Lifting the Spider

Maintenance advice to keep your Spider in shape.
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KevAndAndi
Posts: 531
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 12:14 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider 2000
Location: Chatham, NJ

Lifting the Spider

Post by KevAndAndi »

Twister wrote:The body seems OK, but there is a fair bit of damage from ignorant lift operators who bent the jack points and the "frame rails" just south of the firewall.
The quote above is from a 2010 post.

After a little over a year of ownership, I have done a fair amount of maintenance work on our Spider, with much of it being underneath the car. I have sometimes used ramps under either the front or rear wheels and have used jack stands only under the rear axle and the front crossmember. I don't know why exactly, but I have been avoiding using the jacking points.

In the spring, I expect to take the car to a body shop to take care of some minor rust issues. I also want them to inspect the car to see if there's any problem I have missed.

I'm concerned about possible "damage from ignorant lift operators", therefore, I'd like advice on avoiding such damage. What do I need to tell the shop before they lift the Spider? Any cautionary tales?
Kevin
1981 Spider 2000
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azruss
Posts: 3659
Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 12:24 pm
Your car is a: 80 Fiat 2000 FI

Re: Lifting the Spider

Post by azruss »

The 4 jack points are reinforced so the car can be lifted from those points without damage. If someone had trouble, it may have been due to corrosion around those points.
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v6spider
Posts: 1035
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:57 pm
Your car is a: 4.3L V6 Powered 1972 124 FIAT Spider
Location: Mount Vernon WA

Re: Lifting the Spider

Post by v6spider »

azruss wrote:The 4 jack points are reinforced so the car can be lifted from those points without damage. If someone had trouble, it may have been due to corrosion around those points.
Absolutely! I had to junk my last spider do to this kind of structural rust..

Rob
http://www.v6spider.com
4.3L V6 Powered 1972 124 FIAT Spider
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v6spider
Posts: 1035
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:57 pm
Your car is a: 4.3L V6 Powered 1972 124 FIAT Spider
Location: Mount Vernon WA

Re: Lifting the Spider

Post by v6spider »

azruss wrote:The 4 jack points are reinforced so the car can be lifted from those points without damage. If someone had trouble, it may have been due to corrosion around those points.
Absolutely! I had to junk my last spider do to this kind of structural rust..

Rob
http://www.v6spider.com
4.3L V6 Powered 1972 124 FIAT Spider
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