Greetings from Southern California!!

[Chico81]

Greetings all!

I have been in search for a project Spider for a few months now. I came very close to buying a ‘79 that was in very good, rust-free condition, but it was missing the entire smog pump system. Thanks to this forum, I made what seems to be the right decision, and passed on buying it as it would have probably never passed CA strict smog requirements And had over $700 in back fees.

However, I have found another candidate that I am interested in it is an 1980 model with fuel injection. The car has been sitting for several years, but was currently registered up to May 2020 (no back fees!). Body is in decent condition based on photos, with just a few bubbles in what looks to be original pain on rear quarter panel wheel well and hood. All tires are flat, and interior has about 2” of dust. After looking at photos of the engine compartment, I noticed that one of the hoses leading to the throttle body heater is missing. Will I be able to start the car and test if it runs with this not attached? Or, will it just dump coolant?

Also, are the 80’s fuel injection models easier to smog? Or should I hold our for a pre-smog model? I used to be an auto tech before going back to school and becoming a paleontologist, so I can do almost all the work myself without taking it to a shop (save some $$$)

Seller is asking $2000, is this a reasonable valuation?

Here is a link to some images:

https://imgur.com/a/8y4Jhdj

Thanks in advance!

-Ian

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Welcome, Ian. I lived in Pasadena in the late 80s/early 90s when I acquired many of my 18Fiats, but I'm in the SF Bay Area now. But, that's neither here nor there. Well, actually, it is there and not here. But I digress.

Anyway, yes, this looks like it would be a good project car, but I'm kinda thinking more in the $1000 to $1500 range. And yes, I do agree with you about back registration fees, as I got dinged with a $500 bill 30 years ago when I didn't know this little piece of DMV trivia.

It's actually been so long since I've owned a fuel injection spider that I can't offer much help on the smog and missing hose connection issues. Maybe others can.

The interior can be fixed up, but parts for this are not cheap. A good cleaning, new carpet set, and some seat covers would be the cheap solution, but you can get yourself into $3,000 worth of parts and labor without too much trouble. Also figure on $500 to $800 for a new top, plus labor (unless you do it yourself). I think you also might have a crack in the right rear taillight lens, which could set you back a couple hundred bucks unless you just leave it or fill in the crack with some colored plastic repair stuff. As for paint jobs, a really good paint job on a Fiat can run up to $6,000 in CA. One of the joys of this state... Of course, there are cheaper jobs available (Maaco?) and I've even seen some pretty decent paint jobs done in a driveway with a good air compressor and professional paint gun. Just don't pick a windy day.

I'd also take a look at why the rear bumper is pushed in on the driver's side. Accident?

As for surface rust, that's probably OK as Fiats rust if they sense frozen water vapor molecules on the back side of one of Jupiter's moons. Just make sure there isn't structural rust around the underside, shock towers, seat mounts, etc.

Hope this helps.

-Bryan

[dinghyguy]

not sure but it looks to me like the rocker panel under the drivers door is dented.....perhaps not a good sign. My general comment is that this car is tired...… My suspicion is that you would be better to spend a bit more and get a car with less work, or offer less.

cheers
dinghyguy

[Chico81]

Hi dinghyguy,

Thanks for your input and good eye on the rocker panel. I also say the dents, but I was hoping it was just in what looks like a chrome trim piece. I agree with you though, it does indeed look tired. The seller is holding the car for me until I can make it up to San Fernando on Sunday, and has severaL other interested buyers in line before me, so I’m going to oblige and go take a look at it. I am looking for a project, but this may be too much of one considering that a daily driver in running condition can be had for just a little more $. Maybe my excitement is getting The better of my reasoning...

-Ian

[Chico81]

Thanks Bryan!

I guess you were here, then there?

I once heard there is nothing more expensive than a cheap Ferrari, maybe the same could be said about Fiat...

I would be doing all the work, and painting, myself, so I would save on labor costs, but even then, the replacement parts add up quickly, and paint materials will easily be $500-700. While I’m looking for a years-long project that I can take my time on, it may just be a little too far gone.

