DC-area Great Falls Cars and Coffee - now with captions!

"InfinityAero" (infinityaero) 09/24/2016 at 12:23 • Filed to: None

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Decided to drag the Fiat out to the local cars and coffee this morning. Miraculously I made it up in time to get... um... this excellent parking spot. At 7 AM. I moved the car to a more prominent (but still remote) spot later in the morning. My car is adorably small:

Where’s a banana when you need one?!?

Here are some additional shots from the morning!

Buddy Langdon dilly-dallying before hopping out of the car

450HP T4 Turbo Datsun with a dry 50 shot of NOS for spool (until 7PSI)

Drop top Lincoln— the new can’t compare to the old!

Sick Rat Rod. Exhaust— we don’t need no stinkin’ exhaust!

Thanks NASA....

Pristine restored 2nd Gen E Type

With that inline-6 goodness

I hate you

No really, I hate you

Hnnggghhhh... heat treated exhausts are the best exhausts.

It belongs in a museum!

Man... I should have rat rodded the Fiat. I feel like I need velocity stacks in my life.

Sounded great, all these pristine cars!

This is my dream Vette body style

But it should have this motor

The drop tops drop the curves, but this one drops 500 N/A HP to the ground.

You may find yourself lacking the ability to see one spectrum of light though.

Hidden away— because it’s a kit. Nice kit though.

Elanor!

Why oh why didn’t I catch the full nose?

I like these 308s.

Most obscure car of the show.

sr20-swapped 2002. Nasty little ratty survivor.

First Gen Vette.

All this carbon, for an NA S2000 intake...

looks sized about right for that kid

These should be $15K, dammit. I hate those of you that drove them out of my price range.

How long do you think she’s owned this beaut?

ToyotaFamily > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 12:27

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now i’m mad at myself for not going...

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 12:30

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That Fiat is really tiny. You could probably put it in the bed of the F150

InfinityAero > ToyotaFamily 09/24/2016 at 12:32

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First time I’d been... my friend with the Camaro SS and another friend with a Lotus Exige make it out from time to time. Drop me a PM or message next time you’re heading out and we’ll meet you out there-- the wife wants to go next time as well. I just wish it didn’t require me rejecting my natural vampiric nature.

InfinityAero > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/24/2016 at 12:34

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Yeah, it’s also a triumph of perspective. My parking spot was basically a foot or two lower than the F150s, I was standing up higher, and the framing exacerbates the difference. A Fish Eye lens would really make it look dwarfed with the right shot!

Still, modern full sized trucks are MASSIVE.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 12:46

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Nice. Seems like a good turnout. I have to know, did you buy any luggage?

Jagvar > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 12:48

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I was also there this morning. Snapped a shot of your car, too.

InfinityAero > Jagvar 09/24/2016 at 12:52

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Nice shot! You really found a way to hide the orange peel! We’ll have to meet up next time I make it out.

InfinityAero > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) 09/24/2016 at 12:54

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Haha! No, it came with the rack and I decided to reinstall it rather than fill the holes. I made a mold of the trunk when the rack was off; so I’ll be fabbing up a Carbon/Kevlar replacement soon. Need to trim some fat.

ToyotaFamily > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 12:56

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Will do, it’s sort of hard for me simply because I rarely have weekends off. Here’s what i caught last time i went.

InfinityAero > ToyotaFamily 09/24/2016 at 13:02

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I hear ya, I work a 9-5 and I’m not ex-military; waking up at 6 on Saturday is not the norm :P Glad I made it out today though-- lotta wealth in the area leads to an incredible collection stuffed into a parking lot.

InfinityAero > ToyotaFamily 09/24/2016 at 13:06

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Great shot by the way-- those first-gen Corvettes are spectacular lookers. I’m the kind of heathen that would want to swap in a 427... people ask what my dream car is, and the answer is 67/68 Vette. Really, it comes down to *that damn motor*. 500HP N/A, no problem, as long as you don’t mind getting 7 mpg.

InfinityAero > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) 09/24/2016 at 13:20

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Also, incredible collection of cars. Better than the car museum in Vegas, IMO, I didn’t even post everything.

Jagvar > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 13:38

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Let me know -- I’m easy to spot. I have the only black Phaeton there. Heck, I usually have the only Phaeton there.

InfinityAero > Jagvar 09/24/2016 at 13:53

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Nice, no Phaetons today, I’d love to check one out!

flyingmetalbird > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 14:03

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What flavor fiat is that?

smobgirl > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 14:04

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I love the Fiat. Small cars are awesome.

