FIAT TOPOLINO----HEATER CORE CHECK

Now for a change of pace!   The top photo is my 1937...yup THIRTY-seven...FIAT Topolino ["Little Mouse"] "EuroRod".  The running gear is almost all 1980 Fiat 124 Spider--2-litre twin cam engine, 5 speed transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes, tilt wheel, and more. Saab parts include a Sonett steering rack, a 900 Turbo aluminum radiator and 99 rear suspension trailing links. Sonett coil springs are fitted on all 4 corners.

The hood/front fenders ass'y is all new fiberglass [and tilts forward as a unit] as are the rear fenders [which do NOT have wheel cut-outs]. The rear fenders are removed by taking out one bolt. The fiberglass center roof section is removed by unsnapping four convertible top over-center clamps.

The heater assembly was pirated from a Fiat 124 Special Sedan. I thought it might be wise to check the heater core and heat control valve for leaks--OUT of the car. This is  the test set-up, using a cooling system pressure tester.

The valve--top left on the core--leakd, so I replaced it. The pressure gauge has 13 psi on it, a pressure that held for 30 minutes. Good to go. One more block checked off.
Oh!  Yes, those ARE suicide doors!

SPECIAL SPEEDOMETER TOOLS--VW

So far in the speedometer reconditioning adventure, I've built close to 50 special tools. Each VDO speedo is enough different that new tools have to be figured out and built as the job progresses.  This is a VW late Beetle [not the NEW Beetle] speedo with the tools required to do the internal reconditioning of the bugger.  There are some more special tools to get the outer chrome ring, glass and inner ring off [these parts are shown laying behind the speedo unit in the photo].

Ahhh...but the formerly grimey, ugly, siezed-up speedo looks and works so GOOD when I'm done with it!