My Cento story

When I was 17 and most people my age where starting driving lessons I was a bike nut. I did a quick course and passed my bike test within a week.
It stayed with me riding bikes for the next 2 years. summer was great... winter not so much.

so over the winter I decided I needed to start driving. I did a month or so of lessons and hated every one of them. (turns out the teacher was a utter cock)
So dad offered to learn me to drive if i bought a car in insurance.
We looked at minis for a while and then came across cinquecentos.
MUCH (MUCH) more luxury then a mini and for the price of a mini that is (barely) road worthy you could buy a cento that is immaculate.

So I ended up with a yellow sporting with lots of mot and tax for a couple hundred but needed a head gasket and skim. (I guess this is where it all started )

I drove this yellow beast around for about 6months mostly taking my mom shops and stuff like that on L plates I also started doing a few events.
I did a couple of lessons (just to learn the bull needed to pass) and passed my test.

Now the fun began... The 1.1 "fell" out and was replaced with a punto 75 engine which was ported by myself I also fitted a chip in the ecu. got all new suspension and polybushes.
The car now had a lot more go and was more fun to drive.

It never stayed like this for long.

I got hold of a 4-2-1 manifold... It never did much.
I then "convinced" myself the ecu was holding the engine back (I say convinced but i mean i just wanted to mess about and have a car that can be plugged into my laptop )


I ordered and started building the megasquirt ecu.

While this was happening we got given a cinquecento shell for free... As my dad works as a mechanic in a body shop we decided to use this new shell as an excuse to restore a cinq and make it exactly the way we wanted.
The shell was stripped of everything, welded, damage fixed, painted white

megasquirt was then wired into the new shell and everything from my yellow cinq fitted to the new shell.

The engine now running with mpi on megasquirt was much smoother and after some tuning, was better on fuel.

I never changed it much for about a year after that. untill i found a non running turbo cinq on ebay.
It had loads spent on it but its owners (a lot of them) seemed to spend a grand or two trying to get it working then sell it on!
It had a fully rebuilt punto 75 engine with decompression plate. a brand new turbo. and a new stilo clutch and flywheel.

Firstly I removed the decompression plate and fitted 16valve pistons.
the engine, turbo, intercooler was fitted into my car. Changed the map to expect boost and within a day the car was from running n/a to running a high boost turbo.

The problems that made the turbo cinq change so many owners seemed to of been the horrific wiring!

Now I had it running I took the car down to John Ashleys Exhausts for a full turbo back 2inch stanless system (the exhaust on the original turbo was made from random bits of pipe arc welded together)

Since then other then a few tweaks now and then. the car has been flawless. it is used everyday (my only car) and have done plenty of events in it. the funniest been PCT, where everyone expected it to be hopeless but the turbo gave loads of torque at low enough rpm to work brilliantly.

The latest changes are... mk2 punto 6speed box which will be fitted with my LSD once i pick it up. Trying some new stuff with the engine. quick rank fitted.

There is a lot more but I cant think

Sounds good mate, look forward to some pics as i didnt really follow the thread on the fiat forum, great to have another turbo cinq on the forum......

jason

im not gone! ill write a update sooooooooooon.... promise...

would love to see an update mate

me two........we now what he's been upto with the leech project ey!

jason

oh the leech is fantazmical lol

updates

6speed with quafie fitted :D:D
lightened the flywheel
loads of head work
redesigned boost pipework.
power steering fitted.
ecu now running sequential injection soon to be controlling boost (allowing ecu to have full control over boost pressure. depending on rpm and throttle position should make it easier to drive fast)
fitted rear ARB (transformed that car!)

todo list:
cut front arb and sleeve it to make it slightly stiffer
wire up the ecu boost control (leaving my greddy EBC installed along side it as a backup)
build up my spare engine (just need a bare p75 head!)
send of my competition license, and start sprinting the bad boy!

pics comming...

absolutely awsome mate great progress, you've made me want to get the rear roll bar fitted to mine now i always new it would make a huge difference!

cant wait to see some pics off the car up in the gallery

thanks

jason

ow and by the way i have an old p75 head if you want it

jason

see told you jas would be able to help lol

dam i so wish i had kept my spare arb now

Thanks Jason ill pm u soon

The arb is great! Car should of had one as standard!
I'm thinking of getting them manufactured as the doner bar needed cutting and rewelding which is far from perfect.
Its almost like the guys from the ff but I chanfwed the leaverage a bit as it seemed way to stiff to me. Glad I did!
ill post my file with dimension soon:)

Car handles like its on rails

craigb244 wrote:Thanks Jason ill pm u soon

The arb is great! Car should of had one as standard!
I'm thinking of getting them manufactured as the doner bar needed cutting and rewelding which is far from perfect.
Its almost like the guys from the ff but I chanfwed the leaverage a bit as it seemed way to stiff to me. Glad I did!
ill post my file with dimension soon:)

Car handles like its on rails

no problem mate, agreed they should have had one as standard, the back end is the major cause off the dreaded under steer on cinqs.
I have yet to experiment with mine when its on as its available with a fair few different grade bars for stiffness.
thanks

jason

only pics ive managed to get.will update again soon

tell me if they dont load









arb length: 700mm
extension bars welded to arms: 105mm centre hole to centre hole
drop links: 100mm centre hole to centre hole

One new wire + rear motorcycle brake switch, couple of taps on the laptop keyboard and pow!!! launch control and flat shift.... mewahahaha

ooooooooo nice lol, launch control on a cinq lol mint!!!!!!!!!!

i really could see launch control making mine a serious little animal on the quater.....i want!!!!

jason