Greetings from the north of the south

[noKYspider]

Hi all,

Just wanted to take a minute to say hello. I don't have a Fiat yet but am looking at one locally that's under $2000. I wanted to get in here and look around to see what advice people have when buying a Spider so hopefully I don't make a mistake. The one thing that concerns me about the car I'm thinking of is that it has bad brakes according to the owner. Other than that he says it runs and drives, has new paint, and a new convertible top. Anyway, just wanted to say hello and that I'll be looking around. I'm looking forward to learning more!

Thanks,
James

[dmwhiteoak]

Hello and welcome to a site of Fiat specialist's. The brake system on these cars isn't hard to figure out and working on them is a breeze. Look for rust and post some pics. Lots of help available here.

[azruss]

the major show stoppers with these cars is rust. traditionally, the rear fender flares rust. the metal is 3 layers and moisture corrodes from the inside. rear panel below the bumpers get bad. check the bottom of the doors. most important, take your flashlight and check rust at the front spring housing. also check for stress cracks where the spring housing meets the top horizontal support.
Another achilles heel is the transmission. they like to pop out of gear, particularly 2nd or 3rd. this is usually a worn shift fork issue from the PO resting their hand on the shifter while driving.
soft brakes means air in the system. this can come from worn and cracked brake hoses, leaky master cylinder. old booster vaccuum hose, or leaking calipers. This is a well worn path amongst the group and will find lots of detailed advice on all these things.
wouldnt be a bad idea to take some pix, particularly of the suspension and spring areas. the brain trust can tell you alot about how bad the issue is from pictures.
Hope the car is ok as these are great cars to own and drive.

[noKYspider]

Thanks for the replies and advice! I hope to try and see the car by Sunday night if possible and will take lots of photos. Is $1800 for a car that supposedly runs and drives (aside from brakes) a realistic amount? Seems kind of low to me, which is one of the major draws on this car. Oh, one other question. How usable is the back seat for little children? I have two kids, the oldest being 27 months, that would both need car seats. One of the reasons I really like this car is the back seat and hope they'll be able to ride back there on cruises around neighborhood and country drives. Thanks again for the replies!

[baltobernie]

$1800 for a 30-year-old car that runs and drives? Sure.
$1800 for a 30-year-old car that would pass a state safety inspection without substantial repairs? Perhaps.
$1800 for a 30-year-old car that would pass muster by a good general-purpose mechanic? I dunno.
(notice that the word "Fiat" has not been mentioned)

[4uall]

Me and the Little Man Cruisin by itzebtze, on Flickr


Yes, that's right. You are looking at a baby seat (3yr old boy loves it) by itzebtze, on Flickr

our son loves it

[2ndwind]

Welcome. Check the archives for things to look for. Rust is the car's common enemy. For safety & Reliability items, I'd set aside an additional $500 minimum. Fix the brakes, put in an ignition relay and a headlight relay (pretty cheap), change the transmission flex disc, switch over to electronic ignition, etc.

What year is the car you are looking at?

[noKYspider]

I love the pics of the kids seat installed! I'm really hoping a car like this will provide a good bridge to the automotive world for my kids. I grew up in a garage full of muscle cars and had a great experience so it's something I want to share with my children without having to spend a million dollars to have something to tinker on. I want something that we'll all be able to enjoy over the years.

As far as the other question goes I'm looking at a 1974. I noticed 2ndwind is listed as being from Cincinnati, definitely my neck of the woods. Is there a local chapter around these parts that is active or at least a few guys that might be able to help a newbie out? Thanks for all the replies and advice. Hopefully pics will be up soon of the car I'm considering.

[noKYspider]

For those of you requesting photos please check out http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 13&t=18181