

Ouch--gotta come in here!  My first new car was a '73 Fiat 124 Spt Cp (not be
to confused with the Spider)--as a newly minted Mech Engr, my crieria was: 1)
must carry 4 people, 2)must be twin-cam, 3) must have 4-wh disk brakes, 4)
must have 5-sp, 5) must be able to go 100+, 6) must be able to average
25mpg+, 7)must feel and sound like a sports car, and 8) must sell for under
$4000.  You were left with exactly 2 choices: the Fiat or BMW 1600.  The
Beemer was much too sedanish.  Paid $3600 for the Spt Cp (which today are
MUCH rarer than our V8s); in original condition would go 105, avg 32 mpg.
The car has never been at a repair shop and only needed major maintenance at
160K when the oil pump let go (polish crank journals, install new oil pump,
put in new std size bearings, 1st over-bore and hi-compression pistons, and
good to go--I think it cost me $200).  Today she has 300,000, sports the euro
twin dual-throat Weber IDF-40s, free-flow exhaust, will do about 120 at 7000,
gets about 30 mpg on trips (18 in town!).  While I lost the functionality of
the hand throttle (right next to the hand choke!), nothing sounds quite like
the intake roar of 4 40mm throats opening simultaneously into a dry 4 runner
manifold. 1608ccs of sqirt in a 2200lb coupe...  (off my soap box)

Ken
91 V8Q     


> The Fiats of the era also had the "hand throttle", what it 
> was REALLY for was to tweak the idle up to keep engine 
> running, depending on the problem of the day.  On the Fiats I 
> think most owners used it to hold the throttle open for 
> launching the car off of docks, cliffs and into old rock 
> quarries.  BTDT-statute of limitation expired long ago ;-p
>