Project Pasbarth

[Scallootch]

Project Pasbarth c'est pas un Abarth, but is instead a '12 Sport stripped and caged for circuit racing, applying stuff I've learned and collected from 20 years of crewing with pro racing teams, and a bunch of things I swore against while driving other peoples' cars in that span of time as well.

I've mapped out the project into the following phases:

• 1: Basic "pass tech and go testing" raceprep: 8-point custom rollcage by Midnight Fabrications in North Toronto (https://www.instagram.com/p/B87uPPvAlnK/); external engine upgrades (Aasco lightweight flywheel, intake/exhaust, catless header, AC delete); re-wire (applying experience and ongoing development following four or five previous re-wires I've done on racing Hondas over the past 15 years); suspension upgrades (some AST front coilovers, AST adjustable-height rear springs, DNA front control arms and Abarth steering rack on seam-welded Abarth front subframe; Koni yellow rear dampers I've got on the shelf; rear droop limiters; rear anti-roll bar); a mix of brakepads to test; ABS delete, braided lines and front/rear proportioning valve; lightweight roof, greenhouse and rad support; rear diffuser undertray. Still saving up for a Prometeo oilpan and standalone ECU.

• 2: Close-ratio C514 franken-gearbox scavenging 3rd/4th/5th from the UK-market Punto C514 'box currently sitting on the garage floor with C514 Quaife ATB currently sitting on the shelf; possible re-engineering of the front anti-roll bar.

• 2.5: Lightweight forged engine internals, cam upgrades and appropriate re-map.

Guessing this should conservatively pound around all day in the 1m45s laptime bracket at Mosport on 200-treadwear tires. This would allow me to drive like hell in a serious-ass feeling racecar just to go toe-to-toe with Chumpcar noobs in faster cars. (I got bored with just going out and passing folks, hence my unique dysfunction.)

For those about to ask why I didn't just save up for a turbocharged model, I've spent a season with a factory Focus ST team and dealt with the frustrations of endurance racing on boost, even with the resources afforded by factory backing. I love turbos in principle but would rather live with revs than with boost and the attendant torque and heat, and I'm sure the C514 agrees with me on that. Parts compatibility with my long-term nonturbo EAB/C514 road car(s) is also a top priority, so I'm sticking with that package. In short, I'd rather look into a Huyabusa head swap before delving into supercharging, so don't go there.

Next step before the re-wiring starts: after the cage is paid for I'll be shopping for a standalone ECU. As I've posted elsewhere, if the ECU and/or tuner can't deal with MultiAir then I'm not opposed to swapping in this T-Jet head I've got sitting in the attic. Currently leaning toward a Haltech Elite 1500 or AEM Infinity since I've got distributor access through the shop I work at, though I've been wondering about the ECUMaster EMU Black:

• a) EMU Black interfaces with FIAT 500 CANBUS hardware. Does this mean I can use the OEM gauge cluster but still do without the BCM, ABS module, EPAS etc.?

• b) Is the ability to use the stock cluster enough of a selling point or should I just shuddup and use the 'native' dash/logger modules native to whichever ECU I end up with?

Haven't talked to the local tuners since I'm not done paying for the cage yet. In the meantime I'll be gleaning as much as I can about it online.

In the meantime, a bit of trivia: the OEM body wiring harness and underhood fusebox combined weigh ~11kg; do not have a single subharness connector between the underhood fusebox and the doomed-to-fail tailgate; and seems to be the first thing installed on the bodyshell on the line at Toluca. Sometime in the future I'll charge an arm and a leg re-wiring these cars for testa duras who've refuse to give up and FiST themselves.

[Romanoaf]

This is great, looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

There are a few functions on the cluster and ECU that are vetted through the BCM, ambient temp, wheel speed etc.. you can certainly get around those with a standalone, but the factory cluster will likely show constant faults. I know that if safety systems and other external canbus modules are removed (airbag/seatbelt/TPMS), they can be coded out pretty easily with software and proxi alignment. not sure how it'd react without a BCM though.

[Scallootch]

There are a few functions on the cluster and ECU that are vetted through the BCM, ambient temp, wheel speed etc.. you can certainly get around those with a standalone, but the factory cluster will likely show constant faults. I know that if safety systems and other external canbus modules are removed (airbag/seatbelt/TPMS), they can be coded out pretty easily with software and proxi alignment. not sure how it'd react without a BCM though.

The question is whether the cluster generates the christmastree of fault lights when there's no signal on a given channel from the BCM, or whether the cluster just reports faults as generated by the BCM. I would assume the latter, though it's probably best just to buy my way away from the question and use a dedicated motorsport display to interface with the standalone.

[Scallootch]

Meanwhile in the chassis department...

[MadFiat]

Gal dang boy that's stripped cleaner than crawfish shells at a gulf coast cookout!

[texanbrit]

So what does it weigh in that state?

[Scallootch]

Oof, no idea. So tight on space in the garage right now that I'm ages away from accomodating a scale setup, but light overall weight is the prime directive on this puppy. More pics coming once I finish painting the cage and install the steering column bracket.

Mocked up an alternative, lightweight, and robust (!!!) doorhandle mechanism the other night. I went through a few iterations and this one is by far my favourite. Pics to come...