1800 head conversion with Weber 40?

[thechadzone]

Maybe I should put the pipe down here, but I've been wondering if my upgrade from the 2 liter head previously attached to my 2 liter engine to the 1800 head, and exhaust manifold is sufficient to take advantage of a Weber 40, or should I go for the mild cam first? Mr Croft says that running the Lancia Gamma's Weber 36, or 38 ADL along with the 2 liter engine and 1800 head conversion gives excellent results. I just happen to have a Weber IDF 40 setting around, and I'm curious. I'm currently running the Weber 34 DAT.

I'm obviously also curious about the Weber ADL option, and I'm wondering about its accelerator linkage and water choke for use with my '69's solid accelerator linkage and manual choke. What parts/ part numbers would I need to do the needed conversion?

Speaking to the thread about "fast" Fiats, I've had my 1969 Spider AS up to 110 MPH on I-5, and though I could smell the increase in temperature, it didn't feel like it was going to explode... It also seems to do much better on the top end with its top up!

Thanks to each of you for your contributions to the site. I'm a novice mechanic, and I don't have any friends who are into Fiats.

[mbouse]

with a few more posts, and interaction with us on some non-technical topics - - - you could call us your friends with Fiats !!!

i am all for taking these types of conversions a step at a time. get to enjoy each mod on its own for the full value it brings to your project. (run with just the head change for a few months to truly feel how it changed your performance).

and, don't forget.....with more "go" you are gonna need more STOPability. seriously consider enhancing your brakes BEFORE you need the extra stopping power, not after.

[thechadzone]

Thanks man! My '69 is under cover today because of the relentless spring break rain that I'm seeing ouside the window of the U of Oregon library window. I miss the car.

I killed its 1.8 liter engine last Fall, and I spent a thousand dollars between the purchasing, and swapping of engines. I have no place to do such a thing, so I paid a local shop five hundred dollars to do the swap, which included the installation of the 1.8 head, carb, carb intake, and exhaust manifold onto the newly sourced '80 two liter block. The install of the two liter required the radiator fan to be relocated to the other side of the radiator, reversing the direction of the fan, and though it's holding temp for now, I think the Summer will make it run a bit hot.

The difference between the two engines was exciting, and the free flowing Monza twin tip exhaust that I had put on it at the same has a bitchin' growling sound that's helped out by the K&N style filter on the carb. It's easy enough to break the tires loose off the line, and it drifts predictably around corners. The combination of the downshift that kicks in the exhaust note, the sawing motion made to the steering wheel, and shifting into third gear after drifting around a 90 degree turn is really satisfying... I don't abuse the car, but I drive it pretty hard for a street car.


It's old enough to have the chrome gauges with the actual teak wood dash pieces, and it came to me with a set of Fiat Roosevelt alloy wheels (same as American Racing "Libre" wheels) that were an option from the factory in 1969. I've since replaced them with a set of BMW 3 Series factory alloys from a 1984 BMW 325i. The two front wheels had to have their hub space machined out just a bit, but it was worth the effort and expense. They look a lot like factory Abarth wheels when put into Fiat context! I furthered this by pasting Abarth logo wheel center caps over top of the bmw logo on the center caps.

I removed the bumpers, and sold them to finance the repair of SO many things. I don't like the way even the early bumpers interrupt the lines of the car, and I'm a poor student... (I did save the factory wheels, and I have them on my '69 850 Sport Coupe project that is slowly being completed in the public parking garage that it lives in. $37/mo.)

I have about a thousand miles on the latest twin cam, (presumably the third one to be installed in this car) and while it's an improvement from its predecessor, I'd like it to accelerate a bit faster, and rev up a bit sooner. Seems to me that a hotter carb, and lightened flywheel are next, but I really appreciate Forum input on which parts offer how much at what price.

If someone could tell me here, or in my email how to post a pic I'm flattered to show one or two of my car(s)

Thanks!

Chad

[So Cal Mark]

to post a pic, first you need to put the photo in a sharing site like photobucket or shutterfly. Then copy the url or img code, and insert it after clicking on the img button above this box.

[124cso]

My brother had (bought new) 72 1608cc with twin downdraft webbers ( european specs 9.8:1? ) and as stock standard ex factory on 98 octane leaded, it would run to 125 Mph or 200Kph if you like, but only with a hardtop.
Perhaps it was an exceptionally good one ? Perhaps the fact that he ran it to over 100Mph the day he picked it up ( with 50 miles on the clock) and it got used to it ? ? but it would outrun most things on the road back then.
I remember him having a go with a 350 chev, and no, the chev could not handle it and was left behind. You could tell he was trying, just by the look we got as we passed him.