First off, let me state that most of the people who make that assinine statement to me have never owned or driven a FIAT.
I have no personal experience with the 128 but I did indeed hear from a few owners who were less than pleased.
When the FIAT 129 came out, it was called "A 128 with one more mistake".
To my own case, my 1974 FIAT 124 (I bought it in 1977) is one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned.
With 140,000 miles on it, it still has the original clutch starter, alternator and untouched carburator.
No rust ever and I just repainted it because the original paint was fading.
It uses no oil.
It handles as well as my Ferrari or ALFA thanks to some small changes I made.
It's just a great little car.
But, to the subject of Junkyard Wars.
I was not aware of any 1/2 A powered examples flying but I'll take your word for it.
Now, it's more than just a matter of flying - we have to start thinking real stunts.
The event was monopolized by Team Absurd for quite a few years.
Then, Joe Gilmore blew us away by doing more of the pattern than anyone had seen before.
The craft has become just a bit too standard - the swept wing design has dominated.
So, I plan to rewrite the rules a bit to encourage more creative thinking.
They will be published long before the 2011 Fly-In.
Bob Z.