1974 Fiat 128 Sport L Coupe review from Australia and New Zealand

Brakes tend to have excessive travel. Various brake failures due to poor maintenance.

Original Weber 32DMTR carburettor was very temperamental: hot starting problems, poor economy.

Original four-speed gearbox had noisy bearings, non-existent synchro on first gear.

Original 1290cc engine dropped a valve (head separated from stem.)

Persistent knocks and looseness in the front suspension/steering despite replacement of all bushes/balljoints.

I have heavily modified this vehicle since inheriting it from my father (as a family car, it covered many thousands of reasonably trouble-free kilometres).

There was a small amount of rust in some areas - under rear side windows, boot corners in particular. There was more serious rust in a windscreen pillar, and the box section of the front radius-rod mounting (where there would be an anti-roll bar if one was fitted.)

During the rebuild, many items were available surprisingly cheaply. It was easy to fit a 1498cc Fiat Strada engine, a Fiat Uno cylinder head, and a specially-built 128 gearbox with additional fifth-gear housing. Twin Weber 40DCNFs were also easy to install and trouble-free once set-up correctly.

The interior parts are almost impossible to find in good condition (example: the dashboard top cracks readily) and the driving position is not especially comfortable. In particular, the seats and seatbelts are poor, the gearchange is heavy and notchy, and the curved floor means your ankles are awkwardly twisted. It is noisy, especially in 4-speed form where the engine is running at 4200 RPM for 100km/h.

Electrical items have been very reliable, switches etc. are fine. Headlights give excellent output.

Body panels are solidly built and fit well.

I have had ongoing problems with the suspension setup. First the alignment was wrong and couldn't be set back to standard. It was evenly wrong all round which suggests that replacement parts may have been different to original. I further modified the suspension by changing dampers and cutting springs. I tried other springs that were recommended. In total, I tried three different setups. The ride quality is now poor, the steering feels responsive but very heavy.

On a racetrack, the car is extremely disappointing. The acceleration and top speed is excellent, but the level of grip and ease of handling is poor when compared with newer cars. For example, it is much more powerful and faster than my 1986 Fiat Uno 60, yet it is the same speed on a racetrack because of the poor cornering ability.

I would seriously recommend not modifying the 128, but instead choosing a later model, which will also be less rusty and more comfortable to drive.