HI from NC!

[MrJD]

Hello all, My name is Jon and I have recently moved to NC to teach at a local college. (i'm in the Laurinburg area.)

This new job pays a bit better than where I was previously, so I have decided its time to treat myself to a little weekend convertible. After looking at all the options out there, I was basically trying to decide between a TR6 and a Fiat Spider... and have decided the spider is the best and more interesting choice.

Here is the problem though... While I am a car guy, I have only ever seen a handful of Spiders... so i have zero experience with them, have never driven one, and have certainly never worked on one.

I'm simply looking for a fun hobby car. I want a red car (promised my wife a matching red scarf to get the car!) with tan interior, preferably a 1.8 or a 2.0, and for a good price. I've seen several advertised for between $3-5k which I think is fair, with price varying dependent on the amount of rust found.

I've found a car locally that I like the looks of (2 hours to go see it) but it has some body rot (rust) in a bad way... and if you can see it on the outside, chances are its worse where you cannot see it.

So do you guys ever have gatherings like cars and coffee? I'd love to take a look at some spiders and talk shop about how you like them.

Also, can you ID the rims on this car? http://ranwhenparked.net/2009/04/03/fiat-124-spider/

And this completely restored car is what basically sold me on the Fiat

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21558165@N ... /lightbox/

[RRoller123]

Welcome aboard! You will find plenty of knowledgeable and friendly people here.

Here is a thread on how to post pictures directly to the forum:

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=21014

And here is another picture-posting thread:

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 12&t=23084


Pete

[4uall]

Hello & welcome to the greatest place on earth

Congrats on your choice

[MrJD]

This is the car I am thinking about buying.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4150964891.html

It has some rust issues... and its a 78 with an engine out of a 74.

[giuliot60]

Hi MrJD.

I'm in Charlotte and actually looked at that car before I bought mine last spring. I believe it's Steve Moriarity's brother's car. Looks really nice. Not the original motor (not that that's a huge issue, but something to think about). Has lots of extra parts and really nice wheels. But he said it has a pretty loud exhaust.

And you do get the parts cars as well, which is fine if you have the space and a way to get them to your home. I can't remember if that was my issue (transporting them back to Charlotte) along with the rust. Try to find a rust free car if possible. If not, find out what it'll cost to repair and repaint.

But it's been available for a long time and that should tell you something.

He's still asking for the same money. Have you spoken to him, and is he willing to go down?

I got my original owner Turbo (removed, but had all the parts) no rust 81k mile car for less than that and only 4 miles from my house.

[MrJD]

Yea, thats the guy!

Wow, you payed less for a running rust free (or virtually so) car? That's telling. I'm not terribly concerned by rust I don't suppose. I'm a pretty good welder and have some paint and body experience. In other words, I can do all the work short of the actual re-spray which, I assume will be in the $1-2k range provided I have it ready to go.

I also looked at this car

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... g=66284015
That is for the same price...

But the lady told me its not red like it is in the pictures, but more orange red (does that make sense? It looks freakin red to me, and the interior looks really good).

My problem is that I like the looks of the early door handles and early tail lights(pre 79). That, with the abarth style bumperettes and front chin spoiler/air dam.

So basically, any car I get is going to need a re-spray... its just a matter of how much work I want to put into it.

Other comments: I want a pretty peppy car... I had a corvette as a toy years ago, and love the power... I had figured I'd get a 2.0 block and prep it with overbore hi comp pistons and a 1800 head (with appropriate cams) and a dual weber set up for carbs. If I buy an italian car... I want it to sound italian.

I had read that you can reliably get that engine to the 2.1-2.2ltr region... and with a good head and carbs (+cams) (and appropriate exhaust) I see no reason you couldn't add a solid 30-80 hp. over the stock 2.0 carb engine (with all of its smog equipment) reliably... and this would be an engine that never goes over 7k RPM's.. and rarely gets over 3k.

[RRoller123]

Mine was orange red too (I hated the color) when I bought it, but it turned out to be dry, oxidized paint. The car just basically sat mostly unused in a garage for years before I bought it. Once I used a pantload of McGuire's Scratch and Swirl Remover and about 8 coats of wax, the red came right back! Happy camper now.

[MrJD]

the lady told me she and her husband had it repainted ~10 years ago "to the same color as is in the trunk." Again, saying it was kinda orange red. I was tempted to buy it and, when repainting, do it whatever color I wanted... but the difference in color in the jams, engine bay, and trunk would irritate the hell out of me.

Again, any of you guys in NC ever get together? I'd love to carry the wife up and have her see some fiats.

[steve8462]

mine is that same perpetually fading red color too! i'm prepping the body for paint. i chose the 2013 Fiat Rosso red paint. its a single stage (no glitter) red which is very close to the early eighties Ferrari's and has very little orange in it.

[MrJD]

Does the difference in color from trunk, door seals, and engine bay bother you?

[steve8462]

since I have boned it out to the shell. it will me very easy to scratch pad the jambs and trunk/hood openings and spray them myself. since there are many angles, the surface is very forgiving as far as it looking good. if its the same color as you are painting the car you are way ahead of the game and any slight imperfection will never be noticed unless you have entered the car in some pebble beach high level competition. most people barley glance at the trunk or door jambs

[MrJD]

Well, I have posted about two cars in here

Things I know

The orange-red car is a 79 with a 2.0, has somewhat better interior, but needs brake work. It has body rust, but not as much as the other car. The lady said her husband the mechanic owned it, but has died and she needs money to work on her roof.

She was asking 3500, told me on e-mail she'd do $3000, and would likely do less.

The 78 is the right color, comes with a parts car, has pretty nasty body rust in places, has the wrong engine, but has many upgrades to the engine (header and full exhaust amongst these). He says it is a driver, and is ready to drive, but the interior looks like a mess. He is asking $3500 also, and hasn't answered many of my questions.

frankly, I have always been of the opinion that if you spend a few grand more up front, you will spend several thousand less in the end. I'm inclined to wait and see what else pops up... and hopefully catch some sort of gathering where I can get my wife to take a look at some spiders.

Opinion?

[giuliot60]

I would wait for the right car to come along. And I agree, buy the best car you can and you'll save money in the long run, and probably drive the car sooner. There are cars popping up on the forums from time to time and they're usually well kept.

Also try mirafiori.com and the Fiat Spider Facebook group.

So, you're located near Pinehurst. My brother used to live there. It's a 90 + minute drive to the Charlotte area. We have an Italian car show in the Spring, and I'm trying to get a gathering in the area but it really hasn't happened yet. The closest we got was 3 Spiders at the Italian car show. But I'm finishing up my masters this semester and will have more time next year. Check out this thread: http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 16&t=21165.

Good luck

[MrJD]

Well, I don't have a car for you, but I'd certainly be motivated to drive anywhere in the area for a car show.

[giuliot60]

I know, but I think you'll find something before the spring.

I'll keep my eye out for any in the area.