1982 Fiat Spider TURBO

Hello fellow eBayer's and Fiat Spider enthusiasts. Here is your chance to bid on a wonderfully original. semi-restored 1982 Fiat Spider TURBO. She currently has 76k miles on the odometer and is on its third owner from new. She originally was sold in the Wilmington. NC area and was then sold to a neighbor after about 15 years. The second owners took the same care as the original owners did with maintenance and keeping it garaged kept and away from the elements preserving this gem. By being garaged its entire life and used sparingly the car still wears it's original paint from new and shows ABSOLUTELY no signs of rust anywhere on the car which we all know is the scourge of these cars. I would suspect this car has never seen a day of foul weather in its life and since my ownership has never seen a drop of water. I keep her in climate controlled garage and under a cover when not in use. I wipe her down after every outing which is why there is no need for a wash using water. Having owned 5 Spiders' over the last 20 years I know what to look for and the reason why I pulled the trigger quickly when this car became available. The car came with a huge stack of records and all the maintenance/repairs that had been performed over the years which again showed the care the car received from its prior owners and proof it was not a car which was abused and neglected like most that come to market. again another plus. The fact that she was an original TURBO model was just the icing on the cake as I had always wanted a TURBO model. The TURBO model was only produced for the remaining 2 years ('81-'82) the Spider was produced and sold by Fiat to breath a little life into the aging platform that saw very little change since its inception in the late 60's and to be a little more relevant with newer rivals. Then of course as we all know the '83-'85 model which wore the Pinninfarina badge and had slight changes before its final send off sealing this classic beauties fate once and for all. The production numbers are a little all over the board but the consensus has seemed to have settled at around 700 between the two years. Many of which have met their maker and now estimates put that number at less then half to be on the road today. Many of which have long been stripped of their turbo components due to failures and lack of parts availability. Also. many were stripped of the turbo and components related to the system when problems with poorly running cars arose and many did not know how to diagnose the issues or solve them which would most likely resulted in tossed turbo parts never to be seen again unfortunately. They would be returned to NA status much like all the rest of the Spiders produced were and lived life as a "normal" Spider having no ill effect as the turbo kit was added to the Fiat Spider by a company in NJ called Legend Industries. Legend Industries was contracted by Fiat to develop a turbo kit that would be added onto the car post production. The car would ship from Italy and arrive to the port in NJ where Legend would go to the docks and pick out cars randomly and transport them back to their facilities and perform the installation. From there. the cars were then shipped back to dealers were they were then sold for a premium. In addition to the turbo kit the car received a special double pin stripping kit and turbo decals on each lower front fender. one on the hood and deck lid. a turbo boost gauge in the center of the cluster and a small sticker on the coolant temperature sensor stating "no boost until warm" and then the upgraded 14" turbo wheels. This car happens to be a turbo-less currently but the good thing is that the turbo system was removed by me personally when I purchased the car. The car was having issues with running and to more easily diagnose the issue I opted to remove the entire turbo system to eliminate that and by removing the system myself I was in total control of keeping track of the parts removed and have saved every piece associated with the turbo system. So the good news is that for anyone interested in returning the car back to its original glory all components are present and accounted for. Although all present there will be some repairs to some parts before re-installation could happen. The turbo exhaust manifold has 2 hairline cracks which will requiring some welding. the turbo will most likely need a rebuild judging from the shaft play and the silicone intake pipe from the turbo inlet to the AFM had some cracks as well which was common due to the space constraints and heat generated by the turbo. The car was returned back to a normal. stock Fiat Spider with a correct low mile NA exhaust manifold. heat shield. downpipe and the black accordion cross over intake pipe that goes from the AFM to the throttle body. She has been running ever since that way and she runs wonderfully! The car has seen a sympathetic restoration of sorts with a completely new interior sparing no expense. The original interior was blue and in good shape but I just didn't care for it and saw this car with a black interior from day one. Starting with all new seat coverings front and back. You'll notice that I opted to do a headrest delete as I think they look better sans the headrests. They are available as well and could easily be installed but I liked the look of the '50s/'60s roadsters that didn't have headrests and implemented that look. All new carpets that I actually made myself after receiving 2 sets from different Fiat vendors that fit extremely poorly. I decided to take matters