I spent my teens living in Naples Italy, this was my first car when I got my drivers license, we would put 5 full grown kids in this thing and absolutely hammer on it. sometimes to get it into a parking space to tight to maneuver into we would literally lift it up and put it into the spot.
For anyone who's visited Italy and walked around the narrow streets of an old hill top town, the FIAT 500 , 600, 850 were designed to fit the old Italian towns.
My father bought a grey 1965 Fiat 600 in 1969. We went everywhere in that car in country Australia, sometimes with five people in it. I still smile every time I think about riding in it, the most fun we ever had in a car. It’s a four speed transmission, the 1,2,3 marked on the speedometer is the gear change points. Top speed was just over 60mm h and it would do that all day. We lived with cold winters and that heater really worked. Took a while to warm up but was very effective. Thanks for the memories.
I had one of those back in the early 70's USA. Left side steering. Took my sister and me 120 miles to college with all our stuff. One time the belt broke and I found a women's stocking to use to get me to the auto parts store.
I think the only reason Euroasianbob bought this RHD Fiat 600 was because all the LHD models have the speedometer in kms and you know how "anal" 'muricans are about their "freedom" units.
It was my first brand new car in my native Chile in 1978. My 600 was the last version of this car made in Argentina with an 843 cc engine giving 32 HP and reaching up to 120 km/h. I was able to drive it with 4 more friends inside, all skinny teenagers on those days. I just loved it.
I owed one in 1977! It was a 1965 version with only 70.000 km on it with Dutch registration (I am Dutch). I got it for free!!! The car drove quite well, with a low geared 1st gear, specially for the Italian roads in the mountains. In 4th gear it could drive around 90 km/h (50 miles/hour); topspeed around 105 km/h, consumption 6 l. per 100 km. Very fun car to drive if you are aware of your surroundings! No protection whatsoever! Even no seat belts!
My parents still own their fiat 600 1963 with suicidedoors that my mom learned to drive in! When I was a kid it was in pieces in the garage, but my dad finally got it totaly sorted in 2010. It will never leave the family! He also has a mint fiat 500 and a 850 sport. One white, one red and one green. 🇮🇹
for those of you that are either young, american, or young and american... this car was THE car that put Italy on wheels, starting from 1955. the same car was produced in Spain, under licence, by SEAT. And also there was the car that put the country on wheels. It was in both countries the first car that could be be owned by an avarage family. It's common to see pictures of italian (and spanish) roads of the times where more than half of the cars were 600s. add quite a few 500s... that was the landscape
@@MrSparklespring FIAT was one of the first true vertically integrated multinational companies. They owned everything from the mines for the ore to the plants that built the car…except for the tires. They left that to Pirelli. The founder, Giovanni Agnelli, built the beginnings of an industrial powerhouse starting in 1899. It was his grandson, same name, who was a major player in the industrialization of post war Italy and turned FIAT into a multinational giant. Lots of good history about FIAT’s rise and fall on the web. Over the years I owned six different FIATS; 124 Spider, 850 Coupe, a 124 Coupe, X1/9 (128 powered), 1100 Wagon and a Brava 131 Wagon, but never had a 600 as they were very underpowered, even with a 4-speed and Arbarth intake/exhaust goodies. All were fun to drive, but I lived in California and didn’t have to worry about rust, FIAT’s weakness. 😁
These were hugely popular in Finland. They were considered affordable, reliable and warm cars. Most were built be Fiat and Seat, and there was a handful of Zastavas. After their active years lots of kids learned to drive with these on rural roads and fields, and lots have been used in local racing series.
My first car was a Fiat 500; very similar to this car but even smaller. It had a 500cc two cylinder air cooled engine. The speedo went up to 60mph. I took it flat out down the freeway and the needle went past 60, so I imagined it was doing 70mph flat out. It had a 4 speed box with no synchromesh. I learnt to double declutch
My first car was a 1959 seat 600 D. It was pretty clapped out when my dad bought it for me but I put a couple of coffee cans in the rotted out floor added gas and oil and it was entirely reliable except for when it rained overnight. Finally put a baggie over the distributor and it didn’t get wet anymore. Gas tank was 5 gallons and gas on base in Madrid was $.19 a gallon. I could never get a dollars worth of gas in it. On one trip driving at night at about 45 to 50 miles an hour I got 70 miles per gallon.amazing little car. it was a very nimble little car meant for cities. Yes, two people could pick up the front end and tuck it neatly into a parking spot. Ultimate freedom for a 19-year-old Air Force brat living in Europe.
Beautiful restored car! But it is a four speed not a 3 speed plus reverse gear. When I was a kid my uncle who lived close to Brussels had two of them. The first one made a terrible noise when I sat in the back, I remember (no insulation). The second a facelifted model was more quiet. After that he bought a Fiat 850, 133 (made in Spain) and a 127. Great memories! Greetings from Belgium.
People like 20 years older than me(I'm 28) had them everywhere my neighbor told me they used to destroy one per month. They were super cheap you could get one for basically 200$ ish. Here it's called zastava 750 and now they are rare af! No wonder as they were ablused a lot 😅.
Growing up in England during the 60's-70's I saw these little Fiats everywhere. My neighbour, a few doors down had one, a darker red than this one IIRC.
Love these little cars. I see them for sale around here every so often. Currently drive a 2013 Fiat 500 turbo and love it. One of the best cars I've ever owned, and being 70, I've had a few.
