We have a Fiat Spider 124 that has been sitting in the garage for about 25+ years. It was my moms and when I was little I used to play in it all the time. The other day while walking through the garage I saw the Fiat keys on the wall and just decided against better judgment to see if the car would still start. I plugged in a brand new battery and added some gas and turned on the ignition and the thing started up beautifully! I was so excited that after sitting for so long (it would be rolled in ad out now and again to make some space in the garage) that it would still run at all! I have decided that I'm going to attempt a rolling restore!
Few things before I get started, I believe the car to be a '77, engine says 1800 but the engine model is a weird one, the numbers are 132A1.040.6 and I couldn't find many references to a engine with a .6, can anyone shed some light?
The car defiantly needs some cosmetics done. Paint is peeled and there is rust on top of the hood and around the sides(beside the wheels), new top is needed. Should I remove the chairs and carpet and see if there is any rust on the floor? Does the carpet come off easily? I wouldn't mind using them as a template for cutting out my own carpets.
Before I work on cosmetics I have been reading the forums and know that the following things should be mandatory to replace: the timing belt, water pump belt (is that the vee-belt?) timing belt tensioner bearing, oil filter, air filter, radiator hoses, camshaft seals, crankshaft seals, fluids and tires. The car might need a new handbrake cable because the current one seems to be locked/frozen in place yet the wheels do not seem locked. That is all I have so far!
That all said and done, are there any local places to acquire parts near the Mississauga/Etobicoke regions? Or am I better off buying from IAP? Any help on supply sources would be greatly appreciated! Tried searching for source info on the boards and couldn't locate much in the way for us southern Ontarians
Anyways, thanks for reading my long post! Hope to chat with everybody on the forums!
Take care!
