autox19
True Classic
hands dirty? I see gloves there. so hands are probably clean. LOL looks great!!!
Odie
500 Abarth 1.4 Turbo swap.
- Thread starter Mike Schofield
- Start date
Odie
Mike Schofield
True Classic
LOL!!! Busted!!!
Mike Schofield
True Classic
As the right engine mount is completed, work commences on the lower dog bone mount. This mount has not been fabricated yet so templates will be used to cut the pieces and another jig is used for proper alignment. How Tony keeps track of everything, I’ll never know. Suffice it to say, this man has left very little to chance in this build.
Mike Schofield
True Classic
Finished mount. 
Mike Schofield
True Classic
So, cautionary tale! When changing a water pump on a 2014 venza be very careful when lifting the engine using the oil pan. 
Fortunately, changing the pan is a pretty straightforward procedure unlike changing the water pump. This only took Tony and I a couple hours allowing us to work on my car for a bit. Pictures will show modifications to the fuel tank for clearance and welding of a firewall piece to the existing spot. Disclaimer, I am not a welder! Lol! Had to grind a couple high welds.
Fortunately, changing the pan is a pretty straightforward procedure unlike changing the water pump. This only took Tony and I a couple hours allowing us to work on my car for a bit. Pictures will show modifications to the fuel tank for clearance and welding of a firewall piece to the existing spot. Disclaimer, I am not a welder! Lol! Had to grind a couple high welds.
Mike Schofield
True Classic
Ok, trying to catch up with some of the work Tony has accomplished. First, The access panel to the engine bay from the passenger compartment is fitted which requires some "reconfiguring" of the sheet metal to say the least. Wrestling may be a better descriptive word actually.. Sure you can buy weldable studs but what's the point of owning a lathe if you're not going to use it?!? These studs are of course welded into place to allow the removal of this panel for access to the back side of the engine for service and oil changes. (same as the old panel but bigger, better, prettier.) The AC compressor in Bob Martin's car (#002) was unfortunately destroyed by contamination. A flush was performed but to no avail. A suction screen should prevent this from happening to mine. My car was not an AC car and frankly, in the summer in Ontario Canada it doesn't get unbearably hot. (in my opinion) Nothing that removing the top won't cure anyway. The AC will instead be used to cool the intercooler instead of water. Yes, more custom fabrication.
Mike Schofield
True Classic
Next comes the intake box. This is something that I absolutely love. So much thought was put into this part and it shows. By placing the filter box on the other side of the firewall we're able to grab much cooler air. Adding an inlet in the side of the box which goes through to the scoop on the outside of the car is genius. Unfortunately, when the box was initially made it was based off of the box that was made for Bob's car and was a little too big for this build. Every build Tony has made has had slight differences as he has allowed both Bob and I to request different things. So, a pivot and onward! Enjoy!
tigeravg
True Classic
I know it's just a personal opinion, but I love the fact you are keeping it all Fiat. Like a heart transplant coming from someone in your very own family. "Protect the brand..."
BTW, I also fab'd and installed the same metal panels (adjacent the side air ducts) in my current build. Cardboard originals were crap, and a production mystery to me.
Good job so far, Mike. Looking forward to more posts.
BTW, I also fab'd and installed the same metal panels (adjacent the side air ducts) in my current build. Cardboard originals were crap, and a production mystery to me.
Good job so far, Mike. Looking forward to more posts.
Mike Schofield
True Classic
Yes! Although the Honda K swap is very cool I do have pride in knowing my car is "pure". It's also nice to see that the abarth swaps are starting to gain popularity.
Yes, very flimsy. Kind've like the material used behind the thin sheet metal in the exhaust area. Nasty stuff.
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Mike Schofield
True Classic
Here's a couple more pictures of the progress on the air filter box and side panel with some more metal added for stiffness.
Mike Schofield
True Classic
More work is completed on the removable firewall access panel including a "handy" little handle. 
Getting a good fit can take some finessing...Time spent on these seemingly small details make all the difference when it comes to finishes. More work on the intake piping as well..
Getting a good fit can take some finessing...Time spent on these seemingly small details make all the difference when it comes to finishes. More work on the intake piping as well..
Mike Schofield
True Classic
The fuel tank has already had some "alterations" to the shape of it but is in need of some desperate TLC. This car is originally from Pennsylvania and spent most of its life resting in a garage. This explains the overall good shape of the body. Unfortunately, The fuel tank suffered. Lots of scale build up. To remove the "sock" filter a hole saw was used and as you can see, nasty! Tony has turned a stainless steel flange to accommodate a Mercedes removable filter. I will perform a por-15 fuel tank treatment. once complete, I'll post the results.
Mike Schofield
True Classic
Next comes a very exciting part of the process indeed. The engine which has been living in the test body is now removed and placed on a pinned cart to allow for easy installment into the road car. The "brains" of this build live in a beautifully constructed box which fits where the previous access panel through the trunk was. This box was hand made and in this third variant of Tony K's builds is fully removable. This is not a permanent mating of the road car and engine as the engine compartment will need to be sandblasted and painted for longevity and aesthetics. All of that hard work leading up to this point is worth it as the engine slides right into place like a glove.
Very satisfying. Although it looks like work is coming to an end, there is still much that is required to make this car look and feel like it just rolled off the production line.
Very satisfying. Although it looks like work is coming to an end, there is still much that is required to make this car look and feel like it just rolled off the production line.
kmead
Old enough to know better
Congrats to you both!
Stealthmagic27
Daily Driver
Nice work guys, good to see the progress!
Coupefan
True Classic
I look in on this project every 3-4 months to see how it’s progressing. I get an anxiety attack every time over the amount of fabrication. I can say the total run time on my MIG is probably equivalent to the time spent on just ONE of your fabricated creations. Just incredible. Looking forward to its completion.
Mike Schofield
True Classic
Here's some more images looking into interference issues. There are 3 items of concern that will be looked into. The exhaust is mounted as well. No need for a muffler as the turbo and downpipe sufficiently dampen noise but leave a beautiful grunt. A simple section will be fabbed up to exit out the rear cutout later.
