1976 Fiat 124 Spider 1800cc

1976 Fiat 124 Spider 1800cc, 5-speed, 4-wheel disk brakes, dual-Weber carburetors, 45,106 original miles (and counting). Originally sold in Massachusetts and has been a Florida car since the early 1980s. I am the third owner and purchased the car in mid-2016. It is my daily driver for going to the supermarket, the gym, neighborhood coffee shop, etc.
Since I bought it the following work has been done:
- replaced rear axle seal- replaced universal joints, flex disk and center mount for crank craft- replaced original front brakes with a "big brake kit" from Vick Auto (a Fiat/Alfa Romeo specialty shop)- sandblasted the undercarriage to remove any rust and applied anti-rust protectant
As soon as I purchased the car and before any work was done (not even an oil change), my wife and I took a road trip from Florida to Deal's Gap / Tail of the Dragon on the North Carolina / Tennessee border and the car performed beautifully, which was a huge surprise considering the car is 40 years old! I have included several photos of us driving on the Dragon, which were taken by photographers stationed at various corners on the 11-mile course - anyone who has done the Dragon knows what I am walking about.
Here are the areas that can be improved on this vehicle:
- Paint job is fading, can use a respray at some point, but is still presentable;- There are two small spots of rust bubbles, one on the left front quarter panel and the other on the right rear panel; both are not noticeable from 3 feet away;- The electronics can use a complete go-through. Given this is a Florida convertible, the heaters had been disconnected long ago by the previous owner. And the turning signals are working intermittently.- The sun visors have been removed.- Radio is not working.- Cracks on the dash.
I have recently purchased another toy and the garage is running out of space. This is a great fun vehicle for someone who is getting his toes wet in the vintage car hobby. It gets plenty of looks and thumbs-up, is quite easy to work on (even for a non-mechanically inclined person like myself), parts are very easy to source and the cost to repair is very low compared to other makes of the same vintage. And it's Italian:) For those who might scoff at a "Fix-It-Again-Tony", the fact that this car is still driven daily is a testament to the intrinsic mechanical soundness of the car, even if some tidbits do require a bit of elbow grease once in a while.
The car is located in the Dr. Phillips area in Orlando, FL. Buyer is responsible for pickup/shipping. Clear FL title in hand.
Thank you for looking!