new member with an '82 automatic Spider

[81autospider]

This is my second fiat, my first was a X-1/9 that I had back in '90...I didn't know that an automatic was available in the Spider until I saw this one...every one I had ever seen had a stick shift...is this a rare car?

[leemartin]

Hi and welcome to the site. I don't know if it is a rare car or not but there are plenty of guys on here that do.

[rlux4]

Welcome to the forum. Good, another '82 owner. We need as many as possible if we're going to take over the world!
(Read this thread to be let in on this inside joke: http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3317)
I wouldn't call the automatic rare, definately scarcer though. Going by ebay sales it seems like automatics account for maybe 10% of those offered for sale. Plus automatic wasn't an option on the earlier cars.
Ron

[mbouse]

Hi and welcome to the site. no, not rare, but definitely less automatics shipped than manual tranny cars.

please post a picture or two, so we can drool on our keyboards.

[kristoj]

Welcome to the site. Autos are relatively scarce given they were only offered near the end of production and many have since been converted to manual. The good news is that the transmission itself (supplied by GM) is very common, having also been used in the Chevy Chevette and Pontiac T1000. So parts/service should not be an issue.

[81autospider]

Thanks for the reply guys...what I meant by rare, not being 1 of only 3 built, meaning that of say 80,000 cars built, how many were automatics?...what % of all Spiders, If I were to do a pole here with just the members....what percentage of you out their have an automatic?

So right now there are 1232 users registered...so if out of that number it was less then 1%, say 10 other members, then I would call this car a rare one...I just think that anything with a less then 1% of the grand total would be a rare car...now if the number came between 1-5% then I would call it a scarce find.

I thank you guys have a nice forum with tons of info to read and catch up on...I just hope that this Spider is a lot more reliable then my X-1/9 was...that thing broke down at least 3 times a week...after 4 months of throwing money at it I finally sold it for pennies on the dollar...that car ate points like they were they were free...not to mention the pain in the you know what it was just to get to the distributor.

Nice chat 'n with ya.

[rlux4]

I don't think you'd get a fair sample poling the members here. 99.99% of the regular posters want a manual tranny. Of the 1232 members there are well over 1000 that we never hear from, ( go to "members" and you'll see how inactive a lot of people are.) There are those who bought an automatic because of a spouse or girlfriend who wouldn't drive a stick. I forget who, but at least one member has one of each, a his and a hers.
Maybe there's a way to find out what the percentage was at time of import though.

Ron

[81autospider]

I didn't get the auto trans for the wife...I got it because I'm at that age that I don't want to deal with a clutch anymore!

[kristoj]

Wow. you must be really get up there then. Are you sure you can handle the manual steering?

[81autospider]

I'm not that old ...I have bad knees and they seem to be getting worse every year...maybe you don't live in a big city that takes you 45 minutes in traffic just to drive 15 miles...If I lived in the country, I could probably get away with a stick...it's getting stuck in the traffic that my left knee starts to swell and cause me pain...wish I was could be 17 again but don't we all ...as far as the manual steering goes, yes...I also own a '61 Ford Ranchero with manual steering

It's been nice chat 'n with ya!

[So Cal Mark]

the auto cars make great commuter cars

[kristoj]

There definitely is an advantage for automatics in high traffic areas where you are using them for daily commuting. I have a 6-speed manual in my daily driver (Infiniti G-35 Coupe), but I am fortunate to only have to deal with heavy stop-and-go traffic periodically, at which point it does get tiring. If I lived in a heavily populated metro area like LA, NY, D.C., etc., I might be tempted to stray to a double clutch manumatic such as Audi's DSG, but that would be a tough choice for me.

In any event, you should be thrilled that you have a Spider and an unusual one at that. Enjoy it!