1979 spider 2000 restoration

This is the place to discuss restoration problems, post questions or projects-complete or partial.
User avatar
RRoller123
Patron 2020
Patron 2020
Posts: 8179
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 2:04 pm
Your car is a: 1980 FI SPIDER 2000
Location: SAGAMORE BEACH, MA USA

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby RRoller123 » Tue Jun 17, 2014 6:36 am

"Patience, 007, patience."
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
'75 BMW R75/6
2011 Chevy Malibu (daily driver)
2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Ext Cab 4WD/STD BED
2002 Edgewater 175CC 80HP 4-Stroke Yamaha
2003 Jaguar XK8
2003 Jaguar XKR
2021 Jayco 22RB
2019 Bianchi Torino Bicycle

Sambo42
Posts: 155
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:00 am
Your car is a: 1971 Fiat Spider

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby Sambo42 » Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:19 pm

MrJD wrote:Yea, I basically decided to order one of the new texas heat aluminum radiators at the beginning of next month. That will let me take down the whole engine bay, re-spray it, and rebuild it to "new" look. I'll also be installing the 34adf when that happens.

I've got rust all in my actual rocker panels and the rear lower panels also. That is pretty easy patch work, and I can go ahead and start getting them ready for paint.

On my body rust: I've basically decided to cut out large sections of the inner fender lining. Having it out will make life MUCH easier... and allow me to kill all the rust hiding in there.

Funny, after I did my floors I said to myself: "No More welding while laying on my back."

Wrong. :(



I know that feeling soooooo well. can't count the number of small patches of hair I lost during mine...

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 » Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:43 am

Question gents. Was thinking about fuel delivery today. The fuel tank in a carb car is under no pressure. All the pressure comes from the block mounted pump. Why would I plumb a fuel return line all the way back to the tank... When I could plumb it into the main fuel line pre pump? What am I missing?

BEEK
Posts: 1830
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:45 pm
Your car is a: 1975 Spider
Location: clermont fl

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby BEEK » Wed Jun 18, 2014 8:47 am

in all honesty, you may be able to just delete the fuel return line all together. But the engineers at fiat did not think so, i would not try and reinvent the wheel. Having said that, it can be done, you will need a check valve but again, just return the fuel to the tank
Automotive Service Technology Instructor (34 year Fiat mechanic)
75 spider
, 6 Lancia Scorpions, 2018 Abarth Spider, 500X wifes, 500L 3 82 Zagatos. 82 spider 34k original miles, 83 pininfarina, 8 fiat spider parts cars
son has 78 spider

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 » Wed Jun 18, 2014 11:27 am

my thought was i could keep all the fuel lines under the hood save one single sending line going from the tank to the carb.

In essence you have a pool of fuel, some of which gets pumped up to the carb. If the return line T's into the sender line pre-pump... It seems like a simplified system, keeping one less fuel line out of the cab with me.

User avatar
aj81spider
Patron 2020
Patron 2020
Posts: 1526
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:04 am
Your car is a: 1974 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chelmsford, MA

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby aj81spider » Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:22 pm

I'm no expert but I don't think that will work. The pump is creating a vacuum that pulls fuel up the fuel line. That fuel is essentially under pressure (just pressure created by pull rather than push). If you T the return into it the fuel will also flow out that path and into the engine via the return line.

An additional bad effect will be a drop in pressure at the pump due to the loss of fuel down the return line.
A.J.

1974 Fiat 124 Spider
2006 Corvette
1981 Spider 2000 (sold 2013 - never should have sold that car)

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 » Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:57 pm

yea, figured a 1 way valve system would be needed. Agreed with the others that its overcomplicated. add 7 feet of extra fuel line to the pile.

User avatar
azruss
Posts: 3659
Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 12:24 pm
Your car is a: 80 Fiat 2000 FI

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby azruss » Wed Jun 18, 2014 9:22 pm

the manual pump is a diaphram type. Without a return line, the pump can build pressure that can damage the diaphram (although some have no return line and seem to do okay). If you pipe the return to the incoming line, you just create a loop and reduce the ability of the pump to draw from the tank. Once the needle valve in the carb is closed, the fuel is against a hard stop with no place to go without a return to the tank.

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 Jun 23, 2014 1:45 pm

Hi all. Need an opinion.

