Hi from LA.

[whathelll]

1979 124 Spyder 2000. looks like there were extensive work done, i just picked it up last night.
I'm a totally new to the fiat world. is there something i should do every month? or fluids to keep in my trunk?
i'll post some pics when i get home.

[mbouse]

of course,there are many things needing done. we can walk you through those... but before you lose touch with the seller find out two things:

1. when was the timing belt last changed
2. when was the guibo last changed.


then post some pictures and we'll be glad to help you out. Congrats on the find! gotta love those carburated cars.

[whathelll]

he gave me a list of things he got done at (ICS automotive)? on figueora in l.a.
i think he dumped around 13k into it 6 months ago. i'll transcribe the list to the forum when i get off work.

[pope]

If he dumped $13,000 into it, he must have had the work done at a Ferrari dealership!

[whathelll]

http://picasaweb.google.com/whathelll/Fiat#

how do i shove pictures in here?
did that work?

[whathelll]

i think it was a total hunk of crap when his assistant got it and made him pay for all of it for his bonus or something. then she didn't want it anymore or something.

[rlux4]

Welcome to the forum.
The car doesn't look like a total hunk of crap! It looks great.
Your entering the world of Fiat Spiders with the same year car I did. 1979 was the last year carb'd Spiders were sold in California, in 1980 they went to fuel injection. By 79 they had hung so much smog crap on them, they were really suffering, performance-wise. That's OK though, if you drive it for the top down fun, and not to win races.
Good job, posting the pics.
Ron

[whathelll]

i think it was before the guy who sold it to me got it fixed up all naaaaiice.

[CajunMike]

he gave me a list of things he got done at (ICS automotive)? on figueora in l.a.
i think he dumped around 13k into it 6 months ago. i'll transcribe the list to the forum when i get off work.

Dang, 13k? Engine still looks stock. I think he got Hosed! Well his loss is your gain, nice looking ride.

Saw your pics and looks like the Pollution control stuff has been removed from the engine. Not sure if this is gonna cause some trouble with CA emission testing. Im pretty sure SoCalMark can help you out with the emission laws.

Other than that, enjoy it and post any issues here on the forum for some answers. Oh, and I always kept a quart of oil handy. Be on the lookout for overheating issues. The electric fan is sometimes a little fussy(I have a 79 too and it was always acting up on me). If the heat sensor on the instrument panel starts moving to the right too much, best check to see if the fan is working. I believe you can manually kick it in by putting the +/- leads on the same posts, if memory serves me correctly. Ive been through a couple fan heat starters but it routinely hits +90 degrees here during the summer and the humidity is killer.

[whathelll]

it looks like he spent around 9k on getting the engine taken apart and reassembled, had the transmission taken out and repaired/looked at, something about remove and replace all the wires and reupholstering the whole car.

then around 2.5k on the consoles/brand new top/seat belts, heater, cig lighter (heh)

and then couple hundred bucks when it the radiator blew up on the drive down to l.a. from oakland.

so you think he took all the smoggy stuff out of the car?

[CajunMike]

it looks like he spent around 9k on getting the engine taken apart and reassembled, had the transmission taken out and repaired/looked at, something about remove and replace all the wires and reupholstering the whole car.
then around 2.5k on the consoles/brand new top/seat belts, heater, cig lighter (heh)
and then couple hundred bucks when it the radiator blew up on the drive down to l.a. from oakland.
so you think he took all the smoggy stuff out of the car?

Damn, remind me to not use that mechanic shop for work ever.

Yes, the PC valves are conspicuously absent. They should be mounted between the cams with the spark plugs, then tie into the air filter cover via that hole with the bolts where it looks like something is missing.

[whathelll]

sweet..... i was wondering why he said the smog records were submitted to the dmv... hmm. how much is that gonna cost me to get the emissions parts shoved back in there?

[rlux4]

You need to get ahold of Mark, our forum moderator. He has a shop specializing in Fiat out in Upland. He is the "get it smog legal" guru.
His work # 909-981-3566.
Ron

[whathelll]

mark says the emission stuffs there, but the air injection is missing. what's the air injection good for?

[CajunMike]

mark says the emission stuffs there, but the air injection is missing. what's the air injection good for?

Huh, I always thought that was part of the emission control system? Anyway, those things I referred to are good for burning up your air filter. Damn near set mine on fire. Melted it beyond recognition. I removed mine long ago and never suffered any performance loss. If they do not affect emission control then you are probably better off without them.