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Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100

Car · Chassis, mechanics, panels, paint, interior

Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100

A 508 C saloon in burgundy and black, still on its black Novara plate: chassis and mechanics overhauled, body stripped to bare metal and repaired, two-tone paint, light cloth interior and new carpet.

Model: Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100 saloon
Built: 1937–1939
Engine: 4 cylinders, 1089 cc, overhead valves
Colour: Burgundy with black wings
Work: Chassis, mechanics, panel work, paint, interior
Restoration: Full

The story

The 508 C, the "Nuova Balilla 1100", arrived in the late 1930s: a streamlined shape with a heart-shaped grille, a livelier overhead-valve engine and a more comfortable cabin. It was the car that started the long line of Fiat 1100s.

This saloon looked tidy, but opening the doors and the bonnet was enough to find rust, a worn floor and mechanics to redo. It was lifted off its chassis and restored piece by piece: chassis, engine, panels, paint and interior.

Before and after

Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100 – the rear before the restoration, with the black Novara plate — the rear before the restoration, with the black Novara plate

Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100 – the rear after the restoration — the rear after the restoration

Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100 – the engine bay before the restoration — the engine bay before the restoration

Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100 – the engine bay after the restoration — the engine bay after the restoration

The restoration step by step

From bare chassis to two-tone paint

Step 1 of 6
How it arrived
From the outside it still looked the part, with its black Novara plate. Inside, though, the floor was worn and rusty, and even small details such as the FIAT badges were corroded.
Did you know?An original black plate with its papers is worth keeping: it avoids re-registration and tells the car's story.
the heart-shaped grille, before the restoration
the cabin before the restoration, with its worn floor
the old FIAT badges, corroded
Step 2 of 6
Chassis and mechanics
The body comes off the chassis. The chassis is cleaned, treated and painted; suspension, brakes, gearbox and engine are overhauled and refitted.
Did you know?Before treating a chassis, its diagonals are measured: if it took a knock in the past, it is straightened now, not after painting.
the chassis with the front axle, before the restoration
the chassis rails with their lightening holes
the 1100 engine cleaned and back on the chassis
the chassis with all its mechanics, ready for the body
Step 3 of 6
The body stripped bare
The body is stripped to bare metal. That shows up the weak spots: the centre pillar and its mountings are rebuilt.
Did you know?Pillars are structural: they are rebuilt with steel of the same gauge as the original, welded in place, never with patches laid over the top.
the body stripped to bare metal
the centre pillar laid bare
the centre pillar being rebuilt
Step 4 of 6
Primer and a trial fit
The repaired body goes into primer and is set on the chassis to check that doors, bonnet and wings line up before painting.
Did you know?Trial fits are done with the body in primer: if something is out, the metal is corrected now, without spoiling the final paint.
the body in primer, ready for paint
the primed body on the chassis for a trial fit
Step 5 of 6
Burgundy and black
Body and underside in burgundy, wings and front in gloss black, then the radiator, lamps and grille go back on.
Did you know?On two-tone cars the wings are painted off the car: that keeps the line between the colours crisp without complicated masking.
the underside painted burgundy
the spare wheel cover, painted
black wings and front during reassembly
Step 6 of 6
The interior
Seats and panels in light grey cloth, a new headlining and hazel carpet cut to the floor and bound at the edges.
Did you know?Carpet is cut from a paper pattern taken off the floor of the same car: no two examples measure exactly the same.
the seats in light grey cloth
the headlining being redone
the new hazel carpet

As it is today

Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100 – the driver's seat with the restoration finished — the driver's seat with the restoration finished

Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100 – the body-coloured dashboard and the original steering wheel — the body-coloured dashboard and the original steering wheel

Do you have a Balilla or a 1930s car to restore?

Chassis, mechanics, panel work, paint and interior: Mimmo handles the whole restoration in the workshop, including for clients in Switzerland. Tell him about your car.

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