Good job spotting the rear bumper, I didn’t even notice that... hopefully, it is just a bad shock absorber and locked in the compressed position? I was really hoping to pull the bumpers off and do a chrome bumper conversion sooner or later anyways.

I am going to take a look at it, but, I am prepared to walk away if I can’t get the price down.

Thanks for your advice on what to look for while inspecting the car, I will make a check list so I won’t forget anything.

After hearing your and dinghyguy’s input, I’m a little more apprehensive in purchasing this car.

-Ian

Welcome, Ian. I lived in Pasadena in the late 80s/early 90s when I acquired many of my 18Fiats, but I'm in the SF Bay Area now. But, that's neither here nor there. Well, actually, it is there and not here. But I digress.

Anyway, yes, this looks like it would be a good project car, but I'm kinda thinking more in the $1000 to $1500 range. And yes, I do agree with you about back registration fees, as I got dinged with a $500 bill 30 years ago when I didn't know this little piece of DMV trivia.

It's actually been so long since I've owned a fuel injection spider that I can't offer much help on the smog and missing hose connection issues. Maybe others can.

The interior can be fixed up, but parts for this are not cheap. A good cleaning, new carpet set, and some seat covers would be the cheap solution, but you can get yourself into $3,000 worth of parts and labor without too much trouble. Also figure on $500 to $800 for a new top, plus labor (unless you do it yourself). I think you also might have a crack in the right rear taillight lens, which could set you back a couple hundred bucks unless you just leave it or fill in the crack with some colored plastic repair stuff. As for paint jobs, a really good paint job on a Fiat can run up to $6,000 in CA. One of the joys of this state... Of course, there are cheaper jobs available (Maaco?) and I've even seen some pretty decent paint jobs done in a driveway with a good air compressor and professional paint gun. Just don't pick a windy day.

I'd also take a look at why the rear bumper is pushed in on the driver's side. Accident?

As for surface rust, that's probably OK as Fiats rust if they sense frozen water vapor molecules on the back side of one of Jupiter's moons. Just make sure there isn't structural rust around the underside, shock towers, seat mounts, etc.

Hope this helps.

-Bryan

[Chico81]

Would anyone be able to tell me if I can run the engine with the throttle body pre heater hose missing? Or, will it just dump coolant? (Photo: red pointing to connection, blue line is where the hose should be) I would like to see if the car runs before I even consider making an offer on it.

https://imgur.com/PSnGTjo

Thanks!

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Thanks Bryan!

I guess you were here, then there?

I am he as you are he as you are me, and we are all together...

Now that we have that all cleared up, time to get serious.

If you can do much of the work yourself (mechanical and some cosmetic like the interior), this probably isn't a bad project car. If you're not very adept at fixing things, and you want something more "ready to go", then there are likely better choices.

As for that hose on the throttle body, I wish I could give you an answer. If it were me, I'd fire that bad boy up and see what comes out of the hose. If coolant comes out, you can always shut the engine down. If nothing comes out, sweet.... and give it some more throttle.

Look at it this way: You're unlikely to find a very nice Fiat, ready to drive, for anything less than $3,000. So, if you can get this one for $1000 to $1,500, and you're willing to put time and effort into it, I think it could work out OK. Your mileage may vary.

-Bryan

[aj81spider]

I'd say it depends on what your objective is. If you want to resurrect a car from the dead and you don't care what you spend then that might be a good candidate. From the pictures I'd say turning it into an attractive driver will be a $10,000-$20,000 affair, depending on how much you do yourself. As mentioned above, $6,000 for paint is a starter; a few thousand for the interior. Who knows what the engine or drive train will need. I bought a Fiat in far better condition from that and spent deep into 5 figures restoring it. I don't know what condition the other car you looked like was in, but the $700 in back RMV fees will be eaten up on this one with new seat covers.

https://autoricambi.us/front-and-rear-t ... t-1979-82/

If you're interested in a car to tinker with and drive then you can spend a little more and get one in much better condition that you can drive and work on at your leisure. Not commenting on whether this is a good one or not, but firing up ebay yielded this in about 3 minutes.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-Fiat-124- ... SwqvJe1YXy


If you're set on this one my biggest concern is that there are no pictures of the underside or the shock towers. If the seller knows Fiats then that's a very suspicious omission. If he doesn't then who knows what he's done to the car while owning it.
It sure looks to me like there's a fair amount of rust poking through what remains of the paint. I'd look really carefully at the shock towers, floor pans, and wheel wells when you go look at it.

