38 Fiat Topolino build

[Gastrick]

I have a Topo too Maddog, but mines already finished.

 

[hotrodron]

Glad to see you start this thread. I can't wait to watch the progress. Here's a thought.....

 

[Bonehead]

There you go again, two post with the same picture at nearly the same time, weird.

 

[Gastrick]

There you go again, two post with the same picture at nearly the same time, weird.

That's pretty creepy

 

[sakustoms]

No matter which direction you go in one thing is for sure. This will be one wild rod. The body style on this thing is way cool. Good luck with the build.

 

[maddog]

BiG MOTOR , little car.

Whats that saying? 10 lbs of something in a 5 lb box? How's that go?

Someone we know used to say, "anyone can fix it but it takes a man to cut one up." I guess I am a man now. I cut the center of the hood out to get the motor in for its first mock up. It fits!!

I am getting real close to knowing what the frame is gonna look like.
They're not bomber seats but those chairs are just about right to test for leg and head room. There isnt much of either.

Cowl steering is going to be difficult but it is looking like it can be done.

I have also scored a tunnel ram intake. No I dont need any more power but it will look the part sticking up through the hole I just cut! Did I say I didnt need any more power? Strike that.

 

[maddog]

Anyone heard of Robert Williams? He comes to our friday night cruise and a friend of mine is a friend of his. He brought me this old poster today. Look in the upper left corner and check out what is racing against the 32. I think I will get it signed friday.

The thread on Gassers had some door art today. Thats a great thread. My wife was looking at them with me and blurted out "mighty mouse"

I think she's onto something.

 

[tiny1]

Projects looking great maddog.. Mighty Mouse would be a cool name for it

 

[FlatBroke]

Mighty Mouse is one "BAD DUDE" in my book.

 

[Bonehead]

Looking at the mock up, I think the red wheels may be to small, ( and 4 is excessive) but the seats look much more comfortable than a concrete block.

Really, the build is going great. It looks like you have found the direction you want. And "Mighty Mouse" is very good!

 

[maddog]

Anyone heard of Robert Williams? He comes to our friday night cruise and a friend of mine is a friend of his. He brought me this old poster today. Look in the upper left corner and check out what is racing against the 32. I think I will get it signed friday.

The thread on Gassers had some door art today. Thats a great thread. My wife was looking at them with me and blurted out "mighty mouse"

I think she's onto something.

Uh, sorry, thats upper right corner. I'm dyslexic... and I cant spell.

 

[Gastrick]

I've heard of Robert Williams Maddog. I have some of his art hanging on the wall. Doesn't he also claim to have coined the term "rat rod"?

Your mock up looks good. That, along with all the Topos in the gasser/altered thread should have you pretty fired up.

 

[maddog]

Thanks Gastrick.
Dont know about the term "ratrod" but I'll ask him.

Yeah, that Gasser thread has got me all jacked up. I am posting pics on the shop walls now. Its gonna have an effect on the whole project. Still going mostly low and long though.

 

[35Mastr]

It looks like you got it planned.I would just keep that front axle just under the hood.(IMO)

 

[maddog]

It looks like you got it planned.I would just keep that front axle just under the hood.(IMO)

Ya know, there is a big part of me that wants the front axle just under the nose. That would be a good look. The problem I am having with that is I would have to raise the body up a few inches for the room for tha axle. Once that happens, I might as well just call it a altered and put a chute on it. I am trying to create a street machine that makes you think Drag car... sort of, but its not.

Also the wheel base would be seriously short. I dont realy want to extend the nose of the body.

Any thoughts? ideas?

 

[maddog]

I've been busy but I found time to begin to fix the body. I am making a kind of fixture that will be squared so I can install it into the bottom plane of the body and pull and push things into alignment. With that complete I can put a simple framework into the perimiter of the body for some stregnth.

The back half of the door hinges ( stock suicide doors) were missing. They dont make them and nobody on the planet has them, not even in Europe. Everybody in the Fiat Topolino world I have contacted is also looking for them.

So, I'll have to make them. I found some 7mm bolts in my metric bolt box (dont tell anybody that they are metric - shhhh )that were the correct size for the existing half of the hinge. I made the ferruls on the lathe and fabed the strap with tapped holes in them to bolt into the body. Now all I have to do is connect the pieces . That should be fun.
Not too bad really, with the doors in the jamb it shouldnt be too hard.

Believe it or not, missing these hinges has complicated my process with the body. I will be glad to have swinging doors.

I also found inner and outer rocker and door pieces. Can you believe it? Repops!! I was supprised. I will be getting the door pieces but fixing the rockers myself.

Thats all for now.

 

[donsrods]

Very smart way to make the hinges Maddog. Bet the doors don't weigh a lot anyway, but yours look strong. Glad to see you moving ahead with this thing, all of us have been anticipating how it will end up.

Don

 

[maddog]

Very smart way to make the hinges Maddog. Bet the doors don't weigh a lot anyway, but yours look strong. Glad to see you moving ahead with this thing, all of us have been anticipating how it will end up.

Don

Thanks, you wouldnt know it from that picture (upsidedown) but I bet it ends up right side up!

I'm still going back and forth on which way to go, rat or traditional. I like both. So in the mean while I am just doing the things that have to get done either way and collecting parts. Something tells me that the parts I come up with will have some to do with what it looks like. I am not in a position to dump endless amounts of money into this. I'm happier with working with what I have and can get with little money. Big money changes the whole scope of the project. I did the big money thing once with a 40' boat, and will never do that again. I'll bet you know what I'm talking about having worked in a boatyard.

 

[onemintcaddy]

No more boats,,,

 

[Bonehead]

Great looking work! Less sleep... More work! Go,Go,GO!