Yes, it is in a garage, but about 400 miles away from me. Unfortunately someone broke in where it was stored a couple of years ago and though they didn't take or damage it, did take the keys which leaves me in a bit of a fix. I want to bring it home to restore, but will have to decide to sell my current "garage queen" first, a 1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4.
Yes that is a 66 Beetle convertible that my Dad still has, but in much much worse shape now.
The story of my Fiat:
My Dad bought it in the late 70's needing "some work." I don't recall it moving much. When I was 15 he let me start working on it. Body work was its primary requirement. It had bondo cracking and flaking off the hood and trunk. I did all the body work (learning as I went, making lots of mistakes) and also got it running, replaced the timing belt and other maintenance items. My dad and I finally painted it around 1986 or so in its original green (which I thought looked lighter than what was on it). I drove it through high school. One particular trip I remember was in about '88. I was going to a summer camp a few hundred miles away. It was sweltering hot and about 50 miles out of town the engine stopped. It would turn over but not start. After it cooled off a bit, and with some starting fluid, it started up. I pressed on instead of turning back, and about 100 miles later, on I40 in the middle of Memphis, it did it again. I was out of starting fluid, so I drained some gas from the tank into a little jar, and poured a little into the carb. It would run for a few seconds, then sputter and die. So I started it and dribbled gas in from the jar to keep it running. It backfired and caught the jar on fire and I threw it away. Horrifyingly stupid when I look back on it, but I was young. It seemed to mostly run after that. After a got to my destination, I figured out it was vapor-locking and the mechanical fuel pump just wasn't cutting it. I couldn't get another one at the time so I bypassed it and installed an electric pump in the trunk. It ran ok after that but super rich (so probably too much fuel pressure from the electric pump). I drove it for a while in college. My amateur body work started cracking and flaking. I didn't want to take it with me when I transferred to a college in Pittsburgh, PA. So essentially it has been sitting around since then.
Also around my late HS/early college years my Dad and I repaired a blue 1975 Fiat that was pretty rusty. It had come from Colorado. Rear wheel arches were totally gone, carpet was the only thing keeping water from splashing in through the holes in the floor, and the back bumper fell off while we were driving it. It was a real treat. Got it in pretty good shape with a nice coat of red paint and my sister drove it while she was in high school. They sold it while I was away with my original 69 wheels and hubcaps
Hope I didn't bore anybody too much.
--
Stephen
