First time, long time

[TJC]

I've been chatting on other boards since I bought my first Spider (see below) a couple of years ago. I have been reading posts on here for quite some time, but for some strange reason I had never signed up until now. Glad to be here.

[So Cal Mark]

welcome, the Lancia rims look great on the car

[mbouse]

nice color !!

[rlux4]

What a great looking car! Welcome to the forum. Ron

[TJC]

Thanks guys.

The wheels were one of the few changes the PO made that was a-ok. Lancia Rims and the BFGoodrich Comp T/As.

As for the color, I believe it's the original French Blue (the carpet matches the drapes).

Thanks to all the help from you guys over the past couple of years, I've been slowly but surely trying to get it back to stock (somewhat). Although, I made some little improvements like adding an '81 electonic dizzy with the vac advance hooked up to a nice big '74 DMSA w/1800 manifold. It's my daily driver in the summer when the salt of the Michigan roads gets washed away to salinate the Great Lakes.

[baltobernie]

Welcome! What a looker! That's the factory blue, all right. I had a 128 in '72 that color.

Love those bumpers, and the lack of bulges on the hood. I'd like to get one for my '73 project car.

More motivation to finish the restoration ...

[TJC]

Thanks for the kind words.

I assure you, however, the pictures make her look more pristene than in reality. She's just a ham for the camera.

[mdrburchette]

Nice looking car. You have the same rearview mirrors that my 72 has...ones you can actually see out of! I like the color too. Welcome to the forum.

[TJC]

Well, although I like the mirror from a far, they are plastic discount part store specials that are partially covering a bad filler job of the original three holes. Plus, they're placed in a bad position that actually makes them hard to see out of, unfortunately.

But, then again, it's thanks to beautiful parts like your awesome mahogany dash pieces that are bringing this car around.

[mdrburchette]

Haha! I was wondering if that was you! Your car really looks better than when I first saw it at Freakout. Hope to see you in the Poconos this year.

[ventura ace]

Wow! Car looks great! Nice job. Anybody that keeps a 35 year old car looking that good has been very busy.

Alvon

[Spiderbeach]

Hello:
We are Pete and Regina and we live in Gulf Breeze, Florida. We recently purchased an 82 spider 2000 convertible. It is an automatic and in very good shape with only 57,700 original miles. Needs a little work, but we are very optimistic about restoring her. Hoping to get some good recommendations on a personalized tag. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Look forward to chatting with everyone here soon!

Pete & Regina

[TJC]

Haha! I was wondering if that was you! Your car really looks better than when I first saw it at Freakout. Hope to see you in the Poconos this year.

The exterior was always in decent shape sans a rear-quarter dent and some missing badging, but the interior has really improved since that first FFO a couple of years ago (I had hoped for the "mosts challenged" award). Back then I had just gotten the car and only got it running well 11pm the night before that Freakout (which, luckily happened to be in my neighborhood). The previous owners really did a number on this car. Remember that funky fabricated center panel?
Before:


After (thanks, Denise):


Hope to see all of you in the Poconos. It's on the way home to family in NYC, anyway (never too far away for a Freakout).