Hello from Stanley,NY

[CAM1961]

I just bought a 1978 Fiat Spider 124 in October 2024-was not able to drive it very far the day I got it as the transmission almost fell out due to missing bolts. Got it to the repair shop where it spent a little over two months being worked on - it is winter here and with snow and road salt I haven’t been able to drive it (just home from the shop-roads clear and dry that day). I am anxiously awaiting spring so I can enjoy my new toy!

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Welcome! Any questions? Ask away!

-Bryan

[uncahoo]

Welcome!
I see that you are only 35-40 minutes away from me. I'm in Marion. Perhaps I can help you with questions, etc. I have my father's 1974 124 Spider that he bought new, and I have 2 shop manuals, a clutch alignment tool, a carburetor tool, and some odds & ends from a '72 that he bought as a parts car. Again, Welcome!
Hugh

[CAM1961]

Sorry for not responding sooner. Thank you for reaching out. I haven’t been the one working on my car since I don’t know how to do a lot so I’m at the mercy of a repair shop that does foreign cars. They have been great. I can drive it now and really do love it. I have bought interior parts- new carpet, door weather stripping and plan to do the installation myself with some help from my husband. While I am at it I will treat the floors with rust inhibitor and add some heat and noise barrier along with a new stereo and speakers as the one in the car now isn’t original anyways. I might even put it in a car show this summer. Thank you again for reaching out.

Cindy

[rdv]

Hi Cam (?),
you're welcome of course! It's no problem to get technical help in restoring your car! I do the same and I'm concentrating in optical parts like rubber or new wood for the dash board. Everyone is doing what he wants to do (or can..).

Hey, New York is Spider country! The worldwide Spider Register actually counts 428 cars for the NY state, see here:
https://www.fiatspider.de/register?Fahr ... New%20York

If your car is not already registered, it would be great to get the car data. Thanks in advance.
Good luck with your project!

Cheers Ralf

PS: any pics from the "before" state?

[uncahoo]

Hi Cindy!

I'm glad that you replied. And I'm glad that your Fiat drives and you're going to do some of your own work. My own car is off the road for now. It has 56,000 miles on it and I absolutely MUST change the timing belt for fear that the belt will break thus crashing the engine, with a hefty repair bill just for parts. I believe that it's an interference engine design, meaning that the valves will hit the pistons and bend & break many things. The change schedule is every 25,000-37,000 miles, so I'm well beyond that!! BTW, how many miles are on your car and do you know when the timing belt was last changed? I'm planning to start doing the belt change myself in a week or so.

Putting your Fiat in a car show will be lots of fun! My car has been in only one show but it was a good one. We took it to the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey, PA for display in a winter-long Italian Car Show. Much fun, and chocolate too!

Hoping to meet you this summer,
Hugh