First, removing the factory hoops. Under the factory thick plastic the stock bar is very thin, about an inch.
Head Mechanic Rocky removing stock roll protection which, fortunately, is bolt-in item. Stock bar is made to help you live through a low speed event. What does that mean? It means you get hit in an intersection and flip when the SUV pushes you into the curb and your Fiat flops over and traps you under. Do NOT depend on stock protection for track days, most smart track day groups will NOT allow the weak stock hoops on track and nobody should be dumb enough to depend on them for protection at track speeds. More pics when finished in a few hours!
I understand why you are asking, but do not see that happening unless we come up with additional reasons to do it, like greater capacity, better baffling, more integrated cooling fins, etc.
Both versions of factory wind blocker below (soft top version and RF). Seat back angle goes back one click more than before without the plastic covers being present, nice additional comfort for us tall guys to be able to lean it back an extra click. Similarly, clearance to soft top edge just a bit more, avoids the warranty top fabric rub issues some have had.
Getting a lot of requests from you guys for more ride along videos with our exhaust system.....here you go!
Got a gentleman from Canada passing through San Diego and stopping in for ride on Friday. YES, when in town please feel free to stop over for a ride....just email me first so I know you are coming and can be sure to bring the Fiat to work that day instead of one of the Miata projects.
Brian, I'll be upgrading the downpipe with the bigger turbo install, just wondering if 2.5" diameter for the cross pipe is the largest you can go for a manual trans? I would ultimately like to keep it a 3" system all the way from the down pipe but see the crosspipe as a possible bottle neck.
I am not one to ever say anything is impossible, but 3 inches is going to take a lot of creative engineering, we used all the space for 2.5, and for automatic we had to drop to 2.25 on the Crosspipe because that trans is bigger. So, I am going to say that 2.5 is largest you can fit with manual trans without changing other bits around it.
Anyway, we do not do one-offs, costs of made in the USA are such we need to do big batch production for economies of scale. Bottom line is we need to make 100 units of everything as our MINIMUM, only way to get numbers to work with the quality we want to offer, all 304 Stainless, lifetime warranty, etc.
Having a blast today in our Fiat 124, showing off our Wheels, Brakes, Exhaust, Ohlins, RollBar, etc. Customer dropped in for visit from Canada to ride in our Project Fiat 124. He tells me that he weighed his Abarth 17x7 stock wheels at 22 pounds each. And nearly a foot of balance strip weights in each wheel...OUCH. He got to see these in person and is looking forward to dropping 7 pounds of unsprung weight per corner. He owned an NC Gen Miata with our Complete RoadsterSport NC Exhaust system and wanted to hear our Fiat system, and loved it.
ROLL BAR Install finished this week on our Project Fiat 124 and had to see it paired up for first time today with 6UL 14.8 Pound TUNGSTEN 17x8 wheels. Got stoplight compliments twice today, and another guy approvingly asking: "What Car is THAT?"
Car Magazine doing a track day shootout using our Fiat 124 and our ND Miata!
Both are prepared to essentially SCCA STR specs. Original plan was autocross day, which we have done a few times between our own team of drivers here (picture below from recent Autocross event). Now the plan is a track day, dedicated sessions with just these two great toys on track, drivers taking turns in each seeking fastest lap time, etc. Setting the cars up as equal as we can. That means same Ohlins Coilovers, same roll bar upgrade, same spring rates, same sway bars, same wheels, same tires, both cars with full exhaust systems, both cars with ECU reflash, etc. Excited, details when we get closer to event.
Great weekend of Fiata vs Miata Battle at Willow Springs Raceway!
It is shaping up to be an epic battle between these cars, they share the strength of a great chassis and yet each flavor has strengths and weaknesses. Ryan Passey and I took turns with each car and matched times in the Fiat which was just a tick ahead of the Miata on this day, but the tires on the Fiat were more fresh...the one flaw in our testing on this day which was more about making sure the cars are each well balanced and ready for Grassroots MotorSports Magazine to do a shootout on fresh Rival 1.5 tires in two weeks!
