" I arrive in Germany. Volkswagen Research Centre. It was January 1970. In the center of a huge room was a 128 completely disassembled and sectioned, piece by piece. I ask for explanations and they candidly answer that they will never be able to make a car with such refined mechanics at such a low price. For this the Golf will have to be smaller. In short, the 128 was their reference car " Giorgetto Giugiaro
Me too (sort of). My first car was a pushrod hand-me-down 1965 Fiat 1100D (got in 1969 in 10th grade and just getting my license). My second was a brand new '71 128 (1,116cc 80mm bore x 55.5mm stroke). Drove that for 11 years and 198,000 miles before I hit a curb at high speed and couldn't salvage it. Even today (at 70), and after many cars, I still dream of both, but especially of the 128.
When I was young, my older sisters shared a bright yellow version of this car. It brings back memories. I can only imagine how many clutch cables this car has seen in its nearly 50 years.
The braided copper grounding strap between the engine block and the body was corroded at the connection. With that circuit now open, the parasitic currents flowed through the clutch cable to the body causing electrolysis in the cable. Clean up the connection between the braided cable and the body and the problem goes away. Trust me on that one.
When I was a child during the end of communism era in Poland, I remember a lot of cars looking like this Fiat. But it was not Fiat - It was Zastava (produced in Yugoslawia). At that time it was very demanded by people.
My father had the exact same car, same colour interior, same version of steering wheel, same ugly American-spec bumpers, except that it was blue and a station wagon. Such nostalgia!
5:44 That suspension works amazingly! I still drive the copy of this car - Zastava Skala 55, which is the last production year, 2008 and i assure you the suspension is great, but not this great. Those Zastava "copies" had Fiat engine in the beginning, when it was called Zastava 101 and those Fiat engines are know to be the best by far, it could push the car over 160 kmh (100 mph) and later models with Zastava 55 engines could only do 135 kmh (84 mph). Fiat engine was also had higher quality and lower fuel consumption. What i didnt expect is that exhaust sound that is known with Zastava model, i dinnt know its also with the original Fiat (that buzzing sound above 2500 rpm like there is a crack in the exhaust).
I I had the engine rebuilt and drove mine until around 1984. The Minnesota (salty) winters disintegrated/dissolved it until it was no longer safe to drive.
I hade a 74 128 4 door In the dark red color way back in the late 70s to the mid 80s in the Chicago area. It was great in the snow with an excellent heater but only if you could get it started. It has allot of interior room with a large trunk. But like all Fiats is rusted away.. Now I have san 81 Brava and sn 84 X1/9 with an 88 Yugo GVX to round out the bunch.
Is this for sale? This was one of my favorite cars. I'd like Fiat to bring this back, but don't add any new technology to it. Just keep it the way it was, or they can upgrade the parts for more reliability. I think I got 31 mpg in the city.
The Fiat 500 has a very similar feel to it. It is heavier, but has about 30 more HP. Rear seat room and egress not as good, but plenty of room up front. The 128 was really a packaging miracle. The engine also loved to rev.
@@roby72s che sia una Versione per il mercato USA - Nord America è ovvio..... Il fatto di essere restaurato vuol dire che ha subito Lavori di Conservazione..... l'auto effettivamente sembra uscita tre Concessionario
Yes! Especially on acceleration! Looks like it's pigeon toed and top heavy and gonna flip over on a turn. But amazingly, on turns, the outside front wheel stuck out, and the transverse rear leave springs also stuck out. On turns, the seemingly stodgy 128 turned into a Puma cat wearing Converse sneakers. The 128's handling was just crazy. Its big-bore/short-stroke engine sounded like an F1 car (or a Honda CBX). On turns it felt like it was on rails. On an upcoming bend, you add +10-20mph to the posted speed, and instead of hitting the brakes, you turn, downshift and gas it hard, pulling yourself back into the turn with 4 wheel slides! Even a trip to the local grocery store felt like a super fun, rally car adventure experience. Drove it for 11 years and 198,000 miles screaming at 4,000 rpm at just 65 mph (wish it had a 5th gear). Really miss that crazy 128!
Very nice car, but I have two comments, the steering wheel is cracked and a chrome strip is missing at the bottom of the grille. My car is a Fiat 128 1100 from 1975, it is red and has 71000km. It’s very good, but not so nice as yours!
Beautifully original car. The exhaust is clearly not original though. This is understandable, but a concours car would have tried to replicate the original a bit more closely. A future project perhaps?
" I arrive in Germany. Volkswagen Research Centre. It was January 1970. In the center of a huge room was a 128 completely disassembled and sectioned, piece by piece. I ask for explanations and they candidly answer that they will never be able to make a car with such refined mechanics at such a low price. For this the Golf will have to be smaller.
In short, the 128 was their reference car "
Giorgetto Giugiaro
I owned a Fiat 128 in Arlington, Virginia, in the early 1970s and loved it. Great car!
This was my very first car. Same everything. Brings back alot of memories.
Me too (sort of). My first car was a pushrod hand-me-down 1965 Fiat 1100D (got in 1969 in 10th grade and just getting my license). My second was a brand new '71 128 (1,116cc 80mm bore x 55.5mm stroke). Drove that for 11 years and 198,000 miles before I hit a curb at high speed and couldn't salvage it. Even today (at 70), and after many cars, I still dream of both, but especially of the 128.
I wish that I still had mine.
WE hade a green one got to know my mechanic fun to drive but lived in the shop
When I was young, my older sisters shared a bright yellow version of this car. It brings back memories. I can only imagine how many clutch cables this car has seen in its nearly 50 years.
