TX82FIAT wrote:Good Stuff, so based on the responses we are going to hold our cars unless circumstances dictate otherwise. The key items are fun, passion, hobby. Spiders are not investments (at least not yet). Nothing new! We just need to be patient. Never should have sold my 83. I may never come across an all original, no rust, low mile, unmolested perfect example of a Spider again. So... I'm putting more money into my current 82 than it is worth. Chasing the dream
Ray
If you already own a spider, drive it, work on it, and enjoy it, YOU ARE LAREADY LIVING THE DREAM!
Back in 69 I used to drive an MGA. That car was alot of fun. It was a very basic car. No top just the tonneau cover, no side windows, a cable for the door release. I really liked it alot though. I got a major sunburn driving from San Diego to LA one weekend. Still had lots of fun. Drove all over the San Diego area. We used to go out for pizza with 2 guys sitting up on the back. Crazy. I almost bought an MGC after that but it was overheating and I got scared off. Wound up with the 124 Sport Coupe instead.
It just occurred to me that all of us have been approaching this from the wong angle. Let's say you have a decent car and by our current standards its valued at $2500. Now we start adding fees
The you want to see the car before you buy it fee
The I need to recoup the twice listed ebay fees
The I washed the car for you fee
The I vacuumed the car for you fee
The I changed the oil last month fee
The I'm not an "ignorant about FIATs fee
And
The I need to buy something for my significant other fee
Total selling price $7500
Michael and Deborah Williamson
1971 Spider -Tropie’ - w screaming IDFs
1971 Spider - Vesper -scrapped
1979 Spider - Seraphina - our son's car now sold
1972 Spider - Tortellini- our son's current
Naw, but I play one on the Forum
Anyone else care to post their favorite additional fees??
Michael and Deborah Williamson
1971 Spider -Tropie’ - w screaming IDFs
1971 Spider - Vesper -scrapped
1979 Spider - Seraphina - our son's car now sold
1972 Spider - Tortellini- our son's current
TX82FIAT wrote:Spiders are not investments (at least not yet).
Maybe not in crazy $ figures but consider that a good Spider can sell for $13,000 these days and a few years ago you'd pick that same car up for $2,500. Had I known I would have bought twenty of them in 1999, good examples (unrestored, low miles) were easy to find and cheap to buy. By 2004 they were selling at $6,000 and now much more.
Personally the 124 spider evokes an emotion in me like no other car can, and always has since I can remember,,,I dont care if my car is worth 2 cents, I love it.
I imported the car from Cal to Sydney in 1991 and converted it to RHD with my brother in a tin shed. I didn't look at the investment factor when I brought it in. I wanted a Spider because I knew it would look FAT with a few mods and that the spider gave me everything I wanted out of a 4 pot, easy to work on, low sleek looks, speed, sound, affordability, open top and that Fiat marque.
Born in Italy, grew up in the U.S and loved in OZ.
