New Spider on the Seacoast.

[dart54]

Just to say hello to those few New Englanders out there, and start the engine running on my beautiful '81 2000 Spyder. I have had the car for several months, but stored away during the winter. It came after a good restoration in CA. a few years ago, and I hope to keep it in fine condition on sunny days near the New Hampshire seacoast, and plan to meet more of these hardy troops in the near future. Thanks for the great forum and tips. John T.

[markpink]

Hey John,

Welcome to the Forum.

I am in Nashua NH with a 77. Friends of mine with Fiats are in Windham NH and Peterborough NH. We are always looking for another Fiat owner to get together with. Maybe we could all meet up sometime in the next few weeks.


Let me know


Mark

mp@markpinksten.com

[dart54]

Hello Mark -

Thanks for the recent reply, and I hasten to make myself known. I live in Rye, and summer in Ogunquit, so the Fiat sits idle a great deal of the time. But I would like to meet up with all of you, perhaps early fall. It is a busy time now, and hope it can be done. At the moment, I have to change a nauto tranny filter and gasket because of a small seep, but should be on the road again shortly. I'd like to post a photo, but can't find the right program to do it. I've owned a few nice early cars in the past, but find this one special. Would like to hear from you again.
John Titus Rye NH.

[dart54]

Here is that great Spider on NH seacoast- a beautiful drive like the Imalfi or Monterey. John T.

[DUCeditor]

John,

Lovely pix, and ones that bring back rich memories to me.

As mentioned in another thread I'm in the process of getting my Spider back on the road after a three season hiatus. Back when my wife and I first purchased it, in 1988 (it is a '77), Rye was a favorite location. My wife's aunt (since deceased) had a summer cottage right across the road from the rocky coast. Each summer for more than a few years we'd take the Spider up there for a week at a time, and each morning and evening we'd spend in the car, discovering backroads up as far as Kennebunkport ME. The sun-baked days, of course, were spent either lying on the rocks absorbing rays (my wife), or sitting in a chaise with a book and an iced tea (me).

I'm in the group Mark is organizing for a ride. Indeed, I've promised to show Mark some of my favorite back roads (I moved to The Monadnock area largely because of the roads. I've been an avid back roader here -- most often on one of my Ducatis -- for over twenty years). I have one route in mind that I mentioned to Mark that'd make a perfect day ride for a bunch of Spiders.

Hope to meet you before long!

-Don

[Catlover]

Did you make an automatic conversion to your tranny? i am thinking about swapping the engine and trans for a miata engine and transmission and maybe going automatic

[dart54]

No -the auto tranny was always there, and it seems to work very well. They all were a GMCTHM 180C, prevelant in Chevette, Opel, and Pontiac T1000, and a few other light GM products. Don't know how easy a change would be made.
John T.