Restoring a Vintage Fiat 124 Spider: Part I

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon when I first saw her off in the distance, she was wearing a bright orange skin-tight dress and as I got closer realized she was actually topless. Man! I wanted to take her for a ride. She had curves in all the right places, let me tell you and just as I was slowing down to check her out closer I saw she had a sign right between her big round headlights that said thirteen-hundred dollars and I hit the brakes on my Jeep and pulled to the side.

No!, I was not trying to pick-up a working girl, I was in fact taking my son to our bank for a customer appreciation day, which became all to convenient latter on. What it actually turned out to be was that of a 1975, 124 Fiat Spider. I was dumbfounded at the sight of the car and the price and preceded to the event completely distracted with the thoughts of the car and that thirteen-hundred dollar price tag, surely a zero was missing or something to that effect.

After cutting the kiddie day short I went back to where Sofia, as she would be later named and got out to examine her. My seven year old son was even enthralled and the shortened moon ball bounce debacle was now forgiven or forgot. Shortly after my arrival an older gentleman came out and asked if I was taking her home today and I responded that I would indeed if she really was thirteen-hundred dollars. She is, he said and I said sold!

I did however give her a pit-stop like inspection in and out and he then strongly suggested a test drive and I agreed. She fired right up and he then informed me that first gear was gone but she would still get-up and go from second. I pulled out of his circular drive, went out into the street and almost got through all the gears before I pulled right back in. I said, sold once again, went back to the bank, got the dough and came back and bought her.

She was the sellers one of seven Fiats, most of which were in various degrees of restoration and or modification, one was a daily driver. He confessed that his wife said enough was enough and demanded he liquidates some of his projects. The car he sold me was solid for her age but cosmetically she was actually a 50 footer, meaning she looked really good at 50 feet. It was however a steal and a real gem considering the man that sold it to me was a walking Fiat encyclopedia and offered any assistance later down the road which he honored, we became friends and belong to the same Fiat club. I really was in the right place at the right time. Some may, if not cautious about some key locations mentioned here within maybe putting restoration money, regardless of amount, into nothing and not so lucky as I.

Front Suspension Cross Member

This area is one of the most crucial inspection locations on a 124 Fiat Spider. The word "suspension" is really just one part of the structural integrity, for it is indeed where the automobiles upper and lower control arms are connected along with the front wheel hubs and lower ball joints. All parts complement and rely on one another and if you have a bent or broken cross member that sags, even slightly, it will cause unnecessary wear and possibly serious other damage. The fact that the front suspension cross member serves as a host to the several hundred pounds seated engine that sits atop the cross member is also to be taken into account. If you put a pair of vice grips on any flat part of the cross member and it can be bent easily and or excessive rust chunks off, you need a new cross member. A cross member will cost you about 250 dollars new from IAP. They can be found in good usable condition for less as well. Usually if after removing surface rust and it reveals a solid surface they can be reinforced by welding plates in certain areas as to deter problems later down the road. These reinforcement spots can also be located on Fiat forums on-line by experienced Fiat owners and enthusiast.

Floor Pans

The floor pans are a very crucial area, because of course it serves as your floor and if you have no floor you can go green and have a bio-vehicle by using foot-power like Fred Flintstone. On a more serious note, if you are looking at a vintage Fiat you may want to get the car, if permissible and have it put up onto a hoist for further inspection. If you can take a screwdriver and easily poke holes through the under-carriage you will need a floor pan or two, depending on which side needs to be replaced, typically it's both. The Fiat 124 Spider sits so low and with that said the under-carriage is always getting a serious under-carriage wash each time your caught out in the rain. Furthermore If you study the design the curve under the car of the floor pan it is actually facing the front of the car right below the engine and almost always takes the direct hits of moisture from the road, where as a new car has almost a flush under body. Another tell tale sign is interior water damage, see if you can pull back the removable carpet and see what you reveal. Keep in mind that sunshine filled days and driving with the top down can turn to rain leaving your interior exposed to the element and if not attended to soon thereafter will only leave you with molding carpet and trapped moisture below the carpet for a rust-fest to ensue. I've never heard of used floor pans and that is not to say they do not exist and due to the nature and location I would take a pass and suck up the $225 new floor pan price tag. They are made of steel and come in primer.

Shock Tower Panels

The shock tower panels on the inside wheel-wells are a notorious haven for rust and corrosion and can be very problematic to say the least, if not a very dangerous condition on Fiats considering the serious nature of this structural flaw. There are shock towers out there now that can be welded onto the one in question even without removing the engine. Unfortunately these shock towers can only be found and fitted for 1968-85 Fiat & Pininfarina Spiders. Rusted-out shock towers in the rear can cause interior bends and buckles that go undetected until it's too late and this area should be thoroughly inspected. The replacement cost not counting installation is a costly $300 each.

Jack Points, Rocker Panels & Sills

I have heard more than one story about Fiat owners jacking up their cars to change a flat only to have the car bend in half somewhat due to corroding rocker panels and sills. An easy fix when parts are acquired. If you have any welding experience this should be a shade tree afternoon job as to get back on the road. The panels range in price for around $100 for reproduction rocker panels on up to $150 for O.E. Please take into serious account that the above mention inspection locations are of the most important, for if you have no structural integrity in these locations and proceed with only a body, interior, engine restoration make-over you are only asking for bigger problems later. Let me emphasize that you will not only be losing money aimed on cosmetics on what may become a dead horse, you too could end up dead.

It should be kept in mind that many deals such as mine are out there if you look hard, or not so hard, many of which will be in the same condition and level of needed restoration if not better as to minimize your labor efforts and pocket book expenditures. Be it a turn-key car ready to go and the only effort put forth from there on end will simply be maintenance and or minor repairs or a project car that will typically turn into a daily driver as the restoration progresses, or a full restoration birthing that of a trailer queen never to see open road and or collector car where she sees only the garage. Your restoration will be based on your time, money and level of ambition.

Source: http://www.international-auto.com/