Seems my registration was successful - I didn't receive an email, but my name/password works
I've owned a Spider for a couple of weeks now. It joins a long history of '74 128 Coupe, '82 126, '86 Uno 60, '89 Tipo DGT, '88 Croma i.e., '87 Lancia Thema V6, '88 Uno Turbo (I still have this one), '92 Alfa 164, '88 Bertone X1/9, '81 X1/9, '03 Stilo Abarth, '01 Punto Sporting (still have this too), '03 Alfa 166, and '91 Alfa 164 (still have that, it's my favourite...)
So I'm qualified to own a FIAT and at the age of 29 - still single - hopefully still have time to give it my best
The car was imported in 1990 from California - it's a 1978 and originally had an 1800 motor. It was converted to right-hand-drive by the FIAT specialist in Te Awamutu, along with a handful of others. This particular car received a 131 steering rack. The dashboard panels were reversed and the notch in the dashboard rail was filled/re-trimmed.
The first drive, I was blown away by how rigid the structure is, compared to a 2000 Alfa Romeo Spider. I was amazed at the headroom and visibility with the top up. The steering has a lovely demure quality to it, freed from the influence of FWD. I've owned the two X1/9s but never a car with the engine at the front, driving the rear wheels.
The colour is not the original, it is Honda City yellow. I think the original was Positano yellow, but strangely I can't find the chassis plate to check that. I'm only guessing by looking in through the vents on the scuttle!
The original owner in NZ kept the car for 20 years - and then sold it to me! So it's unusual to have a car with such a well-known local history. Recently it has had a 2L engine fitted - probably from a 132 - with twin downdraught Dellortos. The rear axle has been recently replaced too.
My first priority - having driven it here, there, and everywhere in the first few days! - is to rebuild the brakes, as occasionally the pedal sinks to the floor. The front left brake doesn't seem to work at all, and both the back brakes generate a large amount of dust. The right rear disc has just started scraping on something - either the pad or the caliper carrier, I'll find out tomorrow.
There are a few minor electrical problems, such as no reverse lights and no panel lights (the previous owner told me he'd bypassed the dimmer).
I would like to replace the gearbox bearings, or at least, get the gearbox apart so that I can check the condition of bearings and gears. The synchros are good (better than other 70s FIATs I've driven, anyway!) but any sort of forward movement is incredibly noisy at present. The oil is full right up to the fill plug.
Once my Spider is driving nicely, I'd like to take it off the road and take it all to pieces, do a full body restoration as a number of you guys are doing - I like those 'rotisserie' pics, very inspirational! I'm trying to decide between original Positano yellow, or cherry red.
Actually the body is good - there's signs of some trouble beside the headlights (large, slight bubbles) and there's some touched-up rust pitting in the seam on the rear deck (ahead of the luggage compartment lid, which has a luggage rack fitted).
I don't like the interior colours and most parts are cracked or split anyway. I'll probably get the seats retrimmed in a light beige locally, and re-trim the rest of the interior myself. But that's a long way off!
Thanks for reading and keep up those inspiring posts (sorry I can't remember names yet, one was argyhyztyou or something!)
Cheers,
-Alex
) although it's been painted in there, so the sticker might be history.
!! I presume you're located somewhere on the Nth Island, as the car was converted to RHD at Te Awamutu and there are no sheep in the pictures 
It's mainly after seeing the restorations of those that other friends have said "you really ought to work on something worthwhile!"