Greetings, Newbie from SF Bay Area here (presently indoors...)

[swj2020]

Hi folks,
Hope everyone is hanging in there during these unusual times.
Came across this site recently in my quest to obtain more information pertaining to the valuation of a Fiat Spider 124.
I presently have a 1976 non-runner in storage with clean CA Non-op title that I'd like to see go to someone that is looking forward to a Spring Spider restoration project. That someone is not me. 8^)
Would you be so kind as to suggest how best to present further detailed information on the vehicle for comment and perhaps subsequent sales listing on this or another site?
Thanks in advance for your interest and sage advice,
Steve

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Hi Steve,
Pictures of your '76 would help, and there are many here in the Bay Area who could help you out.

-Bryan

[scrapironchef]

A slightly more specific location would help too.

Larry

[SteinOnkel]

You just described a $1000 car.

People love old cars. Running, driving, non-leaking, pretty, with retroffited bluetooth...ideally a brand new car, just old. The number of people buying old cars specifically to restore them is a tiny fraction of the market. The number of people seeking cars to restore right now is minute.

Don't believe me? My Fiat was listed for $3,750 (survivor car, needed lots of mechanical work, as will yours). I picked it up for $1500. That was in Sonoma county in 2019.

[swj2020]

Hi guys,
Thanks for the feedback and interest.
The vehicle is located in Pleasant Hill, CA.
Ran it in an eBay auction in February of this year. Had two bidders @ 2K$ and both of them ghosted me. Won't be doing that again.
Not a lot of local comps available, so any knowledgeable input is much appreciated.
Also, any recommendations for appropriate sales platforms would be great.
I believe we're well past the halcyon days of "The Diablo Dealer". Let me know what you think.
And finally, is it necessary to request Board Admin activation in order to upload photos to the New Member Board or is that a requirement in general for all members and sections? Photos, hopefully, forthcoming.
Thanks again,
Steve

Here's the present detail:

1976 Fiat 124 Spider Convertible.
1.8L DOHC. 5 speed Manual.
Black Canvas Top, Chrome Bumpers & Luggage Rack.

Condition is Used, presently not running. For sale by 2nd owner.
Currently has CA Non-Op registration status.
Last fired up in 1995 and ran well. Stored in garage 20 years. Last 4 years stored outside w/ covers in sunny CA.
Good restoration or parts vehicle. Vehicle appears to be all stock w/ all parts*.
Only obvious rust is a bit on exterior chrome pieces.
Some dents, scratches and paint chips on body, primarily driver's side (see photos). Paint is faded on top surfaces.
Interior carpet is faded, but generally in nice shape.
Front seats are worn and split, thus the seat covers. Back seat upholstery still good. Dashboard is still nice.
No battery present.
Convertible top requires replacement (rear window has small tear on driver-side and plastic is opaque).
Brakes, tires and wiper blades definitely need replaced.
Gas tank and fuel lines will require some labor and/or replacement.
*Driver-side mirror glass is out and requires new gasket insert (still have glass).

Will likely require flatbed for relocation as right rear tire has a fast leak and brakes pads are resistant.
Does have a full size spare which appears intact along with original tool kit.
Will include an old school Chilton repair manual, as well.
Buyer responsible for local pickup or buyer-arranged shipment.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Steve, thanks for the additional info. A few comments:

1. This site does not support inserting photos directly (requires too much memory and thus cost). Instead, you need to post a photo to a third party site such as imgur, smugmug, etc. and then link to that in your post here on this forum.
2. I think SteinOnkel (above) is right in that this is a $1000 car, and maybe that's at best. It sounds like a fair amount of time and money would be required to get the car back on the road again, even without the cosmetic repairs. To get it on the road again, you'd need a minimum of fixing the tire, new battery, refurbishing the brakes, replacing some items on the engine that are likely to be degraded, such as the timing belt, and likely a host of Fiat electrical gremlins.
3. Cosmetically, you can spend anywhere from $0 to $10K to fix it up. You'd need a new top at a minimum, but then the other items such as a paint job and fixing the seats can start adding up really quick.
4. I think you're right in the Diablo Dealer is probably not the way to go. Local Fiat clubs would be a place to start.
5. On the non-op status, is this current? The reason I ask is that I got burned on a '74 spider that I bought once, where the previous owner had forgotten to file the non-op status for a few years, and I got dinged with paying the CA DMV all those missing years when I went to register it in my name. $500 worth at the time, if I recall, and this was 25 years ago.

I'm not trying to be overly critical, just helpful. What you have is possibly a good parts car, and maybe a candidate for restoration if someone wanted a '76 in particular. However, and this is just my opinion, the early model years and later model years are better candidates for restoration. The earlier model years because they are rarer, and the later model years because the quality was generally better and the switch was made to electronic ignition systems and fuel injection.

Good luck with it!
-Bryan

[SteinOnkel]

Yikes...that description does not give me hope

Generally speaking, when a convertible needs its top replaced, buyers see it as a total loss. It's the car's main feature after all. I'm going to correct my assessment to "between scrap price and $500" in light of current events.