My family lived in Naples, Italy for a year when I was 7 - 8 years old (1963-64). We did not have a car, but my best friend / classmate's family (mom, dad, 7 year old girl, 4 year old boy) had a Fiat 500 (essentially the same as the 600 but with a smaller engine). They lived at the top of a hill. The Fiat could not drive up the hill (about 4 blocks) with all four of them in the car, so mom and the kids had to get out and walk so dad could drive the car up the hill. Our family's apartment overlooked a boulevard marked for 4 lanes of traffic, but on a busy afternoon we'd find the Italian drivers had formed up to 7 lanes of Fiat 500s and 600s on the boulevard.
6 місяців тому
The Fiat 500 quite different to the 600. The 600 is 4-cylinder and water cooled. The 500 is 2-cylinder and air-cooled.
That was a cute little car. I saw a few Fiats similar to this model when I was in the military. They had quite a few cars that were this size and lacked many safety features modern cars have nowadays. It was nice to see this car in such wonderful condition.
My father had one of those between 1960 and 1965. An ivory - and it was an earlier one with the suicide doors. We drove to Zandvoort at the north sea with it in 1962 - 450 kilometer, 3 adults, 1 kid (me), a roof rack with a tent and stuff and stayed there for a week. My father traded it for a red VW Beetle ... Eeech ! Thanks for sharing !
It was nice to see. Next time, take it for a test drive. My wife had a Zastava 750 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, back in the late '80's. It was a fun little car. It was a perfect city car as it could almost park in its own length. At 6'1", I barely fit. I met a Serbian a few years ago who was close to 7'. He said the workaround for tall drivers was to take out the front seat and drive from the back.
Back in Yugoslavia during mid and late 80's these cars (Fiat 600's made under Zastava licence 750 and later 850) were literally EVERYWHERE. Heck I think Zastava produced these small gem's until mid 80's with final ones coming till 86! After the 90's and war, they were off the streets, very few around, on the early 2000's you could still see some of them around and buy them for pennies. These days you can't find one at all! And even if you do find them, usually people don't want to sell and if they are selling it's crazy expensive. Solid ones cost like 5-6k Euros, one in pristine condition can top 10k easily. They are a blast to drive and yeah with 850cc engine, they sure can reach 120 km/h /75 mph, I outta know because I owned one. But that's stretching it to the limits.
yes , my friend sell them , in mint mint condition , not patched , proper restoration with everything new , also engine complete like from factory , is not cheap , yes there is for 5k solid ones ,
Where I grew up (Argentina) these and Renault Gordinis used to be tuned for racing on dirt tracks. My brother was a co-pilot on a Fiat 600 in the '70s. I have great memories of those days watching these cars racing. Thank you for the video that brought those memories back.
These are fun vehicles. I wish people will give up on vehicle safety. Rear view mirrors was not required till the end of 60’s. There was no seat belts, no safety glass, no collapsable steering wheel. Remember, seat belt were not required in the United States till Jan 1968. The 600 like the 500 were made for two adults and two children and used on Sunday. During the week a person used bicycles or scooters to work. Fuel was around 4.00 a gallon. Also, European vehicle had two seats in back for insurance purpose, it was cheaper. Back then the maximum speed was 80 km per hour (50 mph). We had decals on the back of the vehicle showing Max lawful speed. They were good cars, it cost me 45 thousand lire to rebuild the engine. (35 to 45 dollars). I do not much about the heating system, when you joined the automobile club (AAA) you got a blanket. Still carry mine in our current car, just a habit.
Reminds me of the Vespa scooters then(1959) available from the mail order catalog of Sears Roebuck at US$499 which was shown in the movie "Roman Holiday" with naked handlebars. The affordable good old days!
I used to drive it sometimes, it was my aunt's car. Here we have 2 models 750 and 'sport' model 850. It was produced in factory named 'Crvena zastava' by Fiat licenece.
It was my first car i purchased for 50 Deutschmarks 1972, which would be a 100 § today. For repairs from underneath you had to put a woolen blanket on the lawn, and with the help of friend rollin over to laying it on its side. I got it from the red cross, they " operated" the community nurses with those cars to visit and nurse immobile patients
yes, and i thought it had the 770 engine in it, which was a common upgrade at that time , but i looked it up on wiki and i was wrong. the 600 was also water-cooled already. @@GrimesGarage
Bit of trivia about the engine: the "Fiat Serie 100" was first used in the Fiat 600 and lasted 45 years up until 2000 where it was last used with the Fiat Seicento (meaning 600); at that point the engine was fuel injected but when the Euro 3 standard came to be, it was discontinued. Quite reliable, although it had a tendency to build sludge at a rate; the timing chain with time became a bit rattly but nothing that stopped it from soldiering on :)
My first car was a Fiat 126 which was basically the same car. The weak point was the front kingpins which needed regular greasing and every time you hit a bump or pot hole you would come out in a completely different direction. The 126 had a start lever down next to the choke lever which was a cool feature.
The Fiat 126 is an evolution of the Fiat 500 which was fitted with a 2 cylinder air cooled engine - i.e. not the same as the water cooled 4 cylinder engine as fitted to the Fiat 600.
I owned on of these. Drove it for years to an from home to college as well as my part time jobs while in college. Only two problems. The first is the tendency for the fuel to vapor lock on hot days. Always carried a rag and water so that when it stalled, I could pull over, open the hood , and wrap the wet rag around the fuel line. The second problem was the tendency of partygoers to lift the Fiat from the street to the sidewalk as a prank.
