Vehicle: 2015 Fiat 500 Abarth

Goal:Build a reliable, turn-key, daily driver, with performance potential that exceeds cars exponentially more expensive

Summary:

At Bark Brothers Tuning, we like a good project car. We recently traveled to Michigan, to investigate a potential candidate, one that could very well receive a plethora of performance upgrades. After a warm reception from Tim, the owner, he gave us the lowdown. While on a trip, he experienced one of the Abarth’s known issues; The dreaded loss of compression in cylinder No. 3. With that morsel of information, and a little bit of ogling of a beautiful Ferrari FF in his detached garage, we decided to relieve Tim of his 2300lbs of anguish, and pushed the 2015 Abarth onto the dolly.

The trip back to Alabama went just as you would expect from our deteriorating, overburdened freeway system; heavy traffic, accidents, impatient motorists, teeth rattling pavement and bridge joints, with some biblical downpours sprinkled in. We overnighted in a luxurious WalMart parking lot, abreast of other big rigs, bringing a touch of class not seen since the grand opening of ‘Gilley’s’ in 1971, or so my dad said. After a sweltering nap, and a cup of coffee, we cruised back into town, pushed the Abarth off the dolly and into the garage.

So far, it’s been an absolute battle. Corrosion, the silent killer, continues to fight us on a regular basis. PB Blaster, heat, and a healthy amount of swear words, the trident of proper maintenance, used in a concerted effort to strip the Abarth of its tetanus inducing components. Our goal you ask; strip it down to the shell, eliminate any evidence of rust, then build a reliable, turn-key, daily driver, with performance potential that exceeds cars exponentially more expensive.  

Stay tuned.

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Jake G., Associate Tuner, Mr Good Ideas (Yes, this was my idea)