Can we talk 124 Coupe?

[Redline]

Thanks for the description. I had to go look up "Gorilla Glue". Looks like neat stuff (self-expanding PU glue).

[RoyBatty]

Original dash clock was worn out so I got a replacement from Csaba and Ramzi. Installed it with a re-setable circuit breaker on the ground wire so I can disable the clock when not driving the car.

[RoyBatty]

Started into the rust removal process.
I have also replaced all the important rubber parts on the front of the engine along with the water pump.
I installed a new length of vacuum hose between the intake and the brake booster check valve. The engine already ran well enough to drive, but after the hose replacement it is even better. I have started rebuilding the old control arms and rear suspension links from my spider to interchange to this coupe. I plan to remove a coil from all 4 springs as a starting point to get the stance a bit lower.
Got her registered and on the road.

[vandor]

Good work!

[wizard124]

Wow! I think your dash repair looks awesome

[So Cal Mark]

great progress!

[georgeramos]

That looks awesome! Great job Roy, I wish I had half your metalworking skills!

I know it's early but what wheels do you plan to use? IF I was lucky enough to find a coupe i could afford I'd definitely go with stock steelies off the new 500 painted matte silver and retrofit a center cap of some sort like Zonker did. You can see it at this post

http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=23518

or Marks Rotas
or AR's libres
I think with the car lowered this is one period Fiat that would really benefit from 15" wheels.

my 2 cents and then some! Cant wait to follow your progress.

[RoyBatty]

SETBACK

Thanks for the kind words guys,
Geroge, I don't know that I have any metal working skill for you to have half of, but I am soon to be developing them if they are there.
Ummm, Mark? Do you know where I might find a repair panel for the drivers side front fender? Just behind the wheel to the front of the door.

I went out yesterday evening for a shakedown run to check out the work I've done and to allow any other issues to show themselves. The car runs and drives freakin GREAT!
But then, I noticed a little shudder from the drivers side front wheel assy. I stopped when I applied brakes and with this development I decided to turn around and get back home. It acted like a brake issue, but felt like what I remember severely worn ball joints to be like.
So, one mile from the driveway, the left front wheel/tire assy leaves the car, and in the process it moves to the back of the wheel well and shoves all the sheet metal it contacts aft, up and out.
The real mystery is that I had torqued these lug bolts not three weeks ago when I first installed these wheels with the wire basket caps. And while installing them the first thing in my head was to make sure all was properly secured. As the friend I had acquired these wheel and tires from, had just had his left rear come off his car after getting new wheels. He was very lucky and got away with no body damage, but his axle housing did get tweaked. I was able to assemble his rear axles and diff into a housing I had here and he was back on the road in short order.
So anyway, with 45 miles total on the car on these wheels, here's the damage...


I am so sick to my stomach I can't describe it....
By the way, there was NO odd wear on the threads of the lug bolts nor inside the threads of the hub. No indication of the wheel holes working on the lug bolts at all, I was able to jack up the car and install a spare with no issues of bad threads anywhere. Very strange.

[georgeramos]

Ugh. I feel your (stomach) pain just seeing the pics. Thank goodness you are safe. That could have been much worse.

[cormac]

gutted for you as well ...here's to better days

[vandor]

Ouch!
I wonder if a good body man could straighten what is there.

About 20 years ago I lost a left rear wheel, including the spacer and the two studs that hold it!
I had not had the wheel off in months. Weird. Maybe the lugbolts need to be re-torqued after a short drive.

I usually check them before any longer trip or track event.

[perthling]

Makes me wonder if the wheel wasn't balanced properly - I had a rear rim come off my Coupe once. The bolts were tight but the unbalanced wheel created vibrations which loosened the bolts and the wheel let go at 70km/h. Fortunately it ended okay.

[RoyBatty]

Thanks for the sypmathetic replies guys.
Csaba,
I don't think I fit that description, but I am the guy doing the work and I have already hammered to part I cut out back so that I can start refitting it back where it belongs. I had to remove the drivers door so as to realign the aft section of the fender to straighten out the front door gap.
Perthling,
There was no vibration in the car until just before I lost the wheel. I mean like within six miles of the "odd feeling" starting that led to the wheel departure. And trust me I know how vibration can loosen fasteners.
I once had a coworker accidentally shorten his propeller on takeoff in a Mooney E model. A landing gear "malfunction" led to his gear retracting about 5 seconds before he was fully ready to fly. The prop struck the ground and bent the tips forward due to thrust bending loads. He had just enough airspeed to continue the takeoff and climbed to setup an immediate landing approach.
The vibration from his accidental prop diameter adjustment was bad enough that EVERY screw in every access panel had come loose and many of them had fallen out of their holes.
I checked all other lug bolts on the coupe, and the spider while I was at it, and found not a single loose bolt.
And I know, as I said before, that I in fact torqued all of these wheel fasteners. In fact the left front was the first one I did after I lowered the jack.

[RoyBatty]

Progress,
I am not a pro at this, but I am determined to heat, hammer, cut, weld and grind until this panel is back in proper shape.

[djape1977]

you have one rust-free shel there pal!