| Author | Message | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
Advanced Member Username: Peter Post Number: 2982 Registered: 12-2000 |
Jack, I don't think locating a different set of pistons will be necessary. If there's enough material between the walls of adjacent cylinders, you could over-bore the block and with a step/shoulder at the bottom and press-in custom-made under-size liner sleeves. The step keeps the liner from slipping down. The liner can then be bored to the original dimension to keep the Abarth pistons (if those are still in good shape, it would be a good idea to have them crack-tested). Its a tricky process and should only be done by an experienced machinist/engine rebuilder, but one to keep in mind with something like this... Was the German fellow Norbert Gelleschun? He has a web-site: http://www.abarth-germany.de/ There's also Leo Aumuller. I don't have any contact info for him, but he's very well-known in the Abarth circles and has an enormous car collection. He was the official Fiat importer for Germany. | ||
| Jack Habits (Ferraristuff)
Member Username: Ferraristuff Post Number: 909 Registered: 4-2003 |
Oh yeah, the engine rebuild is just a matter time as I need to collect all the right parts. Much of the engine internals got the "Abarth treatment" such as high-compression pistons, polished conrods, "flowed" valves etc. which makes them more difficult to find than the regular 2300 parts. I never openend the engine but I expect the cylinders bores to be pretty worn (cast iron block) as well as the cylinders so I am looking for a Moretti 2500 piston set which will require the block to be bored out but will give it some more Oooomphh as well. There was a guy in Germany that had some replica Moretti pistons a couple of years ago so all I need to do it find him again... Hehehehehe.... Jack | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
Advanced Member Username: Peter Post Number: 2980 Registered: 12-2000 |
Great story Jack... I hope you do get around to doing a thorough rebuild/restoration of the car, its well worth it to save a car like this. | ||
| Jack Habits (Ferraristuff)
Member Username: Ferraristuff Post Number: 907 Registered: 4-2003 |
My love for the 2300S goed back a long way... In 1980, the first classic car magazine appeared here in The Netherlands and a guy called Hans Hugenholz (the same who designed the Zandvoort and Suzuka race tracks) was a contributor to that magazine. I was only 17 at that time but his article about his private 2300S that he owned in the 1960's and 1970's always stuck in my mind and I guess sub-conciously I decided that one day I would own one... In 1995 I was going through a German classic car magazine and there was a tiny ad in it, advertising this 2300S. After a lot of hassle I bought it. It is defenitely not in concours condition as the car originally came from Denmark where it had spent some 10 years in a pasture but "somebody" has put tremendous effort in bringing it back on the road and it is basically sound with some paint bubbles. I ran it for a couple of years as my daily driver and converted it to bi-fuel (gasoline / LPG). It needs a complete engine overhaul now as it uses more oil than gas at the moment. I guess that during the 10 tears in teh pasture, the engine seized and they simply dragged it, in gear,behind a tractor or so to get the engine to turn over again and that might have damaged the piston rings. The picture below with the Cortina is taken on our way back from Italy (where I had just bought it, notice the Italian plates still on) to Holland. I didn't keep the Cortina bery long though. Jack | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
Advanced Member Username: Peter Post Number: 2975 Registered: 12-2000 |
I noticed that ad too at FiatPlus. I also noticed it was incredibly cheap considering that that car is so rare. Plus, it had those 15" Abarth/Campagnolo wheels, which was almost worth the entire asking price of the car! | ||
| rich stephens (Dino2400)
Member Username: Dino2400 Post Number: 470 Registered: 10-2001 |
It could have been in Hemmings. I know the previous owner had it for a while. I found it on the Obert website (www.fiatplus.com) in the customer cars for sale page and showed it to Jeffrey one day. Then this customer comes along talking about it and he went and inspected it for her and she bought it and they began work on it. I assume it is back on the road now. Thanks for the offer on the Fiat stuff. I'll remember it when I or my friends have needs (I hang out with a bunch of Fiat freaks and I've had six myself and have three at the moment). | ||
| Jack Habits (Ferraristuff)
Member Username: Ferraristuff Post Number: 901 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi Rich, great to see that car being restored. I believe I have seen it before on pictures. Could it be that it was advertised in Hemmings a couple of years ago? Let me know if they need information or parts, that is easier to get overhere than statesside. Jack Http://drive.to/fiat | ||
| rich stephens (Dino2400)
Member Username: Dino2400 Post Number: 464 Registered: 10-2001 |
Brilliant! Good one Jack. And nice cars...a friend was doing a 2300S Abarth restoration for a customer. Here's some info: http://jeffreylove.com/rocketmotors/65_fiat_2300s_01.html | ||
| Jack Habits (Ferraristuff)
Member Username: Ferraristuff Post Number: 899 Registered: 4-2003 |
Oooops... and the "Other Italian" content is of course the Fiat 2300S coupe.... Jack | ||
| Jack Habits (Ferraristuff)
Member Username: Ferraristuff Post Number: 898 Registered: 4-2003 |
Sorry that this is so corny but the sentence "Leaning towards Pantera" has been running around my brain ever since that thread has been around here and I KNEW I had this picture somewhere... Jack  |