The early 500/600 had the hinges mounted on the rear edge of the doors, so-called suicide doors. It was relatively easy to mount a larger, more modern engine from the Lancia A112 in them.
Seeing the Fiat 600 brought back many memories. 1970 I was serving in the RAF, one of my pals had this model of Fiat, believe it or not we used to get four airmen in to travel daily from one airbase to another.
A Lada last week and now a Fiat 600, the Wizard is going over all the cars my parents used to have. We actually had a Simca 1100 between the Fiat and the Lada. After the Lada came a Citroën DS but you have that covered already.
The hand throttle fitted to the 600 Fiat is typical of most Italian cars of the era. It was fitted to enable the driver to set a fast idle during engine warm up on 'colder' mornings. It was never intended to be a rudimentary form of cruise control - as using it in that manner would be totally irresponsible/dangerous. The 600 Fiat is fitted with a four speed gearbox and not a three speed as stated by Mrs Wizard.
My father had one of these when he was young. He has told lots of stories about it, also about repairs and maintenance he did himself. Greetings from Finland! 🇫🇮
The H pattern for the shifter doesn't change. First gear on left hand drive towards the driver's door .and up . Right-hand drive towards the passenger door and up.
Beanie Baby Easter egg hunt: 1st at 2:41 mark, beside the fuel tank in frunk right fender. 2nd at 4:43 mark, Inside driver side map pocket in door panel. 3rd at 7:25 mark, in the engine bay next to the water pump. 4th at 10:00 mark, atop the passenger side rear axle trailing arm, next to the over coil shock.
Wow! That is the first old 600 which still has the cooling tins installed. Most owners do not understand the cooling system. The fan doesn't pull air through the radiator. It pushes it forward towards the front of the car.
It looks way nicer than the modern Fiat 500s. Even though it has less power and less features than the newer ones, I would rather have this 600. I really wanted to see the wizard drive it thought lol
Unicorn behind the gas tank. Another stuffy in the side pocket on the drivers side. Next one is hanging out next to the fan in the engine compartment. And last one is on the rear leaf. Stuffy hunt 2024
I owned a Fiat 850 Sport Coupe, and the weirdest thing on that engine, and I would assume the same for this one (since I did not see one), it doesnt have a standard Oil Filter Cartridge. It uses a Centrifugal chamber running directly on the crank!
Exactly, I had a 71 850 Sport Coupe, never knew it had a oil filter when I owned it. It has a throttle lock to warm the engine up, not a cruise control. I can't believe he got it wrong. It was modeled after a Ferrari model so it has nice sporty lines. Mine had a factory headers going into a muffler, I think 58 Italian ponies, top out at 100 mph. Fun car but extremely difficult to start especially when it was frigid outside. 2 days before I sold it, I finally found a pinhole leak in the fuel line from the tank which reduced the suction of the fuel pump. And the transverse leaf springs in the rear will cause the car to flip over on its side if going too fast while cornering. About 1700 lbs with full 6 gallon tank.
@ReadyFreddie5523 I had a great parts source (a fiat enthusiast) and a service manual, so knew to clean my oil centrifuge thing as soon as I got it. Mine was 69. I only had a leaf spring on the front, the rears were springs. I live in Sydney and dont remember having had problems starting on a cold day; >30y ago. We only got to just a few deg below zero. Enough for ice on windscreen on cold mornings with overnight rain, I actually got mine to 160Kph (ie 100mph)!! and for quite a distance, before it just stopped. I called a roadside-service guy, and it became clear the car was fine, I simply ran outta gas. I was a poor uni student. Did you notice in "Once upon a time in Hollywood" 850 sports car? it jumped the bridge, and was the car of the Italian James Bond! I would like the car today if I needed a second car, AND if it had modern safety and electronics etc etc etc.
Easter furbies are next to the gas tank, in the driver map pocket, under the water pump and on the passenger side frame………….great way to end my 700 mile day, thanks Mr and Mrs Weezard….
I like the fast-idle lever that also acts as cruise control... Sure, it's potentially unsafe but... I appreciate that it can be fast-idle if you need to warm the car up on a cold winter day.
6:40 in terms of passenger space: it will fit as many people as you need to fit. Oh, and Italians thought that wearing a seatbelt was bad luck because you're inviting an accident
Presumably you discovered where the 'oil filter' was? For those who don't know, it's inside the crank pulley. It has a removable end cover, sealed by a big 'O' ring, that you remove and scrape out the accumulated guck. It's more of a particulate gatherer,. a centrifuge, than a conventional oil filter, but the design obviously works. Millions of this, and similar Fiats, are still in use across the planet. They were very inexpensive, extremely fuel efficient, and robust enough to survive some of the world's worst roads. They are, however, NOT fast. 60mph flat out is about your lot, with 0-60 being pretty academic. The thing is though, MOST motorists in most of the world outside America, don't give a fig for acceleration figures. Fuel costs MUCH more outside profligate America where it's treated like water and costs little more. Everywhere else has to import the stuff and therefore taxes it heavily to ensure it isn't wasted.
There is Zastava 850, Yugoslav monster that could do 120km/h. There is even hot rod with 903cc Yugo 45 engine, that can do 140 km/h. There is Spanish SEAT 800, which has 4 doors and 4 seats. There is also Fiat 600 Multipla, with 4 doors and 6 seats.
its an iconic Fićo ,my family had several of them trough years,as u asked how many ppl could fit ,well 7 of as were going to seaside each year and it was around 6hour trip each way ,so u can fit few ppl inside haha
Please its - Seicento! The fun thing on Fiat's is you feel like you are driving in a dining room chair. Only the sport models (Spiders et al) have seats that are more adjustable. The engines on these things are incredibly reliable if you take care of them.
