Long time lurker - now I'm legit!

[Bytor36]

My fellow Spider geeks - I've been a member for a bit, dropping in and drooling and dreaming over the years and wishing I had another Spider in my life. My first love, a burgandy 124 sport Spider (1972) I saw on a side street in Tacoma for sale on a rainy day for just $800.00. I had no idea what the car was about, what a Spider was, where she came from - - absolute nothing; I just knew I loved the look of her and there was no turning back. Well, she ran like a champ for a year or two until one day while driving down the freeway I was passed by a wheel... er, yes, a wheel. I thought to myself, "wow, some poor bastard lost a @#$ wheel.." As I looked around for the poor guy, I soon realized, I WAS THAT GUY and I was soon in for a bit of a ride... As the car slowed the weight shifted to the rear and my Spider hit the ground on her rear naked brake rotor and spun the car wildly around and round - - I ended up somehow on the other side of the freeway facing traffic but safely to a stop. I walked about half a mile to a pay phone and asked my dad to come pick me up and bring me some clean pants. A week after getting her back on the road, I had another mishap pulling up the driveway when the motor somehow came off the left motor mount and tweaked the accelerator linkage and - - well, the chaos that ensued in my driveway was pretty epic as my rpms went through the roof and my 17yr old brain couldn't simply turn off the ignition - damnit. Next think I see is my 85 yr old grandfather running at me with a garden hose yelling just about every curse word known and this look of panic I struggle to aptly put into words to this day. So, needless to say, Dad "inspired" me to get rid of the Spider and I'd be in hell in a 74 Pinto until I saved enough to buy my next Spider: a 79 2000 that unfortunately only lasted about a year as timing belt went to hell on me on freeway onramp and my Spider spirit was $$ broken. Fast forward 20 years and I'm thinking with my kids older and one in college it might be time to secretly pick up a Spider. I was laid off in 09 and recd a little severance and figured, "ah what the hell.."; a lovely burgandy 72 Spider I found in Puyallup is new muse - Hello World!!

[rlux4]

Hi, congratulations on your "coming out" and becoming a member. I was up in Tacoma to visit and old friend last year
after driving our Spider up to Oregon for the Mirafirori campout. I would have liked to have stopped by and met you and seen your 72. (Did you have it in July?)
Post pics of your car for us, eh?
Ron

[mdrburchette]

Please do post pics of your new ride. I greatly enjoyed your story and know how a burgandy 72 can catch your attention since that's exactly what mine is.

[Gunsmith]

Any friend of the McKenzie bros is a friend of hours! Welcome.

[Ptoneill]

Hi there,

I also just got a "new" Fiat 2000, although it is my first one I can see why people like these cars. I got mine at the Burns Towing auction in Tacoma for 437 dollars, runs great, but weak brakes. I live across the bridge in the Harbor, maybe I will run into you someday.....figuratively.

Ptoneill

[mdrburchette]

Hello Ptoneill. We would love to hear more about your new Fiat and see pics as well. Please start a dedicated thread in the introductions so we don't get confused!

[Zippy]

Welcome to the forum. Is your car road worthy/drivable? Are you planning a rolling restoration or a major teardown and rebuild. Maybe we'll see you on the road. I'm not far from you, in Federal Way.