Like I said at the start, it depends what you're looking for. For me, spending a little more and starting in a better place would be a good intro to Fiats. You can always buy a basket case (and this one looks like a basket case) later if you want a bigger challenge.

[toyfiats]

Would anyone be able to tell me if I can run the engine with the throttle body pre heater hose missing? Or, will it just dump coolant? (Photo: red pointing to connection, blue line is where the hose should be) I would like to see if the car runs before I even consider making an offer on it.

https://imgur.com/PSnGTjo

Thanks!

I'll be a contrarian and say this looks like a fine candidate for resurrection for someone that can do a lot of the work himself. It's a project so of course it's going to look tired, but it doesn't look like it's been overly kludged by prior owners.

Assuming there is coolant in the motor some will come spilling out, but you can certainly run the car long enough to get a sense for whether it has a death rattle of some sort. If there was air in the tires you could even run it around the block to see how the other components feel.

I'm a fan of the F.I. cars - once they are set up right they run forever, and are really smooth cruisers.

Definitely take a look at the shock towers and underneath, but I wouldn't necessarily be concerned with the seller trying to hide something in those areas. You'd have to pull off the wheels to get a good picture of the shock towers, and how good a picture of the bottom are you going to get lying on you back? If I were the seller and you wanted to see those areas I'd say come on by and take a look.

There will certainly be some surprising hiding (condition of tranny, rear end, random stripped hole, etc), but that's part of the game. I'd personally like to get it closer to $1000-1200, but think $1500 would be fair to both parties. It does need everything, though, so the initial purchase price is only the tip of the iceberg.

[Chico81]

Thanks everyone for the wonderful advice! Went to go look at the car today (3 hour round trip), and the car was beyond saving. It had to be in several Front and rear end minor accidents, all damage was slathered with a good 1/2” of bondo, which was all cracked and flaking off in very large pieces. The entire passenger side was scraped in an accident, with the same treatment, and missing the door handle. The drivers door hinge was welded on by a blind person and the door hung an inch or so and slammed into the rocker trim (explains the dents). All that being said, it started right up and ran very smoothly! (Other than burning copious amounts of oil, with proof being the carcasses of a half dozen empty quarts in the trunk).
I haven’t been having much luck lately. This car was in terrible cosmetic and rusty condition, but ran great and passed smog somehow, and the first car I saw (and almost bought) was a carbbed ‘79 in outstanding rust-free condition with a new stayfast canvas top and all new interior, but it had absolutely no smog equipment and ran terrible, so it would have never passed smog... I wish I could combine the two of them... Oh well...

The search continues!!!

Thanks again everyone! You really lowered my expectations, and prepared me to happily walk away from that basket case.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Wow, it sounds like the car was a lot worse in person than was evident from the pictures... Sorry it didn't work out.

Just curious: the carbed '79 that you looked at, was that originally a California car? The reason I ask is that I think that the spiders changed to fuel injection with the 1979 model year, but only in CA. The other 49 states didn't go to FI until 1980. So, I'm just wondering if someone got rid of the fuel injection setup and went with a carburetor, which could explain why it ran so poorly. The conversion can be done, but it takes a lot of knowledge and parts to make it work right.

-Bryan

[Zoofly]

Here's a decent Spider for sale in Escondido, CA. $4900 OBO Not sure how far away that is from you distance or price-wise.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-Fiat-124- ... SwqvJe1YXy