80 Fiat Spider... should I get it?

I just found this on CL.

Its an 80 Fiat Spider (spyder?). The guy says he bought it, tore out the interior and convertible top to be redone and then lost interest. He said he jumped it and got it running but it just revved up and he never got around to anything else. He's asking $900 or a dirtbike trade (both of which I have) but I have ZERO experience with Fiats. What should I look for? Will I be able to find parts without a second mortgage? Pics below.

DO IT!

Most importantly, look for rust. The floors appear to be solid in that pic (well, can't see any holes), so hopefully they're representative of the state of the rest of the metal.

Wheels seem to be minilites/panasports, which are worth a tidy sum alone.

Not sure about parts availability, but someone like Mad Machine should be able to tell you.

In conclusion, I think you should buy it

Looks pretty good to me. As mentioned those wheels are worth something. Fiat bolt pattern is a not shared with much but still desirable.

I emailed the guy and I'll at least go look at it. I found a couple Fiat parts suppliers and (depending on what it needs) I don't think it will kill the bank account. Looks like gaskets are cheap, fuel pumps are $20-30, clutches are $150.

Any real-world Fiat users out there care to chime in? Any good Fiat resources/websites?

I owned one from 1979-81. British racing green with a tan interior. Blew the head gasket once and broke clutch cables 3 times. I got pretty good at shifting it without the clutch, but the stop signs/red lights were hell on the starter.

I'm 6'-3" and the Fiat was one of the few ragtops I fit in (both headroom and shoulder width) back then.

Rocker panels were rusted out, even back then when it was so young. My family also owned a 128 and a 124 4-door sedan back then, a friend tried an X-19, and rust was an issue with all of them.

Get cozy with these folks, decent prices, great technical and customer service. Also do a search for FLU; Fiat Lancia Union (I think) they're a big club of Fiats.

Oh yeah, DO IT!!

http://www.international-auto.com/

Relax boys, I'm here. I've owned 23 Fiats, most of which were 124s. These are great cars that have been long underrated.

The biggest single worry is RUST. Check everywhere, but the killer places are rocker panels, floors, front shock towers, around the steering box and idler and rear suspension mounts. The outer rocker skins are merely cosmetic and are removable. These cars ALWAYS rot over the rear wheels. Check the inner fender for rust also as that can be a tough repair. Aside from rockers, outer body panels are expensive.

Engines are extremely durable though you may have an oil leak or two if the gaskets are old. Look for a smashed oil pan and low oil pressure which may indicate a damaged pump. The pans on these are really low. Timing belts should be replaced every 30,000 on these, fairly easy to do but on the 2 litre you have to remove the stupid crank pulley which is a PITA. Ignition/sporadic running problems are usually the electronic pickup in the distributor which is inexpensive and easy to replace. It's a big white wire and the leads get corroded where they enter the distributor. Trannies have somewhat weak syncros and replacement means full disassembly of the gearbox. If it's sat for a long period I'd plan on redoing the brakes as they hydraulics on these don't like to sit.

Parts are, for the most part, easy to get and generally pretty affordable if you're not talking about the body. Convertible tops can be a DIY job but are a bit fiddly to get on straight. There is tremendous online support via www.mirafiori.com and www.flu.org. If the car isn't a rust turd, the price is certainly fair. It's one of the roomiest and nicest driving roadsters next to a Miata and is superior to any of the British equivelents, though they hate me saying that.

If you need specific help, don't be afraid to ask.

I had one of these back in the 70s, and recently let another one slip through my fingers. They are major fun to drive, although a bit finnicky at times. In addition to ddavidv's help and the links he posted, you might also visit www.FiatSpider.com Good luck!

I didn't even read your post, the title alone demands an answer of yes. I mean where do you think you are? Sensible folks.com?

OK, now I read it. It has minlites. My anser is no longer yes, it is now YES!

I agree with Mental,YES!, but I see his Bold, and raise him an Italics

I got a reply from the owner. He's not interested in my dirtbike which means I gotta pay cash. Grrr.

I'll go look at it now that I know what to look for. Thanks, and keep it coming.

Also look to Bruce's Parts Bin. http://www.fiatparts.com/ I've always had good luck with Bruce, and he gets parts to me very fast, and very cheap.

My Spider

Here's the deal. I really wanted to trade. I'm not really into spending more money on a project right now. He really wanted the cash more than the bike trade, so I'm going to pass on it.

But, I some of you guys seemed interested, so I thought I'd pass it along. here it is. http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/824264601.html

that is a deal man!

Curtis - Are you in San Antonio?

It's more work than I would care to do, however someone should give it a good home.

Unless the suspension was redesigned between 1972 (my last 124S) & 1980, the bushings are probably toast & the rear axle will wiggle. Mine got so bad it would throttle-steer.

m4ff3w wrote: Curtis - Are you in San Antonio?

Austin, as of two weeks ago.

Sorry to hear... (just kidding, Austin is pretty nice, my wife misses it)

Vick Autosports are good ppl to do business with as is Midwest X1/9. A Bayless Catalogue is also must have, but their prices are higher but do have a lot of hard to find items and uber rare pieces.