into my own hands for a perfect fit and even better fit then the original factory set that I removed. All new door panels which were reversed mounted to keep the look more modern and clean versus the way they were mounted with Philips head screws from the front at the factory. Small details like that create a very clean and tidy interior. The window levers were switched out to the earlier style longer. single stem versus the split stem. shorter version it came with. All new black seat belts and stays. OEM rear panels. new front map pockets and the original dash. radio console and transmission tunnel console were all re-covered in a high quality leather pattern vinyl that looks even better then the original as its soft and supply to the touch and has a deeper black color which matches the new door panels and seat covers better. All dash gauges are clean and clear with extremely nice bezels. A new heater core. valve and stainless steel coolant tube vs. the factory mild steel tubes which are prone to rusting out and spewing coolant into the cabin were replaced as well. While the interior was out it was time to inspect the floors which were absolutely perfect without a speck of rust to be found. Pictures are available upon request of all the stages of the cars transformation. So starting with solid virgin floors I applied 2 layers of Dynamat/Fatmat sound deadening and heat reducing insulation which I can honestly say was one of the best mods I've ever done to a Spider. The car no longer has all the heat from the trans tunnel/fire wall radiating into the cabin but even more importantly all the small squeaks/rattles are gone. The car sounds so solid and so much more enjoyable. Thick high quality padding was used throughout prior to the new carpets were installed so it was done right and not mucked up with new carpets over a hard steel floor. As you will see much time and money was invested to making the interior near perfect and the smallest of details were taken into account with every decision made. All glass is clean and clear as should be. The vinyl top was replaced about two years ago and has a clean and clear rear window. It also has an original tonneau cover for when the top is down to give it a clean finished look while cruising around town. The trunk is extremely clean and neat as well. I approached that area as I did the interior. Using the original trunk panels which over the years become distorted/warped and do not actually trim out the entire trunk. I cut new panels and utilized the factory mounts but enlarged the panels to cover the entire floor in two pieces for easy removal and to have access to the spare if ever need be. I also made side panels that weren't an original option but helps finish out the trunk nicely which matches the interiors' carpeting throughout. Under the spare you'll find a well dressed trunk pan and like the front floors solid as a rock with absolutely no rust. A newer battery was installed about a year ago and finishes off the trunk area for many more years of worry free enjoyment. Along with a new gas tank and fuel level sending unit. fuel filter and all new fuel lines front to back. A complete tune up was performed to make sure the car would run as good as she looks which included a new timing belt. tensioner. water pump. fluid flush. all 4 radiator hoses. thermostat. coolant temp sensor. radiator fan switch. plugs. wires. cap. rotor. coil pickup wire. O2 sensor. both engine mounts. new washer tank and motor as it was missing when I purchased the car. I'm sure there's something I'm missing but basically everything that I could think of that is a wearable item was replaced as a preventative measure rather then out of necessity. I never wanted to be stranded and did my best to prevent that from happening. That may seem or sound a bit extreme but that's just the way I am. I wanted to do everything all once and then enjoy the car rather then piece work or when something was to have failed stopping me from enjoying the car when time permitted. On top of all that the car has had a new Ansa exhaust system as the original had a few small holes starting break through. Again. did it need it. ? Not yet and realistically it could have gone another year or more for sure but I like things perfect and don't like to wait until it is a problem. When it came to addressing the under carriage and suspension of the car the same attention to detail was carried out there as well. I had decided to replace all the suspension bits to freshen up the tired rubber that was now 30+ years old as I wanted a tight. trouble free driving experience. All new front. upper and lower control arms were changed out. Since the arms were coming off. now was the time to replace the stock shocks and springs with upgraded KYB shocks and International Autosports Sport Lowering Springs to get the ride height under control and improve the handling. A new emergency brake cable was swapped in along with steering center link and arms. Of course that only left the braking system to be addressed. so all new/re-built original front and rear calipers were installed with all new Brembo rotors and pads on all 4 corners. new Vick's stainless steel brake lines were swapped out for the stock rubber lines and master cylinder. Then of course the entire system was filled with new fluid and bled properly. The undercarriage is now as clean and neat as the top side and shows no sign of any rust or repairs as all the original panels are still in place and is solid. solid. solid. All fluids have been replaced as well. engine