I just got a Fiat 147 Europa, year 1981/2, 1050cc engine, the incredible thing is that this car was mine approximately when i was 25 (this exact same car) part of the amazing is that it has been sitting indoors for the last 10 years, it doesn't have any crash , it has rust on the back and headlights are sunburned but I was able to find spare parts in Brazil and I am planning to restore it.
Back in the day, Italy taxed cars by displacement )may still do?) and petrol was very expensive so FIAT built the 600 and 850 so the average Italian could afford a car. Sort of the Italian version of the 1930’s Volkswagen.
8:50 That is actually not cruise control, that is just to set the idle speed during the winter/cold periods even though there is a choke or when the carburetor is clogged...
My folks had one when we lived in Barbados from 1969-73(?). I was born in 69 and remember riding in the back seat with my brother in a partially inflated rubber boat on the way to the beach. Mom HATED driving it uphill. Would it get to the top??
I had a Fiat 600 in high school in the late 60s. I paid 40 dollars for it. It topped out at 51 miles per hour. By the way the Fiat 600 has a four speed synchronized transmission.
I had a new 2000 Chevy Metro, aka Geo with a three cylinder engine. Very peppy and I got 57 mpg with the manual transmission. I should have kept it.
6 місяців тому
I own a 1969 left-hand drive USA model. The USA versions have a number of differences to the European models. They have larger head-lamps, larger front and rear bumpers and a more powerful generator. The Fiat 600 was also produced in Spain (as the SEAT), Yugoslavia (as the Zastava) and Argentina.
One under the car near the rear tire, one by the gas pedal, one in the frunk on the driver's side, I believe the last was in the driver's side in ths the back passenger side
When you get another one of these "oddball" cars you should call in Doug to do perhaps co-production. He introduces the car and goes over the basic stuff and then you go over the technical. the sad thing is that gas tank may have been better placed than the Pinto. Although my guess is that front/side impacts are probably more common than rear impacts perhaps.
These are neat little cars, sort of Italy's Citroen 2CV IMHO, designed for European motoring: very expensive gas and tiny, narrow roads and streets. Amazing interior space for its size.
Many '60's and early '70's Euro's had "hand Throttles" - hang over from days of veteran, vintage cars. Seat belts didn't even exist for many vehicles until early "70''s
It’s Herbie’s Italian cousin Herberto! Anyone know how rare this car is in the USA?
Such a beauty and to see one in the USA is crazy cool. What a find Bob, WOW.
Urine Nation Bob
@@iHaveTheDocuments he’s frowning right now. Hahaha
@@Dr.Dawson thanks! I am kind of in love with little guy right now. So much character!
@@euroasianbob9268 please post a pic of it beside your 348. That would be an image man. Maybe it’s a keeper?
I spent my teens living in Naples Italy, this was my first car when I got my drivers license, we would put 5 full grown kids in this thing and absolutely hammer on it. sometimes to get it into a parking space to tight to maneuver into we would literally lift it up and put it into the spot.
Great story!
Haha.
Every circle of friends had the giant.
The giant was the guy who could move these alone.
haaaaa@@bobceffo
I remember the Fiat 600, bigger brother of the Fiat 500. I visited Italy in 67 and 69 as a child and they were all over the country.
@@johnsradios484 i bet!
For anyone who's visited Italy and walked around the narrow streets of an old hill top town, the FIAT 500 , 600, 850 were designed to fit the old Italian towns.
Perfect commuter!
@@euroasianbob9268 The genius of simplicity. Italians have it down to an art-form.
My father bought a grey 1965 Fiat 600 in 1969. We went everywhere in that car in country Australia, sometimes with five people in it. I still smile every time I think about riding in it, the most fun we ever had in a car. It’s a four speed transmission, the 1,2,3 marked on the speedometer is the gear change points. Top speed was just over 60mm h and it would do that all day. We lived with cold winters and that heater really worked. Took a while to warm up but was very effective. Thanks for the memories.
I had one of those back in the early 70's USA. Left side steering. Took my sister and me 120 miles to college with all our stuff. One time the belt broke and I found a women's stocking to use to get me to the auto parts store.
I think the only reason Euroasianbob bought this RHD Fiat 600 was because all the LHD models have the speedometer in kms and you know how "anal" 'muricans are about their "freedom" units.
It was (and still is) a very popular and loved car here in Argentina. It was locally produced from 1960 until 1982.
It was my first brand new car in my native Chile in 1978. My 600 was the last version of this car made in Argentina with an 843 cc engine giving 32 HP and reaching up to 120 km/h. I was able to drive it with 4 more friends inside, all skinny teenagers on those days. I just loved it.
Simplicity is its own beauty
I agree!
Reminds me of my late wife......Beautiful...but simple!
Exactly. The essence of beauty indeed is simplicity!
I owed one in 1977! It was a 1965 version with only 70.000 km on it with Dutch registration (I am Dutch). I got it for free!!! The car drove quite well, with a low geared 1st gear, specially for the Italian roads in the mountains. In 4th gear it could drive around 90 km/h (50 miles/hour); topspeed around 105 km/h, consumption 6 l. per 100 km. Very fun car to drive if you are aware of your surroundings! No protection whatsoever! Even no seat belts!