Do NOT try to just willy nilly grab a new battery and fire the ol' girl up, tempting as that may be. You can ruin the engine.

I agree with Bryan, it sounds like it might make a decent parts car. Please upload some pictures, there's a few things I need and I'm close(ish). You can also e-mail them to me directly at

steinonkel@yahoo.com

[toyfiats]

A needs-everything project car (which this would appear to be - https://www.ebay.com/itm/303485273344) is a difficult sell, and unfortunately not worth much in its present condition. To top it off it's a '76, so it misses the California smog cutoff, and carbed '75-'80 Spiders are arguably the most difficult to keep in tune for the bi-annual smog checks. Your best bet would be an out-of-state (or country) buyer that would use it as the basis for a complete do-over. Finding those buyers can be challenging (read will take some time).

From the looks of it your car has better bones than to be relegated to part-car status, but I've unfortunately seen many nicer ones relegated to the scrap yard, as they simply aren't worth sinking a ton of money and effort into (from a pure dollar and cents standpoint, that is. Certainly worth it as a satisfying project).

I'd still say it's worth holding out for $1,000 to the right buyer, and would be doing the happy dance (and running to the bank ASAP) if someone offered me $2,000.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Steve, sorry to hear of your ghost buyers on eBay. I've never quite figured the logic behind these people. Could be a 13 year old kid somewhere around the world who just likes messing with eBay and playing a game, or it could be someone who makes the winning bid, waits until later to pay, gets your contact info, and then tries to work some sort of scam like bum checks, talking you down to a lower price, gets the car but never fully pays, etc. Who knows?

Anyway, I hope you can find a way to sell the car for a decent price. After seeing the pictures, some polishing compound might help quite a bit with the paint, although that still leaves the issue of the top. And, as toyfiats pointed out, the biannual smog check in CA for a '76 model would be a turnoff for some buyers. I don't know how quickly you have to sell the car, but I'm guessing the right buyer will eventually come along, especially at $1000.

-Bryan

[swj2020]

Hi folks,
Thanks again for the continuing input and suggestions.
The ebay link posted by toyfiats was my unsuccessful first attempt at automobile ecommerce.
I reposted those photos at https://imgur.com/a/OLVvpWY.
Have more that I could add, but those are pretty good overview shots.
The reg is still in active Non-op status according to DMV.
I believe '97 was the last regular registration and it was not being driven at that time.
It is unfortunate about the 1975/1976 CA reg smog cutoff. Just my luck...
This was my mom's "liberation of divorce" toy back in the early 80's.
Unfortunately, she didn't properly maintain it for storage when she could no longer drive it.
Neither could she part with it (and so many other things...).

I'm looking to move this reasonably quickly as it's in a paid storage lot.
Other than the obvious CraigsListing, would you recommend any other platform for a sales posting?
And if necessary, any recommended non-running auto donation organizations or salvage yards in the East Bay that would likely take an interest in a vehicle of this age/shape?
Thanks again,
Steve

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Steve, I'm looking at your photos, and I can't imagine this car going to the crusher or ending up in the scrap yard. Yes, I understand that you want to sell it fairly quickly, but a new top and a buffing out with polishing compound on the paint could do wonders, and the mechanical stuff can all be fixed. Not that it would sell for $5,000, but there must be someone who would give this car a second life.

The last time I actually sold a car was in the early 1990s, so I'm not going to be much help. But surely there must be an automotive forum for selling cars like this? Not eBay or Craigslist, but something else? Hemmings, Bring-A-Trailer, AutoTrader? Again, I'm no expert here but just trying to help you find a good home for this car. I'm hoping others will chime in with their suggestions.

-Bryan

[geospider]

Steve,
Just looked over the pics. Not a crusher car at all.
Where in PH are you? I am very close the the PH BART.
I could come by and take a look this weekend.
Get it running and it will move.

Geo

[SteinOnkel]

Yeah, that isn't a candidate for a parts car either. Way too nice.

Wish I had known about this a year ago, I would've taken this one.

Lots of cars are being moved on facebook marketplace these days.

[geospider]

The big question is; do you want to "restore" (with whatever levels that means) or just sell it.
Mine was rougher than this when I started. It did run though.

Let us know what you want to do.
Again I will run over and check it out and give you my best thoughts.

Geo

[swj2020]

Hi guys,

Thanx for your continued commentary last month.
Apologies for the radio silence, had to step away to deal with some other stuff.
I agree, it would be a shame to scrap her.
I appreciate the other sales venue suggestions and will definitely be addressing those.
Thank you, Geo for the offer to swing by and take a look see.
If you're curiosity is still piqued, I'd be willing to show you the old girl pretty much anytime that's convenient for you.
As long as it's before 6PM. It's right around the corner from PH BART.
I'd be coming from El Sobrante area.
Let me know here if you still have interest and we'll schedule something.
Thanx again,
Steve