A Lego Technic replica of a 1965 Fiat 500 F, features steering, working two cylinders engine, torsion bar suspensions, openable elements and detailed interior.

Direct purchase of the instructions

Lego Technic Fiat 500 F step by step  PDF instruction. Preview of the instructions at the end of the article. Presentation Video (youtube).

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Context

After completing my replica of the Citroen 2Cv and Mehari, I had many other small iconic cars in mind to do, which includes this lovely Fiat 500. I have chosen the F model which came in 1965 because of the doors which opens in the “correct” way, the openable hood (better playability) and the lack of big chromed front and rear bars which would be hard to reproduce (on the L model for instance). You can read more about this iconic small Italian car on wikipedia.

Functions

The idea was to reproduce this Fiat 500 with the same wheel as on my Citroen 2Cv and Mehari, which is a good combination to have functions, details and average price for the parts. The Fiat 500 is a smaller car, so, equipped with the 43.2mm tires, it gives a 1/11.5 scale instead of 1/15, for 26cm long, 11cm wide, 11.5cm height and weight 0.6kg. But it is packed with many functions.

The first obvious functions are the openable elements. The doors can be opened, revealing a detailed interior with front and rear seats, dashboard, gearshift lever, but also handbrake and some details on the central console. The front bonnet can open and be locked with a small hood rod, which reveals the fuel tank. On the original model, there is also a spare tire, but not on my replica due to the available space. To finish with the openable elements, the rear bonnet/trunk can be open, which reveal the detailed working two cylinders engine.

The second function is the steering. It is operated by the steering wheel, which is connected to a lever with two U-joins, and connected to the right steering knuckle with a 6L rod. Then a underneath 9L rod connect the left steering knuckle. There is no Hand Of God steering.

The interesting feature of this creation is the suspension. Indeed, the model is equipped with independent torsion bar suspensions with swinging arm. I put this mechanism the first time on the 43093 alternate, it enables to have a small travel suspension when the scale doesn’t authorise to have big shock absorbers. The Citroen 2Cv and Mehari have shock absorbers but placed horizontally in the chassis, which was not possible on this model. Consequently each swinging arm is mounted with an axle which can not rotate on a extremity. Of course, considering the small travel and the weight of the model, there is no wear or damage on the axle as it use the elasticity domain of the raw material. It add a uncommon feature if you compare with the same scale original Lego sets like the 43093 or the 42123.

 

To finish with the functions, the right rear wheel is connected to the two cylinders engine which brings motion to it. The left wheel is not connected, and there is no differential, because of the lack of space due to the suspensions. In any case, it is a great addition comparing to my previous 1/15 vehicles as there were no fake engine on these creations. You can note also that the crankshaft axle is also the suspensions articulation. The engine is detailed with exhaust, ignition coil, cylinder head with oil filler cap. The small fan on the left is also powered by the engine though a rubber band.

Design Process

Usually, with cars, I start by the bodywork, but not this time. Indeed, I have started by the chassis to be sure first that it is possible to create it. It had to have the steering and suspensions on the front axle, but also the transmission and the suspension on the rear, plus the cantilevered engine which is used as a part of the chassis for fixing the rear bodywork elements. The bodywork uses a lot of building techniques to have good proportions. Indeed, at this scale, sometime you can’t settle for the classic stud grid, that is why I have use lot of parts to create half-stud gap to have the correct proportion and position. 

1/2 beams are used for instance on the undersides to hold the soft axles, in order to have the correct shape on the mudguards (not too big, not too small) completing with this part to fill the gap caused by the half stud gap. Same techniques for fixing the front and rear bodywork with this part. Half stud connectors are used to attach the roof assembly and have the correct length of different side parts (windshield, rear window). Other even / odd construction are used on the front assembly to attach the whole elements (side light, lights, bodywork, etc) as well as on the rear with the light and the hood.

To finish, you can note that on each side of the roof, I use massively beams 2L to create the rounded shape of the roof. It was a bit tricky to find a correct solution which also matches the rear and side windows, but it was really important to me because a flat roof would have look terrible at this scale for this vehicle.

After completing the bodywork, I have created the interior which is rather simple but full of details. Indeed, to compare with my other 1/15 scale vehicle, I wanted to go further (as always you will tell me). That is why I have used many non-technic parts to create the correct shape for the elements. It includes for instance, the dashboard, the central console with the gearshift lever, box and handbrake but also under the hood with the fuel tank and the central part of the hood. Consequently, the model has 964 parts ! Which is huge for a 26cm long vehicle (732 parts for the 2Cv)

After finishing the red version, I wanted to propose an other colour. Considering the used parts, I was able to switch colour to white with some part changes. You can see the result in the rendering gallery below.

Of course the model has its limitations. For instance, I am not entirely satisfied about the anchor point of the windshield and the side of the roof, which doesn’t look so homogeneous. Other drawback is the lack of homogeneity between the doors and the side rear panels which don’t have the same beam orientation, creating a visual break on the side. On the doors, the 2L beams which create the beltline of the car, are not locked and can rotate. Last drawback is the lack of rigidity of the rear part due to the half stud gap fixation. Nevertheless, I am really happy with the result which is good and recognisable, it is always a compromise to create something in Lego, especially at this scale.

Pictures and Video

Find this article in English spoken video here [Design secrets of the Fiat 500 – youtube.com]

Purchasing the creations or the instructions

You can purchase either the creations on the website Buildamoc including the Lego genuine parts and building instructions in PDF, or just the building instructions on nico71.fr. Available in two colors : red and white.

Want to buy this creation ? The Fiat 500 F has been indexed to Buildamoc and is for sale, available in red and white. The whole package included the Lego genuine parts and the Pro rendering PDF building instructions.

Building Instructions

As for my other small popular cars like the Citroen 2Cv or Mehari, I have of course created the instructions, which are step by step high resolution computer generated instructions with partlist, flexible parts, highlighted parts in the same way as official Lego one. Regarding the bill of material, you can checked the exact bill of material on Rebrickable and export in whatever format you want. The picturing bill of material are also visible in the instruction previews and includes in the instructions.

You can buy the instructions with the following button for 7.5€. You can also buy other building instructions and get an automated discount, 15% off for 2 PDF, and 20% off for 3 PDF on the total). The automated discount is available for all the instructions for sale on nico71.fr.

See it on the shop :

After your payment, you will be redirected to a page for downloading your instructions, and will receive also the link to download by email. Please check the spam box and be patient to receive it. If you have trouble to download your copy of the PDF after payment or open the document, do not make a paypal dispute, please check your purchase history or contact me using the contact form. The link to download the instructions expires within 24h. Contact me if you have lost your instructions. Note that you can print it, but not copy or distribute. Thank you for supporting my work 🙂

Here is some preview of the building instructions :