1 gear is asinhrone
They actually do pretty well in accidents. The body is built like a roll cage.
you are very very wrong dear sir .
My parents still own their fiat 600 1963 with suicidedoors that my mom learned to drive in! When I was a kid it was in pieces in the garage, but my dad finally got it totaly sorted in 2010. It will never leave the family! He also has a mint fiat 500 and a 850 sport. One white, one red and one green. 🇮🇹
Awesome!
So cool!
Very nice colour combination. You can arrange all 3 cars to mimic the Italian flag, which is red white and green.
I saw a model like that in Spain last Oct.
Forza Italia. Saluti dalla Slovenia
Euro Asian Bob really has an eye for the unique. He must have a lot of fun chasing down these classics.
I do!
for those of you that are either young, american, or young and american...
this car was THE car that put Italy on wheels, starting from 1955.
the same car was produced in Spain, under licence, by SEAT. And also there was the car that put the country on wheels.
It was in both countries the first car that could be be owned by an avarage family.
It's common to see pictures of italian (and spanish) roads of the times where more than half of the cars were 600s. add quite a few 500s...
that was the landscape
Yugoslavia, too, Zastava built almost 1 million of these through the mid 1980s
Wow!
The steel used for Seats was actually of better quality than for Fiat. Lots of rust in a Fiat, less in a Seat!
TIL
@@MrSparklespring FIAT was one of the first true vertically integrated multinational companies. They owned everything from the mines for the ore to the plants that built the car…except for the tires. They left that to Pirelli.
The founder, Giovanni Agnelli, built the beginnings of an industrial powerhouse starting in 1899. It was his grandson, same name, who was a major player in the industrialization of post war Italy and turned FIAT into a multinational giant. Lots of good history about FIAT’s rise and fall on the web.
Over the years I owned six different FIATS; 124 Spider, 850 Coupe, a 124 Coupe, X1/9 (128 powered), 1100 Wagon and a Brava 131 Wagon, but never had a 600 as they were very underpowered, even with a 4-speed and Arbarth intake/exhaust goodies. All were fun to drive, but I lived in California and didn’t have to worry about rust, FIAT’s weakness. 😁
Sorry to be picky but the gearbox is four speeds forward plus reverse. The indicators on the speedo are maximum revs in the low three gears.
These were hugely popular in Finland. They were considered affordable, reliable and warm cars. Most were built be Fiat and Seat, and there was a handful of Zastavas. After their active years lots of kids learned to drive with these on rural roads and fields, and lots have been used in local racing series.
My first car was a Fiat 500; very similar to this car but even smaller. It had a 500cc two cylinder air cooled engine. The speedo went up to 60mph. I took it flat out down the freeway and the needle went past 60, so I imagined it was doing 70mph flat out. It had a 4 speed box with no synchromesh. I learnt to double declutch
My first car was a 1959 seat 600 D. It was pretty clapped out when my dad bought it for me but I put a couple of coffee cans in the rotted out floor added gas and oil and it was entirely reliable except for when it rained overnight. Finally put a baggie over the distributor and it didn’t get wet anymore. Gas tank was 5 gallons and gas on base in Madrid was $.19 a gallon. I could never get a dollars worth of gas in it. On one trip driving at night at about 45 to 50 miles an hour I got 70 miles per gallon.amazing little car. it was a very nimble little car meant for cities. Yes, two people could pick up the front end and tuck it neatly into a parking spot. Ultimate freedom for a 19-year-old Air Force brat living in Europe.
Beautiful restored car! But it is a four speed not a 3 speed plus reverse gear. When I was a kid my uncle who lived close to Brussels had two of them. The first one made a terrible noise when I sat in the back, I remember (no insulation). The second a facelifted model was more quiet. After that he bought a Fiat 850, 133 (made in Spain) and a 127. Great memories! Greetings from Belgium.
People like 20 years older than me(I'm 28) had them everywhere my neighbor told me they used to destroy one per month. They were super cheap you could get one for basically 200$ ish. Here it's called zastava 750 and now they are rare af! No wonder as they were ablused a lot 😅.
Growing up in England during the 60's-70's I saw these little Fiats everywhere. My neighbour, a few doors down had one, a darker red than this one IIRC.
Love these little cars. I see them for sale around here every so often. Currently drive a 2013 Fiat 500 turbo and love it. One of the best cars I've ever owned, and being 70, I've had a few.
My family lived in Naples, Italy for a year when I was 7 - 8 years old (1963-64). We did not have a car, but my best friend / classmate's family (mom, dad, 7 year old girl, 4 year old boy) had a Fiat 500 (essentially the same as the 600 but with a smaller engine). They lived at the top of a hill. The Fiat could not drive up the hill (about 4 blocks) with all four of them in the car, so mom and the kids had to get out and walk so dad could drive the car up the hill. Our family's apartment overlooked a boulevard marked for 4 lanes of traffic, but on a busy afternoon we'd find the Italian drivers had formed up to 7 lanes of Fiat 500s and 600s on the boulevard.
The Fiat 500 quite different to the 600. The 600 is 4-cylinder and water cooled. The 500 is 2-cylinder and air-cooled.
That was a cute little car. I saw a few Fiats similar to this model when I was in the military. They had quite a few cars that were this size and lacked many safety features modern cars have nowadays. It was nice to see this car in such wonderful condition.
One of my dream car's especially with the steering on the right side instead of the wrong side😊.
The 600 is probably my dream classic car, I just love everything about them.
