Fiat Ritmo Abarth

Max_Damage

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1140087

Can't be too many of these left around.

€1,000... yeah right mate.

kadman

Maybe the E1000 car is out of camera shot:D

kadman

carchaeologist

Max_Damage wrote: »

Can't be too many of these left around. .

Hard to value thes kinda cars though,where would you get another?

unkel

It looks rough, but if it is in the condition as described, a grand is a bargain.

I don't get it sometimes. People think 5 grand for a piece of crap Starlet is fine and 1 grand for one of the best hot hatches of all time is silly money?

Max_Damage

unkel wrote: »

I don't get it sometimes. People think 5 grand for a piece of crap Starlet is fine and 1 grand for one of the best hot hatches of all time is silly money?

Usually the 'piece of crap Starlet' isn't falling apart, and has some hope of starting in the morning (or at all)!

unkel

Max_Damage wrote: »

Usually the 'piece of crap Starlet' isn't falling apart, and has some hope of starting in the morning (or at all)!

If all you aspire to in your motoring life is owning a car that's not falling apart and that will start every morning, a Nissan Micra K11 for €500 taxed and NCTd would be your best / cheapest / safest bet tbh.

Max_Damage

Yeah but com'on man, my folks had a Ritmo back in the day, and they said it was single handedly the worst car they ever had. Apart from it falling apart with rust, it was reluctant start in the mornings, the electrics were terrible, and in the end the gearbox went apparently.

I like a bit of a challenge when it comes to cars, just not that big of a challenge!

unkel

Max_Damage wrote: »

my folks had a Ritmo back in the day

The Abarth is not just "a Ritmo"

Don't get me wrong though - I know where you are coming from. All cars rusted terribly in the 70s, including Toyotas. Some cars rusted more than others though and yes the Ritmo (and most other Italian cars made with communist steel) would be right up there in the top 10. In fact the worst condition car I have ever seen driving in this country was a Ritmo with large holes in most panels and belching black smoke.

I have a little theory

Some of the owners of terrible rustbuckets of the 70s (with other reliability issues as you stated) bought jap cars for the first time in the early 80s. Cars that turned out to be far more reliable and did not rust!

Most cars were much more reliable at that stage and no car rusted as much any more, but the benefits were credited by the new jap buyer to jap cars only. And no country in Europe has bought more jap cars ever since

Dades

I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Not least because it would probably fall apart if you did.

carchaeologist

unkel wrote: »

Don't get me wrong though - I know where you are coming from. All cars rusted terribly in the 70s, including Toyotas. Some cars rusted more than others though and yes the Ritmo (and most other Italian cars made with communist steel) would be right up there in the top 10.

I reckon the reason the japs and the italian cars got such a bad rep for rust is because the mechanicals were pretty unburstable(fiats always had good little engines) when compared to some other marques of the time,it just meant that they ran for longer,and usually looked worse than the equivilent british car.

Max_Damage

The poor ol' Alfa Romeo Arna for example got the worst end of the both sticks! But yet, I'd love to have one!

As for the Ritmo, don't get me wrong, I'd love to have one for the novelty, just not drive it everyday!

carchaeologist

Reading down through this has got me thinking,is there a single one left in the country,either imported of irish originally?You never see them at shows or for sale or anywhere at all!?And there was loads around!

Anyone have photos of any?

carchaeologist

Max_Damage wrote: »

The poor ol' Alfa Romeo Arna for example got the worst end of the both sticks! But yet, I'd love to have one!

I have a Handbook from one,thats about as far is il ever get i suppose!!:D

Max_Damage

carchaeologist wrote: »

Reading down through this has got me thinking,is there a single one left in the country,either imported of irish originally?You never see them at shows or for sale or anywhere at all!?And there was loads around!

I spotted an original Irish Ritmo about 2 years ago in the city centre. It was dark red in colour, and in pristine condition. Haven't seen it (or any other one for that matter) since.

carchaeologist

Werent Ritmos sold here in this country untill around 1987/88?I remember an 88 one in a scrapyard near me a few years back,well,im pretty sure it was 88.

BrianD3

The Ritmo was replaced by the Tipo which was late 1988 IIRC. So yeah, you could have had an 88 Ritmo.

The Ritmo in that ad is no ordinary Ritmo, as already stated it is one of the great hot hatches. Who cares if Ritmos rusted and were unreliable when new. If that car gets restored it will be a cherished classic car and these will not issues.

I saw a Mk1 ritmo (a standard model) in a yard near Naas a couple of years ago, have the reg here somewhere. Car was surrrounded with scrap and rubbish. Last time I went by there, it was gone. That was the only mk1 I'd seen in over a decade, i'd say it's very likely there isnt a single roadworthy or near roadworthy mk1 left in teh country. Ther mightn't be any mk2s either.

carchaeologist

BrianD3 wrote: »

.
That was the only mk1 I'd seen in over a decade, i'd say it's very likely there isnt a single roadworthy or near roadworthy mk1 left in teh country. Ther mightn't be any mk2s either.

