# Yosemite Fiat 850 Ev-racer Build



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

I am working toward building my Fiat 850 Racer and Spider into electric cars. The Racer is a hard top and the Spider is a convertible. Since I live at 4000 ft up in the Sierra Nevada, around 17 miles south of the border of Yosemite National Park and we get four solid seasons here I will build the hard top first. I may just move the running gear into the convertible and use that for cruising or parades.

Here is the donor Fiat ( F.I.A.T "Fix It Again Tony"). 









It is a cute little thing with a very aerodymamic shape and only 1200 lb weight, I'm told. 

There is a little rust but not much and the body is nearly completely straight. They make light covers to 'sleekify' the head lights. You may notice that it looks a little like the 1969 Ferrari as they were designed by the same guy.

Here is the dash. Lots of cool switches like James Bond would have.









The engine bay is really tiny and ran a 903cc 4 cylinder motor. Normal Fiat 850's ran around 40hp, but this one ran 79hp. I am told it was fast before the previous owner flattened the cam with low oiling. This one had a dual carb, aluminum racing intake and head with valves twice the size of the normal car. Notice the straight out separate tube exhaust. It was a racer at one time before the dark paint. I think it was Ferrari racing orange. That old stuff has got to go. 









This is the front trunk. There is a load of room up here for batteries. The little guy has dual A arm strut front suspension and disk brakes... A big deal for 1970 sports cars. 









I just finished watching all of Gav's videos on Youtube and am enthused. I am selling a lot of classic restorable cars to augment my funds to really get a lot of good stuff for the EVRacer. See the old battery box in there?

I will be slow on this thread, but in making it I now have to get going.


----------



## Bottomfeeder (Jun 13, 2008)

I also would suggest you look at http://www.electric-lemon.com/ for some more inspiration. The website seems to be very iffy lately, but Peter is a very nice guy. He's converting a '79 Fiat Spider. He's almost done with it, and might have it on the road after another weekend or two of work. Since he's a mile from me, I've gone over to help him work on things while I pick his brain about the electric stuff. Anyway, check back at that site until it works again.


----------



## peggus (Feb 18, 2008)

Hey another EV Fiat!

I'm the aforementioned Peter. My website is a bit iffy at the moment as my hosting company is currently moving to a new location. It should be back in a few days.

Good luck with the conversion and feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'll poke my head in occasionally and offer unsolicited advice!


----------



## order99 (Sep 8, 2008)

OOOoooooooohhhh.....pretty! And only 1200 lbs? The batteries might be a tight fit but if you can do that you've got a real keeper there!


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

Bottomfeeder said:


> I also would suggest you look at http://www.electric-lemon.com/ for some more inspiration. The website seems to be very iffy lately, but Peter is a very nice guy. He's converting a '79 Fiat Spider. He's almost done with it, and might have it on the road after another weekend or two of work. Since he's a mile from me, I've gone over to help him work on things while I pick his brain about the electric stuff. Anyway, check back at that site until it works again.


Wow, thanks! Good advice. That is cool to be so close to a build. I have been spreading the EV word up here in the mountains of California and hope to get some of my friends to build too. I have a friend with a non-working Mazda Miata that I am working on.  -Gary


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

peggus said:


> Hey another EV Fiat!
> 
> I'm the aforementioned Peter. My website is a bit iffy at the moment as my hosting company is currently moving to a new location. It should be back in a few days.
> 
> Good luck with the conversion and feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'll poke my head in occasionally and offer unsolicited advice!


Ah ha! A Fiat 124 Spider. That was a great little car with a sturdy body and suspension. Just like mine, with underpowered touchy ICE's. Better to make 'em EV! I'll definitely be in touch.  -Gary


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

You were right on the website... It wouldn't boot up for me. Maybe later Peter.  - Gary


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

order99 said:


> OOOoooooooohhhh.....pretty! And only 1200 lbs? The batteries might be a tight fit but if you can do that you've got a real keeper there!


Actually, there is a lot of room for the lead. The ICE was so small all of the stuff was in the back and there was nothing but the original battery in the front. There is room behind the seats for 5 too. I would like to keep the batteries between the wheels if possible.


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

Yay! $3000 saved, Hopefully will have between $5000 and $6000 to spend soon. I wish I could save enough for the lightweight batteries... 

I am going to move the Fiat EVRacer to my shop this weekend and start tearing it apart. I am still torn... Convertible or Hardtop? I have two and dunno which I want to rebuild. Any input? Except for the convert-top they are the same car and the convert already has the engine out. Hmmmm.


