Hey what's the Fiat Abarth 130TC like?

[Blake]

Pro's and con's anyone?

[John Stone]

Now you've done it, we will be swamped for days now by hundreds of Fiat fanatics...calling bigbumper...come in spooln....calling 130TC

John

[RS ZWEI]

I always liked 130s, Dad had one when I was a kid, it was only a few years old. As of a few years ago we had another one in the family.

Positives:

-Styling
-Nice Recaro seats
-2.0 twincam engine

Negatives:

-Rust, rust, rust!
-Weak gearbox
-Old 60s engine technology
-Leaf spring rear end

[John Stone]

And it's a lovely twin-cam with a wonderful exhaust note too.

John

[Trofeo]

Even if it is 60's technology, that engine with a mere 130HP pulls harder than an integra vtec. Bucketloads of torque. wheelspin is definately a problem.

Brakes are pretty average. And that was at a time where i was comparing them to a Mk2 escort..

Electrics in mine were fine - even the clock/trip timer worked

The suspension is rock hard, so all you need is a decent set of bilsteins, and you're good for the track. The rear leaf spring does benefit from resetting though.

The large steering wheel is there for a reason... no power steer, and consequently really heavy.

The Pirelli wheels are soft, and will distort when potholes are hit at speed - shouldn't be a problem these days as our roads are fabulously maintained 

Clutch cables will break... over and over.. originally designed as LHD, so there is a pulley wheel on RHD models that forces the cable to take a 90 degree bend just through the firewall. Good news is that they can be driven quite easily without a clutch.

Reverse gear is very weak in the ZF box, so never crash start in reverse. $$$$

Other than that it is rattles and rust. Loved owning it, and would buy another if the right one came up.

 

[Rossi]

I loved mine. Raw hairy-chested hot hatch! It felt blindingly fast but in a raw agricultural kind of way, loads of torque steer but loads of fun.

Then it dissolved...

[Blake]

The guy I'm talking to says there is a small piece of rust - about 5cents size on the hatch but that is it. Has been last serviced on Xmas eve last year and everything was fine.

Compression tests were done and it was all sweet.

Other than that hasn't said anything else about the car other than it needs a couple of pumps on the accelerator as it's got a choke. And could do with a new battery.

[RS ZWEI]

It not the red track car on Trademe is it?

[Blake]

Nope not that one.

[spooln]

Must hold back......ha ha John you almost hurt my feelings

MTMS3 covered it nicely. Heaps of fun, intices you you drive like a idiot, and rewards that behaviour. Very tiring drive, you will be buggered when you get out of the car on long trips. Recaros look good but are in reality are not. If you dont have covered parking I would hold off getting one. Good luck.

[RS ZWEI]

If you dont have covered parking I would hold off getting one. Good luck.

I was going to say this as well

[bsting]

Always liked them...even with all the faults. Mate had his dads one as a daily, it hated city driving....but on the open twisty northland and coromandel roads....it was just great. Girls loved it
Big fan of the 124 series 2 as well.. done a few miles in one of them too.

[ritmo]

Now you've done it, we will be swamped for days now by hundreds of Fiat fanatics...calling bigbumper...come in spooln....calling 130TC

John

Good on ya John, you know we were waiting for this chance.

There was no hotter hatch in the early eighties.

MTMS3 covered it well. The gearbox actually is pretty strong, just the reverse idler is weak. So typically the whole box is considered weak. A number of guys race with about 160 to 180 bhp on the standard box.
As a daily it will drive you crazy, hard ride, rattles, and fools who think the vw gti is better.

Girls like the 130tc? Not in my experience, grizzle it is noisy and oh the seats! Thank goodness for induction noise of those carbs.

But regards to the 130tc you have asked about, that chap has being selling that abarth for some time. Can read into that what you will. Probably asking too much imho. Are you in Chch? If not i can have a look at it for you as I'm moving down there next saturday.

I know where there is a silver 130tc in Auckland for sale. Could have one of the guys from the 130 club help have  a look if your keen.

Anyway good luck.

[RS ZWEI]

As a daily it will drive you crazy, hard ride, rattles, and fools who think the vw gti is better.

Im sure Im not a fool but I believe that a Mk1 GTI is better than a 130TC. Have you driven a Mk1 GTI?

[ritmo]

Yip drove a mk1,mk2 and 205gti aswell as the abarth over a six month period when i was after a hot hatch. Really wanted a golf to be honest. But after driving all four there was only one option and the abarth was it.  The mk2 i perferred to the mk1 as far as driving went, the 205 gti was great fun but too small. As for the rust, ask orggti if mk1 golfs rust.