This is the thing,you never hear about them anymore.

Max_Damage

The one I saw two years ago was a Mk2 by the way.

The last time I saw a Mk1 was around 1998/1999. Haven't seen one in the flesh at all in the 21st century!

Rust or Weld

there is a black strada abarth on octane.ie, italian stallions 87 LH 191 for sale & looks in better nick than that red one & genuine irish car with that reg, cant be an import??

rotorhead

Max_Damage wrote: »

The one I saw two years ago was a Mk2 by the way.

The last time I saw a Mk1 was around 1998/1999. Haven't seen one in the flesh at all in the 21st century!

Mk2 87 Abarth 130TC alive and well. If any has original wheels lying about send me a pm

hi5

This classic car forum is becoming more and more like the main motors forum.
I even saw someone get banned yesterday.
To me classic cars is as much if not more about restoring "pieces of crap" to their former glory than taking Ryanair and returning with someone elses hard graft via Stennaline.
If you dont "get" that abarth then maybe you dont really "get" classic cars and all thats involved either.
That Abarth looks like a good deal.Get yourself a welder and some dollies and hammers and teach yourself something new:p.
You may even add much needed value to the country while your at it.;)

2.8trooper

wouldnt the one in the add not be a strada? wernt ritmos the earlier model with single round headlamps with the novel cutouts in the bonnet for the lamps a much nicer looking car,the strada is the 130 abarth and the earlier ritmo was 105tc which i happen to know of a really clean example for sale track prepared in a museum minus engine and gearbox for a €1000 one hitch its in malta! but it is rhd and a mean looking little car

VanhireBoys

A fellow called Eugene Meegan who has a garage used to rally one in the early 80's ... He still rallies.... That strada was fitted with a double overhead cam 8v 2litre with twin carbs... the same as the 131 mirafiori sport.

My father had one .. from memory it had black trim with red piping and a beautiful 3 spoke steering wheel with the scorpion in the centre..Seats were proper affairs ... It was streets ahead in performance terms of any hatch in that era. It was a real animal to keep in a straight line. The sound it made was proper menacing...

The rust protection wasnt great the gearchange was bad and it was a proper pig to start on a damp morning. You had to heel and toe as you came to junctions in the morning so the engine wouldnt cut out.. If it did it was very easy to flood trying to restart...

with a 130TC there was no grey area... When it was bad it was really bad but when it was good it was absolutely fantastic. Id feckin love to restore that one.... but I have no garage ..

Anan1

The biggest problem with that car (and yes, I do like them) is that you'd have spent the price of a good integrale by the time you got it right. I'd sooner spend €5000 on a really good one. Unless of course you're the kind of person who enjoys rebuilding things.

ronaneire

The 105 & 130TC were replace by the Ritmo Strado from 85 onwards?

VanhireBoys

Anan1 wrote: »

The biggest problem with that car (and yes, I do like them) is that you'd have spent the price of a good integrale by the time you got it right. I'd sooner spend €5000 on a really good one. Unless of course you're the kind of person who enjoys rebuilding things.

I do enjoy it but thats a big project as you say.... Maybe importing from Italy... http://cerca.automobile.it/veicoli/showDetails.html?id=126939369&__lp=1&scopeId=C&sortOption.sortBy=creationTime&sortOption.sortOrder=DESCENDING&makeModelVariant1.makeId=8800&makeModelVariant1.modelId=32&makeModelVariant1.searchInFreetext=false&makeModelVariant2.searchInFreetext=false&makeModelVariant3.searchInFreetext=false&vehicleCategory=Car&segment=Car&ambitCountry=IT&siteId=ITALY&negativeFeatures=EXPORT&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&export=NO_EXPORT&customerIdsAsString=&lang=it&pageNumber=1

Not bad at €2800.. Drive her home .. A big bonus for me would be the LHD for that extra rarity factor...!

I knew that there was a forum http://www.strada130.co.uk/

Whats the first thing said...? Rust....!

ronaneire

VanhireBoys wrote: »

I knew that there was a forum http://www.strada130.co.uk/

Whats the first thing said...? Rust....!

Rust in Peace lol

http://www.strada130.co.uk/gallery/rust_in_peace/index.php

cantdecide

I've actually been fantasizing about buying and restoring that red strada since it went up on done deal. There was another recently that looked much less of a challenge.

I'm in the most annoying position of having the bobs and inclination but no room/ garage. I also have access to some quality FIAT mechanics from back in the day. Ah well...

Take your eyes off her. She's mine!!

carchaeologist

2.8trooper wrote: »

wouldnt the one in the add not be a strada?

Wernt Ritmos for the irish market only and Stadas for elsewhere?

Anan1

LIGHTNING wrote: »

But you cant get Integrales in RHD though.

Ah come on now, if you were that sensible you wouldn't be getting excited about a Ritmo 130TC.;)

Anan1

carchaeologist wrote: »

Wernt Ritmos for the irish market only and Stadas for elsewhere?

I thought Stradas were UK only and all the rest of us had Ritmos?