thought i'd stick a couple of pic's up of a couple of reasons why i haven't been on here much lately...









i do want to come back to the coupe fold again but would be in addition to these little uno's.

i'd love my old plus back though.

Get's a thumbs up from me - very cool.

I had a grey one too. Lovely.

Very nice pair there! I had 3 mk Uno Turbo's and would love another now. Your pics remind me of a mk2 turbo I found utterly mint on an M plate with 43k on the clock back in met red in 2005 for a friend of mine who wanted it as a weekend toy...it spent a few months in his garage not being used then his missus 'told' him to sell it. A chap bought it then ruined it with loads of chavvy mods then trashed it completely a few months later. Heart-breaking

Good to see a couple of mk2's alive and well though

I would love one as a daily driver, practical and fun. My mate has one he does track days in, that thing is quick!

wow...

i love the Uno turbo's..

i had a mk1 for a short period of time then got a nice grey Mk2 that was just lovely to drive...

then sold it

still to this day i regret it

Like this one Marco?

oh dear... i need 2k asap.. why did my engien have to go

thanks everyone.
think i've said several times on here how much i like uno turbo's.

anyway i've only had the white one for a few weeks, the grey one a while longer.
the mrs really hates these cars and is trying to make me sell the grey one so it's pleasing to see other people like my old uno's.

the grey one was restored a few years ago but there are still one or two things i need to do to it but the interior is like new.

the white one was i think resprayed by the last owner about 7 or 8 years ago but they have had it for 11 years.
the guy did it up for his mrs and is in really amazing condition.
i do have a couple of rust bubbles to do to it at some point soon. i think the guy only welded one patch on the car and that was it, if i've remembered correctly.

so both really good and super fun, miss not having power steering though but wouldn't change these car's from what they are now well except the brakes (forgot how poor uno turbo brakes are).
best bit these are reasonable on fuel and cheap to insure on classic car insurance and so rare to find.

i will be taking these to the retro show in june with some of the guys and theirs from turbocollective web site so i'm planning on getting plenty of pic's incase i have to sell the grey one.

me too, colour is beautiful

Guys, watch this space for exciting Uno Turbo news!

ooooh sounds interesting, you buying that one off ebay?

i'm going to to be selling my grey now 'cus the mrs has told me to either sell one of my uno's or move out.

did think about moving out though.

Well, I've bought a mk1 Uno Turbo - in bits but the shell is 100% restored & mint plus it came with a HEAP of new OE parts. Will be starting a 'projects' thread in due course but for now some initial piccies:

awesome mate can't wait to see this on the road, i wanted this myself but wasn't aloud any more uno's lol

Looks like Jas is going to be having some fun!

Can I help you Jas??

That looks like fun!!!!

It will indeed be 'fun' at times I'm sure!! All help gratefully received

Thinking about it as I'll be doing a 'project' thread over on the Turbo Collective forum I won't duplicate it on this forum, but will post a link if anyone's interested.

A distant friend of mine has a completely restored red mk1 Uno Turbo, E reg, resprayed and rebuilt, MIGHT be a Brooklands this Sturday, I think when he bought it a couple of years ago it was one old guy who owned from new and I think it had something silly like 8-9K on the clock!!

Cool, I should be at Brooklands on Saturday (not in a Fiat though!) so will have a good look if it's there :-)

A few years back I was visiting St Albans regularly on business and a couple of times I saw an old chap driving a red E reg mk1 Turbo - it looked very tidy, he was at least 75 and could barely see over the steering wheel so I often thought just how tidy it was up close & what the mileage might be...could be the one your friend bought?!

You never know! He did buy it off an oldish guy. Ill have to try and find out where he bought it from, but how many Red, E reg mint mk1 Uno Turbos are out there driven by an old chap??

Indeed, can't have been many! Although I intend to keep mine indefinitely so give it a few years and there'll be one driven by me at least

Nice!

cool i'll have someone near me with one, will have to have a mini group meet and take some cool photo's.

sold my grey one this morning so a bit gutted but at least i still have my white one.

The guy who owns the Red Uno Turbo I was talking about above was there today, I just said a quick hello to him and that was it as I had to run off and go and sign up for the track.
Anyone catch him? His name is Flavio.

