Is My 1977 Fiat 124 Spider Barn Find A Huge Mistake?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- Did I make a massive error by literally dragging this 1977 Fiat 124 Spider out of the same garage it sat for nearly 25 years? Lets take a look at everything good and bad and find out if I have my work cut out for me.
Love the old Fiats. My family had a dealership here in Tulsa back then. I worked there for eight years, mostly in parts and service. Hope to run across one in as good of shape as yours. Keep the progress coming.
We had one. A great handling car. This one is well preserved. They rusted badly . You could have a lot of fun with that car!
luckily it wasn't found in a barn .
Thanks for posting, and best of luck bringing that car back to its original glory. The first new car I ever bought was a 1979 brown metallic Spider 2000. Not only was it gorgeous, but it seemed unstoppable. Used to take it from NJ to Lake Placid and back in the middle of Winter with skis on a trunk rack and never had any issues. Plus, at the time I worked at a "foreign" car parts shop that sold Weber carbs and was able to bolt on a Euro version as an upgrade. If anything did go wrong (like the shift lever coming off in my hand!) parts were VERY cheap, at least back then. I even vaguely recall brake rotors being less than $20!
Whatever you do, do NOT cut any "wires" leading into the center console. Some of those may be fiber optics for the ventilation controls to illuminate them when the headlights are switched on.
never a mistake saving a Fiat!
The hard top is from an earlier car. I think they stopped offering the factory top in 73 or 74. And yes, it did have a headliner. Exact same material/pattern as used on several Italian exotic cars of the period, like the 308GT4, Sort of beige with channels/strips imposed. As long as the body isn't rusted, these old Fiats are completely rebuildable, and way more fun than you'd think.
Thanks for doing this series. I have kids 13 and 12, yeah... i feel ya. Regardless, This is my dream car, actually any of them 77-84 would be fine. One day the wife will let me grab one. In the mean time I live vicariously through you.
That boomerang shaped lever in the glovebox is the lever to open the fresh air vents above the footwells. On each side, there's a metal pipe about the size of a Pringles can that runs from inside the windshield wiper cowling to the interior. There's a flap that opens and closes allowing fresh air in. That lever operates that flap.
People take pictures of mine all the time. They pose by it. They ask about it. Constantly. Non stop admiration.
great project the bits in the trunk are for the battery tie down
This is a great little car and it looks like you have the tool kit and all kinds of documentation from its previous ownership. A very good sign that it has been looked after during its lifetime. The hardtop is factory and really rare.
My licence plate from Ontario, Canada is" XLS 760" on my 79 Spider 2000
I owned a 75 & 76 and bother were great fun. The hard top makes the car so quiet and comfortable in winter. Especially since these little Fiat's have great heaters.
Would love to see some restoration videos of this 77'. I have a running 77' also I'm working on slowly.
Me too!
If this car belonged to Kevin Malone my husband restored this car sometime around 1995 as a Christmas gift for his wife Bonnie
Yes, this is the same car!
Don't downshift into 1 st/ 2 nd at any higher road speeds beyond 15-25 mph. Synchros are very weak and running them low oil will distort case leading to difficulty/ grinding going into reverse. The timing belt must be changed 25-40 k or every 7 years,bad stuff will go down if old/ worn belt stays on. Rear axles tend to weep oil, shoud be checked regularly.
Replacement soft tops are available and very easy to install in an afternoon.
The fiat came with a twin cam hemi that was one of the few cars of that era that put out one horse power per cubic inch. The fiat had a 124 ac engine stock but also offered a 124 bc engine high performance version. The distributor location was an easy way to tell the difference and I believe yours looks like the bc version.
DUDE Put all that paper in plastic bags now! Huge to have all three of those.
I understand your state of mind, mixed emotion for having frowned a cool spider 🤩 / worried if she’s an unrecoverable scrap 😫😢 Nowclear the trunk, do some cleaning, lift the car and finally check the underbody fingers crossed 🥶
If you have to work on the heater core be very careful to use penetrating oil on the nuts first. The studs are brazed onto the heater core and if you break one the entire heater core and fan assembly must come out.
Yeah, a Cincinnati car, but it was initially from the Cleveland area.
The headliner should be white-cream vinyl with seams running front to back. Look at pics of similar era Pininfarina Ferrari coupe headliners which were handled in a simile fashion.
I patched my ripped top. Looks bad but doesn’t leak
overflow tank! 13:42 😊 13:52
hello im in canada montreal and i buy a fiat spider 1600 1972 so im 20year and i want to restore do you have any website for canada???
What an awesome find 👍👍👍👍👍
I know it has been a while, but CHANGE THE TIMING BELT! It's an interference engine, which means damage if it breaks.
The Lampredi Twin-Cam is great engine with a distinguished record in motorsport, most notably in WRC where version of it won a record 10 Manufacturers championships with Fiat and Lancia. It is a shame that due to Federal regulations at the time, these engines were de-tuned for the American market which resulted in a drop in horsepower of ~30 hp compared to the European or world versions.
