New (to board and Fiats) in NEPA

[EBmez]

Hi all,

I've just signed up for the board but I'm also new to Fiats. I have a 1979 Spider 2000 on which the inspection ran out in 1994! (Pennsylvania state inspection, so it's due annually.)

I've needed to spend some time on to get running. Without being boring, I:
~ have replaced the driver's side taillight circuit board
~ have replaced the column switches
~ have adjusted the engine to have it not stall during idling or when slowing down.
~ am replacing the passenger side seatbelt
~ am replacing the windscreen wiper linkages, and
~ have the wiper motor out for rebuild.

To the seasoned restorer, these may sound minor, but being the total novice beforehand, these are a big deal to me! I spent a lot of time going over everything so that I was sure I wasn't wasting money. Once I get the wiper motor back, it should be ready to be inspected again and ready for the road! (OK, tyres and brakes first, but THEN for the sticker!)

It's painted a brown right now (classic or standard Fiat I think?!) but it's worn and needs to be repainted. I'm thinking of changing it to a dark forest green. I'll post some pictures soon. Looking forward to interacting here and getting more feedback on working on it.

Cheers!

[jfrawley]

Good luck with yuor project. I happen to be partial to dark green myself.

[RRoller123]

Welcome! Lots of friendly and helpful people here.

[EBmez]

That's the type green I was looking at - I think it goes very well with the tan interior.

I also need a new top, but there are so many variables to consider, least of all price. What are the best materials - considering strength/durability, quality, colour retention, ease of installation, being waterproof, etc. Price is a consideration, but I'm looking for quality for price, rather than "cheapest" or "most expensive".

Again, thanks for any feedback!

[tartan18]

For my top I went with the vinyl. The top end choice is fabric but it comes with a price tag. Vinyl will run you about $300 and for fabric expect to pay around $500. Check with the various vendors, evil Bay and a Google search.

I am also partial to dark green

[EBmez]

The more I see it, the green is very appealing. It's a fair way from being something to show for its looks, _o.l just eager to get it fixed up and on the road. Just the wiper motor and then the reassembly.

Are new tops difficult to install? I saw one company that was offering a package deal that included the tools, hardware, contact cement and so forth along with the roof and the instructions. Worth it?

[RRoller123]

Tartan I like the way you painted your wheels, it looks familiar! I did the same thing, but brushed and clearcoated the lug nuts versus red.

[tartan18]

Thanks RR. Yeah, I painted both the hub caps and the lug bolts. As usual for me I went a bit overboard (OCD charter member) As soon as I am able to set aside the required $'s I am going to buy a set of Rotas which makes what I did a bit of a waste of time although I enjoyed the process.



And as for the installation of a soft top I decided to go with a professional shop. They only charged me $130.00 and for me that was worth the cost. Trying to get everything to the right tension was more of a challenge than I wanted to tackle. I have heard that working slowly and following directions most folks can do it themselves.

[RRoller123]

Looks good, and I like the basically original feel of it.

[HersheyPAGreg]

Where in NEPA do you live?

[EBmez]

Where in NEPA do you live?

Bloomsburg area, south-west of Wilkes-Barre

[HersheyPAGreg]

Ok, I grew up about 30 miles away in Frackville. How's your Fiat coming along?

[EBmez]

Very well... sort of. Thought I had everything done, so I took it for brakes and tires. Came back with a report saying it needed the whole brake system replaced - pads, rotors, calipers, lines, hoses... the lot. I wasn't especially surprised, but it's just one more thing.

Also, driving it today, I noticed the speedo and odo weren't working. I had the dashboard out, so I'm hoping (like crazy) that I just disconnected the cable, rather than snapped it or worse...