oil. transmission. rear end and coolant. The car has been treated well and it shows in its appearance and even more so in the way she drives. It's very. very tight and solid and one of the most enjoyable Spiders I've owned over the years and has many. many more years of good. reliable fun waiting to be enjoyed for its new owner. Over the years the car received its fair share of bumps and bruises so a call to my PDR guy was made and he worked his magic in removing all the dings that it had incurred over the years with out any paint work or damage to the paint which was very important to me. After that the final step in bringing back the original luster was to wet sand. compound. stage 1. and 3 polish and then two coats of wax. The dealer installed black rubber door ding strips were removed and the rivet holes were plugged with factory (212) white painted plugs as I didn't want to touch the original paint. They are barely noticeable and only begin to be noticeable when a few feet from the car. They do a great job of blending in and I don't even notice them anymore. In my opinion the car benefits from the removal of those ugly 80's era strips which did little to actually protect the doors and fenders from potential dings and the trade off for the aesthetics gained is well worth it. giving the car a whole new look and helps show off those sexy lines thanks to the designers at Pinninfarina. The last thing I felt was needed to add to the look and handling was to address the tires and wheels. While the factory turbo wheels were a big improvement over prior stock wheel designs. I felt the car was running an undersized wheel for its size and needed some new rubber. I ended up picking out a beautiful set of GunMetal. Rota RB's 15x7 with the proper 4x98 bolt pattern with a 15mm offset which widens the track a little bit and pushes the wheel a little bit further out to get rid of that sunken in look from the factory. Instead of picking the cheapest tires I could find on Tirerack I went with the best high performance 15" tire on the market. the Yokohama S. Drive in 195/45/r15 on all 4 corners for a square setup. I also installed wheel studs getting rid of the factory bolts which make installing wheels so much more effortless and a new set of black. aluminum acorn style lugs nuts. You'll also notice the original bulky tube bumpers were "tucked" into the body to help improve the overall look of the car and helps make the car look a little shorter without the overbite. All the rubber trim on the bumpers shows very well and is not scuffed up or faded like you'll find on most of the Spiders running around. All the chrome and stainless steel trim is in excellent condition and shines incredibly well along with all the door trim and rubber thanks in part to the climate she lived the majority of her life and then being garaged kept added to the condition she is currently in. Everything works as it should. lights. turn signals. high and low beams. hazards. reverse lights. brake lights. parking lights. horn. wipers and washers. all instrumentation is also in 100% working order. The car comes with two sets of keys. one ignition and one for the doors. trunk and glove box. I also added an emergency pull cable to the trunk lock as Spiders' can be known for the plastic arm breaking or stripping preventing access to the trunk with the key. Knowing that I installed a hidden pull if that were ever to happen. thus preventing to cut or damage the deck lid or rear center panel to regain access. The only thing worth mentioning and to be 100% up front is the interior dome light below the radio does not turn on when the doors are open but will work if you physically switch it to the on position. I'm sure it's a simple fix but one of those things I never got to as I rarely drove her at night if ever and don't notice. Most likely its the actual door button switch but again just one of those stupid things I never got around to fixing. At some point in the cars life speakers were installed and cut into the map pockets with the deletion of the front portion of the pocket. I didn't like the way it looked and removed them and installed a set of new map pockets. The wiring is still there for anyone who would wish to install speakers in the future. Since the speakers were deleted I opted to not reconnect the stereo as it had one of those displays with a digital clock display that stayed illuminated all the time and since the car does sit from time to time I didn't want it to be a draw on the battery. Everything is there and clearly marked but it is currently not wired for power. Again. I had no need for a stereo as I enjoy the sound of the engine and the wind in my hair. Lastly. the only paint work that I could find is a small blend below the drivers' side door handle 4x6 in size. I'm assuming a scratch repair at some point in its life. Again. full disclosure. Most people can't see it but I see everything. Other then that the car is in perfect working order and drives like a dream needing nothing other then someone behind the wheel to drive her and enjoy her the way she was designed and built. As with all my auctions I try to be as thorough and honest with my descriptions to avoid any misunderstandings and needless emails and inquiries. All questions that I could think of have been answered and addressed but if there is anything that hasn't been please feel free to contact me and will do my best to answer in a timely manner. I realize that there is a lot of information to take in all at once but I find that after selling 3 other Spiders in