Fiat 500F
ENGINE 960cc/2-cyl/OHV POWER 38bhp@5200rpm (approx) TORQUE 42lb ft@4000rpm (approx) MAXIMUM SPEED 87mph 0-60MPH 18sec FUEL CONSUMPTION 35-45mpg TRANSMISSION RWD, four-speed manual MoT 12 months on sale ODOMETER 25,790km
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
There’s no choke, so the little engine needs a couple of throttle stabs to prime it manually. It buzzes into life after a couple of churns with a pleasingly manic cackle as you accelerate. The donor 126’s transmission migrated with the engine (with a taller differential, too) so synchromesh on the top three gears is welcome. The top two ratios feel usefully longer than standard, allowing something approaching a 50mph cruise with similar performance to a 998cc Mini Cooper – but it feels faster because it’s smaller. Oil pressure is 40psi at 4500rpm.
BODYWORK CHECK
It’s presentable but not concours. The paint is shiny, with a few small chips and bubbles in the bonnet and small cracks in the white stripes. Corrosion caused its long-term owner to get it re-shelled in the Eighties – about the time it became a 695 – and there’s a 1994 invoice from Italcorsa for floor and sill replacement, with more sill work happening in 2002. Today the floors appear solid and the sill flanges are
EXTERIOR Careworn Some corrosion INTERIOR
Bucket seat Roll cage MECHANICALS
Uprated with a Fiat 126 motor
fairly straight; certainly better than average. The car wears a rare steel hard-top.
HOW’S THE INTERIOR?
There’s not a lot inside even the plushest Fiat 500 so there’s even less to discuss in one that’s been stripped for motor sport. What is here is unworn and in good overall condition. There’s a driver’s bucket seat and roll cage plus Abarth instruments and steering wheel. Scrutineers’ stickers show that its long-term owner (until 2017) had clearly used it for sprints and hillclimbs. The belts date-expired for competition in 2006, so will most likely need replacing.
UNDER THE BONNET
The motor is a bit grubby and
damp under the sump, but with no big leaks. The oil is darkish and near maximum under a new-looking reproduction Abarth filler cap. Abarth specialist, Middle Barton Garage, last re-built it with new internals in 2002, with further preparation work being carried out by Lightwork Racing. There’s a further £922 bill from R Proietti in 2012 and it was last re-tuned with new plugs by a local specialist in July. Further modifications include a battery cut-off on the front lid plus a baby Panhard rod to locate the front spring and Spax gas dampers at the rear.
THE CCW VIEW
This Fiat has an interesting history that’s been associated with all the right names. A 1967 car that was first UKregistered in 1971, it was built into a 595SS some time after by Radbourne, a main Abarth specialist in the UK at the time. These conversions were factory approved, using all Abarth parts. Ideal if you’re looking to enjoy amateur hillclimbs and sprints once motor sport restrictions are sufficiently slackened.