[hillram]

A quest for years ended in Coimbatore (CBE), when i hit upon a good looking Premier 118 NE and it turned out to be in possession of a Team Bhpian, I knew very well !!!!

With his help and quick negotiation and bargain,I settled for a price much lesser than a latest Blackberry !!! The "Grey Goose" as I call , was driven from Coimbatore to Hyderabad, a stretch of 900kms by my trusted mechanic with out a single issue. My mechanic was all praise for the Nissan Engine and its utterly, butterly gear box. The sweetest part : No signs of rust, which is unbelievable.

I had waited for nearly 7 years for this moment and finally , the elusive Premier 118 NE , aka Fiat 124 enters my stable.
Thanks to Team bhpian Mehul 1100 for getting me this amazing automobile and a worthy one, that i can proudly own for the rest of my life.

The restoration has begun in Hyderabad and will be wrapped up in the next few days.
Whats to be done:
- New AC Compressor
- Original 118 NE Carburettor to be installed (currently runs on a M800 Carburettor)
- New Headlamps

I will be installing new tubeless tyres and alloy wheels to give it a little sporty look.

There is a big cult of 118 NE followers in Hyderabad, atleast I know 7 owners, who swear by them. A 118 NE exclusive meet is scheduled in August 2013, under Fiat Classic Club Hyderabad(FCCH) banner, where I will unveil my Grey Goose.
Now some pics of the car in its existence with the previous owner.

[samsag12]

Let me be the first one to congratulate you on finally acquiring your long pending acquisition Ram bhai
I am sure it will turn out much better than what it looks in those pics. Congrats once again.
BTW I presume Premier Safari is the only PAL product that remains to be acquired, I hope the hunt is on

[hillram]

Originally Posted by samsag12

Let me be the first one to congratulate you on finally acquiring your long pending acquisition Ram bhai
I am sure it will turn out much better than what it looks in those pics. Congrats once again.
BTW I presume Premier Safari is the only PAL product that remains to be acquired, I hope the hunt is on

Thanks Sagar.
I missed a Safari 3 years back with with in arms length. The quest is on..
Now the hunt is on for a Palio S10.

[akshay4587]

Looks clean,congrats for the purchase.
btw,does it have a cable operated fuel lid opener?

[coloneljasi]

Congratulations on your latest acquisition. The car sure does look like one to keep for life.

Do post some more photographs of your 118NE after the restoration. All the very best!

[hillram]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

btw,does it have a cable operated fuel lid opener?

Yes it does..not only for fuel lid , but also for the boot.

Thanks all for your wishes. Im yet to see the car myself and drive feel its goodness, as Im currently in Chennai. Restored pics will be posted by next week, when Im in Hyderabad.

[girishglg]

Hillram congrats on yet another gem of an acquisition with the Grey Goose in your stable. Its really amazing how this beauty has sustained without any rusts.

Given that the body and the mechanicals are intact, there may not be a lot of restoration to be done except for the areas that you have planned to address.

Ah yes there might be your trademark custom decals that may be pasted onto the car. Curious to see how it will look visually after all these cosmetic touch ups. Cheers

[hillram]

Originally Posted by girishglg

Hillram congrats on yet another gem of an acquisition with the Grey Goose in your stable. Its really amazing how this beauty has sustained without any rusts.

Given that the body and the mechanicals are intact, there may not be a lot of restoration to be done except for the areas that you have planned to address.

Ah yes there might be your trademark custom decals that may be pasted onto the car. Curious to see how it will look visually after all these cosmetic touch ups. Cheers

Thanks Girish...So my trademark decals are known !!!
I intend to do very light decals to bring the car to the Monte Carlo Rally theme as below:

[9thsphinx]

Awesome man. The 118NE is an iconic car. We used to own one of these for a long long time. And as you mentioned in your opening post the utterly butterly gear box was something that was way ahead of its times even for that generation of cars. Simply superb.

Congratulations and drive safe.

[Mehul1100]

Thanks Ram Kiran sir, the day I saw the car I wanted to acquire it, but the problem was parking for the car. Now it is with you so no worries it will be safe for her life. Waiting to see how she looks after your touch.

[ilangop]

Originally Posted by hillram

A quest for years ended in Coimbatore (CBE), when i hit upon a good looking Premier 118 NE and it turned out to be in possession of a Team Bhpian, I knew very well !!!! ...
Thanks to Team bhpian Mehul 1100 for getting me this amazing automobile and a worthy one, that i can proudly own for the rest of my life.

The restoration has begun in Hyderabad and will be wrapped up in the next few days.
Whats to be done:
- New AC Compressor
- Original 118 NE Carburettor to be installed (currently runs on a M800 Carburettor)
- New Headlamps

I will be installing new tubeless tyres and alloy wheels to give it a little sporty look.

