Ride Height

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MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

Ride Height

Postby MrBlimp » Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:53 pm

I already knew about how the US FED dictated ride height adjustments for meeting bumper height requirements with my MGB and Spitfire. I did not know about it for the Fiat Spider. I learned about it in a episode of the TopGear series episode #22 ep 8 . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzWaqMzzDhw

What is the actual spec for the ride height difference?
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
05 Hyundai Accent

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chrisg
Posts: 746
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:30 am
Your car is a: 1971 FIAT

Re: Ride Height

Postby chrisg » Fri Jun 30, 2017 7:43 am

for the last 20+ years I figured the data on that was sketchy but the US market cars (or, any made post 1974 which I thought were basically intended for the US market anyway until '83) of course sit like rally cars. In theory the US model early cars don't have that requirement, but if you look at promotional material for early cars, many look like they've been loaded down with sand bags. General consensus is the aesthetics, handling/lower CG, etc are all better at least an inch lower than how the car sat on the US showroom floor..in some cases, it may be even lower. I'll be interested if you hear a definitive answer, but I'm not holding my breath for it since, of course, we are talking about Italian cars.
Chris Granju
Knoxville, TN
'71 FIAT 124BS (pretty), '72 FIAT 124BC,'76 FIAT 128 Wagon(ratbeast), '85 Bertone X 1/9, '70 124BC (project), 79 X1/9 (hot rod in rehab), '73 124BS (2L, mean), '74 124 Special TC, '73 124CS, '73 124 Familiare

User avatar
MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

Re: Ride Height

Postby MrBlimp » Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:52 am

chrisg wrote: I'll be interested if you hear a definitive answer, but I'm not holding my breath for it since, of course, we are talking about Italian cars.


Not necessarily "definitive" but I just bought Brooklands Books' "FIAT 124 Spider Performance Portfolio 1966 - 1985" and one of the last articles (titled "BUYING Fiat 124 Spider - Undergraduate?" by Mark Dixon, a Brit) states a few interesting items.

One being that these cars were just abut never sold on the UK market.

Another, in the 124 Spider History chart is that "1975 - Spider now available only in America after Fiat pulls it from Europe. US marketed cars get ugly, impact-absorbing bumpers and increased rider height.

I also found a web site that shows a 1" increase around that same year.
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
05 Hyundai Accent

User avatar
chrisg
Posts: 746
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:30 am
Your car is a: 1971 FIAT

Re: Ride Height

Postby chrisg » Fri Jul 07, 2017 10:16 am

Indeed. My impression for the last 20 or so years from reading history was that from '75-'83 they were cars that were built & spec'd for the US market , though I presume they could be special ordered anywhere. That is probably one of the reasons I've always gravitated toward the '74-back models for my own long-term ownership (though admittedly, the differences mean much less today once the good cars have likely been vastly rebuilt to a preferable spec anyway).
Chris Granju
Knoxville, TN
'71 FIAT 124BS (pretty), '72 FIAT 124BC,'76 FIAT 128 Wagon(ratbeast), '85 Bertone X 1/9, '70 124BC (project), 79 X1/9 (hot rod in rehab), '73 124BS (2L, mean), '74 124 Special TC, '73 124CS, '73 124 Familiare

User avatar
MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

Re: Ride Height

Postby MrBlimp » Mon Jul 10, 2017 11:05 am

I just finished reading John Tipler's "FIAT & ABARTH 124 SIPDER & COUPE" in which he also discusses the ride height only it sounded more like he was claiming that the Abarth cars lowered the ride height from the original spec.

Regardless, he clearly states that a handling improvement can be had by lowering the suspension.
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
05 Hyundai Accent

User avatar
chrisg
Posts: 746
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:30 am
Your car is a: 1971 FIAT

Re: Ride Height

Postby chrisg » Mon Jul 10, 2017 11:16 am

I would expect the CSAs could have a stock or even raised ride height for rally racing. Whatever the case, definitely if you want to enjoy the good handling characteristics of a 124, you would be best served to at least slightly lower the center of gravity!
Chris Granju
Knoxville, TN
'71 FIAT 124BS (pretty), '72 FIAT 124BC,'76 FIAT 128 Wagon(ratbeast), '85 Bertone X 1/9, '70 124BC (project), 79 X1/9 (hot rod in rehab), '73 124BS (2L, mean), '74 124 Special TC, '73 124CS, '73 124 Familiare

User avatar
MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

Re: Ride Height

Postby MrBlimp » Mon Jul 10, 2017 1:45 pm

chrisg wrote:......if you want to enjoy the good handling characteristics of a 124, you would be best served to at least slightly lower the center of gravity!


First will be replacing the seats - the ones that came in the car place the driver like 4" higher.

I just have to pull the trigger spending the money to buy the seat covers set and that's just not in the budget right now.
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
05 Hyundai Accent

User avatar
chrisg
Posts: 746
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:30 am
Your car is a: 1971 FIAT

Re: Ride Height

Postby chrisg » Tue Jul 11, 2017 8:47 am

it will all work out in time. Whether it's the cost or having the time (which for me these days is usually the item in shortest supply), I have to allow my projects their own cadence. I owned my '85 X1/9 (sort of a rescue & still quite far from how i intend it to ultimately be) for about a year finding time here & there to clean up, repair, re-do issues or PO "fixes"/hacks. None of it was terribly difficult nor expensive actually, but i knew that if I approached it in a rush it would seem too much like work & just put bad energy into the whole thing....then one day with the final tweak (in that case, retrofit of a GM one wire alternator conversion) I suddenly had another cool Fiat (Bertone, technically) I could enjoy driving! Have fun. But, yeah, I just meant to expect to lower the CG before you can really experience how the 124 is supposed to feel.
Chris Granju
Knoxville, TN
'71 FIAT 124BS (pretty), '72 FIAT 124BC,'76 FIAT 128 Wagon(ratbeast), '85 Bertone X 1/9, '70 124BC (project), 79 X1/9 (hot rod in rehab), '73 124BS (2L, mean), '74 124 Special TC, '73 124CS, '73 124 Familiare


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