I joined the forum a few months back when I first purchased my 79 Fiat Spider, but I put off posting an introdution or anything like that. Now, here is my story.
I was looking for a cheap car for work or craigslist when I came across a 1979 fiat spider for $900 in late August. Now, I am 22 years old, so without doing any research or considering buying a reliable car, I contacted the fellow who was selling the car and once I had talked him down to $750 I purchased it. The car was in sorry shape, with a roof constructed of duct tape and plastic film and smattered in rust, but it ran. I had gone with my father to a nearby city to pick it up, and while making the hour and a half long drive home ( in the pouring rain with my duct tape roof) I hear a loud bang and look out the plastic film window to see my exhaust pipe bouncing along the highway. I pulled over and stuck it in the passenger seat and continued on my merry way. When I arrived back in town I went through a series of weeks of bad mechanic work at garages, and some good work from a mechanic I worked with at the Penticton golf course. I was eager to really start working on the car, so I went online and found this forum. I also found a member called narfire. I lived in Naramata at the time, and after a few emails exchanged, I discovered chris(narfire) lived only a half km down my road. Many mornings and afternoons and recently for entire days Chris has helped me with everything in the car, weather it be parts, tuning, fiat knowledge or just encouragement. For the past week we have been doing a blitz on my car, and although it still needs a fair bit of work, it is so much further along than I had imagined it would be.
So I just wanted to say, THANK YOU again to Chris (narfire) for all of your help.
I dont have a picture of the engine bay from August, but it looked very similar to this (Except mine was equipped with all of the emissions equipment, and had a ratty dist. cap and old chewed spark plug wires.) Sorry if this is someone elses photo!
And here is what it looked like yesterday, with a new single plane intake manifold and a 34 dmsa carb (Big thanks to Keith for that!)
Thanks!
Zach
