Fiat tipo - What to do to it?

BigglesPiP · 10 Sep 2007 at 13:56

MarkDavis said:
1. Stand back and admire the fact that it ain't gonna rust.
2. Sit in it and admire the fact that its actually pretty spacious?
3. Admire the LCD speedometer that take 2 seconds before it matches the speed that the car is actually travelling at Oh come to think of it, the 1.4 didn't come with LCD instruments...
4. Get to the gym and work on your arms. You'll need to have some muscle to push that 1.4 up the hill
5. Lament the fact that it isn't the 16v version which was a good car at the time....

As a disposable runabout it aint bad though!

LOL, sounds like your speaking from experience?

But hills are easy, just use a lot of revs. You will need the strong arms to park tho, unless it's got power steering.

Overtaking is the same method, a run-up also helps.

MarkDavis · 10 Sep 2007 at 14:01

BigglesPiP said:
LOL, sounds like your speaking from experience?

I had the 1.9(?) Turbo Diesel version as my very first car. Uber cool at the time!

The diesel engine was the noisiest thing I have heard though. It was like having 20 elves inside the the engine hammering metal at 100 times a second.

A huge plume of soot used to come out of the exhaust everytime you accerlated hard and cars behind me would keep their distance. Best remedy against people tailgating you

The turbo eventually failed and the car had to be scrapped. Didn't miss the water leaks in the passenger footwell which made the car smell like a musty cellar. Ah the memories...

I also left out number 6...

6. With a few simple tweaks you can get 330bhp

penski · 10 Sep 2007 at 14:15

BigglesPiP said:
FIAT is an Italian company, not American.

Coil sprung MacPherson stuts all round.

Care to look under the back of a Panda?

Or a 127?

Or any of the other FIATs with cart springs?

*n

BigglesPiP · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:10

penski said:
Care to look under the back of a Panda?

Or a 127?

Or any of the other FIATs with cart springs?

*n

They're from the 70s/early 80s. Not late 80s/early 90s.

Go back long enough and everyone uses leafs. Except the Americans, who still do.

Edit: Oh, and the later pandas were coil sprung.

penski · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:12

BigglesPiP said:
They're from the 70s/early 80s. Not late 80s/early 90s.

They used leaves until 86/87 IIRC...

Your original reasoning was that FIAT used coils because they were Italian and not American. You mentioned nothing of age.

*n

MarkDavis · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:17

Who cares about springs or coils???

Solid front and rear axles are the future.

Feel that road, baby :cool:

BigglesPiP · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:20

MarkDavis said:
Who cares about springs or coils???

Solid front and rear axles are the future.

Feel that road, baby

Then feel the grass verge, then feel the wall you spun into.

BigglesPiP · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:21

penski said:
They used leaves until 86/87 IIRC...

Your original reasoning was that FIAT used coils because they were Italian and not American. You mentioned nothing of age.

*n

This reminds me of almost every time I say "There's no such thing as liquid CO2". There's always someone who has to say "There is at 4 bar."

JRS · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:22

BigglesPiP said:
Go back long enough and everyone uses leafs. Except the Americans, who still do.

Damn right they do. In the case of the Corvette, it's because the transverse composite leaf arrangement is so bloody good that they don't need to re-work it for coil springs. In the case of trucks that use them, it's because they need something that will take fairly insane loads without punching the springs up through the shock mounts and into orbit.

Think I'm right in saying that no US passenger car (aside from the aformentioned 'vette) uses leaf spring suspension any more. Could be wrong about that though.

MarkDavis · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:22

BigglesPiP said:
Then feel the grass verge, then feel the wall you spun into.

Only if [TW]Fox is driving

penski · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:24

BigglesPiP said:
This reminds me of almost every time I say "There's no such thing as liquid CO2". There's always someone who has to say "There is at 4 bar."

I bet you think live axles are bad too

*n

BigglesPiP · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:27

penski said:
I bet you think live axles are bad too

*n

Well no car would move without a live axle somewhere.

Unless you mean the incorrect (American) use of the term.

JRS · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:39

BigglesPiP said:
Unless you mean the incorrect (American) use of the term.

Which term would you prefer then, in the interests of accuracy?

Solid axle, dead axle, beam axle, single-piece axle....

***edit***

Most of the Americans I know refer to them as solid axles rather than live axles. So unless my friends are just odd as Americans go, I'm not sure where you get your "incorrect (American)" idea from.

penski · 10 Sep 2007 at 15:55

Every British person I've spoken to about such things uses the term 'Live axle' from mechanics to motorsport engineers.

Pip...why don't you just make a thread saying 'I hate americans' and get over it?

*n

Dogbreath · 10 Sep 2007 at 18:38

BigglesPiP said:
FIAT is an Italian company, not American.

Coil sprung MacPherson stuts all round.

The Tipo uses McPherson struts at the front but trailing arms at the rear, same as the coupe.

penski · 10 Sep 2007 at 19:03

Oh really? Slam-induced negative camber for the win.

*n

JRS · 10 Sep 2007 at 19:10

penski said:
Pip...why don't you just make a thread saying 'I hate americans' and get over it?

Indeed. At least then he'd be consistent with most of the other forums I visit

BigglesPiP · 11 Sep 2007 at 04:38

JRS said:
Which term would you prefer then, in the interests of accuracy?

Solid axle, dead axle, beam axle, single-piece axle....

***edit***

Most of the Americans I know refer to them as solid axles rather than live axles. So unless my friends are just odd as Americans go, I'm not sure where you get your "incorrect (American)" idea from.

I call it a beam axle. But most of the time these days if I'm talking to someone who calls it a live axle I'll just call it that to save confusion.

In fairness tho a lot of my terms may well be bad translations from Italian. FIAT literature can be funny, I've seen "Sealed bean" headlamps on a parts list.

penski · 11 Sep 2007 at 07:48

BigglesPiP said:
I call it a beam axle. But most of the time these days if I'm talking to someone who calls it a live axle I'll just call it that to save confusion.

In fairness tho a lot of my terms may well be bad translations from Italian. FIAT literature can be funny, I've seen "Sealed bean" headlamps on a parts list.

To me, a 'beam axle' is what you find on the back of non-irs fwd cars; a beam with a hub and suspension assembly at each end.

*n

Dogbreath · 11 Sep 2007 at 08:49

BigglesPiP said:
I call it a beam axle.

Beam axle covers the entire class of axles that connect two wheels together so independant movement is not possible. Live axles, dead axles, de-dion axles are all beam axles IMO.

The traditional live axle located by leaf springs can also be refered to as "Hotchkiss suspension", but it's quite an old term not so much used these days.