Sombrita: The Shadow Knows

Benvenuti amici!

FM Evoluzione & MBC Italia (ABARTH FM Evoluzione), Novitec Group, Romeo Ferraris, Pogea Racing GmbH, SR Auto Group, Road Race Motorsports, NGen Customs & Performance, Garage Italia Customs, Madness Autoworks, and a host of other customization outfits are setting up operations all over the world. These businesses are part of the next generation of carrozzerias. We have covered the subject a few times, but most notably in this entry. We have also featured specific customizations in pieces like these two entries. You may have seen the aesthetic customization of our former verde chiaro 500P. Now, is time for Sombrita to get her shine on.

The very first customization piece was done before we took delivery of our A500, Sombrita. The look of the hatch pull strap in FIAT 500s has always bothered my eye. The strap, itself, is a complete unnecessary detail. So, why is the piece a cheap looking, nondescript strip of nylon? It should wow us, no?

I replaced this piece for La Fee Verte and it had to be replaced for Sombrita.

Black-Italia Hatch Strap: Pull with style

We ordered a Black-Italia nero/black leather hatch pull strap with rosso/red stitching, to match the rest of the nero/black leather interior of the car, from Madness Autoworks. It's a functional, sleeper of a mod. I mean, who will ever notice it? We notice it… and that is what matters.

Luke Bibis & Amado admire Sombrita's grille

The second step of customization I knew our Sombrita craved is a CC5C grille badge. As is the case with the hatch pull strap, it is an aesthetic modification (mod). But this one isn't about something I feel is missing from modern FIATs or ABARTHs or any brand/marque per se. Grille badges are something I feel is missing from contemporary car culture, in the general sense.

Since Cream City Cinquecento Club debuted our logo & grille badge/s, we've noticed a lot of other local & national FIAT clubs embracing this important right of automotive passage. We like to think ours has something to do with inspiring the revival. 'Glad we took the advice of a forum member to heart.

'Cento… Ama... cento

Third customization? Well, this one is something I never thought I would do. But I am a big believer in self-promotion. So, I ordered a personalized license plate. It isn't what I would characterize as a 'vanity plate', though. The plate reads CC5C. I dig it, and it does something I can't quite explain to how I feel when I approach the car… or walk away from her.

Next up is one customization I thought about doing to our first FIAT, La Fee Verte. But I opted not to mess with any performance modification until now. I think the ABARTH 500 is a perfectly designed, engineered and assembled sports coupé. But, as is the case with most performance cars, there is always a tweak or two that can add true value to daily driving and/or a spirited romp.

For me, there is one major performance modification that also lends an undeniable aesthetic richness to the stance… the profile of the little machine. Of course, I'm referring to suspension.

I made sure to research and ask lots of questions, before deciding on whether or not I had the heart to go through with this mod. Fear of 'what if something goes wrong' and Milwaukee Wisconsin road conditions tap danced atop my cranium. Thankfully, Edwin (one of the community kings of mods) and Chris (of Euro Compulsion & Jolly Club fame) were there to answer any and all concerns I had. They also made themselves available to talk me… as well as any help I recruited… through the process.

Before...

and After.

I ordered two lowering kits from Euro Compulsion. I sold the first to my friend, Joe, when I lost the nerve to perform the mod. Later, I saw the results of his work and ordered one I fully intended to use. Joe and another friend, Bryan (an automotive technician by profession) offered to lend their know-how. To further sweeten the deal, Willie and his brother allowed us to do the work in their warehouse… a/k/a heaven for anyone with a love for the wrench and things that go vroom.

So, to what did we modify? I opted for Eibach Pro-Kit lowering springs. This is mild… an important consideration for anyone with second thoughts about performing this kind of mod in a daily driver rolling on less than idyllic roads. I also ordered Koni (Yellow) adjustable rear shocks/dampeners. The fact FIAT-ABARTH uses a Koni-based FSD suspension kit for the front and a slightly modified standard FIAT suspension for the rear of ABARTHs always bothered me. I wanted Koni quality suspension all around.

Lancia-FIAT-Alfa Romeo

The kit takes roughly one inch from the front and 1 1/2 inches from the rear from the car (after the springs settle a bit). We set the shocks/dampeners to medium stiffness… for compliance and comfort. You can see the initial wheel well gap difference in the photos above. How much of a difference this mild drop and upgraded shocks/dampeners makes in the feel & look of this car is amazing. Paired with the stock ABARTH 16" wheels, this setup is perfectly suited to handle the road conditions we find ourselves traversing. I am very happy with the results. We not only hug the pavement better, but the wheels look more connected to Sombrita.

