[DeTomaso] NPC: 850 Fiat Spider driving impressions

gow2 at rc-tech.net gow2 at rc-tech.net
Sun Jun 9 13:19:18 EDT 2013


Thanks Bill,

The engine in my car is a 3.4l GM crate engine Based on the 2.8l. The
advantage is the 60 degree V6 allows the headers inside the frame rails.
There are a lot of guys doing these conversions. They are common enough
they are pretty sorted out. Here are 3:

http://www.classicconversionseng.com/

http://www.britishcarconversions.com/

http://www.bradleyrestoration.com/british_car_conversions/



> Gary, I am probably the only Pantera owner on this forum who is not a
> mechanic - and I am constantly amazed at what you boys do with your cars.
> Your MG looks great.   One of our cars that we owned as our only car in
> college was a MG Midget.  There's lots of memories of our youth, but boy
> the crazy things that we did!!  I'll bet you get lots of looks when you
> leave lights in your car - what is the engine?  Your great picture looks ,
> well, uh great!!   Gives me an idea for a picture of my Pantera next fall.
>  --BILL Lewis
>
>> Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2013 10:15:41 -0500
>> From: gow2 at rc-tech.net
>> To: JDeRyke at aol.com
>> CC: detomaso at poca.com
>> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] NPC: 850 Fiat Spider driving impressions
>>
>> 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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