Project 3P, Part 7: Eating an Elephant (Fiat 128 3P Restoration)

Don't get me wrong; P3P is, in restoration terms, a mere doddle. It's very almost complete and what few parts I've needed - the front seatbelts, for example - haven't been too hard to source, thanks to the efforts of my mechanic, Steve. Even the nice-to-haves - the Alfa "wineglass" wheels, spring-loaded bonnet prop and replacement front bumper - have almost fallen into my lap as either mates' rates bargains or other reasonably-priced local purchases.

Even so, it does occur to me now, several months into a resto that only requires professional assistance for the mechanical and metalwork side of things, that bringing an old car back to life is a bit like eating an elephant. How am I approaching this mammoth task? One bite at a time!

The front seatbelts certainly weren’t the first chomp of the resto, as regular readers will realise, but they were badly sun-damaged, with faded webbing and stitching that was coming apart, as well as some light surface rust on the buckles. The rears were no better; they had succumbed to moisture that had invaded the cabin and rear passenger footwells, leaving the lower bolts and shackles badly rusted, even though the surrounding bodywork was unaffected by rot. (Another nail in the coffin of the Great Russian Steel Fallacy!)

Steve managed to find an Aussie-based company that was able to rebuild the front seatbelts with their one roof line, one window sill attachment points, using the original hardware. It ended up that they did replace the inertia spools - having initially indicated that they would reuse them - but the savings in labour actually made this a cheaper option, anyway.

I'm yet to receive the invoice for this work. However, if anyone's interested in using the same service, I'll update this post when I know what it all cost and I'll add the company's details then, too.

Mmm. Shiny and New!

The rear belts were a freebie from my mate the Alfa Male (he has Fiats, too). They were in great nick; there was minimal fading, the stitching was sound and there wasn't any rust on any of the hardware.

Eagle-eyed readers might spot that P3P is once again sporting a front bumper - the one I found at The Cache - and that there has been a set of air horns fitted. Both are temporary; they'll stay on for the rego inspection but will come off again, hopefully only briefly, while I give the area behind the grille a tart-up with some fish oil and black paint, as well as polishing the bumper and replacing the horizontal rubber over-rider. More on that later on ... .

Are you a fan of classic, sports and performance vehicles? Do you enjoy car shows and motorsports, especially when there's a bit of Tasmanian scenery thrown in for good measure? Then how about looking about the rest of the Upper Middle Petrol Head site, sharing or subscribing?

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

iPhone images.

EJ or EH Holden? (Up-dated December, 2022)

EJ or the later EH? Several years ago, I posed the question: Can somebody please explain the difference between an EJ and an EH Holden ute or van? The response at the time wasn't overwhelming, so I did a bit of Googling and ferreting through my photos and came up with my own rough guide to EJ and EH identification. Sedans and wagons are easy to tell apart ; the EH's vertical rectangular tail lights are a dead give-away. However, the workhorse versions of both models share the rear-end treatment of the earlier EJ, making it harder to identify one from the other. No super obvious hints here. Or here ... . It turns out that the main clues are in the placement of the front H O L D E N lettering and GMH lion emblems, the style of the radiator grille and the width of the vents in front of the windscreen, with all EJs - sedans, wagons, utes and vans - having one combination and the EH line-up having their own . So what exactly are those diffe

Vick Auto Prima Fiat X1/9 Brakes: An Owner’s Assessment

At the end of 2022, I fitted a set of Vick Autosport Prima front brakes to my mildly worked 1.5 litre Series 1 Fiat X1/9 . I was fortunate, having picked them up at a very, very reasonable price, brand new but surplus to the needs of a fellow X1/9 Australia member who had imported them from the US. The kit included: New single pot callipers , new vented rotors (standard X1/9 front rotors are smaller, non-vented items), DOT approved stainless steel brake hoses, and all the necessary mounting hardware. They are a value proposition, being particularly well priced compared to other manufacturers’ packages - even at RRP - with everyone I’ve spoken to saying they’re made to a high standard, too. Here's a link to a piece that I wrote about them at that time, including some costings: https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-x19-gets-prima-brake-upgrade.html . Initial Assessment: I was a little underwhelmed by the brakes' performance, finding that although they had a tiny

Random # 301: Nanna-Spec KE36 Corolla

Once upon a time - six or seven years ago, actually - there was a lovely pale yellow GC Galant station wagon getting around Hobart. It was totally nanna-spec; its paint was umarked, the chrome work and hubcaps were immaculate, and its very original interior was pristine. Then someone stuck feathers in its dashboard. Next, the windows were adorned with Tibetan prayer flags. And a hubcap went missing. And the the rear bumper was pushed in, mangling the bodywork behind it. And a mudguard got dented. And rust set in. I fear for this sweet, innocent KE36 Corolla. Somebody please save it before it's too late. Nanna needs you to do it. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by GlamRock.

Upper Middle Petrol Head:

Search This Blog