New Member

[oceanis281]

I am a new member in Lancaster County Pa and am considering purchasing a Fiat 124 spider and have concerns @ my
fitting, as I am 6-5 and go 280lbs. Also is it okay to leave a Fiat 124 spider outside if you have a car cover on it, or do you
still have to worry @ rusting out like some British cars? Thanks
Chuck

[TX82FIAT]

Chuck, welcome. I'm 6-1 and I can only imagine at 6-5 you "may" have an issue based on your body type. I think you should sit in one with the top up and down. They have plenty of room and some have put a smaller steering wheel on the help with long legs. My guess is that you will be OK but some of your view may be obstructed by the top of the windshield. I think we may have a few taller members that can answer this better. not sure about 6-5. As far as leaving car outside, cant say it is a good idea. At one point FIAT shipped these cars oversees and then applyed some type of sealing product over the sea salt. These cars do rust. Rust seams to be the biggest enemy of these cars. Somebody recently posted this buyers guide (see link below) and I think it is a great resource for someone to look over before buying a Spider. There are plenty to buy so no need to rush into a car with problems. Firts order of business is to sit in someones and see how you feel. They are great cars!

http://www.mirafiori.com/faq/content/buyspid.html

[RRoller123]

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

I personally would not leave the Spider out from Dec 1 to April 1 in the Northeast. They are prone to rust, unfortunately.

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

And here is a link to a map of Spider owner’s locations. Many forum members have listed their locations.

https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=191825

Pete

[oceanis281]

I went and sat in a 1980 model, with no problems top up or down...I have now purchased a 1976 model...it is in upstate
New York so I haven't sat in it, but I HOPE that the interior dimensions are the same as the 1980 model....any input?

[kilrwail]

The dimensions should be the same and you shouldn't have a problem fitting. I'm 6'2" and can wear my helmet with the top up, without touching the ceiling. You'll have to look over or under the top of the windshield frame to see the traffic lights if you're stopped first in line at a red light.

Something to watch for though is the strength of the seat frame. The stamped, sheet metal frame can crack where the seat bolts go through it, if you place a lot of strain on the seat back - such as leaning back to grab the handle on the top to raise it. If you disassemble the seats for any reason, it would be a good idea to weld some reinforcement around those holes. It's much better to get out of the car to raise the top!

Have fun and enjoy the ride!

[toplessexpat]

I'm 6'6", and have a '76 and a '80 - there's a sweet spot to get the seats... but all works fine (a smaller abarth steering wheel on the '76 helps!!)

A