On this page I would like to give you some info on the project I will be working on during the cold swiss wintermonths.
This project will be handling the restauration of a FIAT 124 Spider from 1984, therefore better known as the Pininfarina DS Europaspider, as the well-known Italian car-designer Pininfarina from Turin (www.pininfarina.it) produced the car under it's own name in the last couple of year's of it's production untill 1985. This was because FIAT concentrated on other car's and did not wanted to produce the FIAT X1/9 (Bertone) as well as the 124 Spider any longer.
I bought the car in February 2002 and drove it during the summer with great pleasure. However I noticed some things that had to be fixed anyway, so I decided to take it all apart.
I took the engine as well as the gearbox out of the engine compartment and am currently (01-2003) dismantling the engine. The gearbox as well as the drive shaft are being overhauled at this time by an (Italian) specialist on Italian sportscars in Uetendorf, nearby the city of Thun in Switzerland. He will also overhaul the rear axle. Other works I will do this winter/spring are the renovation of the interior as well as the replacement of the top (Canvas, that's for sure ... ). I already mounted a stainless-steel exhaust system this summer, which produces a very nice sound, especially in the famous tunnels of the swiss mountains ;-)
Also the complete front suspension with all bushings have been replaced, new wheel bearings installed, and new shock absorbers (Koni red) with lowerded springs (-35 mm) are mounted wich improves the drivability pretty well!
Please click on the picture to see it larger.
Update 02.2003:
Now i can give you a short update of the status of the works on the spider.
I have brought the cilinderhead to a specialist in Gwatt near Thun, CH. He flowed the ports (some more power..), grinded the valves as well as the valve-seats, measured the cams, and mounted all seals new as well as set the valve clearance new.
I can pick it up this week and will bring him the flywheel to balance it, grind it and take some weight of (about 1 kg!!), so the engine can get easier up in the revs when accelerating ;-)
The engine itself is still at home in the cellar and i will go on with it when i have some more time again. It is already dismantled, and all seems to be in a very good condition and the combustion chambers are all in perfect condition. I will re-new the piston rings, camshaft bearings, all seals as well as rubbers and mount a new timing belt with bearing (very important on FIAT TC engines!!).
The things I am planing to do in the next months are:
The overhaul of the rear axle with all components and bearings as well as brake components, and installing all components back in the car again. The top has to be changed also once, but this as well as restauration of interior can also be done in the summer or next winter. Otherwise costs are getting a bit too high all together... !
Please click on the picture to see it larger.
Update 05.03.2003
Still working on it, as the summer is going to come back!!:
The gearbox is back and nicely renewed with new bearings, gearshifts and new synchromesh-rings, should be ok again for a long time!
Also the cilinderhead is back and currently I have it in the kitchen, so every morning before I leave the house I can take a look at it ;-))
The flywheel as well as the rear axle are now taking care of, and this should be finished in the next weeks. As this is in no hurry for me, the specialist is taking care of all this jobs over a longer time (weeks or so) and therefore the costs are pretty low! The engine is still at home in the cellar and I renewed the piston rings, measured all with Plasticage (crankshaft bearings!) and renewed all seals of shafts as well as other seals, so all should be nicely sealed!
Next weekend I will re-install all components back and put the head back on.
Please click on the picture to see it larger.
Update 15.06.2003
Finally an update again!
After some months of doing nothing on the Spider, I started working on it again, and this time i want to finish it in the summer!
I have finished the rear axle, and put all components back onto it. Parts that are replaced => Brake lines and brake hoses, hand brake cable, brake pads as well as rotors. Inner parts of axle: Pinion gear shaft, all bearings as well as ring gear with bevel pinion and all oil seals. Today nicely topped up with new oil, and mounted all back onto the car with new reaction rods as well as the cross rod.
It's nice to see the car back again on it's own wheels, and that it's able again to roll out of the garage!! Next things to do is the installation of the engine with gearbox as well as the drive shaft. So enough to do, but will do this when I have time for it. For all this work: just do it when you want to! If not, just let it be and do not hurry... . This is the only way to really enjoy it and have more fun from your hobby (my opinion!).
Please click on the picture to see it larger.
In case you have any questions or recommendations, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me by E-Mail.
With kind regards,Gustaaf Rijken.
CH-Interlaken.
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Here you can see some cars I have had