Question

[jboggess]

Hey guys so i been looking at this 79 spider in my town for a daily driver and it is in perfect condition, and i mean perfect , the mileage is 78,000 and they are selling it for $8,950. Do you think its a good deal? Sorry for the no pictures i tryed and i cant seem to make it work.

[baltobernie]

Well it's 0-14 in the first quarter losing to the Eagles, so I'll be DELIGHTED to talk about Fiat issues! Sonny Jurgenson and Sam Huff on the radio are going nuts,

Without knowing where you live, it's impossible to guess if this Spider, or any Spider, is suitable as a daily driver

Spider.com folks have a well-deserved reputation of willingness to help with a pre-sale evaluation as well as post-purchase maintenance and repair tips, but you've got to meet them halfway. Couldn't you at least search "how to post photos?" List the threads you've searched on this forum, and show a little initiative in searching other sources, like this one:
http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/200 ... ide1.html#

If no members are available to examine your prospect, strongly consider a professional, paid evaluation before purchase.

[Fonz]

I bought my 79 with 75k miles and It is my only car, driven 4 days out of the week. No problems.
(in my opinion any spider over $8,000 better be in MINT condition)

[So Cal Mark]

I'd like to know more about the car; such as completely original, restored back to original, some mods, maintenance history, etc before offering an opinion. The price may be fair if the car is really good and has been maintained rather than left to sit. Recent usage is important if you want a daily driver. Sometimes low mileage can be deceiving; once you start using the car regularly many systems may fail and need service

[mbouse]

unfortunately, the term "mint condition" is one of the most abused terms heard in used car sales transactions. but i agree with the Fonz. any 1980 Fiat Spider that sells for over $7,500 should look too nice to consider for everyday driving. it should have every speck of trim in perfect shape and proper position. It should not contain bunches of BLING, or extra doo-dads. any performance upgrades should be mild, not detracting from ride comfort.

Could a 1980 be used as a daily driver...??? absodarnlutely. From April to October, i do just that here in lower michigan. the same car has been my summer commuter car for years. it has also been to toronto and west Pennsyslvania this year, and to west chicago at least twice. made a round trip to columbus at the end of the summer. Had it not been for threats of snow, it would have been to Charlevoix last weekend. it is 100% reliable.

Like others, I've spent thousands of dollars, and hundreds of hours getting my car to the condition where i can rely on it in this manner. you could do the same thing, but just throwing money at a project does not guaruntee results. Just look at your government officials. that is what they think... see how successful they are?

no antique car can successfully remain a daily driver without owner's effort, attention, and equity.

[katsi]

they are selling it for $8,950

Wow, I know this is going to tweak a few guys here the wrong way but if you're going to drop that much on a spider for a daily driver, you should think about what you want out of it. If it's just a convertable ride then your money would be more well spent on a used Miata. They get bunchs on miles and are definatly more of a daily driver type car. Although, if you want a spider, which is what I wanted, than that's totally different. If you ask me, thata lota pasta for a 79 Spider.

By the way, if you do drop that much on a daily, you better get some super insurance and be prepairred to deal with the smog issue in you're in one of THOSE states!

[mbouse]

disagree. pay me now or pay me now and later, and later, and later again.

it takes a bunch o cash to make a Fiat Spider reliable on a daily basis. a good brake job alone can go over $500, same for interior vinyl, same for a decent top. a few years ago, i started a spreadsheet to tally up what i'd spent on maintenance and resto items (no crash parts, no performance enhancements), and stopped somewhere after i topped $10k. that excludes the entry price of the running car.

after 15 years, i am beginning to see that i need to repeat some of the maintenance items i did 14 years ago; front suspension, shocks, etcetera. but... i can rely on the car starting and getting me where ever i wanna go; every time.

wisely spent, which includes a thorough inspection, $7-8k could be easily plunked down for a great looking, ready to roll, well preserved Spider. SURE, an average Miata goes for less... but at what cost to style? Everyone has a belly button, an opinion, and a Miata. Not everyone has a Fiat Spider.

