Shiny, clean and restored classic cars are always an impressive sight when we see them. It’s wonderful to see someone who appreciates a classic car and dedicates their time, money and energy into bringing these cars back to showroom condition. But isn’t it even more impressive when somebody actually drives their classic cars? Isn’t it laudable when someone keeps their old jalopy going even after the rust forms around the rockers and the rub strips sag and fall? Over the next three days, I will present to you three beaters that have endured all the damage sun, snow and shopping carts could throw at them but still keep on ticking. Exhibit A: this Fiat 131.
This owner must know a thing or two about preventive maintenance if they’ve kept a Fiat running for thirty years! These 131s were first introduced in 1974 and were also known as Mirafiori or Brava; over 1.5 million units were produced of this Fiat 124 replacement. David Saunders has covered the history of the 131 before, so I won’t expound other than to say Fiat was a peripheral player in Australia by the 1970s and the 131 didn’t exactly sell up a storm. These 131s would be replaced by the front-wheel-drive Regata (Curbside Classic coming soon!), a sedan and wagon based off of the quirky Ritmo/Strada not sold here.
This 131 ticks plenty of beater boxes. DIY trash bag repair job? Check. Mismatched colors? Check. Discolored bumpers? Check. Patina? That’s a big check!
How would you like one of these as your beater daily driver? One owner of an American Brava racked up almost 600k miles, or close to a million km, on the original,engine. Or, would you prefer to see what is behind Door No. 2?
What’s far more interesting is the white El Camino/Ranchero type car in the background. What is that? Where was the picture taken?
Thanks,
Dave
That’s a Holden Ute. I’d assume this is taken somewhere in Australia or NZ, given that there’s also a Commodore (I think) parked in the background.
My bet is Australia, because of the ute + BBQ supply store in the background. Americans who like BBQ would probably drive full-sized pickups.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Mirafiori, probably because it was the 1st twincam car I ever drove (thanks, Aunt Carol!). Like opera, it makes me want to babble in Italian.
William lives in Australia; I believe it’s around Brisbane.
The Fiat wears a Queensland rego plate a state where thery dont have annual inspections and disintegrating cars like this can still be kept in use without properly welded repairs
Yeah, it’s BrisVegas. I think I’ve seen this Fiat around myself…
There is something so wonderfully endearing about this Fiat. The upside is the hood / bonnet lid matches the trunk / boot lid. Black will eliminate sun glare, so good call on his part.
Commodore ute in the first two pictures?
I don’t get “try keeping a Fiat Running for thirty years” They are some of the most advanced & well engineered cars in history. Up until the Marchionne era, they where always pushing the envelope design and engineering. A Fiat back in the day separated the lazies (Japanese car owners) from the mechanically inclined. If you had a Fiat, and had trouble keeping it running, then you should be riding a bus, not driving. New Fiats are bulletproof for any maintenance averse driver, but also not on the cutting edge technology- The Multi-air is top notch though
I think the problem the writer is referring to is not pansy car owners, but that parts for vehicles of that era (esp. higher-tech ones like Fiats) are getting harder to find.
Story that plays out everyday around the world, just with different cars. The replaced panels, repairs and primered areas mean that they are trying to fix it up or at least keep the rust actively at bay. I bet that when the owner looks at it he sees it with the straight panels and shiny paint that he wants and not the way that it really looks.
In Spain they were very popular (built by Seat), but nowadays it´s very difficult to find one running. Engines are strong, but they rusted even where I live (hot climate and no snow).
When I was a child my grandmother had a red Supermirafiori 1600 TC (Twin Cam). I loved the way the engine sounded, mainly compared with wimpy Renaults.
Here in the central U.S., this is what we would call a rust-free Fiat. Jeez, this one should be in a museum, given how many are on the road in these parts. 🙂
The Fiat Brava was sold here in Canada from about 1977-’80 I think (?) and were quite a nice development of the old 131 chassis. They also had a ritzy interior. Alas, Fiat was chased out of Canada by poor reliability and sketchy parts availability in the early ’80s. I think the Strada was the last car they sold here until they returned under Marchionne.
I haven’t seen a 131/Mirafiori for more than twenty years, rust got to them very quickly and nobody here thought they were worth preserving. I used to have time for Fiats – back in the 70’s I ran 127s for my wife on a shoestring, but more recent experience has taught me to stay clear. The steel rusts, the plastics become brittle, any bearing that can seize up will seize up. Obviously there are one or two Fiats that I would make an exception for, but the 131 isn’t one of them.