InfinityAero > flyingmetalbird 09/24/2016 at 14:09

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‘77 124 Spider. I’m loving it so far. I’ve put 100 miles on it in the last 2 weeks, after spending the last year doing rust repair, bodywork, rebuilding the suspension, electrical, alignment, paint etc.

It felt good to buy gas instead of parts today. Still a long way to the ultimate finish line. Next priorities are getting the windshield wipers and sprayers working and replacing or tightening any oil lines that might be leaking, so I can do an honest assessment of how much oil it’s burning and how much is leaking from seals.

InfinityAero > smobgirl 09/24/2016 at 14:10

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I don’t understand why more people don’t choose to drive street-legal go-karts...

smobgirl > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 14:32

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Well there’s that whole having-to-pay-attention-so-you-don’t-end-up-dead thing.

Honestly I’m not sure if that’s a cause or an effect of driving small cars. People generally seem surprised when I tell them I don’t feel unsafe in small old cars (as long as I’m the driver).

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > InfinityAero 09/24/2016 at 17:30

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I love small FIATs...always so cheerful looking!

I wouldn’t worry about collisions with modern SUVs and trucks too much...you’ll just pass right under them unscathed!

flyingmetalbird > InfinityAero 09/25/2016 at 23:32

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Hey I’m building a ‘77 Civic right now! Man rebuilding a car is tedious work. I can’t wait for the day when I back it out of the garage and get to really feel the car. I’ve been accumulating parts and slowly putting them on for about a year now. Once it’s mechanically stable, then comes the body work. MAN these old cars absolutely love to rust. It makes zero financial sense to save what was meant to be a disposable, fuel crisis economy car, but I know when the day comes I get to hold the enormous wheel in my hand and hear that tiny 4 banger rumble it’ll be worth it.

I daily a Miata and I’ve always loved old Italian roadsters. That’s an awesome car man, keep it living!

InfinityAero > flyingmetalbird 09/26/2016 at 09:20

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Thanks! Coincidentally I ended up with this car after a fruitless search for a Miata.... it shockingly had less visible rust than the Miatas I was able to look at, and the others in my price range disappeared quick, literally as I was driving out to see them most of the time. Funnily enough, I still haven’t driven one; I just had gotten sick of getting beat by them at autocross tracks.

I don’t think the Fiat will be winning its class anytime soon-- but the handling is shockingly good for an old car. I went with a set of modern 185s on the stock 13" wheels. I haven’t gotten it to slide or lose traction yet, and I’m pretty sure I’ve thrown it into turns and pulled at least .82-.85G. It’s a very soft ride by modern standards, but just seems to grip.

Same situation with the rust-- I was welding patches in where the body was soda-can thick.

The worst of the welding work was the shock tower, which was 1/16" plate I had to bend by hand (wrenches and press):

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/your-nightly-welding-porn-1779419987

It was ugly under the plastic rocker spears too:

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/the-guys-on-the-fiat-forums-yelled-at-me-not-to-be-lazy-1777355137

flyingmetalbird > InfinityAero 09/26/2016 at 09:51

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Miatas are all the fun people talk them up to be. I was fortunate to inherit one in very good condition from my dad when I got my license. He bought it one year used in ‘95 right when he graduated college, so it’s been around my whole life. Sitting in the drivers seat and pushing the headlights button when I was about 3 years old is what really got me into cars. As I grew up and really started to take interest in classic Japanese cars, he promised me if I kept my grades up I could have the car. When the time came, he handed the car down to me and treated himself to an FR-S after over 20 years of driving that thing. The thing is awesome. Revs up and down all day, perfect clutch feel, perfect gear changes, perfectly weighted steering, it really never gets old. Makes a great sound too. It’s in need of some mechanical work right now, but still driving wonderfully.

You lucked out with that thing though, I’m sure it’s just as fun, if not more so than any Miata. Those things have soul that you just can’t find in a Craigslist miata. When I saw the first picture I thought it looked too small to be a 124 and I thought it was something I hadn’t seen before! I’d love I drive one someday and see what kind of a difference 20 years of evolution makes in little roadsters

InfinityAero > flyingmetalbird 09/26/2016 at 16:44

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I would imagine that despite the similar specs they’d be wildly different in road feel. The Fiat also has 4-wheel disc brakes, weighs around 2150 (now that I’ve got the bumpers removed), has a 5-speed, soft springs... buttttt it’s a little down on power without a carb upgrade or other goodies, doesn’t have the nice support subframe braces and other structural reinforcements Mazda used to add stiffness, and has a solid-axle with a panhard rod in the rear instead of an IRS.

Otherwise, it does have razor-sharp steering, the clutch and gearbox are great, and the motor sings from 2-6500 RPM and loves to rev. Mine still pulls a little to the left after the front alignment; I think the thrust angle is a little off, but it’s a joy to drive even with that little quirk.

