First Time Fiat Spider Owner

[thewizard]

Hi, looks to be a very informative forum you members have here.
I just bought a 1981 2000 Spider with 72000.
10 year old amateur restoration but I'm loving it.
Floor panels absolutely solid, NO rust, none.
I am 58 and back in the days have had several Austin Healey's, Triumphs and MG's not to mention the Trans Ams, Camaros and Corvettes. The best of all was the 1969 R code 428 Super Cobra Jet Mustang.
I never cared much for the Fiat back then but I got this for a good price I thought and was desperate to get that old feeling back. LOL.
Sure it will find a great place in my self induced legacy.
Anyway I will be having a few questions forthcoming so looking forward to any help.
the Wizard, Greg

[RRoller123]

Welcome! Lots of friendly, knowledgeable and helpful people here!

[thewizard]

Thanks for the welcome.
I do appreciate it.
Hope I'll get more.
Thanks, Greg

[marty3d]

Welcome to the forum! I'm 56, got my 1981 a week ago

Oh, and they are right about finding a bunch of helpful people here...

[wiggo]

You sure have some big pickups over there...
The fun is in the driving, welcome Greg

[4uall]

[/quote]

i spy with my little eye something that is red
is it the truck?........no
is it the firehydrant?.....no
is it that beautiful fine sexy italian lady they call a Fiat?........................yes, yes it is

hello and welcome to the best place on earth

[thewizard]

Just picked up a trailer queen.
Lots of good parts on this one.

[thewizard]

Just a note on member name thewizard.
The kids at work call me that.
59 years old and 39 years of being a tool and diemaker/machinist.
12 years of 20 millionths tolerance machining under microscopes with end mills or boring bars as small as .005, 20,000-60,000 rpm spindles, with of course finish diamond grinding to achieve the results. Smallest diamond burr for jig grinding I ever used was .003 diameter @ over 150,000 rpm. .003 wire EDM was common. Built high speed carbide progressive dies that ran 1600 strokes a minute. Computer stuff. Got to work with some of the highest cutting edge tech crap on Earth at the time. Equipment manufacturers like Charmilles and Mitsubishi built their latest and greatest machine tools to our specs and we troubleshooted them before they hit production models. Was a crazy time and made crazy money as well for a blue collar worker.
I can usually solve most machining problems but the wizard name comes from the kids (20-30 somethings) calling me Gandolf as I have long below shoulder length pure white hair.
As far as cars go I have owned about 40, including several AH, MG, Triumphs, an XKE, XK120, Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and should have never sold a one. Well maybe a couple.
This Fiat brings back a lot of fun to my life. Doesn't get much better than cruising down the county blacktops (should go without saying, top down) with your dog in passenger seat while listening to White Bird by It's A Beautiful Day on the updated yet old now old school CD player.
All the GOOD toolmaker/machinists I have worked with in last 39 years have all been assholes, arrogant, dickheads and I fit that category, I suppose. All were very close loyal friends in and amongst ourselves. Mutual respect. ALL THE GOOD ones are willing to share what they have spent years crafting. Sorry to see it is a dead trade in the US these days as I have loved the trade.
Do I detect an ounce of arrogance in this post? Yeah well.

[MrWampus]

Do I detect an ounce of arrogance in this post? Yeah well.

Sounds more like pride in your work and capability to me. Glad to have you on the boards and glad finally got around to owning a Spider. Mine has put a perma-smile on my face since the day I bought it and for some reason I went 25 years between my first one and this one.

Welcome.

[thewizard]

Thank you for the welcome MrWampus.
Last night we got the blue 76 Fiat fired up. It had been setting outdoors since 1988.
Motor was slightly stuck but few bumps on starter broke it loose.
Played with the ignition wires, got some spark, shot some ether and she popped right off.
Motor has no fuel pump so hooked up an outboard gas tank with the line hand pump and motor runs very well.
Very hard to believe.
Will be pulling it soon as parting the blue car out.

[thewizard]

Put a new set of KYB Excel G shocks on the 1981 this weekend.
What a transformation.
The old shocks were junk bigtime.
One rear froze full open, the other stuck closed.
Both front collapsed.
I was avoiding bumps, now looking for them.

[DocGraphics]

I have the same, yet to install, glad to hear your impressions, can't wait to get them installed.

I ordered the G2's & got these, wondered if different when I received these but have found out that they are the same, just newer version, renamed & black paint.

[steve8462]

its good to have a wizard as part of 'team spider' - with your background the first thing that your immense talent will come in handy for is the wheel to hub issue being that not many aftermarket rims will fit the fiat. you can correct that problem with a little machine work.

i'm sure you will come across an easy fix on some item for the spider by machining a cool replacement part. maybe you can mass produce the item exclusively for this forum. and we will buy them. welcome aboard!

[thewizard]

Thank you Steve, I am humbled.
My motto: It may not be cost effective but yes we can do it.
In my current line of work, old school, I mean very old school, repair machine shop, I always ask customer what they can buy it new for, the answer is always we can't find or buy it.
ANYWAYS:
Wife wants my new 81 so have decided to try the new title route for the 76 124, (see pics, blue car) I just bought.
It is a 43M car, setting for 24 years.
Have it running and it purrs like a kitten.
Very solid car. I was going to part but can't bring myself to do it.
If I can get a title for it plan to do whatever comes to mind with it. No bumpers, no top.
Custom interior, my wife is an award winning upholsterer, 35 years experience and very anal about her quality. Her work has been published in several books.
She hates auto upholstery but will do it for me, I think.
No limitations but money. Hah

[OffThaHorse]

Wow that little red one looks good.

Also youve got it made. A machinist AND an upholstery expert under the same roof.

An auto enthusiast couldnt ask for more!