Fiat

[parisian62]

Posting up for Dave...





















Few more to come...

[parisian62]

[parisian62]

[parisian62]

Dave...I'm going to have to start charging you per pic...

[petrolhead]

Wow a custom Bambino, there used to be a red one in Perth that had flared guards and went like stink rumor had it that it was a ex circuit racer also

[bootlegger]

No probs stewart. Maybe you can sit me down and show me one day.
Here is one of my barn finds that they mention.
when I collect im really specific on the qualities an item must have.
As much as I like old holdens they are production cars with thousands being built.
Things like uniqueness, provenance and remarkable engineering whether performed roughly by a backyard mechanic or highly by a master craftsman all turn me on.
If the vehicle is successful that just adds to it.
All my barn finds are one offs. It takes more than money to own these things. I love them all and they will never be sold.

This car is one of these absolute gems (in my mind anyway).
I bought this car off the original owner.
After finishing school he went on holidays in europe in 1958 and bought this fiat 500 brand new.
For eighteen months he did the grand tour.
The car was driven across the sahara desert, as far north as the norwegian glaciers.
On his travels he was invited by the head of abarth to go to the geneva car show. At this show he had the car optioned up with several Bits of abarth speed gear.
The car was also taken to le mans. At lemans the owner warick holyoak teed up a drive of a grand prix car at brands hatch. Showing promise he was offered a further ride but his parents insisted he come home and help run the family tyre business (cee cee tyres camden).
The car was shipped home and warick set about going racing.
For a short while the car ran as an abarth. Eventually a blower was fitted then a highly tuned healy sprite engine ( from 500 cc to 1200).
To cover the protruding engine the car was taken to the well know race car builder stan brown (the man with the golden hammer) and a alloy streamliner tail was fitted.
Critics of the car said it would never work with all the weight out the back.
Their remarks were quickly eroded when in the rain in 1961 the little racer lapped oran park in 58 seconds. A new lap/class record. He backed this up again in 62. The car was susequently retired to waricks shed till I bought it off him a couple of years ago.
The car came with the dealer receipts, the italian number plates, the letter from abarth and brochures for the abarth parts, 1960 lemans newspaper and race program, holiday pics including the car at brands hatch, lemans, the sahara, norway and being craned onto the ship, telegrams including the one to come home (even his grandmother dying), and newspaper reports whilst racing here.
A couple of interesting items on this car are the ww two alloy oil Tank used as a fuel tank, fj holden front brakes and cut down to twelve inch fj holden rims, the radiator water pipes smashed through the firewall all held together with welding wire and conversion to rhd even though the dash is still on the left.
Although barn find cars supposedly bring bigger money I cant leave this car as found. Surprisingly it has no rust but it has lots of covered up badly battle damage.
The car is now about 50% percent restored. I dont have a finish date but im hoping to run it this year.

To me this car is priceless.

[MeFB]

Dave, that is plug-ugliest car I've ever seen

I absolutely love it

[Blacky]

Next time I am in Sydney I am inviting myself around to your shed - I reckon I could spend a week in there

[Mick]

Next time I am in Sydney I am inviting myself around to your shed - I reckon I could spend a week in there

yeah he's got some cool sh!t

[WayneXG95]

I know a Fiat machanic called Tony.

[petrolhead]

"BIG TONY?"

[bootlegger]

Yeah I think its ugły also but love it also. It really is a hot rod with its cadbury purple mettalic paint and yellow gt stripes.
Everything in the engine bay is chrome plated.

Blacky come over anytime you like but come for two weeks so you can help me get my projects done.

Wayne not that much of the car is fiat any more.

[samprinci]

good luck Dave. looks good to me!

[Stygian]

I like Italian cars...thinking my next car might be another Alfa, possibly a GTV V6. Finding an old racing car with the history like your Fiat for me would be like Steve Jackson finding a 5,000 mile mint original FB in nitro paint.

[bootlegger]

I like Italian cars...thinking my next car might be another Alfa, possibly a GTV V6. Finding an old racing car with the history like your Fiat for me would be like Steve Jackson finding a 5,000 mile mint original FB in nitro paint.

Yeah this car is special. I still cant believe I found it.
You know Ive had a couple of Fiat 500 guys tell me it will be nice when its returned to stock. I really dont think they get how interesting something like this is.

Ive got a soft spot for Italian anything. It doesnt matter what it is the designers must have had a sexy naked woman in front of them when they are creating. Everything they make is over the top.

I recently purchased a Maserati quad cam V8 just cant seem to find something to put it in. So far I have looked at a Sebring or Alfa 2600 coupe projects (Ive got the Alfa). Thought of doing a sort of 50,s coupe targa racer thing. I have even thought of building a 450s from scratch (which is really what i want).