". ." (xllx)
06/27/2015 at 15:31 • Filed to: shoebox, blue torpedo
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". ." (xllx)
06/27/2015 at 15:31 • Filed to: shoebox, blue torpedo | 3
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We finally got round to putting the interior together today. Cutting up felt sound insulation mats for the floor took a while and I’m glad that’s out of the way. We fitted new hubcaps, new wiper arms, the heating duct, freshly washed carpets, some remaining interior plastics, new rubber floor mats and all the seats with new headrests. All that interior needs to be complete is door cards and the plastics that go on either side of the rear bench. Other than that we’ll probably fit new rear springs pretty soonish (apart from the front leaf spring they were the only suspension parts that we didn’t replace). The engine has also developed a horrible rattle at higher revs and the timing chain is the main suspect so we’ll have to replace it again at some point in the near future. The timing chain cover gasket has also sprang a small leak (it drips a few drops of oil right after the engine gets turned off) so I guess we’ll kill two birds with one job.
If all goes well we should have the car pretty much ready after just one more day of work.
RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
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06/28/2015 at 15:49 |
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Great to hear more progress! :)
I bet the interior insulation / ended up in a mess....felt stuff can be a pain in the butt and leave little shreds all over the place sometime to clean up!
Did your model year of 126 always have rubber floor mats from the factory? I would’ve thought the later ones would’ve had a little bit of carpet considering the interior upgrades like the Cinquecento instrument cluster, etc...
Could the timing chain rattle just be because it’s a bit loose? I know most engines have a tensioner of some sort for timing belts/chains, does the 126 have a tensioner for it’s timing chain that could be adjusted?
Looking forward to the next update! :D
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> RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/28/2015 at 16:53 |
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Cutting those felt mats wasn’t too bad, but it took a while because we wanted them cut precisely so there are no gaps or needless folds. I’m quite happy with the final results. And yes, there’s a carpet that covers the entire floor, so rubber mats arn’t strictly necessary, but they make keeping the interior clean easier even if I don’t plan on driving the car in wet conditions. Rubber floor mats weren’t fitted from the factory but I believe they were an accessory sold by dealers.
The timing chain has no tensioners, it just sits on two sprockets with no way to adjust it. I suspect I just got a faulty chain. Luckily they’re very cheap so I’ll just get a new one. The only annoying bit about having to replace it is that the rear support beam (the thing that holds the engine bay lid) needs to come out to make access possible.
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RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
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06/28/2015 at 17:38 |
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Ah, lucky the chain is cheap! Sucks you have to take out that rear valance to get to it though...I seem to recall the rear valance on the 500 comes out with something like only 4 bolts....2 on each side (plus the engine mount bracket, of course) - a pain in the butt, but at least not TOO complex! Is it similar to remove on the 126?
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> RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/29/2015 at 06:36 |
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Yeah, it’s simple, only 4 bolts and a couple of electric connectors as well, but then there’s also the rear engine support spring. You have to be careful to get everything back on straight though and that can take some adjusting. The big plastic bumpers don’t make access any easier either.
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RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
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06/29/2015 at 12:07 |
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Yeah, I imagine the bumpers would be much easier if they were the classic chrome kind! Looking forward to more interior pics of the updates when the time comes! :)
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> RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/29/2015 at 12:17 |
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I’ll probably be posting a big review with explanation as to how everything works when the car’s finished. :]