I love it! The only thing that looks worn is the Emergency brake. LOL. And I love the Simplicity of it. There were about 9 wires exposed.
My father had one of those between 1960 and 1965. An ivory - and it was an earlier one with the suicide doors. We drove to Zandvoort at the north sea with it in 1962 - 450 kilometer, 3 adults, 1 kid (me), a roof rack with a tent and stuff and stayed there for a week. My father traded it for a red VW Beetle ... Eeech ! Thanks for sharing !
The "cruise lever" is just for fast idle as the car warms up. Had that on my 124 spider.
It was nice to see. Next time, take it for a test drive. My wife had a Zastava 750 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, back in the late '80's. It was a fun little car. It was a perfect city car as it could almost park in its own length. At 6'1", I barely fit. I met a Serbian a few years ago who was close to 7'. He said the workaround for tall drivers was to take out the front seat and drive from the back.
Shades of "Police Academy"...Hightower and the "modded" Civic!
Back in Yugoslavia during mid and late 80's these cars (Fiat 600's made under Zastava licence 750 and later 850) were literally EVERYWHERE. Heck I think Zastava produced these small gem's until mid 80's with final ones coming till 86! After the 90's and war, they were off the streets, very few around, on the early 2000's you could still see some of them around and buy them for pennies. These days you can't find one at all! And even if you do find them, usually people don't want to sell and if they are selling it's crazy expensive. Solid ones cost like 5-6k Euros, one in pristine condition can top 10k easily. They are a blast to drive and yeah with 850cc engine, they sure can reach 120 km/h /75 mph, I outta know because I owned one. But that's stretching it to the limits.
yes , my friend sell them , in mint mint condition , not patched , proper restoration with everything new , also engine complete like from factory , is not cheap , yes there is for 5k solid ones ,
Where I grew up (Argentina) these and Renault Gordinis used to be tuned for racing on dirt tracks. My brother was a co-pilot on a Fiat 600 in the '70s. I have great memories of those days watching these cars racing. Thank you for the video that brought those memories back.
These are fun vehicles. I wish people will give up on vehicle safety. Rear view mirrors was not required till the end of 60’s. There was no seat belts, no safety glass, no collapsable steering wheel. Remember, seat belt were not required in the United States till Jan 1968. The 600 like the 500 were made for two adults and two children and used on Sunday. During the week a person used bicycles or scooters to work. Fuel was around 4.00 a gallon. Also, European vehicle had two seats in back for insurance purpose, it was cheaper. Back then the maximum speed was 80 km per hour (50 mph). We had decals on the back of the vehicle showing Max lawful speed. They were good cars, it cost me 45 thousand lire to rebuild the engine. (35 to 45 dollars). I do not much about the heating system, when you joined the automobile club (AAA) you got a blanket. Still carry mine in our current car, just a habit.
Great info!
Simple comments, on a simple car!
Reminds me of the Vespa scooters then(1959) available from the mail order catalog of Sears Roebuck at US$499 which was shown in the movie "Roman Holiday" with naked handlebars.
The affordable good old days!
I used to drive it sometimes, it was my aunt's car. Here we have 2 models 750 and 'sport' model 850. It was produced in factory named 'Crvena zastava' by Fiat licenece.
This car?
@@euroasianbob9268it was licensed for Yugoslavia and Poland. 😊
This model,sorry.@@euroasianbob9268
Yes...former Yugoslavia.@@kristianhartlevjohansen3541
It was my first car i purchased for 50 Deutschmarks 1972, which would be a 100 § today. For repairs from underneath you had to put a woolen blanket on the lawn, and with the help of friend rollin over to laying it on its side. I got it from the red cross, they " operated" the community nurses with those cars to visit and nurse immobile patients
Did you see the radiator?
yes, and i thought it had the 770 engine in it, which was a common upgrade at that time , but i looked it up on wiki and i was wrong. the 600 was also water-cooled already. @@GrimesGarage
Happy Easter Wizard and Mrs. Wizard!
Bit of trivia about the engine: the "Fiat Serie 100" was first used in the Fiat 600 and lasted 45 years up until 2000 where it was last used with the Fiat Seicento (meaning 600); at that point the engine was fuel injected but when the Euro 3 standard came to be, it was discontinued. Quite reliable, although it had a tendency to build sludge at a rate; the timing chain with time became a bit rattly but nothing that stopped it from soldiering on :)
My first car was a Fiat 126 which was basically the same car. The weak point was the front kingpins which needed regular greasing and every time you hit a bump or pot hole you would come out in a completely different direction. The 126 had a start lever down next to the choke lever which was a cool feature.
The Fiat 126 is an evolution of the Fiat 500 which was fitted with a 2 cylinder air cooled engine - i.e. not the same as the water cooled 4 cylinder engine as fitted to the Fiat 600.
Drivers side trunk and map pocket,engine compartment and rear suspension
The 600 is getting rare here in Italy too! Cool car!
Really? Thanks!
Happy Easter Mr & Mrs Wizard!
I had a '66. Great little car. The car has a 4 speed trans by the way.
That throttle lock looks like it’s more for fast idle after cold start than for cruise control.
I owned on of these. Drove it for years to an from home to college as well as my part time jobs while in college. Only two problems. The first is the tendency for the fuel to vapor lock on hot days. Always carried a rag and water so that when it stalled, I could pull over, open the hood , and wrap the wet rag around the fuel line. The second problem was the tendency of partygoers to lift the Fiat from the street to the sidewalk as a prank.
Great story! Lol.
