1979 spider 2000 restoration

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User avatar
MrJD
Posts: 551
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:23 pm
Your car is a: Looking to ask questions about a 79 2.0
Location: Laurinburg NC

1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby MrJD » Sat Dec 21, 2013 5:35 pm

It has begun.
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So, the car has some serious rust issues as it turns out. The bad stuff is in the drivers side rear floor pan... which I will have to replace entirely.

On the body, the worst area was around the rear passenger wheel arch. So, today, I went to work

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to see what was wrong. I don't like what I found...

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Holy thick filler! it was at least 2-3mm thick.
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the whole lip has patches and welding... what a mess
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Found this taking off the bright work..
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tis a nice hole.

its going to be a long road gents...

Also, I cannot get my passenger side rear turn signal to work. The front works fine, having trouble with the rear. Will work on it more tomorrow.

vandor
Posts: 3996
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 1:23 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider
Location: Texas, USA

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby vandor » Sun Dec 22, 2013 12:25 am

I hope you have a welder :-)
Csaba
'71 124 Spider, much modified
'17 124 Abarth, silver
http://italiancarclub.com/csaba/
Co-owner of the best dang Fiat parts place in town

User avatar
MrJD
Posts: 551
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:23 pm
Your car is a: Looking to ask questions about a 79 2.0
Location: Laurinburg NC

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby MrJD » Sun Dec 22, 2013 11:00 am

vandor wrote:I hope you have a welder :-)


lol :P

in the picture below is carwash fluid and a welder... which one will I be using most in the next few months?

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The actual welding is child's play compared to what i have built in the past. The problem comes in when i do not know how things come apart!

Like this rear fender.... if the inner lining came out, it'd be easy to fix... but I don't think it does.... and it (the quarter panel) CERTAINLY doesn't come off!

So welding in new metal? easy. But then how do you clean and rust-preventative the inner surface? You can't. so?

Today the rockers come off and I decide if I am fixing them, or ordering new ones.

vandor
Posts: 3996
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 1:23 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider
Location: Texas, USA

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby vandor » Sun Dec 22, 2013 1:19 pm

FWIW, the small quarter panel, the one behind the wheel at the bottom is supposed to come off with one nut (insider the fenderwell) and 4 screws. However they often get bondo'd on...
Csaba
'71 124 Spider, much modified
'17 124 Abarth, silver
http://italiancarclub.com/csaba/
Co-owner of the best dang Fiat parts place in town

User avatar
Ptoneill
Posts: 606
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:28 am
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider 2000
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby Ptoneill » Sun Dec 22, 2013 2:45 pm

The nice thing about these cars is that there are a lot of replacement sheet metal parts availible from various vendors. The shock towers are major rust points as well as under the side kick panels. Your car looks like it is well worth restoring....!!
Stay Safe,

Pat
79spider
HAVE FUN!! It's a FIAT!!
ptoneill@msn.com
http://s1121.photobucket.com/albums/l504/ptoneill/

User avatar
MrJD
Posts: 551
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:23 pm
Your car is a: Looking to ask questions about a 79 2.0
Location: Laurinburg NC

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby MrJD » Sun Dec 22, 2013 5:17 pm

The shock towers are perfect. Looks like the only major rust is in the area i posted, a spot here and there at various weak points, drivers side rear floor pan, and rockers. It has relatively new GR2 struts and suspension bushings in it also. That explains why the handling was so nice. While I was driving it home i realized I could take my hands off the wheel, and it drives perfectly straight down the highway, lol.

I have an issue though. I thought it had a bad battery, but i had it tested today, and the battery is perfect. :(

drove it all the way home, and it would barely turn over the next day... and the lights are SUPER dim. I think i might replace the alternator. From the looks of it its an original to the car. Opinion?

