[DeTomaso] NPC: 850 Fiat Spider driving impressions

gow2 at rc-tech.net gow2 at rc-tech.net
Sun Jun 9 11:15:41 EDT 2013


I don't think agree with the dangers of a Fiat being different then the
dangers of any other small car on the road which there are 1000 different
ones.

I knew a guy sitting at a stop light in a Ford F250 creamed by a Semi so
size did not help him.

Does not mean that you do not need to be aware of your size and
surroundings albeit small car or motorcycle.

I bought a 1964 MGB many years ago. It sounded great but grandma in her
grocery getter would zip right by. It handled like an Edsel as well. I
eventually parked it putting less then a 100 miles on it. I was either
going to do an engine conversion or sell it. It was not the car I
envisioned when I saw it.

Eventually, I pulled it out of storage, stripped it down, did an engine
conversion, suspension upgrades, 4-wheel disk brakes, tons of other stuff:

http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/mgengout.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/98strippedS.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/engine/e2b.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/paint1/jam4.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/suspension/disk.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/suspension/4wheel.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/engine/en4.jpg

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/mg2/gal/CAI.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/mg2/gal/fall2.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/mg2/gal/fall12.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/mg2/gal/int.jpg

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/mg2/gal/rainb.jpg

The car is a bast! It is not a race car by any means but it is a fantastic
touring car.

Gary





> Sean, I once drove a FIAT 850 about 6 miles. A cute little Italian girl
> where I worked bought a bright red one new in '70, and asked me to take
> her to
> lunch driving her car, and tell her what I thought, as I was known as a
> car
> nut. It was amazing- we took off on a 6 lane city street & I ran 1st gear
> to
> the redline, then 2nd-to-redline, then 3rd.... and we were doing maybe 45
> mph. 4th & 5th seemed to have near-zero acceleration. Loaded inner-city
> delivery vans were passing us on both sides. It handled well and I told
> her so,
> but I also said it really needed more power to commute or handle an
> expressway safely.
>
> A week later, a woman in a Pontiac station wagon ran completely over
> Debbie
> and her FIAT at a boulevard stoplight. DOA at the hospital. Woman said she
> didn't see my friend in her shiny little red roadster. Or the red light.
>
> A FIAT 810 or the 'big' 850 is badly outclassed in today's traffic, as are
> small motorcycles and most scooters. If your plans for the thing include
> commuter or other heavy traffic use, be really, really defensive in your
> driving. Or maybe add a large mirror and a 100 horse nitrous shot so you
> can at
> least avoid the suicidal & the inattentive. The average motorist (I refuse
> to
> call them "drivers") simply pays no attention to anything beyond their
> dashboard anymore. FWIW- J DeRyke
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