Fiata drive-train swap?

[70spider]

I am always contemplating weird stuff to do with cars. So with the new "fiata"'s drive train being a borrowed powerplant from the Abarth 500, I was wondering if it would be a good candidate for a swap? This way we could get the great looks of our Spiders with the modern day performance, and every day drivability of the new. A win win if you ask me .
Plus a good salvaged Abarth 500 engine is less than $1500
Any thoughts from those who would know if this is possible would be great.

[fiatfactory]

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[toplessexpat]

Looked at this last year. The 500's engine appears to be REALLY particular about having all the bits attached to it that it was designed for, so you'd need to bring over literally everything from the 500 and couldn't strip it back. That's non trivial.

[70spider]

So the best option would to find the engine, tranny, and all the bits from the new 124 and still it would be a large headache, well it was a thought. Sometimes I do miss my old American iron when it comes to swapping engines, my old Ford came with a straight 6 all the way to a 427.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Engine swaps with modern EFI systems do require that you bring over all of the electronics. The magic that means you can get 160hp from a 1.4T engine is in the electronics. And there are people in europe getting more than 250hp out of the 1.4T multiair with aftermarket tuning.

Sometimes you can do just the engine electronics but not always. I've lusted for a diesel engine to put in my '94 land cruiser, but the transmission control unit depends on talking to the engine control unit. This adds the necessity of replacing the transmission control unit with a compushift ($$$), finding a way to feed the TCU the signals it wants without the ECU (hard on the brain), or retrograding to the non-electronic version of the transmission.

The 1.4 multiair may or may not want to talk to it's own transmission.

fwiw as i understand it, it's the variation of the engine found in the 500L, not the one in the 500 Abarth. Though they are really similar.

As someone else mentioned, the 500L and Abarth are front wheel drive. You can't use that transmission in an RWD vehicle. Unless you want to put the engine in the back, which is how the 1st generation Toyota MR2 was built. They even had tie rods in the back.

The transmission from the nuovo 124 probably won't fit right. My guess is that the shifter would be way under the console. If you look at the under-hood pictures that Jalopnik got (without permission, after being told they are not allowed!), the firewall actually curves in toward the dash to let the engine sit further back. The geometry just isn't going to work.

And then there is the gear ratio in the rear end, which i am given to believe is rather tall in the nuovo 124, though i don't recall where i got that information.

[ScoopMan]

Screw it, just drop an LS in that bee-otch.

[divace73]

As someone else mentioned, the 500L and Abarth are front wheel drive. You can't use that transmission in an RWD vehicle. Unless you want to put the engine in the back, which is how the 1st generation Toyota MR2 was built. They even had tie rods in the back.
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I believe the The MR2 was inspired by the Fiat X1/9

[toplessexpat]

...... there was that LS1 powered, Camaro transmissioned franken-spider hanging about. Claimed 180mph+. Assume I'd need a new life insurance policy to drive.

[v6spider]

At over 300hp.. This is all you need...

Happy Turkey Day!
Rob

[80spiddy]

That looks sweet! I'm sure it needs a beefy drivetrain to handle that without ripping it all up!

[v6spider]

That looks sweet! I'm sure it needs a beefy drivetrain to handle that without ripping it all up!

The engine is a Chevy 4.3L V6... transmission is a 5 speed from an 85 camaro.. Rear end is out of an 84 Mazda rx7 GSL and is a limited slip unit with 3.90:1 gear ratio..

Rob

[TimpanogosSlim]

As someone else mentioned, the 500L and Abarth are front wheel drive. You can't use that transmission in an RWD vehicle. Unless you want to put the engine in the back, which is how the 1st generation Toyota MR2 was built. They even had tie rods in the back.
.

I believe the The MR2 was inspired by the Fiat X1/9

Sure, but the 1st gen MR2 literally had a Corolla front end in the back.

[Redline]

And the X1/9 mostly had a 128 front end in the back. Also, at the time the MR2 came out, the 4AGE wasn't used in a transverse application yet, only north-south. So the X1/9 was actually closer to its "donor" car than the MR2.