User avatar
Ptoneill
Posts: 606
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:28 am
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider 2000
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby Ptoneill » Sun Dec 22, 2013 7:12 pm

Drive it down to your local car parts store and have your charging system tested, it is usually free. I bet it is fine, you probably have a short somewhere that is draining the battery. There is a lot of information in the electrical section that may help.
Stay Safe,

Pat
79spider
HAVE FUN!! It's a FIAT!!
ptoneill@msn.com
http://s1121.photobucket.com/albums/l504/ptoneill/

User avatar
MrJD
Posts: 551
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:23 pm
Your car is a: Looking to ask questions about a 79 2.0
Location: Laurinburg NC

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby MrJD » Sun Dec 22, 2013 10:52 pm

This was my bodyfiller pile from yesterday
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this is my rust pile added in for today
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more fun (mind you, I started with the bad side)

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rear fender well... this is not a good sign.
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Always label your parts, and I always take all the screws etc that hold a part on, and I tape them to the part itself. This rocker is actually in nearly perfect shape. VERY little work needed. Shame the interior parts near it aren't better. :(

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User avatar
MrJD
Posts: 551
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:23 pm
Your car is a: Looking to ask questions about a 79 2.0
Location: Laurinburg NC

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby MrJD » Tue Dec 24, 2013 4:44 pm

Replaced the spark plugs today. the original plugs were of 3 different brands, one was super weird... like a WAY cooler plug... and the spark gap ranged from 20 to 60!

Oh, and the car tried to leave me stranded today also! Kept bogging down not wanting to run. After the suggestion of another owner, I backed off the idle stop solenoid and it ran great again!

That is the part with the red spade connector here.

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User avatar
Ptoneill
Posts: 606
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:28 am
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider 2000
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby Ptoneill » Tue Dec 24, 2013 4:52 pm

Let me know if you need a nice carb/intake for your 79, mine ran good when I took it off. I am swapping to an 1800 head an and carb.......you would have to cover shipping.
Stay Safe,

Pat
79spider
HAVE FUN!! It's a FIAT!!
ptoneill@msn.com
http://s1121.photobucket.com/albums/l504/ptoneill/

User avatar
MrJD
Posts: 551
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:23 pm
Your car is a: Looking to ask questions about a 79 2.0
Location: Laurinburg NC

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby MrJD » Tue Dec 24, 2013 6:42 pm

naa, I am going to get a single plane manifold and an earlier better simpler carb.

User avatar
Ptoneill
Posts: 606
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:28 am
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider 2000
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby Ptoneill » Tue Dec 24, 2013 7:56 pm

Smart man!!

Merry Christmas!!
Stay Safe,

Pat
79spider
HAVE FUN!! It's a FIAT!!
ptoneill@msn.com
http://s1121.photobucket.com/albums/l504/ptoneill/

User avatar
MrJD
Posts: 551
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:23 pm
Your car is a: Looking to ask questions about a 79 2.0
Location: Laurinburg NC

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby MrJD » Thu Dec 26, 2013 11:29 am

Thanks to a couple parts from Juvius, I've now got a complete tool set!

Now i want to get my hands on an original factory 1979 manual...

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User avatar
MrJD
Posts: 551
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:23 pm
Your car is a: Looking to ask questions about a 79 2.0
Location: Laurinburg NC

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby MrJD » Mon Dec 30, 2013 9:20 pm

Some pictures of what I did today.

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Was a nice rats nest in here... first one i found in the car.
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Cancer in the floors.... I assume the two grey lines are a fuel sender and fuel return. I'm going to have to remove them to weld in new metal. Anyone want to make my life easier and tell me how this is done, lol.
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This bit rusted through from the other side... Seems there is no fender liner on the drivers side
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There was some rust on the rear end.... Under about a quarter inch of filler i found another repair panel... this one they just stitch welded it together and added bondo! I'd love to kick the bodyman that did this car in the nuts for his crappy work

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Under what I can only assume is the factory black rubber insulation, I found LOTS of rust. the insulation had been holding water against the metal for many years it seems.

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i chisled back the rubber till i found fresh metal

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The original color of the car... very pretty actually. Tempting to take it back, but I still want red!
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User avatar
Ptoneill
Posts: 606
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:28 am
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider 2000
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby Ptoneill » Mon Dec 30, 2013 10:26 pm

Wow, sorry to see all that rust, the good thing is that the floor pans are readily availible thru various vendors. I don't see why you would have to remove the fuel lines, a welding blanket or wrap should protect them. I would disconnect them from the tank and carb then blow air thru them until all the fuel and vapors are gone before welding just in case.

Good Luck!
Stay Safe,

Pat
79spider
HAVE FUN!! It's a FIAT!!
ptoneill@msn.com
http://s1121.photobucket.com/albums/l504/ptoneill/


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