Hybernation

Now that the Fića's restoration is finished, all that's left to do is to arrange and execute shipping. However, all is not as seamless as it seems since there exists a slight obstacle, in the form of what you see in the picture above.

Namely, the Fića will wait out the winter (albeit in a garage, unlike the one in the photo) due to the logistical risk the snow presents itself as. When winter is on its last legs, the car will then start its journey to the other side of the globe.

Plus, some companies don't even ship cars during winter anyways...

¡Finito!

After almost a year, my Fića's restoration has finally been completed! It looks even better than it did new... All that's left now is to wait for its arrival and, of course, show you how it turned out. However, instead of showing the finished product outright, I have decided to reveal it a different way.

My Fića now looks like one of the following six, in no particular order:

Option 1: Fića Helicopter
I have converted my car into what you see here on the left. I always wanted to learn how to fly a helicopter, so here's my chance to do it in style.




Option 2: Drag Racer
I have made a drag racer of my car to use for fun on the weekends. There's nothing like blowing away over-pompous muscle car drivers in an Italian micro-car.



Option 3: Fiat Jolly
I have turned my car into this Fiat Jolly. During 1958 - 1966 Fiat sent some 600's to the Ghia design house for conversion. The rich used them to go about on their yachts, and 32 'Jollies' were taxis on the island of Catalina (near L.A.) in the early sixties.


Option 4: Police Car
I have made my car into a police version, siren and all. Wonder if people will slow down and use their turn signals when they see this thing driving their way.




Option 5: Abarth Replica
I have converted my car into the Abarth version (it is to Fiat what AMG is to Mercedes). Parts and info are very abundant for this legendary street-legal racer. Its hood (at the back) is fixed open for better aerodynamics and cooling. And it has a Hemi.


Option 6: Former Glory
I have taken my car and restored it to its original factory specifications. If you're gonna own a piece of history, you should preserve it and keep it original, not mess about with it.




Voice your choice in the comments section!

Flashback

It seems that I forgot to post some pictures back when they came in... Better to include them now than after I reveal the Fića's final form. The following forgotten photos are of the undercarriage before it was treated (and well before the suspension was overhauled).









To see the "after" versions of these pics, click here.

La leyenda del Fitito

Sunrise. A young man is driving on the freeway from Belgrade to Novi Sad when his Fića breaks down. He pulls over on the hard shoulder and decides to call his friend for help. As he rummages through the cabin he realizes he's forgotten his phone at home, so he decides to flag somebody down and ask them for help.

Given the time of day, he'd be looking back at the freeway for a while.

After what seemed like ages, a car became visible on the horizon. He instantly started waving his arms like a madman until he saw what the car was: a newer Mercedes.

"Oh great," he thought, "not only is this guy gonna stop, but he's gonna drive through the adjacent puddle, too!"

How the pieces fit together

Many of the parts in the photos from my previous post have since been mounted on the car; here is what the puzzle pieces looked like before, just to give an idea...

What follows is what has resulted from that big braking and suspension system overhaul that I mentioned earlier (which also looked like the photo above beforehand).

Front axle:

Rear axle:

This is what one of the drum brakes looks like on the inside...

Puzzle pieces

Just to show just how much detailed work has gone into this project, here are some photos of the many renewed (or just new) parts that now form part of my Fića. The pictures contain suspension components, bumpers, wheels, steering components, interior trim, hoses, brakes, and more.

Interesting fact: each of the screws has been individually rust-protected with a special coating containing gold, among other things, that is likely never to rust. They are visible in the last photo.

Click to view the high-res versions.