My 15 years love affiar

MY FIRST LOVE:
FIAT Supermirafiori 1600cc, Year: 1980
(Last unit, second generation CKD model)

MODIFICATIONS:

1. Twin Weber 40 DCOE carburettors
2. Custom carburettor throttle
3. FIAT Abarth in-manifold which I hand-polished the insides with cigarette foils
4. Cromodora 4-1 out-manifold
5. Cromodora mid muffler
6. Cromodora rear muffler
7. Cromodora Magnesium alloy wheels (5 spoke ala Ferrari)
8. Engine balancing (blue-printing)
9. Custom made stainless steel air filter box
10. Chrome engine head covers
11. Bayless wire gauze air filter
12. Nissan electric fuel pump
13. Vitolani front power windows
14. Vitolani air scoop
15. Custom made vent on bonnet for air scoop
16. 10mm spark plug cables
17. HD4 headlight wiring conversion set
18. Koni adjustable shock absorbers
19. FIAT 131 Racing grille
20. FIAT 131 Racing front spoiler (2nd pix) replaced temporary version (1st pix)
21. FIAT 131 twin rear spoilers
22. Hella air horns 
23. ICI 2K Primer Red (The mother (brightest) of all red paint)
24. Upgraded cloth upholstery

Starting the engine is like waking up the king of the jungle. People told me the exhaust sound is not loud but the engine growls deep like a lion. This was mainly due to its saxophone-like air filter box/DCOE carburettor/in-manifold/combustion chamber/4-to-1 extractor arrangement. It has surpringly, a slicker gear entry than a Fiat 131 Racing which I've tried before, maybe because this tilted gear shift goes directly to the gear. As it is a rear wheel drive, it grips the road better accelerating into corners so front wheel drive cars had difficulty catching up. While, it did not have power steering, this made steering feel taut and safe. This car grips like a leech, sprints like a cheetah and weaves like a bat, I could overtake any vehicle 2000cc and below with ease and because of those upgrades, I tend take them on around the corners which I would never do in other cars.  Trailing a car then down shifting from 5 to 3 sees the FIAT sprint with ease. I do not know the fastest I've done because it passed the speedometer indicator. I admit it was a 15 year love affair.