1957 Fiat Other

902 cc race prepared

4 speed

363350

Clear

Gas

1957 Fiat 600 Abarth InspiredHISTORY- PROVENANCE: Here we have a very well prepared 1957 Fiat 600 which clearly demonstrates its Abarth inspired design and build. This car was originally a California vintage racer, SCCA, VARA, SWMS and Pro Auto which was then bought by a couple in New Mexico in 2006 who did a full race build to prepare the car for the longest endurance race in the northern hemisphere, La Carrera Panamericana. La Carrera is a 2000 mile road race which runs the length of Mexico starting in Oaxaca way down south and then finishing near the US/Mexico border in Nuevo Laredo seven days later. The race course has thousands of turns through 10,000 ft of elevation changes and thousands of shifts. Can you imagine a 2000 mile long hillclimb? This 50 year old Fiat (affectionately called the Mouse by its former owners who raced the car in the Carrera) had the smallest engine displacement of 90 starters. The race marshals required the Mouse to start dead last even though it ran good pre-race qualifying runs, because the Mouse with 903 cc and 70 hp was up against Unlimited class cars with engines of 500- 700 hp. They were concerned that the Mouse would present a road hazard to the muscle cars. The car was so well prepared that it never failed to get to any checkpoint starts for the timed race stages day after day and mile after mile. Even though they started dead last in a field of 90 plus cars the Fiat finished 54th overall at the end of the seventh day and more than 2000 miles of racing! How's that for reliability? This means that they PASSED 35 racing cars, usually during the mountainous, curvy stretches of the race! Not bad for a 50 year old, 1100 lb car with less horsepower than most motorcycles! Have a look at the Blog, santafecarrera.blogspot.com, Fiat Out Across Mexico. the racing couple kept online. The Fiat won the popular peoples award and was one of the few Carrera cars featured in the Automovil Magazine. It was also featured in the book, La Carrera Panamericana - The World's Greatest Road Race! written by John Tippler. There is a YouTube clip of the car racing in the 2007 Carrera. Go to YouTube.com and type in "La Carrera Panamericana 2007 Fiat" to watch and hear a short clip of the car at full song screaming down hill. The car was completely gone through after finishing the 2007 Carrera and sold in the spring of 2010. I recently purchased the car with the dream of bringing it back for another Carrera but it is not to be. I am relocating back to the east coast and will not be able to realize the race in Mexico. The car is in Denver Colorado and is waiting for a new owner. This Fiat has very good bones and has remarkable provenance that other Fiat Abarth inspired cars can only imagine. So let's get down to the specifications: DESCRIPTION: This is a truly one of a kind vintage turnkey race car in great condition which is very streetable - licensed and titled. It is set up for vintage racing, road racing, road rallies or sure to win people's choice at vintage car shows, particularly when you show the 90 minute Carrera racing video taken through the Fiat’s windshield during the 2007 Panamericana. Of course the winning bidder will get the DVD racing footage shot through the windshield of the Mouse with great engine audio and that sweet, free-flowing exhaust sound made by the little engine that clearly demonstrated to competitors and thousands of fans alike that it could! ENGINE: Fiat 903 cc based race engine with .040 piston overbore, head milled to 10:1 compression ratio. Oil pressure is strong 50 psi with no smoke from exhaust. Starts very easy, even when cold. Abarth type cooling system with PBS water pump and two radiators (one front the other rear) with auxiliary electric fan which can be activated from dash. Two barrel carb, custom free flow exhaust with integral silencer. FUEL SYSTEM: Five gallon capacity racing fuel cell with electric fuel pump controlled from dash. Mileage during running of La Carrera was greater than 40 mpg at racing speeds for 2000 miles. So tell your other that you are buying an economy car. It likes higher octane fuel. GEARBOX: Four speed fiat 600D based gearbox with syncros in top three gears, with 9/39 ring and pinion. Shifts well in all gears and topped 170 kilometers/hour during the speed run on the 6th day of the race. That's better than 100 mph. BODY: Has no rust and appears to have not had any rust repairs. Professional full wheel flares and Abarth style front radiator cowling with signature Abarth propped rear deck lid. This mod from Abarth was to improve aerodynamics so 100 mph could be safely achieved. A stock Fiat 600 would struggle to make 62 mph on a gentle downhill stretch. The floor pans and sides are coated with sound proofing material. This is helpful because it has no carpet. Back window and rear side windows are Lexan to reduce weight. CHASSIS: Front Suspension: Original configuration Abarth type reverse racing leaf spring which lowers front end. Rear Suspension: Original configuration with race mods lowering, stiffer springs and Koni shocks. Vintage thirteen inch alloy wheels with 185 tires all around. Slight rear wheel sound appears to be tire related. Tires are worn but still have some miles left on them. Steering: Steering box was rebuilt. All wheels have positive camber dialed in for maximum cornering capability. Italian steering wheel with Abarth horn button. Brakes: Front disks are Fiat 850 and rears are Abarth aluminum finned drums. The brakes work very well and really haul it down. Interior Racing Appointments: Two Corbeau racing seats, two 5 point racing belt harnesses, fully instrumented gauges, rally computer adapted from bicycle speedo works well, fire suppression system, full roll cage with door window webbing, huge Tach with adjustable rev warning light. Driving light switch needs to be replaced, horn works intermittently, water temp gauge indicates higher than it really is and exhaust temp gauge needs to be hooked up. Driver side door lock doesn't lock. Vintage electronic ignition system is installed but not hooked up. Car works great on mechanical distributor powered ignition. This engine will run all day at 7000 rpm according to La Carrera piloto. Race Preparation Documentation: The winning bidder will receive a hard cover binder which contains all the receipts for all the parts, modifications and machine shop work that have been incorporated into this car. Spares: This auction does not include any spare parts. The Legal Stuff and Logistics: This car is advertised locally as well as on eBay which means I reserve the right to stop the auction early if a local buyer comes up with the cash. If you have a genuine interest in purchasing this unique car for your collection contact me via eBay with any questions you may have. This a 55 year old race car so it has NO WARRANTY actual or implied, it is in good mechanical condition and the body is typical racing car condition. The winning bidder is legally obligated to consummate the deal and will need to make a $500 non-refundable deposit via PayPal within 24 hours of the close of the auction or the car will be re-listed. The balance of the bid price to be paid in cash, or bank wire within seven days of auction close and before the car can be picked up or released for shipment with the signed off title. I will coordinate with your shipper but the cost of shipping will be entirely borne by the purchaser. If you are looking for a truly unique vintage racer which is very street-able this could be the one for you. Good luck with your bidding