the last 10 years here on eBay it is better to have to much then not enough information. I have nothing to hide and have represented the car with honesty and accurate information which is easy to see in the pictures I have included. There are dozens more that can be emailed upon request as eBay will allow only so many. Feel free to email me for a link as they will not allow me to include the web address in the description portion of the ad. Having owned many Spiders over the years this one seems to be one of the most solid driving cars I've owned which I attribute to all the sound deadening material used and the replacement of nearly every bushings at one time. The car really drives as a new Spider would have back in 1982 I would imagine with all that's been replaced. I sold my '84 w/30k original miles with success here. my '81 and most recently my completely all original '79 w/32k original miles in near perfect original condition. All my thorough descriptions have followed the same format and has worked for me as I retain my 100% rating satisfaction and I don't plan on changing anything or doing anything to jeopardize that. With that said and for those who are serious buyers and have read this small biography in its entirety please realize. this is an original paint car that is over 30 years old. While the cars shows EXTREMELY WELL and shines up remarkably please do not have un-realistic expectations. I do get stopped every time I take her out and I'm asked a dozen or so questions. they are always amazed at its condition and when I share with them that the paint is original they are amazed. The only thing I would change or improve upon would be the original pin striping has seen better days and faded a little bit over the years. Please feel free to come by if it's feasible to view the car in person and take her out for a test drive. If that's not possible and you would like a competent Fiat shop to give you a 3rd party review that can be arranged as I am fairly local to a well known Fiat. Alfa shop called DiFatta Bros. of Baltimore or if you're able to find somewhere else that's fine as well. I would be more then willing to have them go over the car. at your expense. and let them report back to you on what they see. There is truly nothing to hide and the car is one of the nicest Spiders around. that is just begging to be driven and enjoyed. So why would I sell such a wonderful car. ? Well. I think half the challenge is finding them and then the other half is reviving them into the wonderful cars that they are and helping keep them on the road for many more years to come. I've had my fun and enjoyed her but now my interests have shifted to a new love. I have rekindled my love for old Alfas' and I'm in the process of acquiring a '67 Duetto also known as the Boat Tail Spider from the movie Mrs. Robinson w/ Dustin Hoffman. So all the other toys including my '78 which just sold locally have to go and I can start my new project with a clean slate and all of my attention can go to it. I have well over 10k in receipts of my own in this latest project and everything was done right the first time which is clearly apparent in what you can see in the pictures and the stack of receipts I have added to the already impressive records from the previous owners. If the car meets my reserve I will be including every piece removed from the turbo system which it in itself is very valuable. If you are familiar with the Fiat Spider forums you can do a search in the parts for sale section and see that about one year ago someone parted out the entire turbo system for 3k dollars. While it was complete and claimed to be in perfect working order it goes to show you that there are people looking for parts to restore their own projects. Of course mine will need some work to get to that point but definitely doable and most importantly all there. Also. I have various parts that I've accumulated over the years with a spare long block disassembled currently and other miscellaneous items that will go with the car if you would like. Now that it looks like I will be jumping ship to another platform I no longer feel the need to keep all that I had saved up over the years. Thank you for your interest and time for hopefully reading everything thoroughly and taking it all in. I can and will work with you if shipping is required but please know that it will be your responsibility to acquire the shipping and pay for it separately. You can always check out a company that is called uShip. They are a transport shipping auction site that will send out the job to everyone in their network and the various shippers will bid on the job getting you the lowest price possible. I've used them now twice successfully and can say I would use them again in the future I'm sure. A Paypal deposit of $500 will be required within 24 hours of auction end and the remaining balance will need to be made by bank transfer or certified check within one week. no exceptions. Again. please take the responsibility of bidding seriously and be prepared to pay if you are the fortunate person to win the auction. Those of you with poor rating scores or no feedback will need to get approval first as I don't want to deal with deadbeats. I put a lot of time and thought into my listings and don't need anyone wasting my time so please no questions that have already been answered in my thorough ad description. Read it once. then read it again as I'm sure the answers are in here. if not feel free to reach out and I will reply immediately. Thank you once again and good luck bidding!