We're having a party with a red-hot Italian-made cannon. We grab a Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC in an Alitalia tracksuit by the scruff of the neck and stomp through the border region.
The Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC in Group N trim radiates from all sides that there is fun to be had. You then have to overcome a series of struggles, first by hoisting yourself over the tubes of the roll cage and the high, stiff sidewalls of the bucket seats.
You see little of the once homely passenger car interior; All that woolliness has no function anyway. The presence of electric window controls is somewhat surprising, coupled with universal rocker switches, of which we find many more in the cockpit.
The meters, the same as those in the street version, display: speed, voltage and oil pressure. Speed, water and oil temperature are still at zero, but not for much longer, if the nervously babbling engine of the Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC has anything to do with it. Although most of the insulation material has been cut away in the cabin, you will not be deafened and you will even hear the metallic 'clang' with which the gears of the five-speed gearbox mesh.
Harmful consequences
What is Italian temperament? This Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC is extremely nervous, also with its razor-sharp steering. If you take a hard swipe with your hand, he immediately shakes his ass, partly resulting in an impressive body stiffness.
With a bit of bad luck, the taillights will immediately appear in the corner of your eye and you can pray that your unintentional action remains without harmful consequences. Basically, the Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC simply reacts with understeer when you flood the front wheels with a lot of horsepower, clearly more than the civilian Abarth has, estimated at least 160.
If you are aware of the fiery character of the Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC and know how to play it in a measured manner, it will respond quite reliably, without us even wanting to use the word 'good-natured' for a moment. In the meantime, it goes fast, damn fast, with the low seat and the terribly stiff suspension enhancing the experience. We blast through De Kempen, high on adrenaline, partying in the highest white zone of the rev counter. We can get used to this lightning-fast rhythm.
…. but the DOHCs also had (human) finishing vessels. The oil pump cover plate at the end of the crankshaft was not properly attached. The securing bolts that secured the oil pump plate, which secured the pump gears and sealed the housing, came loose. Result: low oil pressure, the oil was pumped straight back into the crankcase and where it had to be, it no longer received any/hardly any lubrication. The balance shafts were whipped cream beaters.
Great, especially when you take into account that the Ritmo was a further development of the 128 in terms of chassis... my 6 months in 1989 with a 130TC are still clearly etched in my memory, especially the days when it didn't work and I was allowed to take the bus to Rotterdam. Later ended up as a black instead of red circuit racer. Partsshop Nowee in Rotterdam did all the work and according to the RDW the whole thing (originally late 1983) lasted until 2009. Truly an excellent performance for an Italian family hatchback.
Always found a beautiful car, the Fiat Ritmo Abarth, both the 105 hp and the 130 hp. How is it possible that they are no longer visible on the streets. Alfa Romeo Sud four-leaf clover. Such a beautiful appearance too.
Cool car!
A nervous ass, bald, basic, a suspension that keeps you awake and an engine that resembles a poisonous serpent. I would like to know how they managed to get 160+ hp from a base of 130 hp. When I read that he 'babbles' nervously, then the cam sticks certainly don't seem to be original. Interesting vehicle, that must be said! 👍🏼
Those Lampredi DOHCs are great engines, one of the best that the Italians (next to the Alfa Nord, Ferrari Colombo V12, MultiJet and Ferrari/Maserati/Alfa F154) ever built. Internally extremely strong and can be tuned almost endlessly to astronomical values... this power source also ended up in the Lancia Integrale, Alfa 155Q4, Lancia Thema and also the Kappa.