Classic Fiat 500 upgrade part 1. Engine gets removed but what horrors are hiding inside? 

these guys aren't getting replaced either, it's luck if their kids fancy taking it up, or they get enough money through for apprenticeships, I just hope there is enough interest and industry to keep these specialists going. My father was one of them. Gems.

@@TheXJRMAN can only agree, the next few years are going to be really interesting, ICE being replaced with BEV. People are resisting already what happens when ICE becomes the minority in the secondhand market, prices rise and demand for specialists who can maintain them increases as a result. I for one will miss petrol and all that goes with it.

In 1969 I was an apprentice working on the Fiat 500 s ...honestly they were never too much trouble ....not like the Simca s we had to work on !

​@@TheXJRMAN it's hard to get into, there's plenty of people who want to but it's incredibly difficult to get into this kind of work

Exactly. I repair accordions for a living and know other instrument repair people. Same deal. Gratifying work but also very tedious. Feels so good when we're appeeciated.

Agreed.

Yes 100% agree

💯 absolutely

God, yes. I'd have the little Fiat over an M3 CS or DB12 :D

@@klocknerdeutz I don’t mean owning the cars themselves, just watching videos. This one is interesting in many ways, but I think some presenters are struggling to make modern supercars etc worth watching on RU-vid. They’re all fast, and they mostly sound flat and boring now. So although they may well set your hair on fire, when it comes to keeping an audience interested, well perhaps it’s a difficult thing to do. I watch all sorts of weird stuff that is filmed in messy garages. Try Penguin Motors: brilliantly cheap presentation, carburettors all over the place, engine dyno runs, simple facts. Addictive!

It possible a double edge sword if Harry wasn't showing the work done on his collection when he did an update and said the engine had been rebuilt ect people would be complaining that he hadn't shown it. Also it's Harry's Garage surely the whole channel is about his collection what work he does what they need and how much they are to run

yeah .. everybody would love to take a classic car on a big trip ( Le Mans / Sahara / Arctic Circle etc etc ) .. but very few people could be bothered with the maintenance / restoration side

"You break it, you bought it..." 😁

he was good.

And he's got proper mechanics hands, bet he doesn't faff about with gloves...

He caressed The parts like they were spaghetti

I guess they didn't want to make a meal out of it

And today a Harry's Farm too!! Perfect!

GREAT VIDEO! I used to take my bug to a shop just like this. I remember the crowded workbenches, cars everywhere - AND the kind, super knowledgeable mechanic from Argentina. Thanks for posting - this video brought back a lot of good memories.....

Plus the fact that Fiat sell about 4 cars a year so hardly enough to share around lots of dealers

@@sarahlivingstone8367 That is partly the reason, as in the last 30 years they have gone from 3.5% UK market share to 1%. But 30 years ago London accounted for nearly 50% of the total UK sales, so losing its London dealers in the way it did has definitely made an impact today. I worked for Fiat Auto UK back then and what Jim Blades did to the company was nothing short of suicide!

@@sarahlivingstone8367 That may well be the case today, but back in the 90's Fiat had around 3.5% market share, today it has around 1%. But when they had 3.5% nearly 50% of their sales come from the London dealers! I worked for Fiat Auto back then and what Jim Blades did was indiscriminate and even got debated in Parliament due to its immorality! Fiat customers liked the personal touch that they got from these family owned dealerships and not the corporate BS they got instead, from Pendragon PLC. The poor market share today may well be because they rely purely on the 500, but I believe that todays share is down to Blades direction more than the product. Im sure Proietti knew many of these dealers and preferred it back then. Also to support all of these London Dealers Fiat Auto had its own dealership in Alperton, Wembley. which held a lot new & used vehicles & parts for the region. This was also taken over by Pendragon in 1995 and closed for good in the later 1990's.

@@robertmakovinamiocic4014 I made no mention whatsoever of the 1990's - please re-read

Thanks Harry, I've owned a 1971 Fiat 500L for over 30yrs years now and today I suddenly have a much better understanding of its engine. Can't wait to see the follow up video 👍

maybe a 500 mile trip

With the wife and boy although i sense another child abuse claim from Charlie lol

None? You guys need to step up your priorities 😊

​@@kasperkjrsgaard1447need truly to inspire with a little more Italy 🇮🇹

What a wonderful place to work. The pasta looked fantastic, fresh herbs and all. Lucky guys Charlie and Harry.

Tradition.

What’s a common meal?

Jeepers, my spud 1.5 rusted in two at 6 years old, back in 1986, you are doing well!

@@garypoulton7311 it wasn’t a Sprint was it? I bet you remember it well despite the r word. But there are quite a number of good South African Suds here, but I have heard the Sprints rusted there as well. I am only aware of one here in the UK. And..they were more likely to be saved, as they were more desirable. So that supports the theory they rusted more. Obviously you’re in the UK….

Exactly , totally agree 👍 ( I recall , many many moons ago , visiting an " old school " mechanic . He could diagnose a car by listening to the engine / placing his hand on the rocker cover while you revved the engine , would take a look at the exhaust fumes for colour / smell for richness of mixture etc etc . An art form which seems to have died !! ☹ ) . Guys ( mechanics ) nowadays , their priority is finding the diagnostic port so they can " plug-in " !!

@@bloke755 To be fair engines that long ago were very simple and easy to work on, this Fiat 500 being a case in point. Todays engines with all their electronics are more complicated and more efficient, electronic diagnostics are essential. Compare a Toyota GR Corolla 3 cylinder 1600cc producing 300hp to a Jaguar E Type 12 cylinder 5.3 litre producing 272hp

Last year I was watching a car auction online in the US, in Kansas I think . One of the really interesting cars that was sold was a Fiat Abarth !!! It went for less than $2000 and because of the locale ,no one had any idea if what it was 😮

While I wish I had the space and the time to embark on a journey like that, you bring up a very interesting point that there are, no doubt, rides like the Abarth nesting in areas where the average buyer might not be familiar which could present excellent buy opportunities for we, the obsessed. We wouldn't be here, watching Harry, if we weren't =). I might actually find space for an old Abarth. @@Mercmad

Thankyou ! I was aghast at the unnecessary slander of the Fiat that was launched by another commenter here. I would've easily bought one in the 90s

​@@sianwarwick633I owned a number of them in the eighties, mainly because you could get a lot of car for very little money. There was a reason for that though, they really didn't like salty roads and the electrics were dire. A lot of fun though, I probably miss my 500L the most.

😂

Better than a Citroen Ami though, any day of the week!

My girlfriend had one and it broke down in the middle of nowhere in the Australian bush so we slept in it (not very well, I might add). Finally discovered that someone had swapped the pilot jet with the main jet. Went a lot better after that.....