😂
The braided copper grounding strap between the engine block and the body was corroded at the connection. With that circuit now open, the parasitic currents flowed through the clutch cable to the body causing electrolysis in the cable. Clean up the connection between the braided cable and the body and the problem goes away. Trust me on that one.
When I was a child during the end of communism era in Poland, I remember a lot of cars looking like this Fiat. But it was not Fiat - It was Zastava (produced in Yugoslawia). At that time it was very demanded by people.
Yes, I remember those!
My father had the exact same car, same colour interior, same version of steering wheel, same ugly American-spec bumpers, except that it was blue and a station wagon. Such nostalgia!
5:44 That suspension works amazingly! I still drive the copy of this car - Zastava Skala 55, which is the last production year, 2008 and i assure you the suspension is great, but not this great. Those Zastava "copies" had Fiat engine in the beginning, when it was called Zastava 101 and those Fiat engines are know to be the best by far, it could push the car over 160 kmh (100 mph) and later models with Zastava 55 engines could only do 135 kmh (84 mph). Fiat engine was also had higher quality and lower fuel consumption. What i didnt expect is that exhaust sound that is known with Zastava model, i dinnt know its also with the original Fiat (that buzzing sound above 2500 rpm like there is a crack in the exhaust).
I have a Fiat Bertone X1/9, which uses the same drivetrain as this 128. Until now, I really didn't realize how different these cars were.
#1 best seller in Egypt , you can still see them running around , my first car and miss it so much!
I I had the engine rebuilt and drove mine until around 1984. The Minnesota (salty) winters disintegrated/dissolved it until it was no longer safe to drive.
Muy bello FIAT 128 maravilla italiana. Un placer ver esa hermosa maquina en la carretera todavia🤩😍🥰🤗🤗🤗👌👍👍
I hade a 74 128 4 door In the dark red color way back in the late 70s to the mid 80s in the Chicago area. It was great in the snow with an excellent heater but only if you could get it started. It has allot of interior room with a large trunk. But like all Fiats is rusted away.. Now I have san 81 Brava and sn 84 X1/9 with an 88 Yugo GVX to round out the bunch.
Supercool car! I LOVE 128s
My Day had a 128 Familiare, bring Back memories,after he died ,i get IT, and drove IT until The accident happend,after that car was unable to fix. 😢
Family had a 1977 Fiat 128 2-door back in the day. Same colour as yours...
Nicely kept unit!😀
Perfect car👍
Bravo . From morocco
The one we had was , it had tan seats, dark blue paint job, same radio, license plate #426 jcd
I used to own one of these Fiat 128s. Same colors throughout.
My first Company Car in 1970
Is this for sale? This was one of my favorite cars. I'd like Fiat to bring this back, but don't add any new technology to it. Just keep it the way it was, or they can upgrade the parts for more reliability. I think I got 31 mpg in the city.
This should not be a dream but a reality.
And I can’t help but feel that it would be exactly the car most people would want.
Wake up Fiat ! 😢
The Fiat 500 has a very similar feel to it. It is heavier, but has about 30 more HP. Rear seat room and egress not as good, but plenty of room up front. The 128 was really a packaging miracle. The engine also loved to rev.
Perfect Italian style car....✌️👍
FIAT needs to put the 128 back into production
Esta muy lindo y suena muy lindo el motor
Bel Video
devo dire che questo 128 èmolto bello e ben Restaurato sembra nuovo....... nello Specifico è un modello destinato agli USA.
No, non e' restaurato, ma tutto originals.
@@roby72s che sia una Versione per il mercato USA - Nord America è ovvio..... Il fatto di essere restaurato vuol dire che ha subito Lavori di Conservazione..... l'auto effettivamente sembra uscita tre Concessionario
Positive camber like crazy lol
Yes! Especially on acceleration! Looks like it's pigeon toed and top heavy and gonna flip over on a turn. But amazingly, on turns, the outside front wheel stuck out, and the transverse rear leave springs also stuck out. On turns, the seemingly stodgy 128 turned into a Puma cat wearing Converse sneakers. The 128's handling was just crazy. Its big-bore/short-stroke engine sounded like an F1 car (or a Honda CBX). On turns it felt like it was on rails. On an upcoming bend, you add +10-20mph to the posted speed, and instead of hitting the brakes, you turn, downshift and gas it hard, pulling yourself back into the turn with 4 wheel slides! Even a trip to the local grocery store felt like a super fun, rally car adventure experience. Drove it for 11 years and 198,000 miles screaming at 4,000 rpm at just 65 mph (wish it had a 5th gear). Really miss that crazy 128!
Wanted to buy one .. my dad said "NO" . Purchased 124 instead 😅
Frankly, the 124 is more fun to drive.
I owned one myself, but your father was right .
124 was way better.
I owned one exactly like it with A/C. Great car until I wrecked it. 😢
Very nice car, but I have two comments, the steering wheel is cracked and a chrome strip is missing at the bottom of the grille. My car is a Fiat 128 1100 from 1975, it is red and has 71000km. It’s very good, but not so nice as yours!
Okay, how much?
👍👍👍👍👍
Che bei paraurti, sembra una macchinina a scontro! Che strani gli americani! Però quello che la guida almeno sa usare il cambio meccanico!
Hola de que pais es?
Nice car. But the bumpers😢
How much.
con le modifiche per gli u.s. fa proprio schifo!
Infatti nn si sa se e un 1300.
Monta un bialbero forse 1600cc
Ma che paraurti monta!!
My dad.had a orange128. My 2. Always a smell of petrol off it ...
Beautifully original car. The exhaust is clearly not original though. This is understandable, but a concours car would have tried to replicate the original a bit more closely. A future project perhaps?