I'm new here and was surprised by the number of Fiat projects. My father and I built a Fiat 128 sl for SCCA racing between 1975- 1978. After 40 years, I'm rebuilding it for Historic racing. I grew up around sports car racing in the 60's & 70's going to races on the east coast. Lime Rock was our "home track" although we spent a lot of time at Bryar, Thompson, Sebring and Road Atlanta for the run offs. My dads business was aerospace welding and machining and he owned a company in Manchester Connecticut. (He sold it in 1978, but LM Gil welding is still in operation) My dad, Ralph Gilman decided to build a Fiat 128 sl into a C sedan in 1975 because Fiat didn't support racing here in the US and he liked a challenge. The reason for the "Fiat 128 ski" is he was Polish and thought it was funny he would pick an Italian car. (How the whole Poles verses Italians got started I do not know) But he was a very early member of the PRDA (Polish Racing Drivers of America) as Oscar Koveleski is a long time friend of the family. (If you don't know the history of the PRDA, you should look it up, it's pretty funny) The car was very advanced for the time and it was a shame he died of cancer before he really got to race it. He had help from a number of well seasoned professionals in the New England area and I'm chronicling the car and it's restoration on my blog. I though I would post some elements here, but to avoid "too much information" I thought I would leave the more detailed information on the blog, which can be found here: http://diligentdwarves.blogspot.com/
Here is a shot of the Fiat at a Drivers school at Lime Rock in 1977.
Some of the modifications are quite extreme, but where within the rules of SCCA at the time. Now of course you can do all sorts of things to GT-Lites cars, that where not allowed in 1977. Dad helped guys like Roger Penske, Group 44, Bob Sharp with things over the years, so when it came time to build his car he understood a lot about car set up and how to read between the rules and take advantage of things in between the regulations. Something Rodger Penske and Mark Donahue where experts at. The car has 180 feet TIG welded of "roll cage" / chassis, with all of the suspension mounting points having been moved up 3". The engine was lowered 2", giving the car a very low cg. All of the rubber was removed from the suspension and replace with spherical bearings and rod ends. The McPherson coil overs where modified to have adjustable spring seats and Koni made one of a kind strut inserts, since at the time no one made competition inserts for these cars. ACCEL made a one off electronic custom distributor for it as well. Other things include a titanium flywheel, Teflon coated pistons and intake manifold. Dry sump oil, Afla Romero valve train, Girling AR brake calipers on 11" discs (In 13" wheels), custom stainless headers and exhaust, Drive shafts with flame sprayed ceramic seal surfaces so the rubber boots wouldn't wear grooves on the drive shaft and allow oil to escape. Aircraft fasteners where used though out the car. Again, many of these things are not unusual now, but in the 1970's even the top teams like Penske didn't do. Here are a couple of shots of the car as it is today. Media blasted and getting readied for paint.
This is the front suspension. It was industrial chromed and after 40 years of not ideal storage, it needs some love.
The plan is to have it completed by this summer and it will be at the 60th anniversary Lime Rock Historic event in September, the first track this car saw, 40 years ago.