This is an interference engine and the timing belt has to be changed periodically. After 25 years of being stored, that's one of the first things that needs to be checked before even trying to get it started.
It's a beauty.
HELLO,I RECENTLEY HOOKED UP A NEW ALTENATOR BUT I FORGOT TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND SHORTED SOMETHING OUT.I LOST THE HORN,THE INTERIOR LIGHT AND THE STEREO,IT TURNS OVER FINE BUT WILL NOT START,I THINK I BLEW A RELAY? DOES THIS MAKE SENSE TO YOU?PLEASE,I AWAIT YOUR ANSWER,THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I assume you figured out how to do the latches by now.
Depends, how rusted is the frame?
saw one in los angeles in almost similar body shape but no rust....the owner said its running....he wants $5k ....im thinking now if i will buy it
Anyone know what those wheels are from? I have the same ones and need center caps.
Radiator overflow
No! ... No mistake !
It's been a few months since you posted. Have you started the engine?
Yes! Check out the entire playlist. Rebuilding the head now. th-cam.com/play/PLYEldzl7nf5VxweW1zK4RcI-Lf1degYxW.html
This is such a good start! I have a 78 124. I started mine off in a way worse condition. That tub isn't for washer fluid, it is for the coolant overflow from the radiator. It also looks like that 2x4 is holding up the floor heater vents so they don't open. They may be loose so it just keeps it shut. I can't wait to see what you do with it, and if you need any help or have questions feel free to reach out on instagram. 850_Spider_Project
GET RID of the mouse nestr!!!! It attracts mice. They destroy your wiring.
I’m about to work on my grandpas fiat and I don’t know how to open the hood, could anyone tell me how?
Top treatment at auto shops. Get some.
Cover the carb!!!! A penny or a nut down that!?? $$$
Great find!! If the timing belt looks ok you can probably start it.
If it doesnt a timing belt is an easy/medium job. Just gotta take off fan, radiator if you want more room, and water pump. This engine is probably fine for some time.
The seepage? Seems to never end on mine but it doesnt hurt as long as you check your oil monthly. Great find. Would love to know how much you paid.
Currently worth 8k+. Yes that much. Go to hastings and other car valuations.
Real world value in present condition is only about $1,000. Even in top condition you would be hard pressed to get $8,000. The valuation that many sources give don't translate into what they can actually be sold for. These cars are not desired by most collectors of classic cars and unfortunately the value reflects that. The buyers are mostly people who just want a beautiful, fun little convertible. I have a love for them and have owned several over the years. I watch what they are listed for and how long the take to sell, if they sell. I hate to pop the valuation bubble, but that's reality. Just buy one to enjoy the fun and nothing elae
Un'auto sempre bellissima e la mia spyder preferita , elegante ,leggera e sportiva ! ✌️🇮🇹🤓
Stupenda.
I saw this for sale. You must be in ohio. Im near Cincinnati restoring a 1982 spider
good luck
Change the timming belt before you try and start it. Then check the shock towers for corrosion.
Probably runs. Put a canister of sea foam into the tank asap. Also find gas filters and replace them. May be one with the tank side next to the pump.
HuGE find. Original manual and tool kit!!!
These cars are going through the roof in value. 30k....
The mice may have come with the car. You may have mice in your garage now putting you rother cars adn their wiring at risk.
how much did you pay for it? anything over $500 would be a mistake
I disagree. I have owned a few Fiat Spiders, I have one now with a hard top. The top ALONE if you can even find one to buy goes for $1,000 to $1,500.
@@mr.wampus8051 Thats not the point, this car needs a lot of work. If you are handy with tools and repair and have tons of time, yes sure. But this one I see needs a lot of effort to get it to any place decent. It's rusty, parts look beaten up and may need a lot of time even locating them. If this is a project car, sure buy it for $500 and have a go at it.
18:15 Posson by Christian Dior 😁 a pestiferous late ‘80 equivalent of “ teen spirit” the scent for a pretentious spoiled college girl or a young escort
110 120 hp
THERE ARE BETTER CARS,,,,,,,,,,,IMO
sell it... low demand car.
I gotta disagree. The spiders running from 68 85 are quite popular with parts very affordable and readily available. 70 percent of them were sold to N American market and for good reason. A work of art, especially compared to many so called sports cars today.
What????? If it is a low demand car, WTF would you sell it? Jeez....
If you lift the car with the stock WayAsuato rear shocks the shocks will lock up, if you lift it by the rear axle , they probably won't. Before turning the engine over put some atf oil in the spark plug holes and let it soak for a while.
Judging by how rusty the car is I don't believe it was stored in a garage for very much time at all, mine was stored outside without a decent tarp for more than 10 years and had less rust, the place you need to check is under the carpet around the seats, if water got in it causes a lot of damage my floors needed many patch panels made.