Custom Fiat spider roadster for sale

[DieselSpider]

Zach,

You really need to stop looking for hate where it does not exist.

I bought a $1,500 clunker FrankenSpider with rear wheel drive (I really dislike having to disassemble the entire front suspension on a front wheel drive car for something as simple as replacing a transmission seal) that happened to have a diesel engine installed in it as cheap transportation that gets 40 MPG and don't make any claims about it being more than it is.

If I did claim it was awesome and tried to sell it for $5,000 after spending $8,000 modding the body it would not be orange peeled and would be in better general condition. The drive line and undercarriage was claimed to be stock on the Custom so its not a true racer just made up to look like one so no real value added there aside from maybe the ignition coil upgrade. Pills on the upholstery, orange pealed paint, carnival ride running lights, collapsing drivers seat, etc on a $1,500 clunker driven daily with original near to 40 year old interior along with well over 200,000 miles on it is one thing but on a $5,000 car that had an $8,000 customization just 4 short years ago that is an open car which can only be driven in fair weather a few short months out of the year one would expect quite a bit better around here.

My original comment was only related to the "Awesome" after observing the lackluster paint on a car with a high price tag and wondering on the ability to float. In that condition the car is really only worth about $2,500 to $3,000 as a curiosity and that is without any hate whatsoever just what I see when I look at the condition shown by the pictures in the add. If that was a rare original Abarth racer purposely built that way for competition then the car would be worth more due to historical significance however that is not the case.

I still honestly wonder if it can float with the doors sealed up like that.

[zachmac]

I apologize to all. I think this week's events in the US have me in a very dark mood and not feeling fun toward making fun of "others". Overall I know this forum and the Fiat people I've dealt with and met to be a very friendly, helpful group.

I suspect that his car wouldn't come close to floating if the underside is anything like mine, way to many holes; some factory, some tin worm, some PO caused.

I agree this isn't a true racer or anywhere near a Abarth sport racer but he really is not asking huge money. He want's 5k but we all know that means less than 4k when really sold. Given that he has, as you accurately observe, basically made it a "nice weather only" car I agree it is of limited value. I was looking at it more as a possible starting point to be taken to the next level? Lose the hood for something more stock, put a nice zippered tonneau cover on it, build out that sweet revving 1600 and you might have a fun track day car that could still be street driven? At 2 or 3k I might even be tempted (if it's not all bondo). As with any custom car, very hard to find that next buyer who shares your vision.

It all basically comes down to something none of us know; is it a bondo bucket or a professionally reworked body. If the former it is worthless, if the latter then maybe a fun oddity? I agree it is more in the kit car genre at this point, just happens to be a Fiat powered one. BTW, did anyone else notice the two different wood treatments around the shifter pictured? Must still be a "work in progress".

[dom]

Had the owner of this car been a member of this site I would have said nothing and if I had parked next to him and met him personally I would have said positive things because I would not of had it in me to criticize his work and make him feel bad. However, because I thought that he would never see my comments I was brutally honest. . I am not sure what that says about me. Maybe it says that I am as mixed up as this car and yes I did smoke weed about 35 years ago and it did make my TR 7 feel and look like a Ferrari.

[spiderdan]

I've been following this thread and thought I would add my thoughts.
I like to have fun 'cause life is short. I like to raz and I can take a good razing. Ask Jay!
Dom you made me lol with "Weed and rolling paper $5000" Hell up here at $200cdn an once for medicinal quality (I've been told ), you Roadster a Rolls Royce!
"Miscellaneous $300" That would be for the Doritos.
I would suggest that this guy (a gal wouldn't do this would they?) might work as a designer for "Hot Wheels" as a day job.
Go home after a hard day, roll up a dobbie and then go at the Fiat!

Do I enjoy looking at cars like this, hell yes. (tx for posting the link manoa matt)
Would I take a drive in a car like this, for sure.
Would I want to own it...hell no.

[Exit98]

So some of you might remember Ken Stackhouse’s custom Spider Roadster. You can find pictures of it here at the bottom of the page and on to the next page:

http://www.fiatspider.com/f15/viewtopic ... &start=165

When I clicked on the Craigslist ad Manoa Matt posted I thought of Ken’s car immediately and was struck by how the same concept worked so well in one case and failed so badly in the other.

Both builders spent a lot of time and effort to create what they saw in their mind’s eye. But in one case the builder is is also an artist, in the other, not so much. Compare Ken’s hood, grill, dash and so forth with the other.

