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Fiat Ritmo S85 Supermatic: rhythm in the blood

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Fiat Ritmo S85 Supermatic
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E r has rhythm in his blood and lots of it in the garage . Andreas Hellmann raves about the compact model Ritmo, in German rhythm, launched by Fiat in the late 1970s. He can easily answer why he aimed at this particular model: 'My first car was a Ritmo.'

Fiat Ritmo instead of Uno

Back then, in 1987 to be precise, he actually wanted a UN. But they cost a lot of money, which is why his father bought him a Fiat Ritmo, which was just standing in the yard of a Fiat dealer as a 'retiree return', as the seller put it.

The driving characteristics of the Italian sedan were impressive the driver license holder sustainable. How much, that only became apparent many Ritmo-free years later, when a Ritmo convertible parked on the roadside suddenly reminded him of the old days.

'What such cars in good condition cost today, and whether it is she still exists? ' Hellmann asked himself and curiously rummaged through the car stock exchanges on the Internet. He promptly found an interesting object not far from where he lived, which he ultimately could not resist. So began the second Fiat Ritmo era of his life a good ten years ago, the end of which is not yet in sight.

Supermatic is like that rarely that there is not even a brochure

On the contrary: Over time, more Ritmo joined them. In addition, the mechanical engineer also collected spare parts and experience as a hobby mechanic, because he restored a Fiat Ritmo Super 75, special model Gala, for example, with a lot of effort.

Of course, he always keeps a close eye on all offers on the Internet that have something to do with Ritmo. Four years ago, he happened upon a Fiat Ritmo Automatic that was for sale in Freiburg. Because he had to go to Switzerland shortly, he just wanted to have a look at the car.

This idea turned out to be a stroke of luck, because the car was a very rare special model Fiat Ritmo S85 Supermatic. 'I had only read about it before, but never seen one live,' says Hellmann enthusiastically and adds: 'There wasn't even a brochure about it.'

Body pretty good, rest badly worn

No wonder he didn't miss this opportunity - if only to get his collectioncomplete. A flag dealer had offered the red automatic Ritmo on behalf of his neighbor. The Fiat Ritmo was partially roadworthy and technically very poor. 'The brakes squeaked and were partially tight, the steering was completely knocked out, the tank hoses swollen, the engine did not run properly and much more,' Hellmann summarizes some of the defects.

Yes, and that gave hope, the body of the Fiat Ritmo presented itself in a relatively good condition. Because as everyone knows, strong rust blossoms adorned the chic Ritmo dress all too quickly. 'The winters in particular were very tough on the car,' says Hellmann.

The dress of his Supermatic Ritmo also showed corrosion in typical areas, but not as intense. Everything from the A-pillar to the rear is typical - such as the sills, the rear wheel arches, the transition from the wheel arch to the underbody or the area under the front seats. Hellmann describes the latter part as the target rust point of the Fiat Ritmo, because the metal sheets, which are stacked on top of each other, offer optimal conditions for rust corrosion. h3>

The condition of the Fiat Ritmo meant a restoration with manageable costs. The Ritmo fan first dismantled all add-on parts such as bumpers, headlights and taillights. He may not have the skills of a professional, but with the necessary patience and a little thought he gets along with screwing.
In addition, he can be relatively relaxed when dismantling the trim strips or the side windows, because he has over the years He has accumulated a number of spare parts from battle vehicles that he can fall back on if necessary. Only he doesn't dare to weld and paint. 'Years ago I watched a wheel arch being cut out and a new one welded in and then decided that I lacked the necessary know-how. After all, you also need the appropriate tools.'

So he limits to grind away the existing surface rust, to make the places where metal sheets have to be welded accessible or to prepare them, and to get the necessary repair sheets for his Fiat Ritmo, if they are available.

Inexpensive spare parts

As already mentioned, the corrosion on his automatic ritmo was not too far advanced. The 43-year-old therefore suspects that the previous owner always parked the car in a well-ventilated place, probably in a carport. That would also explain why the rear of the Fiat Ritmo had got more sun than the front, which could be deduced from the condition of the plastic bumpers, which had faded to different degrees.

So while the repair of the rust damage and the Bumpsas soon as the painting was done by a specialist company, Hellmann took the work on the technology of the Fiat Ritmo into his own hands. A great advantage is the good supply of spare parts. 'When it comes to things like fuel pumps, water pumps, thermostats or alternators, I don't even look to see whether they are working. I can buy them for a small amount on Ebay,' he says.

A new steering system could also be opened procure this way for about 80 euros. But there was more to be done. Because the carburetor could no longer be adjusted, Hellmann started overhauling it. Whereby he had to find out that there is quite a bit of technical literature, but not all details are documented for every model - such as the nozzle assembly of the carburetor on this Fiat Ritmo special model.

Electrics live up to the reputation of the Ritmo

The engine itself was only sealed and cleaned, but the fuel system had to be due to the swollen hoses and a ramshackle tank be completely renewed. The braking system has also been completely overhauled.

The electrical system of the Fiat Ritmo is often a source of annoyance. The super versions include a check panel that reports defective lightbulbs, for example. The hobby restorer checked all cables and connections to rule out possible contact problems. In contrast to his previous experience, he was delighted that 'the wiring and all the colors of the cables corresponded to the wiring diagram' with this car. But since he wanted to drive into the environmental zone of Frankfurt, he decided to have the Fiat Ritmo retrofitted with a regulated catalytic converter.

The Fiat Ritmo now also has an H license plate, which is why Hellmann experiences like that before ten years in the future: 'At that time I had registered a Ritmo for a classical music event - when I arrived I was turned away.'

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