General

Engine

Suspension

Interior

Exterior

Competition

The Fiat 131 was introduced to the U.S. in the 1975 model year. While European versions often had smaller engines, U.S. versions of the Fiat 131 & Brava came with 1756cc and, later, 1995cc emission-strangled engines. Adding Bosch L-jetronic fuel injection to the Brava released some of the hidden power, increasing HP by 25% vs. the single carburetor models.
 

"The Fiat 131/132 2-litre engine, in particular, is one of the classic production engines of all time,  and having been conceived with Gp 4 homolgation in mind, was essentially a race engine fitted in a production car, a point lost on most owners more preoccupied with corrosion."  - Guy Croft

I began looking to the 131 & Brava as a cheap vehicle for SCCA's D Street Prepared in 1997.  Starting in 2000, the 131/Brava is classed as F Street Prepared. On paper, with the 4.44:1 differential from an automatic transmission car and a 1995cc engine, they're the equal of anything else in FSP for acceleration. That leaves the relatively minor task of making the car handle well.

Unfortunately, I already had the EP Scorpion project, so I figured this FSP car would never go beyond being a paper design. Then Richard Wolfe posted an ad on Mirafiori's forum that he had a pair of 131 free for the hauling, so I took him up on it, thinking that I'd salvage a 1995cc block for the X-1/9 project. Then, when looking for a radiator in spring of 1998, Dave Klopfenstein posted an ad about a friend sending an automatic 131 2-door to the smelter... I looked at that car a little too closely and ended up bringing the entire car home (instead of just the radiator) with this project in mind!

Though I haven't begun work on the 2-door, one of Richard Wolfe's former cars took me to Topeka for the 1999 Solo II Nationals. I used it (see picture) as a rolling test bed with Yokohama race tires, but left the car in a Topeka junkyard when the throttle cable snapped. The other Wolfe car has been dissected and sent to the smelter.