----------



## Bottomfeeder (Jun 13, 2008)

I guess that really depends on the weather you have there. If it gets cold in the mountains, a hardtop might be nice. But, heaters can work wonders. My Spitfire came with a hardtop, and I don't have the pieces for the convertible top, so it seems like my decisions have been made for me. Maybe later I'll get the convertible hardware out of a junk yard, but I'm in no rush. When do you think you'll be able to finish the project? The summer months?


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

Bottomfeeder said:


> I guess that really depends on the weather you have there. If it gets cold in the mountains, a hardtop might be nice. But, heaters can work wonders. My Spitfire came with a hardtop, and I don't have the pieces for the convertible top, so it seems like my decisions have been made for me. Maybe later I'll get the convertible hardware out of a junk yard, but I'm in no rush. When do you think you'll be able to finish the project? The summer months?


I would like to dink away at it under my back carport during this winter. I will hopefully be in a position to do it and have it done by summer 09. I am moderately good on fixing up cars. I may make it a custom! (Lightweight and aerodynamic of course!)


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

Moving the EVRacer into the shop this weekend. Will post pics.


----------



## peggus (Feb 18, 2008)

If it helps, I'd say convert the one that requires the least restoration. Converting a car is no small job, restoring it on top of that doubles your workload. (guess how I know) 


I don't know if you have a coupe or a removable hard top so this may not apply, but. The roof of a car ads structural strength to the car, which can be kind of important when loading it up with lead batteries. So if we're dealing with a coupe here, it would be more suitable for conversion.


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

Yeah, you're right on that top. Point taken. Hard top is moving into the shop.


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

I chatted with a guy who has access to the boneyard for the decommissioned electric cars that were used at Yosemite National Park. He says that there are some good 96V motors sitting in a covered building just collecting dust with a number of controllers, etc. I hope to travel up to the park and get my hands on some of this stuff. EV vehicles have been used in the park for a while and a number of them that have been damaged yet still have good drive trains have been dumped into a storage. Maybe I can get something for my project...

He is trying to build a hybrid using a small diesel powered generator in association with his electric to improve his mileage so he can travel from the southern park entrance to Fresno and back.


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

Couldn't move the car as it poured rain for three days... All weekend. Crummy. 

I met with my friend Mike who has the ties with the Yosemite National Park decomissioned electric car boneyard again. He wants to plan a trip up soon. I will make a list of the stuff that is there when I go and put it on a thread if anything good is there. 

This weekend will be the move time. I have to dig into my restoration lineup. I have to move a 1970 Karmann Ghia, a 1962 Cadillac, a 1982 Chevy Malibu wagon, a 1987 Buick Regal, and a 1986 Pontiac Fiero to get to my two Fiat 850's. 

I have a 4x4 diesel tractor to do the pull work, but it will be a lot of juggling to another park site on my acreage.

I then will put the convertible in the shop first. I will take pics.


----------



## BBrown (Jun 8, 2008)

"Back in the day" (late 60's - early 70's) there was a third party company making a fiberglass removable hardtop for the 850. I had one - cost me nearly as much as I paid for the used car, but worth it.

Also had a 124 spyder. Miss'em both.
You'll enjoy whichever one you go with.
Bob


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

Yeah, I kick myself as I was at a pick a part and saw one around a year ago, and didn't buy it as I didn't know at the time I was going to build this electric car then. Lost opportunity. Boo. 




BBrown said:


> "Back in the day" (late 60's - early 70's) there was a third party company making a fiberglass removable hardtop for the 850. I had one - cost me nearly as much as I paid for the used car, but worth it.
> 
> Also had a 124 spyder. Miss'em both.
> You'll enjoy whichever one you go with.
> Bob


----------



## Gary Sconce (Oct 4, 2008)

My friend Mike is getting the phone number of the Yosemite EV shop person. He also says he has a charger for me in his shop, Ah hope, ah hope, ah hope. 

I got sidetracked last weekend going to an auto auction and spent some of my EV largess. I got a 1969 Camaro Z-28 engine, with new crank, main bearings, pistons and stainless steel valved double hump heads for $100! Kawabunga! I also bought two Ford 302's, a moped, and a 1985 Fiero GT for peanuts too. The Fiero was $50! I got a complete head shop grind set including a valve grinder, porting grinder and seat grinder for $50! I also bought a Lincoln air bumper jack for $50. Wow! 

Back to EVRacer this week.


----------