That profile has a new attitude

So, with better connectivity, I could see other areas ripe for some aesthetic tweaks. What jumped out most is the center caps. I chose a very subdued setup for the ABARTH. But the red/rosso ring around the caps scream 'Look at me'. I reached out to a friend, Edwin, about where (in North America) I might acquire EU-spec center caps. Edwin seems to be a master at the art of locating such things. He honed in on a set at FIAT on the Dragon, from the EU-spec Punto ABARTH, he thought I may dig. He was 100% right. They were held, but never used, by Tom Schmidt. The caps have a black ring, as opposed to the red ring of the 500 ABARTH. Subtle and perfectly suited to mate with a nero puro car. Of course, the new caps pointed to, yet, another opportunity for customization… wheels. It seemed the more 'Look at me' elements we removed the more others stood out. The gun metal grey wheels don't look as rich on lo-key nero/black as they do on grigio/grey and rosso/red FIATs. Sombrita has no 'go faster' stripes to tie the wheels. They felt slightly disconnected. What to do... what to do?

Nero on Nero with a Splash of Rosso

Fortunately, I'd done some homework when we brought Sombrita home. Madness Autoworks offers a wheel swap program. For those 99.9% happy with their OEM ABARTH wheels, but desiring something different, they can powder coat said wheels. There is the option of paying for the set up front and sending your wheels to them once you've swapped out your stock set (to only pay for the work done). There is also the option, for those with more than one car, of putting your A500 on jacks and sending them your wheels for treatment (to only pay for the work done). Either way, it's a perfect setup for someone like me. I'm a Stock-non-Stock a/k/a "OEM+" kinda guy.

A Redline-Amacento Original + A595 Pomello

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Just before the new wheels, I designed a shift boot I feel lovingly ties Sombrita's rosso/red leather seats (and door panel inserts) to the console. It took a few tries to get it just right, but Redline Goods came through with flying colors. So, what are you seeing in the details of this custom boot? Well, there are two nero/black front panels. The contrasting stitching on those panels matches the stitching found on the shift knob and e-brake. There is one rosso/red rear panel. The stitching for the rosso/red panel and the nero/black panels is meant to continue the stitching style found on the rosso/red-nero/black ABARTH 500 seats. This, as is the case with the hatch pull strap, is a tiny design element. But those are often the variety that make the most difference in the 'feeling' of richness. 'Wow. Someone cared enough to think about what the driver (and passenger) thinks when looking at the console.'

Stealth Mode: "The Shadow Knows"

Finally, some shots to show off the last big customization. I went back & forth with this decision. I knew I wanted to put matte nero/black on her nero puro (straight/gloss black) skin. I had a couple ideas…

1) The treatment on the ABARTH Punto Scorpione. This would be a reverse 'ghost stripe', meaning matte vinyl on the bonnet & roof. The 'ghost stripe' would be the nero puro paint. It makes sense, right? Sombrita has the ABARTH Punto center caps.

2) The same treatment as Option One, minus the 'ghost stripes'.

3) Pay homage to past ABARTHs, like the 1972 124 Rally Car, with a full matte nero/black wrap on the bonnet & boot. The 124 was red with a nero puro/pure black'gloss bonnet and boot, but Sombrita is nero puro. But matte on gloss nero/black could create a similar effect. I don't want to copy this model. I want to allow it to inform me in the same way the 'double hump' bonnet upgrade for the ABARTH 695 Biposto is informed by the very same vintage Scorpione.

Customization 101: A strong point of reference

Ghost-striped bonnet of ABARTH Punto Scorpione

The CF bonnet on the Mopar-Marelli A500 Venom

Bonnet: Matte Black Vinyl Wrap

Mirror Caps: Matte Black Vinyl Wrap

Spoiler Underside & Boot: Matte Black Vinyl Wrap

This has a number of advantages, besides the nod to vintage scorpions. The entire bonnet and hatch paint is protected from wayward road debris. That is a BIG plus. The more I thought about it the more this option appealed to me. We went with it and this was undeniably the way to go. We scheduled a full detail with CMG Detailing. They set up the wrap for us, prepping Sombrita for the treatment, giving her a full detail.

"Lust on Wheels." No?

La Sombrita: Pa'que tu lo sepas!

As you can see, the results of these simple changes truly transform the 'personality' of the car. That intangible is the essence of an Italian car. It is why we cannot walk away from our FIATs without taking a second or third glance. And let's be honest with ourselves…

"If you can walk away from your car without looking back, you picked the wrong one." Thanks for allowing us to share our process with you. We'd be thrilled to share your customization process in a future blog entry.

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

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