My last post was looking back at the state of him when he first arrived - definitely in need of more than a little TLC. Well, now he's looking much, much better.
He started first time - a little bit of choke, turned over for a few seconds, then the unmistakable sound of 650ccs chugging away. Everything has started to bed in nicely now - the gearbox is much smoother than it was when it was first fitted, the engine runs smoothly and idles beautifully once it's up to temperature - wonderful stuff.
The body work is in a much better state now - no more holes, no more tired paintwork:
There is now a functioning bonnet catch, which is much better than the "stick a finger in the hole and fiddle about with the mechanism" method previously used, especially if the engine has been running for a while and things have warmed up (ouch!). Yes, that is a GB badge on the back. We've been toying with the idea of taking on a bit of a trip at some point - not this year, but maybe in the future (watch this space, as they say). This year we'll be sticking to the UK!
The front badge is something that did get changed - the sloping 1970's Fiat badge although original just isn't as nice as this one. Maybe if the car had been more original in terms of the running gear, I might have left it as it was. I like this one - it matches the horn button nicely!
It's not only outside that has been improved:
The roof and fittings are rust free now, which is a big improvement. The dashboard was in reasonable shape anyway, but a little cleaning and tidying has helped things along.
The door linings are properly attached now and as you can see, the roof opens perfectly. Just the thing on a sunny day!
All in all it's been a good day - I'm hoping that we're in for a few more sunny weekends so that I can get out in my car!
One final picture - my Little Blue Fiat and his younger brother, my 500 sport in the background. He was getting jealous of all the attention his older brother was getting!
Here's hoping 2013 has it's fair share of good weather!