The early 500/600 had the hinges mounted on the rear edge of the doors, so-called suicide doors. It was relatively easy to mount a larger, more modern engine from the Lancia A112 in them.
Seeing the Fiat 600 brought back many memories. 1970 I was serving in the RAF, one of my pals had this model of Fiat, believe it or not we used to get four airmen in to travel daily from one airbase to another.
Under license it was made in Yugoslavia under the name Zastava 750 for over 20 years and almost 1 million copies.
The first model had suicide doors 😁
That is properly cool! Sure it's not a supercar but it doesn't need to be to be a properly cool car. Great post Wiz.
A Lada last week and now a Fiat 600, the Wizard is going over all the cars my parents used to have. We actually had a Simca 1100 between the Fiat and the Lada. After the Lada came a Citroën DS but you have that covered already.
Love these elderly Fiats! The 500 Topolino is a real little beauty Queen. As is the Balilla.❤
Back in the day my mother had an orange 600, which was the first car I did maintenance on. Reliable and simple technology, no computers and sensors.
The hand throttle fitted to the 600 Fiat is typical of most Italian cars of the era. It was fitted to enable the driver to set a fast idle during engine warm up on 'colder' mornings. It was never intended to be a rudimentary form of cruise control - as using it in that manner would be totally irresponsible/dangerous.
The 600 Fiat is fitted with a four speed gearbox and not a three speed as stated by Mrs Wizard.
My '59 Impala with "Factory" A/C came with a hand throttle too. It was to adjust idle with the compressor on.
And I thought my 1970 Toyota Corolla was small. I was laughing myself silly.
There were even smaller cars Fiat made during this era, and ditto for the Japanese Kei Cars of that era.
My father had one of these when he was young. He has told lots of stories about it, also about repairs and maintenance he did himself. Greetings from Finland! 🇫🇮
The H pattern for the shifter doesn't change. First gear on left hand drive towards the driver's door .and up . Right-hand drive towards the passenger door and up.
1 beside gastank,1 in door, 1 near water pump and other on top of rear frame rail.
Beanie Baby Easter egg hunt:
1st at 2:41 mark, beside the fuel tank in frunk right fender.
2nd at 4:43 mark, Inside driver side map pocket in door panel.
3rd at 7:25 mark, in the engine bay next to the water pump.
4th at 10:00 mark, atop the passenger side rear axle trailing arm, next to the over coil shock.
You can’t help but smile when you see this little bugger! ❤
😊
Love it! Thanks for the memories with the Beanie Babies! Thanks for the videos!
Wow! That is the first old 600 which still has the cooling tins installed. Most owners do not understand the cooling system. The fan doesn't pull air through the radiator. It pushes it forward towards the front of the car.
It looks way nicer than the modern Fiat 500s. Even though it has less power and less features than the newer ones, I would rather have this 600. I really wanted to see the wizard drive it thought lol
Hello all the way from Azerbaijan 🇦🇿
Hello from Slovenia 🇸🇮
Unicorn behind the gas tank. Another stuffy in the side pocket on the drivers side. Next one is hanging out next to the fan in the engine compartment. And last one is on the rear leaf. Stuffy hunt 2024
I owned a Fiat 850 Sport Coupe, and the weirdest thing on that engine, and I would assume the same for this one (since I did not see one), it doesnt have a standard Oil Filter Cartridge. It uses a Centrifugal chamber running directly on the crank!
And many went to the wreckers because people just didn't know...
and the "filter" just crudded up.....
Exactly, I had a 71 850 Sport Coupe, never knew it had a oil filter when I owned it. It has a throttle lock to warm the engine up, not a cruise control. I can't believe he got it wrong. It was modeled after a Ferrari model so it has nice sporty lines. Mine had a factory headers going into a muffler, I think 58 Italian ponies, top out at 100 mph. Fun car but extremely difficult to start especially when it was frigid outside. 2 days before I sold it, I finally found a pinhole leak in the fuel line from the tank which reduced the suction of the fuel pump. And the transverse leaf springs in the rear will cause the car to flip over on its side if going too fast while cornering. About 1700 lbs with full 6 gallon tank.
@ReadyFreddie5523 I had a great parts source (a fiat enthusiast) and a service manual, so knew to clean my oil centrifuge thing as soon as I got it.
Mine was 69. I only had a leaf spring on the front, the rears were springs. I live in Sydney and dont remember having had problems starting on a cold day; >30y ago. We only got to just a few deg below zero. Enough for ice on windscreen on cold mornings with overnight rain,
I actually got mine to 160Kph (ie 100mph)!! and for quite a distance, before it just stopped. I called a roadside-service guy, and it became clear the car was fine, I simply ran outta gas. I was a poor uni student.
Did you notice in "Once upon a time in Hollywood" 850 sports car? it jumped the bridge, and was the car of the Italian James Bond!
I would like the car today if I needed a second car, AND if it had modern safety and electronics etc etc etc.
Easter furbies are next to the gas tank, in the driver map pocket, under the water pump and on the passenger side frame………….great way to end my 700 mile day, thanks Mr and Mrs Weezard….
Growing up I had a neighbor whose dad had one of these. I was always excited to get to ride in it and have often wanted to own one.
I like the fast-idle lever that also acts as cruise control... Sure, it's potentially unsafe but... I appreciate that it can be fast-idle if you need to warm the car up on a cold winter day.