Cars were otherwise as identical as we could make them. Our Ohlins coilovers with springs rates 9kg front, 5kg rear on both, our Progress Sway bars on both, our 17x9 6UL wheels on both, Rival S 245/40 tires on both. Each car sporting our full exhaust systems. Fiat has our highflow 2.5 inch Crosspipe and Midpipe, muffler delete....plus prototype highflow converter. Miata has our longtube race header and one of our 2.5 inch highflow mufflers. Heights are the same, alignments are the same, etc. Miata has a tuned ECU, Fiat has Madness piggyback. Same Blackbird upgraded roll protection in each, same Good-Win decals (good for 5hp. :wink: )
Despite the extraordinary efforts to match the setups.... the feel is still very different, and not talking about just the motors. The extra half a foot of length beyond the wheelbase front and rear of the Fiat and the extra weight of the fiat in the nose means the polar moment is not as low...and you feel the difference when you jump from seat of one to the other. But turbo thrust out of the corners also obvious...and helpful to rotate the car into the front straight, etc Two weeks to wait for the shootout on equal tires!
On Track Pics Courtesy CaliPhotography. Skidpad pic by Brian Goodwin
I for one am really looking forward to this, Brian. Both are well set up so it is an interesting comparison. Is there a reason you went with a piggy back vs. a tune on the fiat?
Regading your exhaust, is it common to see any codes afterwards? A few of us have reported getting a CEL after install (P2096 Post Catalyst Fuel Trim System Too Lean Bank 1). In my case it surfaced a few hundred miles down the road. I've cleared it and it runs fine so will monitor and hope it doesn't surface again. Thoughts?
Will eventually move our Fiat to fully tuned ECU when choice is available that meets all our needs (I have talked with both Greg of EC and Madness about what we want). In the meantime, the Madness piggy is working well, view latest Dyno info in our forum thread HERE. We ran all day yesterday harder than any street user will ever use the Fiat 124 and had no codes. I am actually a bit surprised, expected the prototype highflow cat would give us a code from second O2 sensor. Curious that you say that you had 'too lean bank 1', have not seen that code on our Fiat and we know our car actually runs a bit rich currently, and has for a while. I bet we are the only folks with multiple additional wideband O2s in the car. I will post a pic later of trick quick bracket Ryan Passey did for our Fiat 124 to mount the AEM Failsafe where it is easy for viewing. Anyway, our car currently running AFR that averages about 11.5 under full boost. That means some power still on the table for that future full ECU reflash to get us.
Greetings!
So my '18 Abarth is a month old now and I just got the Stage 1 kit from Madness installed (MaxPower ECM and GoPedal) and I love the increase in power, but its made me want more. So last night I ordered the GWR complete exhaust, EC V4 intake, DV+, Tork BOA, Turbo blanket, 4C coils...
Hi All ,
I posted this in the Motorsport discussion however I’ll save that thread for actual track days and results :) . The build itself I’ll update here .
Few changes in store for the year . Decided to purchse a white manual abarth to build vs the classica . Parts have started to come in...
I got tired of driving my 10' 6" Sprinter every day and wanted a daily driver.
I have had half a dozen miatas, to include a V8 one i built, that later was the first V8 exocet out there, a RHD, and some stuff in between.
I hate the new miata rear end, and love the fiat styling, so here I am...
Hey guys. Just wanted to give the community an update on my build progress so far. I have installed:
Cravenspeed shift knob
Brisk sparkplugs
500Madness MAXFire Hi-performance coil packs
Forge Wastegate (green spring)
Eurocompulsion FMIC
Cravenspeed door bushings
Unfortunately, my V2 intake...
We invite you to join the largest Fiat 124 Spider forum community & owner’s club! Here you can discuss Abarth, turbo & tuning, service, specs, maintenance plus more!