I saw him technics, and had a long chat...and a v good look over his car...and sit in it...couldn't quite believe my eyes when I saw 9,660 miles on the clock but what a stunning example of a mk1! Gives me something to aim for with mine

Oh brilliant glad you bumped into him! Shame I wasnt there with you both at the time. He is a nice guy. Basically he is the cousin of my old boss, so met him a few times and we are in the same line of work too, so there is how I know him.

Did you ask him where or who he got it from in the end??

I did and he said it was an ex-AA training car but it wasn't entirely clear how he came to acquire it?! Lucky devil though

My project thread over on Turbo Collective:

http://www.turbocollective.net/phpBB3/vi...71c2d29cf15fc29

Saw this one at Brooklands, metallic Ardesia grey, the same colour as my old one.

Updated project thread here

Great work, that's a lot of effort and I'm sure it'll be fun when finished. I can't remember the last time I saw an Uno, let alone a turbo.

Great work.

Been a long time since I worked on one.

Was the first "fun" hatchback I drove.
Great laugh.

Awesome work!

Great job. I had solid alloy front top mounts on mine. You may find the rear standard top mounts don't last long. Updated ones used to be available. front bump stops need shortening with lowered springs. I had M3 ones on mine.

Great job!

Has anybody used a "rotisserie" when working on the underside of body shells? I have seen an X1/9 in one and my son-in-law has one for his 900T van restoration. Certainly a lot easier than lying on one's back!

Thanks for the comments guys It's been SO long since I drove one (2001 I reckon) I'm not sure what it'll be like other than considerably less ergonomic and refined than my Coupé! But then I've not got it for its abilities, just a nostalgia thing really. It will probably spend most of the time in a garage under a cover when it's done.

AP1 - I vaguely recall seeing solid alloy front top mounts around back in the day, some were eccentric if I remember correctly? And yeah now you mention it I had a problem with standard rear top mounts 'popping' out when using my Spax adjustables on 'firm' setting

I didn't know the car had front bump-stops? Only gone 40mm down and there's still plenty of room for movement on the rear with the standard bump-stops in, albeit without the car fully loaded, so I'll review the situation once everything's in

Make sure you use some serious heat deflection from the manifold.

Or else you'll never start it again once its warm.
They implemented a fan on the punto gt to prevent this.
Needless to say it Didnt work.

Wow, great work looking forwards to seing more progress

There is a plate that sits between the exhaust & inlet manifolds that I guess is a heat-shield? I've seen this replaced with some shiny chequer-plate so might do the same if you think it would help? Even the mk1 Uno turbo had an 'anti-perc' fan fitted as standard to blow air into a tube above the injector rail & in turn onto each injector, although I think temps rarely get hot enough in our climate for it to kick in & a lot of people binned it to save weight. My original '86 Uno turbo (rip) was always slow to start whether hot or cold

looking good

80's turbo cars always are - I remember a mate of mine with a S2.5 Escort RST and it took an age to start, infact I was better at it than him!

Good work though - you starting on the coupe once this is done

Wow, it looks great! I really have a soft spot for these, they are such fun little cars. I owned 4 over a few years but then decided it was time to move on to Tipo platforms.

My Plus has had a fair bit of attention in the last 12 months (preventative stuff mainly) but I don't think my bank balance could take the hit of a Coupé nuts & bolts rebuild! Despite its relative rarity, Uno turbo parts are pretty cheap compared to Coupé stuff


Thanks and me too on the soft-spot front. My original one was a 1986 model that I bought at the tender age of 18 and was the envy of all my Nova SR and Fiesta XR2 owning friends for being turbo'd Had many adventures and great times in it over 7 years of ownership but I've never forgiven myself for neglecting her towards the end (not helped by a missus who loathed me even looking in the direction of the car never mind cleaning and working on it) and letting her deteriorate so much body wise such that she was only fit for the scrap yard by the end °(, so my current project is an attempt at redemption. After being off the road for 15 years I'm pleased to have put her back on 4 wheels recently and look forward to firing her back up in due course

i remember seeing a good conversion it was a Lancia Delta HF turbo ie 1.6 engine fitted into a uno .... everything bolted straight in and it went like stink 135bhp standard for the lancia engine and 175 bhp chipped ..... not bad for a car that weighed less than a balloon filled with Helium

and if i remember from my Lancia owner club days ... the apprentices at Abarth fitted a 2.0 integrali engine in a day

Lovely stuff, right down my street!