Congratulations Hillram Sir on your new acquisition. This car should have been blessed in its previous birth to be in your hands today. I saw those pics while Mehul had put them up in Watsapp. Well, I would like to share some inputs regarding the replacements & upgrades you want to make in your car.
1) New AC compressor - Would you continue with R12 or upgrade to a more ecofriendly R134A compressor. If R134A, then you will also have to change the oil separator bottle and the pressure switch.
2) Carburettor. How did you know that it is a M800 carburetor, coz all Mikuni twin venturi carbs in M-800, 1000, Esteem look the same. Well and good if you can source the actual 118NE carb, else a M-1000 or Esteem's carbs should do. Please check if the new carb you buy has the extra attachments for increasing the idle speed when AC is ON, else you will have to swap them from the existing carb.
3) I had purchased Neolite lamps. Had the worst experience with respect to headlamps. Light spread was not at all good and after every water service / rain the HL assembly was filled with water droplets. With in 6 months the reflector got rusted. Lumax is good, or try Tata Sumo rectangular headlamp. But you will have to drill new holes to mount them.
4) Hope you are aware that finding a 98 PCD alloy for Fiats (that too for 13" tyre) is a pain. While buying alloys, be sure that there is not mor than 105 mm of back space, anything more than this will make the rim rub against the lower suspension arm while taking full turns.

Attached a picture of my car with new tyres (Apollo 3G 155/80 R13) and alloys.

[puchoo]

Many congratulations and this is awesome!! When we were growing up one of the first cars to enter the family stable outside of a Maruti 800 was this one and it was the talk of the neighborhood. I was only about 10-11 or so at that point and thought this was the cats whiskers!!

[arup.misra]

Many congratualtions. This brings back old memories. Family had Fiat 125 for a very long time. Simply awesome to drive. Was with us for a very very long time.

[hillram]

Originally Posted by ilangop

Congratulations Hillram Sir on your new acquisition. This car should have been blessed in its previous birth to be in your hands today. I saw those pics while Mehul had put them up in Watsapp. Well, I would like to share some inputs regarding the replacements & upgrades you want to make in your car.
1) New AC compressor - Would you continue with R12 or upgrade to a more ecofriendly R134A compressor. If R134A, then you will also have to change the oil separator bottle and the pressure switch.
2) Carburettor. How did you know that it is a M800 carburetor, coz all Mikuni twin venturi carbs in M-800, 1000, Esteem look the same. Well and good if you can source the actual 118NE carb, else a M-1000 or Esteem's carbs should do. Please check if the new carb you buy has the extra attachments for increasing the idle speed when AC is ON, else you will have to swap them from the existing carb.
3) I had purchased Neolite lamps. Had the worst experience with respect to headlamps. Light spread was not at all good and after every water service / rain the HL assembly was filled with water droplets. With in 6 months the reflector got rusted. Lumax is good, or try Tata Sumo rectangular headlamp. But you will have to drill new holes to mount them.
4) Hope you are aware that finding a 98 PCD alloy for Fiats (that too for 13" tyre) is a pain. While buying alloys, be sure that there is not mor than 105 mm of back space, anything more than this will make the rim rub against the lower suspension arm while taking full turns.

Attached a picture of my car with new tyres (Apollo 3G 155/80 R13) and alloys.

Thanks ilangop.
Indeed its a cherished moment to have a 118 NE in my collection.
Adressing your points :
1)Most definitely getting R134A, which is eco friendly and available anywhere.I dont think anyone stocks R12 as it is illegal to even trade this now.It goes with out saying that compressor oil will have to be changed.

2)Im going for a Hitachi Carburettor, which is the OEM fitment for a 118 NE.

3)I need to chose between Autopal and Lumax. Which one do you suggest?

4)I will keep your suggestions in mind, while shopping tyres and alloys.
Thanks for your blessful insight.

[ilangop]

Originally Posted by hillram

2)Im going for a Hitachi Carburettor, which is the OEM fitment for a 118 NE.

3)I need to chose between Autopal and Lumax. Which one do you suggest?

2) Sir, you will have to find a Hitachi manifold and the carburetor. Again finding gaskets and regular service parts for Hitachi carbs is a pain. Also it would need a vapor separator connection as explained by Mr. Behram Dhabar in the Premier 118NE thread. Is the fuel pump in your car mechanical or electrical?
3) Not sure about Autopal. Actually I have seen Autopal universal round headlamps performing well in my dad's jeep. But never seen one in a 118NE. And I am happy with Lumax in my car.