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Yeah, another car.

1974 Fiat 124 Spider original SoCal car with 40,822 documented miles. Was clearly loved and truly part of a wonderful Pasadena area family.

FiatSpiderfirstday2.jpg


FiatSpiderfirstday3.jpg


FiatSpiderfirstday110-31-12.jpg


FiatSpiderfirstday4.jpg


Totally original interior except for a later stereo. Sat for the last three years so some minor recommissioning required.
 
Really like those cars.

There's one for sale on a lot here in Clarksville - about the same vintage.
 
Very nice indeed.

We had a '71 Spider for 13 years and an '81 for 20 years. Wonderful cars -- very different driving experiences (and engines) compared to the TRs.

In the end it was the lack of club activities (getting on the road with like-minded enthusiasts) that led me to part with Fiats and go strictly with the Triumphs.

In Memoriam:

fiat-71-2.jpg


fiat-up.jpg
 
Thanks for the pics Geo. There is a pretty vibrant Fiat community here so I'm lucky in that regard, good contrast I think w/the TRs. Or it better be since I already bought it w/out driving her. :smile:
 
Thats a pretty car Tom

Cheers,
Tush
 
In my opinion, the best-looking sports car ever built.

My brother had one, and neither of us were crazy about the way the steering box felt (he has a Spridget now). I've driven other 124s that have a similar, "dead" feel.

Other than that, an excellent overall car.....I could just as happy with one as my current MGB.
 
I had a couple (one good, one parts) of 850 Spyders in college. A blast to drive, sound and felt like I was driving 100 mph @40mph!
 
Nice looking car. Looks like they copied the TR6 over-riders.
 
Looks like a nice original car, good find, I have driven a couple but never have owned one. Totally different driving experience that a body on frame TR. The first time I drove one I had a 1098cc Sprite, and the Fiat felt pretty fast, the next time I drove when I had been driving my TR4A, and the Fiat (I tink they were early 70s cars in both instances) felt, not slow, but very different, much less torque, much happier to rev.

The body structure is of course much tighter, and the suspension more compliant, the only time I ever drove one with a little verve it understeered quite a bit, but it was an older car by then and a shock could very well have been bad or something. Anyway, surprisingly different for a 2 seat convertible with similar weight, size and power, overall more modern feeling. Vive la Difference! Enjoy.

Looks are a matter of taste and preference of course, I don't dislike the car, but I never really found them to be great looking like many writers of the day, and a few posters here as well. Then again the MGB's looks don't do much for me either, I guess I like the swoopier look of the early big Healey, MGAs, E-types, or the Alfa Spyder if you want to stay on the Italian track, but as I said, good looking survivor, looks to be well bought.
 
I had a 76 spider back when the wife and I were dating. One night heading down a twisty road doing about 45 the passenger side lower ball joint pulled through the lower wishbone. The wheel tilted inward at the top and pinned itself against the inner fender. This caused the car to veer sharply right and off the road. We passed inches away from hitting a huge oak tree, and instead came to a gentle stop in some brush. I fixed the car, sold it, and bought a nice russet brown 1980 MGB. Have not been in an Italian car since.
 
Very nice original car. And a '74. Looks like they used the same 5-MPH bumper compliance design team as for the TR-6...

Jeff
 
Be careful with those cars. Mt son also had a front suspension collapse when the bolts pulled out of the frame and sent the car across the road and into someone's front yard. Somehow he drove it home and then down to a welding shop. The welder said if the frame was too rusted he would not work on the car, but up on the lift, there was good metal so he welded the cage, reattached the suspension and away we go. But - I told Danny to sell that car ASAP. He got $1500.00 for it and bought a Porsche 944 - a story for another day. Also - the Marelli distributor had the condenser wire placed in such a way that it rubbed against the dist. shaft, shorting out in a few weeks. I somehow taped or bolted it down - can't remember which, it was some years ago - and the car ran fine. It was a smooth, good looking car with a much better ride than any TR even though it had a solid rear end. Lots of spring travel and good shocks. I heard Fiat was using cheap steel from some iron Curtain country back then and that was the reason for the rust. But - it's a fun car and good luck with it.
 
Fun to hear everyone's memory and experiences with them.

Later cars used iffy steel, earlier ones were evidentially better.

She's a 1756cc engine, should be a jewel if I can get it started ;-)

I had the same thought on the overriders!
 
Very pretty car. It would be very popular in Chapel Hill, NC (yuch).

The 124 and Alpine are probably the more cultured of the sports cars. It had the best top design ever. I would love to have an early one, but don't really see any around here that are purchase worthy.
 
Well - hit the first significant issue with her. Fresh fluids, cranking without coil connected, went to start her and no spark. Getting power to the coil and good ground so next stop is rotor etc. That is all good and so on to the plugs. Hmmm, pulled can to see rotor spin and no movement. Rotor is mounted properly so has to be the distributor. Pull that and notice a 1/2 circle of metal under where the distributor goes. Use a magenent to get that out and it appears to be a broke valve shim - no idea where the other 1/2 is. Uh oh.
 
Mom had a brand new 1976 Fiat 124 Spider while I was growing up. My brother later inherited it and unfortunately wrecked it. He later bought a 1983 Pininfarina Spider which he still has in his garage (waiting to restore kind of like my Triumphs).

Scott
 
My first car was a Fiat 850 Coupe. When I bought it in 1973, I knew how to put gas in a car. When I sold it four years later I knew how to rebuild an engine, swap out a tranny, and change engine mounts on the side of the road in 15 minutes flat. My brother had an X1-9. It fell apart at 60k. Fiat: "Fix It Again Tony"! The 124, though, was the best car they ever made, imho. Very cool looking automobile.
 
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