Love these little cars !!!

I had a E plate MK1 in white & would love to have one now, shame the floor rotted

Awesome work jas_

Does your other half help

the 'other half' referred to above as hating me working on my old Uno is long gone, boy she had issues...

The current mrs_jas_racing is fully supportive of the new Uno project, is happy to store parts in her shed & spare room for me and even helps me with certain jobs. On that basis alone she's a keeper

"Jas?"
"Yes dear?"
"Er, did you happen to use my face cream jar for holding bearing grease? Just askin'..."

Oh lovely Uno Turbo.. Unsung hero compared to the usual 205GTI.
Wonder where my old one is now..? http://www.garaget.org/?car=113840
Had to sell it when I bought the Coupe in 2002.

I've updated my project thread (a couple of times) if anyone wants to see the latest:

http://fiatunoturboowners.forumotion.co.uk/t47-mk1-minter

Well done, absolutely cracking work!

Please keep us posted on here, thats going to be one of the best around, like new!

Brilliant work Jeremy.
Attention to detail is impressive.

Really enjoyed reading your project thread and the level of detail you are taking this to. I would love to have your abilities to take cars apart, correct and then put back together again. I had a Slate Gray Mark 1 Uno Turbo back in the mid 80's and loved every minute of it. Bet you can't wait to drive her!!!

You ought to stick your project up on Detailing World. They have a special section for this. There are some great restorations in there to keep your motivation up and the members would love to see a car like yours put right again.

Just to keep it Italian take at look at this 130TC Abarth.

I've got your forum bookmarked so I'll check back to see how your doing. Keep up the great work.

All the best

Steve

Such a brilliant Build!

Well done mate!

Dear Sir

I want to take exception at your Uno rebuild. I patiently looked through all the amazing rebuild progress photos. I must say, after seeing some of the paint jobs, I was dribbling.

Moving forward through the project, my blood pressure increased to 170/95, and I had to loosen clothing. My eyes began to goggle at the sight of machined metal, and POR-15.

Now sweating profusely, I began to reach a crescendo, only to have my ecstasy thwarted by the lack of a "money shot." No finished article to relieve my pent up tension. No glistening bonnet, upon which to expose my innermost desires, no hint of turbo or big end.

In the words of Sally Bercow, wife of the Depty Speaker
"To say I’m surprised and disappointed by this is an understatement."

I can only hope that you find it in your heart to complete the project at your earliest convenience.

Yours Sincerely

Mr Robin Thringpiece

Come on Jas, just read this, really great work, get on with it so we can see more!!

All my effort and not even a titter from the audience. Franky Howard might have.

Ooh missus!

I was feeling the same disappointment myself, and was too distressed to write.

Phew. My self confidence restored.

I had to go and have a cold shower.

Does Sally Bercow do it for you then

Fwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!

Thanks for all the positive (and amusing!) comments guys I certainly have an eye for detail (hence why JBT did the last cambelt & clutch on my Plus) which means slow-progress at times but I'll get there. As the current Mrs_jas_racing would testify I'm worth the wait

I don't think I posted these photos on the project thread but this is where the restored 'shell spent 10 years of its life up until I bought it last year:





Just goes to show that you never know what could be hiding behind the many closed garage doors we all pass every day!

Project thread updated a couple of times since I last posted on here if anyone wants to take a look:

http://fiatunoturboowners.forumotion.co.uk/t47-mk1-minter

she's really coming on Jas , top work mate

Updated my project thread a couple of times since October if anyone wants to see progress:

http://fiatunoturboowners.forumotion.co.uk/t47p80-mk1-minter

Just found this. Started reading from the start. Loving it so far and ive only read page1!

That IS Richard Hammond in the first photo right???

If it isn't then you have an extreme doppelganger.

very impressed with your build keep up the good work it will be worth it in the end

I haven't seen an Uno for years!
Used to work with a guy that had a minty mint white turbo many years ago.
I had a Lotus Carlton replica (3000gsi) back then and we had great fun terrorizing the streets of Brum.