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > InfinityAero 09/29/2016 at 16:04

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How did I miss this post. So many nice cars

noselunting > InfinityAero 09/29/2016 at 18:16

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As an owner and regular driver of a series 1 Elise, I do understand why more people don’t drive a street legal go kart.

InfinityAero > noselunting 09/29/2016 at 19:09

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Yah, I wouldn’t DD a lotus. Stiff, finicky electronics, cramped... A blast on an open road though!

noselunting > InfinityAero 09/29/2016 at 20:08

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It was earlier this week :)

MotoArigato > InfinityAero 09/30/2016 at 02:37

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I haven’t paid as much attention to American cars as I should but the red interior of that 60's Corvette is just insanely good. Stylistically reminds me of the early Avanti interiors that were so forward for their time.

InfinityAero > MotoArigato 09/30/2016 at 11:00

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And it has the 427... That car’s probably worth a good 150-250k.... The interior was great, I prefer the hard top bodies though.

InfinityAero > noselunting 09/30/2016 at 12:09

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One of my buddies who lent a ton of help getting the Fiat back on the road (full suspension rebuild) has an ‘06 Exige (N/A). For comparison’s sake, he called the Fiat’s ride the “cadillac of small cars”... it handles the potholes of the DC area shockingly well; if anything I need to find some ways to stiffen it up.

noselunting > InfinityAero 09/30/2016 at 13:54

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If he can spanner on an Exige the Fiat should present him with no challenges :)

I’m a serial Italian car owner as well, old Pandas and new 500s. I’ve spent tons of time working on them. The Lotus was much more of a ballache. I’ve done a full suspension and brake refresh on it and replaced the engine. Fiat’s packaging decisions are sometimes weird but never as weird or terrifying as some of Lotus’ choices. The washer bottle with a dodgy hose connection sitting on top of the battery, sure why not. Even Fiat aren’t that insane.

MotoArigato > InfinityAero 09/30/2016 at 14:26

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Same here, prefer the look of a coupe over cabriolet on almost any car.

InfinityAero > noselunting 09/30/2016 at 14:59

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Yeah, it gets even more bonkers for the US-spec models. Since the steering column has to be moved to the left side, they rearrange components under the front clam. Specifically, the little electrical bundle that controls the HVAC fans. Well, they just flip that sucker upside down, so that the electrical components are sitting at the bottom of the little chamber. Of course, as soon as the car has been rained on a few times, that little compartment fills with water and the controls get fried.

We’ve done the front clam removal/reinstall twice now-- each time to get to less than $30 worth of parts. The first clam job took over 24 hours; he had it down to 12 the last time.

The Fiat is pretty easy to work on other than removing and reinstalling the front springs-- not a lot of space to work with there as it has a very compact DWB setup.

noselunting > InfinityAero 09/30/2016 at 15:25

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Clam removal is a nightmare the first time. Once you’ve done it a few times its much easier. Especially if you copper grease the fasteners and use shiny new stainless steel ones. I can do either clam in about half an hour now.

InfinityAero > noselunting 09/30/2016 at 17:03

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Yeah, those were the total times for the repairs, the clam probably took a good 8 hours that first time, he says he had it down to an hour last time around. Looks like yours might be a tad easier due to the simpler headlight assemblies as well. If I were him, I’d hinge it next time I have to deal with it...

InfinityAero > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 09/30/2016 at 17:04

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Hehe, I’m about an inch too high for the entry gate at my work garage =) I’ll fix that problem this winter.

InfinityAero > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 09/30/2016 at 17:05

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I think I posted it Saturday night... so... um... maybe you have a life? A rarely encountered thing in message boards, hehe...

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > InfinityAero 09/30/2016 at 18:27

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There is a 99% chance I was playing videogames at the time you posted.

InfinityAero > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 09/30/2016 at 18:38

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I want Forza Horizons 3, because it has my car (with the 2L FI setup). I want No Man’s Sky— I just want it at $20, for the limited experience they made it. FH3 I’ll need to add 4G of RAM, I’m .1GHz below spec on the processor but I should be fine, my video card is above spec.

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > InfinityAero 09/30/2016 at 19:26

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oh lawrdy the specs for horizion 3 is insane. I haven’t touched the internals of my computer since like 2011 lol.

InfinityAero > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe 10/01/2016 at 11:41

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I know! I just got my rig in March— it was about a generation behind; but I’m still surprised it’s not quite capable. 12GB of RAM is crazy... I’ve got a R9 380 so I’m pretty set on video card, I think. That said, it’s probably worth it for me to upgrade and buy the game— any miles I put on the car there are miles I’m saving in the real world :)