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Truck · Panels, two-tone paint, engine and seats
Fiat 900 E
It arrived all red, with rust in the places vans of that era know well, and left in two-tone red and white: new panels welded in the workshop, engine in order and seats rebuilt.
- Model
- Fiat 900 E, window van
- Era
- 1980s
- Engine
- Rear-mounted, 903 cc
- Colour
- Two-tone red and white
- Work
- Panel work, paint, mechanics, upholstery
- Restoration
- Full
The story
For years the Fiat 900 was the van of tradesmen, parishes and large families: small outside, surprisingly roomy inside, with the engine at the back.
This one looked tidy, but under the paint rust had done its work. It was stripped back to bare metal, the rotten sections were remade and the van got its two tones back.
The restoration step by step
From rust to two-tone
- Step 1 of 5
Strip-down and body on the rotisserie
Glass, seals, interior and mechanics out: the empty body is mounted on a rotisserie, so the underside can be worked on without contortions.
the stripped body on the rotisserie 
cutting out the rotten metal begins - Step 2 of 5
The hidden rust
Under the red, the wheel arches and lower sides were eaten by rust. Everything is cut out until sound metal appears: patches over rust don't last.
the wheel arch: more holes than metal 
rust under the paint of the wheel arch 
the inner structure had to be remade too - Step 3 of 5
New panels, welded in the workshop
The sections cut out are remade in new steel, shaped by hand and welded in place: wheel arches, sides, chassis rails and the area under the grille.
the wheel arch remade in new steel 
the side rebuilt with new steel 
welding under the grille 
the rebuilt chassis rail - Step 4 of 5
Primer and preparation
The repaired body goes into primer: rust protection, filler only where needed, sanding and masking before the paint.
the whole body in primer, ready for paint 
the side prepared for painting - Step 5 of 5
Two-tone, engine and seats
Red and white paint, reassembly with new seals, engine bay cleaned and painted, seats rebuilt from the spring frame up.
the rear engine bay, clean and in order 
the seat frame with its zigzag springs 
a seat being re-upholstered 
the driver's seat with the rebuilt seats
As it is today
Do you have a vintage van or work vehicle?
Panel work, paint, mechanics and interior: work vehicles deserve a proper restoration too. Tell us about yours.
More restorations
This is only a small selection: over the years Mimmo has restored many more cars and trucks, and we'll keep adding them from the workshop's photo books.