Keep up the good work.

Yes it is - the R5 was used in a feature in Top Gear magazine about hot hatches. "Hammond Drives the Legends" or something like that as I recall.

Loads more updates + engine is in:

http://fiatunoturboowners.forumotion.co.uk/t47p90-mk1-minter

Excellent work, it lives up to the minter title.... and some.

Jas, that's very impressive.

One question, though - do you have the right cambelt? It seems unusually narrow for the width of the cogged pulleys and idler/tensioner... I've never done one of these, so I can't be considered an expert, it just stuck out looking at it.

Yes it's the right one, they are quite narrow!

A classic advert for not neglecting cambelt changes!

True! I'll be changing it every year before putting her back on the road each Spring (so every 500-1000 miles or so!)

More updates and the car is now MOT'd:

http://fiatunoturboowners.forumotion.co.uk/t47p130-mk1-minter

Fantastic read that Jas Well done mate

good work Jas .

Not one to boast but...I won 'Car of the Day' at Stanford Hall a couple of Sunday's ago:





P.S. Sorry about exposing my legs in public...

Well done mate. Nice to get a bit of appreciation for all your hard work.

Well done that is awesome!

Great work! Pat on the back for you mate, you must be chuffed.

Put your legs away next time though ay!

WOW the car looks stunning, well done sir.

and so you should have , had a good look around the car at Stamford hall and she is a total minter , a credit to you Jas .

^^^ Thanks!

Anyone noticed the penultimate page of the latest issue of Auto Italia?

I have been watching your process on the uno that car is stunning.I was a bit of a uno turbo nut back in the day I have had a white mk1 my second ever car,a green mk1 a grey ph2 and a very clean white mk2.These unos are the reason I still drive a coupe the coupe reminds me of the unos and my youth.Just out of interest how does the uno compare to a coupe I cant remember the last time I was in a uno turbo

It's perhaps unfair to compare as the two cars are from different eras and market segments but that aside driving the two is like night and day! The Coupé is in a different league ergonomically, with a much better driving position and all controls in the right, natural, place. By contrast the driving position in the Uno is too high, the steering wheel too low and the gear lever too much of a reach.

The Coupé feels more planted on the road with much sharper initial turn-in, despite the presence of power steering compared to the Uno's non-assisted setup.

The Uno's brakes aren't as sharp as the Coupé but plenty powerful enough and MUCH better than other cars I've driven from the 80's recently.

Performance wise the Coupé is of course a faster car, but the Uno does move along at a fair old lick and the sensation of speed is far greater as it's a much more 'raw' driving experience. Consequently it's still a pleasure to drive as it feels a more involved experience and gives a greater sense of accomplishment.

I initially feared that owning & driving the Uno would demote my Coupé into 2nd place in my affections but it actually makes me appreciate even more what a fine car the Coupé is!

I am surprised you say the brakes are plenty powerful enough on the uno that's the thing I remember about the uno the brakes were terrible. One of my unos was a anti skid model the brakes on that were shocking.I can also remember the driving position the pedals were off set you could not get comfy driving one any distance.Anyway all great things have flaws and the uno turbo mk1 is a great thing.I keep looking at your pictures of your uno and it makes me want one so no more pictures or I will end up buying one

Anti-skid cars did have terrible brakes, ironically. I suppose one way of avoiding locking up under braking is having minimal braking power! My Uno's brake system is effectively as new so should be pretty good, perhaps after 10's of thousands of miles they lose their edge?

One more photo you say? Oh go on then...my fav:

I'll take it that's a no then...

Love your uno but word of advice loose the plastic thing that covers the vents on the bonnet.My mate had one of them on his 3dr 70sx I hated it then and I hate now

I'm not sold on the look of it but it's there for practicality rather than aesthetics as it's very effective at scooping cool air into the cavity that the interior fan draws its air from, so even on the hottest day it still delivers reasonably cool air into the cabin. Important considering it's a summer-only car and most of the time I'm driving an air-conditioned Coupé!

Pages 62 - 67 of October's Auto Italia magazine, out today

Awesome looking motor! Red suits these very well.

For anyone going to the Classic Car Show at the NEC next weekend my Uno will be on the Meguiar's Club Showcase stand in hall 9