Hello from Queensland, Australia

[Spidermaam]

Hello everyone,

I am half Italian and live in sunny Queensland, Australia.
This weekend I will be picking up my first Fiat Spider, and I can't wait.

It's a 1979 Spider 2000, in dark blue. I've posted some pictures here I took on the day I test drove it.

Looking forward to learning more about these beautiful little cars, and chatting with you all.

Thanks, Lisa

[adrians]

Hi Lisa,

Where is Queensland - Brisbane ?

There's a few Australian owner here on the forum. Do you have any history on the car ?

Hopefully we can help with local contacts etc ...

Regards

Adrian

[mbouse]

hi lisa...

thanks for the pictures of a sweet looking ride in your very first post! enjoy your time here.

[kilrwail]

Welcome Lisa. That's a great loking car in a colour we don't see very often. Enjoy!

[Spidermaam]

Thanks Adrian, Mike and Peter.

Yes, Brisbane is the Capital City of the state of Queensland. I'm on the Sunshine Coast which is about an hour drive north of Brisbane.

Looks like I have to make my pictures smaller before posting them, as I've cut parts of the car out. I will put some more up after I get it.

I didn't think I was going to like the colour, but that changed when I saw the car in person. I love it now.

BTW Mike, I've been reading about your shorter shifters, and wondering if you send to Australia please. Mine's got the famous loose spinning action going on...

[speedracer]

Hmmmm, and I always thought red was my favorite Spider color....

Wow, very nice looking Spider. Good luck!

[rlux4]

Welcome Lisa. You have a great looking car there, and I really like the wheels.
Ron

[Curly]

G'day Lisa,
Welcome to the forum. You've found yourself a really nice looking Spider there. I'm sure you'll enjoy driving it and explaining to others what-on-Earth it is

[Spidermaam]

Hello Speedracer, Ron and Curly.

Thank you all very much. I'm already enjoying this forum and I don't even have the car yet...

I don't know what colour I would have picked if I had the choice, and I wouldn't have chosen those wheels, but when I saw the car it looked so good. The pictures on the ad didn't do it justice. Now I love the colour and the wheels really suit it.

If I ever repainted it, I'd probably do either the same colour it is, or Ducati red.
Ducati yellow is my favourite, but I've seen a couple of pictures of yellow Spiders, and I'm not sure I think it suits....

Curly, do you get many people asking what your car is? I first saw a Spider on a Sunday Classic Car show on the ABC about 18 months ago, and wanted one ever since. Never heard of them before that.

Shame on me.....

[adrians]

Was that the car for sale on the Gold Coast ?

The previous owner (PO) surname wasn't "McManus" was it ?

[Curly]

Curly, do you get many people asking what your car is? I first saw a Spider on a Sunday Classic Car show on the ABC about 18 months ago, and wanted one ever since. Never heard of them before that.
Shame on me.....

All the time But, I don't blame them because, like you they've probably never seen one before - thanks to Fiat never making a RHD model for export to places like Oz.
The other day I was motoring down the freeway at about 110 km/h and a van pulled along side. The passenger wound down the window and yelled, "What is it?" I yelled back, "a Fiat 124 Spider". He looked perplexed and said, "Can I take some photos?" pointing his mobile phone out the window. We drove along side by side for a couple of minutes while he took some shots .
So yes Lisa, you will get lots of people asking you about the car. You'd better do some homework to learn about the Spider's history, so you can stun them with your knowledge.

[adrians]

Similar thing the other day ...

I was driving on the M4 Motorway in Sydney and pull off at an James Ruse off ramp, I notice a yellow motorbike coming up fast.

I stopped at the lights and suddenly I had a yellow crash helmet and face shoved in the window ( roof was up ), the rider was saying was a great looking Spider is was and he hadn't seen one in years, freaked me out a first - this head in the window ! ! !
Lights turned green and off he went ! !

At least I didn't have to tell him what is was.

Regards

[perthling]

Welcome to the forum, great to see another Aussie here. You're in good company! I'm normally not a fan of the later models (as much as the earlier, blade-bumper type) but yours looks very tidy. Just make sure you keep it parked on high ground...

Edit: for the non-Aussies, it's been very wet (extensive flooding) in Qld and northern NSW for the last 6-8 weeks.

[adrians]

Lisa

The Queensland Fiat Club are having an event in Noosa - the club president has extended an invitation to you to attend.

G. Smith

Can you please suggest to Lisa that she brings the car along to the Noosa Classic Car Show on Sunday 27th September in the park at the bottom of the hill just before Hastings St. She will be in good company. I think my elder daughter might even have her Spider (a Bertone bodied 850) there. Plus a lot of other exotics.

Adrian

[NebraskaSpider]

NIce looking spider. Love the color and wheels. Once you get it you will have to let me know the brand of those wheels. Ive been looking for that exact style rim. Welcome to the forum.