I am about to order my shift boot, and I would like to leather wrap the e-brake handle also. Which of these do you think would work best on the ebrake?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190965210938?ss ... 1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171048984130?ss ... 1423.l2649

I assume the first one with the longer end on the ebrake boot. That way i could form fit it and cut it to length. Comment?

edit:

did a little work on the car today. Removed the drivers side door panel to repair it... but jesus what an ordeal it was. I had to cut one screw out with an angle grinder... I couldn't drill it OR get my dremel multimax to cut it. I dunno what they made that screw out of, but i wish the body was made of it!

Image

Image

the wood I will be using to re-card it.
Image

sticker on air cleaner. Shame its ruined... i've never seen a reproduction of this one. Might be 1979-80 carb cars only.
Image

User avatar
FiatBen
Posts: 274
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:54 pm
Your car is a: 1969 124 and 6 more
Location: northwest Arkansas

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby FiatBen » Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:01 pm

JD, I feel your pain. We are brothers in spirit both working on '79s. Pulled my door cards the other day. This is the card out of the driver's side.
Image
Not much left there for a pattern, huh?
Hillbilly in northwest Arkansas with more Spiders than cents :)

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 Jun 24, 2014 6:42 pm

I removed the staples holding the vinyl to the door card. This allowed me to separate the two using a razor blade.

I laid the door card down and penciled in/painted the outline
Image
Image

back of the vinyl
Image

not bad if I say so myself!
Image


Also finished welding in panels on the rear drivers side quarter.
Image


All that is left on there now is to weld back in the inner-fender and patch the rusted areas of the inner fender. Then I will weld in some panels over the inner rocker... paint it all up, and its done! (then off to the OTHER rear quarter, and the rear end of the car... but I think I've figured out how to do the rear of the car and make it nearly painless other than lots of welding. We'll see.

on putting the inner fender back in: I don't plan on welding the lip of the car to the inner fender... I think I am going to use the good eastwood seam sealer and use it as a sealant.

Also figured out why the interior fan wasn't working... Ground was where it should be (though spliced there a few times)... but the two other wires were... not. One was not connected to anything, and the other was connected to the radio!
Image

anybody ever tested a cooling fan? i don't feel like looking it up right now, lol.

Sambo42
Posts: 155
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:00 am
Your car is a: 1971 Fiat Spider

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby Sambo42 » Wed Jun 25, 2014 7:53 pm

It's easy. Hook up a positive and terminal to a spare battery if you've got one - black (earth) wire to your negative terminal and red the positive. There are 2 positives for the 2 speed settings. Mine hadn't been working but have ruled out the fan motor as the culprit by doing this.

cheers

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 Jun 26, 2014 2:32 pm

Door re-carded. Once the glue dries(24 hours) i will start cleaning it. Should look new when finished. :)

I put a little glue in areas near the middle of the card where the vinyl might move around. The complete card is now under a mattress in another room for compression while drying.

Image

Image

Household stapler was strong enough to get through the wood!
Image

User avatar
4uall
Posts: 4145
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:09 pm
Your car is a: 1980 Fiat Pininfarina Spider 2000 F.I.
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Re: 1979 spider 2000 restoration

Postby 4uall » Thu Jun 26, 2014 2:51 pm

looks great, what kind of wood etc? 8)
Jay

Fiona
1980 FI 2000 Spider
ITZEBTZE

https://goo.gl/photos/eNKaX7hrXhBu9fmp6

FINN (FN-2187)
2014 Jeep Wrangler Sport
MYTHERPY

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 Jun 26, 2014 5:32 pm

4uall wrote:looks great, what kind of wood etc? 8)

down at the bottom. $15 and I still have half of it left... even after building trunk floors and a door panel!
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=25501&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=45

I started on the rear of the car today... as with everything on this car, its not going to be as easy as I thought.

When i first got the car I found this under the filler
Image

Today I started cutting out their panels:
Image

look at the rusted holes in the tail light mount... i dunno wth i am going to do there. :(
Image

All cut out and cleaned up
Image

swiss cheese metal.... ffs. Hate this car sometimes.
Image

when they did the rear quarter, they didn't weld this bit on, lol
Image


Return to “Restoration Projects”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 50 guests