Best production year

[royaldust]

Hey, i tried to search for this on the search feature but couldnt find an answer.

I would like to know what year is in your opinion the best production year of the spider.

I just moved to LA from italy and i bought a '75 spider, which is great because i didn't have to smog it, but it wasnt a good surprise to find so many emission control things... (the car is 100% stock to the last screw).

What's your opinion? I'd say let's judge it based on performance/features/reliability/...

[divace73]

this is a 'can of worms' questions, it will always depend on many personal factors.
I have a 1980 FI model and it has been faithfull to me, easy to just start and drive, however I would also like an early pre 1973 bumper model.....(I am converting my 1980 to look like that soon)

[ronarthur]

Since comparing carbs to FI models to me is like comparing apples to oranges, maybe the best years of carbs vs best years of FI? Yes, I realize FI's were produced for only a few years compared to carbs so the years are limited for FI's.

[kmac33]

A loaded question for sure. Depends on exactly what you are looking for.
I am highly biased, but am partial to the 74's - last year with the "attractive" bumpers and if keeping the car stock, the 74's came with the best carb
One of the best things about these cars is the parts tend to be very interchangeable from year to year, so as long as you don't have to have a "stock" Spider, you can "create" the perfect car for you.

[Exit98]

For me the 72 is the quintessential Spider. The 1600 motor, minimal smog gear, light weight, and before the hideous crash bar bumpers destroyed the lithe Pininfarina lines. The highest rated bhp at 104 and the highest top speed at 112 mph (excluding turbo).

By the late 70's the car was an anachronism, kept alive by it's legacy and the introduction of somewhat modern FI. But by then the price had risen beyond the value of the car. Development had stopped years before, and what was a cutting edge affordable sports car in 1970 became a has-been by 1979, unable to compete with the modern cars arriving from Japan.

Please don't shoot me. We can enjoy what ever year Spider we own, and can modify and change it to our hearts content. Now they are all Fiat Spiders; fun old cars, and very affordable, and a whole lot better, then and now, than the sad cars the British were foisting on us in the 70's.

[baltobernie]

You didn't look very hard . Remember you can put a phrase within quotation marks in the Search box to get narrower results.

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 17&p=21775
http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 25&p=64564
http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 17&p=64444
http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 09&p=52472
etc.

The early cars have very effective footwell vents, pretty door handles, stronger seats, and better tail lights. The later cars have 14" wheels, the 2L EFI motor, shoulder belts and a more luxurious interior. Many Spiders have bits and pieces from a variety of model years.

[Gunsmith]

Everybody is lying unless they tell you 82 is the year. Science has proved that not only is the 82 superior than other year and most other automobiles for that matter but their owners are better looking have larger brains and other important appendages than owners of other years. It's on the internet so it must be true.

[Danno]

If I had two fiats sitting in front of me and I was forced to pick one for ownership...

...I'd pick the one that runs. Studies show that 1 in 2 Fiats don't run. Also, 95% of data on the internet is made up.

I guess I could have gone with "...I'd pick the one that isn't rusting through"


Seriously, though. This comes up from time to time, but you won't ever see the discussion get heated. That's because there are positives for just about every year, and negatives as well. When you start looking at which year is best stock, that is also a different game than best year modified. I think if someone said I could have my choice of a Stock body and my choice of a stock engine and they'd combine the two for me (lol) I'd pick an earlier car with a newer FI engine. If the name of the game is modifying an engine from stock, then I'd be all over a non-FI 2L engine. the fun is in the build, you know. and there's a ton of fun things to do with the 2L and it doubles with the carb options you can fiddle with until you die.

[azruss]

One thing not discussed so far is quality of construction and bodywork. The newer the car the worse they are. My 70 was a beautifully constructed car with flat bodywork and exceptional fit and finish. when i go thru old parts to find the " best ones" the older the part, the better it seems to work. My current 80 is complete junk, bodywise, compared to my 70. I look at the quality of tranny castings and the early castings are much better. The real advantage to the FI cars is the big engine and all the smog stuff goes away. Personally an early model with a 1600cc is what i would aim for. I transplanted a 2L motor in my 70 with a 71 intake with re-jetted carb and the 4-2-1 casted exhaust and it was the cat's meow.

[RRoller123]

The FI system, when sorted out, is really nice. Lots of low end torque, and very smooth power delivery across the RPM range.

[rlux4]

I thought we already had a consensus on this issues. Let logic dictate if Gunsmith's science argument doesn't convince you. The last year Fiat made the car for sale would be the best, they figured by then they'd already gotten it as good as it could get so they obviously decided "That's it, perfection has been achieved".
That would be 1982.

Ron

[narfire]

Ok I'll chime in... For looks.. I like the early cars with the chrome bumbers,flat hoods.
For drivability and ease of maintenance, smooth acceleration, and power (stock) I like my FI.

Now as a qualifier, I have not spent much time in a carb'd car lately, I bought my 70 in 1975 and drove it 12 months of the year and in freeking cold temps (-25 at Manning park one winter) It took along time to get started in the AM. Sold that car with rust holes and I think only 2 cylinders working...
The FI cars can have engine mods that do improve power but perhaps not quite the same as what can be done with a carb'd car. Both cars would be expensive regardless.
Hey...get a decent spider without too much body work to do and you can drive it and do a rolling restoration and you'll be happy once the top is down.. no matter what era it came from.

[Danno]

85.5

[Razooli]

Purely on the basis of smog inspection, I think

I just moved to LA...

says it all. Your 75 is smog exempt so you can pull all the pollution stuff off and increase performance or mod it to your heart's (and wallet's) content.
If you want to leave it stock, for the fewest hassles in CA and reliability/driveability are concerned, as rlux and gunsmith said, 82 rules.
I'd leave the 76 thru 80 carbed cars for folks in other states to play with.

[bellafiat]

Everybody is lying unless they tell you 82 is the year. Science has proved that not only is the 82 superior than other year and most other automobiles for that matter but their owners are better looking have larger brains and other important appendages than owners of other years. It's on the internet so it must be true.

Couldnt agreee more...I have an 82 too
And not far from the range...