New member from Portland, OR

[spiderrider]

Glad I found this site. The posts are very informative and supportive. Excellent news for a newbie.

I do not yet own a Fiat but my goal is to purchase a 1977 - 1980 Spider in the next 6 months and have it become a "high-quality" reliable driver in about 12 - 24 months. It does not need to be a frame-off restoration to win a concours competition. 3 candidates are nearby:

1. 1977 Spider - Restoration project 75% complete. New top, tires, battery, exhaust. 80,000 miles. $4,000 obo
2. 1979 Spider 2000 - http://www.executiveauto.com/inventory.php. Automatic. Needs lots of work. 90.949 miles. $1,950
3. 1979 Spider 1800 - http://www.executiveauto.com/inventory.php. Needs lots of work. unknown mileage. $1,800

I am willing to invest elbow grease, parts, and professional mechanic/autobody to the tune of about $5,000. Any advice is appreciated because I am not a mechanic but am capable of learning. Do I have realistic goals? Should I shop on eBay for vehicles that are more than 300 miles from my home?

[rlux4]

Hello, and welcome to the forum. Your goals don't sound unrealistic to me. I hve purchased a couple of vehicles off Ebay, one of them is my '82. Both of them are excellent vehicles and were gotten at super prices. It's a matter of patience and the willingness to set a price and be ready to move on if one your looking at goes over that price. Stay plugged into the Fiat community through the forum and occasionally good deals are brought to our attention by other members.
Good luck,
Ron