What was he thinking when he added the headlight eyebrows?

[DieselSpider]

Some of the wood is splitting and may have been replaced due to being left or caught out in foul weather. Bottom edge of the dashboard appears to support that scenario too.

If the seller was a member I would treat him like family and be honest with him about the car. While it was probably an effort to get it done it has not stood up that well in the 4 years since it was done.

On a forum like this we are basically an extended family so we are best off to let things roll and learn to let our hair down (what little we may have left) and just go with it sometimes. I know my kid brother still loves me even when he teases a bit or gives me a hard time. You should have heard the comments when I drove up with a bright red smokey diesel spider repleat with pealing paint and a leaky top sounding more like a garbage truck than a car.

Alziemers, near to retirement crisis and senior dementia were some of the concepts that were tossed about.

[zachmac]

So some of you might remember Ken Stackhouse’s custom Spider Roadster. You can find pictures of it here at the bottom of the page and on to the next page:

http://www.fiatspider.com/f15/viewtopic ... &start=165

That is exactly the car I was trying to remember and find a link to when I said others had done very similar things to their cars and been praised here. I have to agree Ken seems to have done it better and not nearly as extreme, but they both went to basically the same place.

Somewhat funny that some of us think eliminating the convertible top on a Fiat makes a significant difference in it's resistance to incoming rain! Lots of evidence to the contrary.

And welding the doors shut on a lot of the cars I've seen would have gone a long way towards making them somewhat less flexible. Just look at all the posts involving fixing sagging doors. Pretty common practice on open sport racers.

Again, I think this guy just went too far, but it would be relatively easy to back it off and have something sorta cool. Lose the eyebrows and extra lights, swap to a more tasteful but louvered hood and toss on a tonneau and you'd transform it. And of course rotate that horn button!!!! Also will say I'm surprised no one has commented on the luggage rack, definitely NOT consistent with the sport racer theme.

[Exit98]

Zach,

+1 on the rack.

But Ken's car and this one are miles apart. Taste and details.

Still funny though how two guys independently come up with the same basic idea.

[zachmac]

For everyone who thought this guy was a little unrealistic on price, please check out these two. Makes the car we started on seem like the buy of the century!

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/deta ... /overview/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/deta ... /overview/

Diesel, guess you were right, a couple of Abarth stickers really helps the value! Dealer cars so let the fun and mocking begin.

[Exit98]

LOL on the yellow clown car. What a hoot!

If today was April 1 I could better understand the ad.

I check out Ebay Fiats all the time and so many of the ads are just siilly. And I don't just mean the $40K Spiders, all the $5K parts cars too.

But you can also search and see what cars actually sold and for how much. Those are the ones to reveiw to get a real view of the current market.

[Nanonevol]

He likes eyebrows. Even the tiny lights in the grill have eyebrows! Cute.

[zachmac]

The white 850 is about as nice an example as I've seen but $28 large should get you a Pebble Beach concours car. Plus, if it is a genuine OT 1000 Abarth model it is missing some key badging.

[DieselSpider]

For everyone who thought this guy was a little unrealistic on price, please check out these two. Makes the car we started on seem like the buy of the century!

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/deta ... /overview/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/deta ... /overview/

Diesel, guess you were right, a couple of Abarth stickers really helps the value! Dealer cars so let the fun and mocking begin.

$40,000 for a Ford pickup with a moded Fiat body on it? At least it has a Richard Pettey STP sticker on it.

I almost dropped $1,200 on a 1971 white 850 a few weeks ago. Engine and transmission was freshly rebuilt too. Would have saved $26,000 for the lack of a few Abarth stickers.

[Exit98]

I almost dropped $1,200 on a 1971 white 850 a few weeks ago. Engine and transmission was freshly rebuilt too. Would have saved $26,000 for the lack of a few Abarth stickers.

Yeah, but then you'd probably try to stuff this thing in it:



(It's a 900cc Kubota 3 cyl 24 hp diesel)

[mscafide]

I like the Diesel Spider engine swap because it is reasonable and took thought and effort.

These are not rare cars unless they are close to perfect originals. If it were a really rare Pinto, Vega, Gremlin or Pacer there would be a reason to be outraged because they can't be found in the numbers Fiat Spiders in just reasonable, driveable condition. AND it's hard to get parts.