Speedwell Performance Conversions built two Speedwell GT cars with FIAT engines in 1961 (both cars survive today) The engine used was a 1481cc pushrod engine, there is a number 115.000 stamped on the block. Can anyone tell me what the correct name (if there is one) for this engine what cars they were fitted in and most importantly the dates for the prodution run of this engine. Any other info such a BHP would be a great help.
Thanks....ttfn.....Alistair

Hi Alistair,

115.000 was used in the 1500 saloon & 1500 station wagon produced from 1961 - 1967(although it looks like later ones used updated engines). There's no other name for it - all the Fiat engines were numbered in a similar way.

It should be a 1481cc in line 4 cylinder, producing 72bhp at 5200rpm. Bore & stroke are shown as 77mm x 79.5mm with a compression ratio of 8.8:1 if this is of any use!

Hope this helps,

Gavin.

Membership Number: 5260

Gavin
Thanks for this info....Do you know if these engines were popular with the tuning boys of their day, you know the sort of stuff, polish ports ,weber carbs etc....One of these Speedwell GT's is in the USA and the engine appears to be stock.....I have put some pic's of the engine in situ, you can see them here. http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a290/Alistairross
Its matched to a Sprite gearbox, but the engine looks to be 'untouched'
ttfn....Alistair

Sorry Alistair I don't have any more information about these engines. Fiat engines have always been popular with tuners though (particularly the later twincams) so I expect they were.

Regards, Gavin.

Membership Number: 5260

There was also a smaller bore 1300 version. The 1500 lived on long after Fiat stopped producing them in the Polski/FSO 125 and Polonez.
I don't recall much contemporary tuning but I did have a Siata version which was mildly uprated thanks to a tuned cam and bigger carb.
They were actually quite clever engines featuring hemispherical combustion chambers still pushrod actuated with twin rocker shafts, probably quite tweakable apart from the fact twin carbs won't fit due to the position of the distributor.
I've never heard of the Speedwell creation, love to see/hear more !!

Robin

Sorry for being so late in replying to your FIAT Forum reply......Speedwell
built about 25 Speedwell GT's designed by Frank Costin... these cars were
built to order and about nine still survive...most were raced and suffered
the fait of the race track.....The first car to be fitted with a FIAT engine
was owned by David Hurn (magnum photo agency) he was one of the up and
coming photographers in the 60's and had a GT (6943MM) made by SP. He asked
SP to fit a bigger more powerful engine than the 'A' series...How and why
they chose FIAT I do not know, I suspect it could be fitted without chopping
the engine bay about. The engine was matched to the BMC gearbox with a
conversion plate...The car was fitted with disc brakes and all the goodies
of the day, because of the top mounted carb and distributor the bonnet line
of Costins design was spoilt as it was cut to fit these....Looking into the
history of this car its always suffered from cooling and clutch problems,
these have been overcome by the fitting of an Aluminium radiator and a
stronger clutch. This car is in the USA owned by Richard Rooks and is in
excellent running order.
With the succses of this car SP built another (5447HX) this time they cut
the chassis rails so the engine could be fitted lower, (lower COG?) so
keeping the bonnet line as designed, this car 'lost' its FIAT engine at some
time in its history and was refitted with an 'A' series engine, this was
probably done by SP as cooling these engines with a bonnet with such small
frontal area was a problem and no more FIAT engines were fitted. I own
5447HX (now 455 EVE) and have been toying with the idea of fitting a FIAT
engine again!!
ttfn....Alistair

Membership Number: n/a

Not been on this site for a while but this thread caught my eye. Apart from Fiats I once owned a Speedwell prepped Austin Healey Mk 1 Sprite. Original reg no was EVE 4 which had been replaced by WAR 628 . The car was pretty quick , with the Speedwell ally head & ran twin Amal Monoblock carbs , etc

From http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8171/Austin-Healey-Speedwell-GT-Sprite.aspx "The Speedwell GT was a special bodied Sprite created with the help of John Sprinzel".
See also http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/speedwellsprite.htm - looks like some of them had a larger Sprite-like grille.
Polski Fiat 125s with this engine were rallied - I remember seeing one (unless it was a Lada 1600) in RAC rally.