[jboggess]

katsi thank you for your comment, thats what i wanted to hear , but if any body wants to look at the car heres the link im going to try and talk them down on the price. Thanks a bunch!!!

http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/ctd/1430851846.html

[ga.spyder]

I agrre with some of the previous comments,and Mike B is one of the most knowledgable guys I know re. these cars.I personally would not want to be driving a Fiat Spider..in Jan...in Utah!!! Most of the winter state people put the cars away for the winter.I have pored over the pix,and the car really is beautiful.To me,the price is high for these cars but it really is a fine example.Maybe too nice for a daily driver in bad weather conditions.Drive it,and make sure everything is as advertised.There are several guys who post here from Utah.I would contact them and see if they would look at the car with you. Good luck
Craig
WarbirdAl lives in Salt Lake City,send him a private message

[ventura ace]

The pictures look nice for the most part. Exceptions: the top looks tired with only one picture from very far away, and all the wheel lug nuts look tired as well. For that kind of asking price, I'd expect a brand new condition top and shiny chrome on the lug nuts.

From the pictures, I'd say that the car is worth at least $4K if there aren't any major mechanical issues or rust. You'd need to test drive it and see how well it runs, corners, handles bumps, accelerates, etc. If all the mechanicals impress you, and if it doesn't have oil seeping from the engine, tranny, brakes, rear end, etc, then you can start adding more onto the sale price, especially if it can be shown that all the rubber parts have been maintained and replaced, as required, that the engine compression is good, that there is very little blow-by, that the radiator and thermostat are in excellent condition, and very little oil consumption. More points added if the ball joints and bushings are solid and the steering is crisp with no slop. At that age and mileage it's probably due for a replacement of all the seals if they haven't been replaced recently (cranshaft front and rear, camshafts, and many other engine and transmission gaskets that eventually start to leak). If all these things have been maintained and replaced as required, then maybe the car could fetch a price upwards of $6500. As was mentioned before, a sell price of $9K is for a truly exceptional car in very well maintained original condition, or restored to the nth degree.

Alvon

[narfire]

My two bits from north of 49.
If you are looking for a daily driver for 12 months in Utah, I'd recommend a VW or subaru. I have driven for work and just getting around,in lots of snow and from my youth driving a 70 spider, a spider is not a winter car.
They hate any salt and will ruin the body on a nice car in a few years.
A quick look at the car in the photo.... a bit much for a 28/32 carb'd car,just my opinion only.
I'd spend that much on a very well sorted FI car though(if I had the loot)
I guess that might be closer to 6 bits.

[gigi]

My 'daily driver' went for much less than that. This car looks nice, on the outside.
Keep in mind that a dealer will jack up retail on anything. Since the auto market is
in the crapper, any dealer is going to do whatever they can to get your cash. This
ad appears to be a smaller dealership so even better for you (that means even more
room to bargain.) For sure, have a mechanic, Fiat if possible, check her out really
well; pay for that, it will be worth it. Before you go to see it in person, identify and
tell yourself exactly your money limit. Leave yourself a backup stash for incidentals.
His ad clearly states: As-is. Double your backup stash for extras because once you
have your new baby in your driveway, pimping her out will be a serious temptation!
Yes, this one looks pretty pimped already, but there is always something else to get.
That top does look aged; put that in your budget. If you live where there is snow,
have another reliable vehicle ready to go; rwd does not handle well at all in snow,
ice, rain, wet leaves etc.

[htchevyii]

I'd suggest buying a less expensive Spider and a winter beater. I think I've got around 5 grand in Heather's '82 Spider, (but lots of my free labor), and I'm not afraid to drive it anywhere. I spent money where it was needed and didn't where it wasn't. I wouldn't really rely on miles as a very important indicator of vehicle condition, I think cars that sit around alot have more issues than reguarly driven ones, (My 48k '72 has lots more issues than the 150k '82 had). Fiat Spiders seem undervalued and I think you should be able to get a darn good one for 5-6 grand.

[jboggess]

Yes i do agree the price is high for the car and im not going to buy it. I also did drive it, it was nice they just gave me the keys and said have fun so i took it on some windy roads and back in a drive way and it seem to shift nice, the only question i have is that the clutch pedal was a little stiff I think thats normal, just like my old Mustang, the clutch in that is stiff also.

[So Cal Mark]

the clutch shouldn't be stiff, that indicates a binding cable or pedal and will eventually break the cable, pedal and/or the firewall