6:40 in terms of passenger space: it will fit as many people as you need to fit. Oh, and Italians thought that wearing a seatbelt was bad luck because you're inviting an accident
Presumably you discovered where the 'oil filter' was? For those who don't know, it's inside the crank pulley. It has a removable end cover, sealed by a big 'O' ring, that you remove and scrape out the accumulated guck. It's more of a particulate gatherer,. a centrifuge, than a conventional oil filter, but the design obviously works. Millions of this, and similar Fiats, are still in use across the planet. They were very inexpensive, extremely fuel efficient, and robust enough to survive some of the world's worst roads. They are, however, NOT fast. 60mph flat out is about your lot, with 0-60 being pretty academic. The thing is though, MOST motorists in most of the world outside America, don't give a fig for acceleration figures. Fuel costs MUCH more outside profligate America where it's treated like water and costs little more. Everywhere else has to import the stuff and therefore taxes it heavily to ensure it isn't wasted.
Wow! Great info!
Surprisingly clean because everyone knows Karman Ghia invented the process for rust who then sold it to the Italians.
The trick is to park the bare metal body outside in the rain before you paint the car.
Bet it was a UK car from the licence plate holes.
There is Zastava 850, Yugoslav monster that could do 120km/h. There is even hot rod with 903cc Yugo 45 engine, that can do 140 km/h.
There is Spanish SEAT 800, which has 4 doors and 4 seats.
There is also Fiat 600 Multipla, with 4 doors and 6 seats.
That was my first car in high school and every students love it.Best car ever i own in my life.
its an iconic Fićo ,my family had several of them trough years,as u asked how many ppl could fit ,well 7 of as were going to seaside each year and it was around 6hour trip each way ,so u can fit few ppl inside haha
😮
Please its - Seicento! The fun thing on Fiat's is you feel like you are driving in a dining room chair. Only the sport models (Spiders et al) have seats that are more adjustable. The engines on these things are incredibly reliable if you take care of them.
I just got a Fiat 147 Europa, year 1981/2, 1050cc engine, the incredible thing is that this car was mine approximately when i was 25 (this exact same car) part of the amazing is that it has been sitting indoors for the last 10 years, it doesn't have any crash , it has rust on the back and headlights are sunburned but I was able to find spare parts in Brazil and I am planning to restore it.
Back in the day, Italy taxed cars by displacement )may still do?) and petrol was very expensive so FIAT built the 600 and 850 so the average Italian could afford a car. Sort of the Italian version of the 1930’s Volkswagen.
8:50 That is actually not cruise control, that is just to set the idle speed during the winter/cold periods even though there is a choke or when the carburetor is clogged...
In Spain it was called Seat 600, and it was the car that allowed many people to have a car for the first time
I don't think that's a cruise control wiz...i believe it's a "hand throttle", sort of an idle adjustment for warm-up, like in old semi trucks. 😊
It's the kind of car that makes you smile when you see it.
😊
My folks had one when we lived in Barbados from 1969-73(?). I was born in 69 and remember riding in the back seat with my brother in a partially inflated rubber boat on the way to the beach. Mom HATED driving it uphill. Would it get to the top??
Happy Easter, Wizard 😊
I used to live in Rome in the '70's. These little 600's were EVERYWHERE. They even used them as taxicabs, painted green.
I had a Fiat 600 in high school in the late 60s. I paid 40 dollars for it. It topped out at 51 miles per hour. By the way the Fiat 600 has a four speed synchronized transmission.
That Fiat is SWEET.
I had a new 2000 Chevy Metro, aka Geo with a three cylinder engine. Very peppy and I got 57 mpg with the manual transmission. I should have kept it.
I own a 1969 left-hand drive USA model. The USA versions have a number of differences to the European models. They have larger head-lamps, larger front and rear bumpers and a more powerful generator. The Fiat 600 was also produced in Spain (as the SEAT), Yugoslavia (as the Zastava) and Argentina.
One under the car near the rear tire, one by the gas pedal, one in the frunk on the driver's side, I believe the last was in the driver's side in ths the back passenger side
When you get another one of these "oddball" cars you should call in Doug to do perhaps co-production. He introduces the car and goes over the basic stuff and then you go over the technical.
the sad thing is that gas tank may have been better placed than the Pinto. Although my guess is that front/side impacts are probably more common than rear impacts perhaps.
These are neat little cars, sort of Italy's Citroen 2CV IMHO, designed for European motoring: very expensive gas and tiny, narrow roads and streets. Amazing interior space for its size.
Love it! Bob finds some amazing machines.
That is a beautiful car. Bob gets some Amazing cars!
Thanks!
The car is a four speed, but since over-revving is impossible in fourth gear, there is no maximum speed marked on the speedometer.
Aww. Look at that adorable little thing. My kind of toy for adults. For us Europeans urbanites, it's perfect if you have a small family. ♥️
If you don't care about safety.
back when I was in highschool 20 years ago in uruguay Fiat 600s or FITITOS were still very common. i miss them.
Many '60's and early '70's Euro's had "hand Throttles" - hang over from days of veteran, vintage cars. Seat belts didn't even exist for many vehicles until early "70''s
These were always four speed!
Correct!
seat belt were implemented in 1969 for all manufacturers in USA but in 1965 they were few cars that put in some model of car
"Really sweet Fiat" are words that, in automotive history, have never been spoken together in that particular order.
"How do you know the heater is on?"
"Slight thud when on".
Acoustic feedback and vibration.
IPhone did not create a thing
And the gear shift lever gets hot.@@bobceffo
Hope you had a Blessed Easter!!