Yoss

Yup….. apart from build quality and rust proofing 
Fiat 127/Fiat Uno v Fiesta
Fiat Strada v Escort
Fiat 131 /132 / Regatta v Cortina
Fiat 130 v pretty much anything!
 
 
 
 

You jest but our office still has a couple of pogweasled 08 reg Combos (Corsa C shape). They dragged them off the scrap pile during covid when we needed more vans (as we weren't allowed to share) but for some reason these two stayed.

I see these about quite regularly, can't be many still in regular service.

Poor man's 911 already existed long before the TT.

That's actually about as un base-y as you can get for an Austin. By the time they'd ticked the boxes for the six cylinder engine, auto box and power steering it must have cost nearly as much as the Wolseley. Unfortunately being a mk3 it has the least desirable interior. The Landcrab went through its own Project Drive between the mk2 and 3 with cheaper seat covers, carpets, door trims and headlining. Basically turning a 60s car in to a 70s one. I'd find a decent mk2 interior and throw that one away. We used to do things like that all the time when the scrapyards were full of them. I'd also throw the steering wheel away if it has power steering. I had a 1300GT wheel in one of mine.

Then there was the MTX Roadster. MTX were a local coach builder, I don't think they were sold by Škoda. 


They looked okay with roof down, sort of vibes of Scimitar SS1, but they look terrible with the roof up. 

 
But it gets worse. When the Felicia came along they decided to keep the four doors. 


I mean when you open the rear door about a foot of the hood surround sticks out into the doorway. 

Talking of Felicias, most of you are probably aware of the cube van, based on the pickup. 

 
But we never got the estate based Van Plus in both Favorit and Felicia flavours. 



And also some long wheelbase versions including this ambulance. 

That's actually about as un base-y as you can get for an Austin. By the time they'd ticked the boxes for the six cylinder engine, auto box and power steering it must have cost nearly as much as the Wolseley. Unfortunately being a mk3 it has the least desirable interior. The Landcrab went through its own Project Drive between the mk2 and 3 with cheaper seat covers, carpets, door trims and headlining. Basically turning a 60s car in to a 70s one. I'd find a decent mk2 interior and throw that one away. We used to do things like that all the time when the scrapyards were full of them. I'd also throw the steering wheel away if it has power steering. I had a 1300GT wheel in one of mine.

base-y Crab.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/426535233303665/

Could this be the worst after marker front bumper ever fitted to a car?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256458707040?

Funnily enough, squint a bit and that pretty much represents the hatchback car that beat the Maxi to market by 5 years:  The Fiat's Autobianchi Primula

And this one reminded me of the cat bus.

Mismatched panels and lacquer peel!

Today I swung in by Duncans workshop to have a discussion on the way forward with the kingpin on REV, He has it fully disassembled and we measured everything and came to the conclusion that it is worn!  By kingpin standards not badly worn, enough to probably induce a speed* wobble but nothing dagerous. Fortunately the housing for the bushes is showing no wear at all, so the new kingpin and bushes should be an easy fit and solve the problem. The bushes do in fact appear to be oilite type, and the bottom of the kingpin tube is open into the front drum, which explains why no grease nipples are fitted.  In the bottom of the tube was a ball of rock hard grease that had obviously been put in many many years ago.  Dunc has also spoken to a few of the old boys who tend to congregate at interesting workshops, including the fella who maintained the 1920s bus in Aberdeen which used a similar, if somewhat larger, kingpin assembly.
The unanimous decision is to leave things as original and reassemble with a good coating of heavy weight oil. After all, it was good enough for the government for the lifetimes of these vehicles. He will hopefully start putting it back together later this week.
We started discussing speed wobbles, as you do and we decided to see if we could improve the aerodynamics of REV
The first attempt using Seat parts was not great
So we looked around and found a yellow and white body kit on an old Audi in the corner which we think will work better!


 

Small update. Have now greased all the grease points and checked the oil level in the gearbox and differential both were fine and refilled oil on the diesel pump and steering box.
So then all the maintenance is done.
One small thing I do that I recommend is to take a picture of the manual with maintenance points and print it out and have it with you when working on the car and cross it off while you are working so you don't forget anything.

 
And since I don't have a car lift, things are done the old way by driving the car up onto blocks and crawling under it, which is not exactly good for the body.

 
And now with this done, all that remains is to drive it, something that will hopefully happen soon.

Back in the eighties I worked at a provincial Fiat dealership. Back then pretty everything Fiat made was dynamically superior to the equivalent Ford…. Build quality, on the other hand…..😱