At least it isn’t dented. That’s nice.
When I was in the Navy, stationed (temporarily) in Sicily, in the 70s, there were a few 131s and 132s on base. The paint on those 70s Fiats looked like it was barely one coat thick….and NO primer underneath.
About 2 years into my Audi Fox ownership, I thought I wanted to trade it for a new 131/Mirafiore. I really liked the “butter cream” yellow with tan interior, 2 door. And it had dual overhead cams and a 5 speed manual transmission to my Fox’s single overhead cam and 4 speed.
So why didn’t I trade my Fox? It didn’t have A/C and being in north Florida that made the depreciation on my Fox even steeper.
I would trade the Fox, eventually, for another “F” brand car, a Ford Pinto MPG.
I know Fiat from the 70’s and 80’s had a bad rep, but I loved my 131’s and my Brava. I did not go easy on them and they kept on ticking. But! I was also a person who would regularly take them into my garage and do maintenance on them. I was actually in heaven in the 90’s with them since I could drive by someone’s house, see one sitting on the side or in their backyard, ask them if they wanted me to take it away for them and I’d get a free car. A week later, it’d be up and running and I’d either keep it for myself, keep it for parts or sell it.
Also had a Fiat 850 back in the 80’s and I’ve also owned an X1/9 or two and a 124 convertible. The 850 was fun, but I was young and that engine was not up to my desires. The x1/9 cars are fun(1300 was weak, but the 1500 was just the right size), but require far more attention than any other car and the 124 cars are just plain and simple fun!
Alas, my Italian affair eventually came to an end. Times got tough, parts harder to find and I eventually sold them all off to pay bills.
I do not remember the last time I’ve seen a 131 in this country. Or, for that matter, any Fiat other than a Nuovo 500, 124 Spider, or 850 Spider. And precisely one of those 850s.
Cool cars, but they didn’t last long here. They dissolved quickly in rust country, and dissolved slowly in what would not normally be considered rust country. There must be a few left somewhere, probably in the desert?
These were sold here, but I cant recall ever seeing one, even back in the 90s.
My BIL had one of these he traded a Hillman Hunter for it, Quite a problematic car he would have been better off keeping the Hunter all they did was rust.
Mum had a 131 Mirafiori. When the Supermirafiori with its rectangular headlights and large rear light clusters was released, we bugged dad to get one. No. She got a Volvo 240 instead.
The 131 used the OHV 124 sedan engine which would go for ever as long as it had petrol. A few here had the twin cam, much the same.
The rest of the mechanicals were indestructible.
I sold my one after a few years to a friend, they had it for years and never had one bit of trouble.
The only ones Ive seen had the twin cam motor from the 125 but a 5 speed box behind it which was available but very hard to get in a 125.
A neighbour had a Supermirafiori until the mid-90s when he replaced it with base model GM Saab 900, and to give an idea of his mechanical sympathies he drove that on a 400 mile round trip on the temporary spare, I think he kept the servicing up to it at least. I bet the Fiat is still sitting in his driveway.
I’d be surprised if the subject 131 here has ever seen snow! Queensland has tropical weather, so humidity would be just as bad for rusting the car from the inside out, as evidenced by the roof repair. In houses it is worth running the heating in summer (the wet season) from time to time to dry things out.
It seems to be the owner is slowly fixing that car. The bonnet and deck lid look like replacement panels just covered with e-coat. The sides seem to be primered.
I like the 131, and they are an incredibly hard find here. I found a tasty one in Tassie at the beginning of this year, fully rally prepped.
Loads of those in 70s and 80s Israel. As in other countries, most of them disappeared – mechanicals were good if you kept on top of the maintenance game but they rusted here too.
Sure says something about quality if the roof rusts out like that; sheesh! Here I thought the U.S and Canada were the only industrialized nations without widespread safety inspections, but I am somewhat pleased to see I am wrong.
They’re still everywhere in Turkey. In some rural areas the red Fiats of 124, 125 and 131 generation seemed to outnumber all other cars when I was there earlier this year. Hmm … maybe there’s an opportunity for a Turkish-American-Australian venture selling Fiat parts.
Scarce in the UK, to say the least, but back in the 70s always a valid choice against a Cortina, Marina or Hillman Avenger, with some features we didn’t see much off, such as tun cam engines and 5 speed boxes.
Yes, they had a reputation for rust (they were Italian, so they got tarred with the Lancia Beta story), but were they any worse than many others? probably not.