New member to site but not to Fiat

[ctbob]

Hi All, well I'm a little late with this post. My name is Bob. New to the site but not Fiat's. My first car when I was 16 was a 75 Fiat 131. Then had many after that. Got out of the Fiat/Lancia in mid 90's. Had a son five years ago. Found out last year he has Autism. Its mild, and his strong points seems to be music and working on or taking things apart to see how they work.
Thats where the 1980 Fiat Spider comes into our lives. I love things car(fiat/lancia) and have missed them for years. I was hurt bad at work in 1999 and it left me disabled(long story brain injury). Well seeing how Tommy loves to work on things and see how they work and seems to have a great love of cars. The search was on. I look for a good part of this year for a Fiat, something without to much body problems that we could work on together. Well we found one up in Utica NY, yea a few hundred miles from home. Found it on Craiglist. An old guy name Joe owned the 1980 Spider from 1984 till we bought it from him. Joe wanted $1000.00 for the car. It had no rust. needed a new top. Joe had just put a $1000.00 into a brake job the summer before last. But when he pulled it out this spring he found the same leak at the right rear wheel again. So we met Joe talk with him for about an hour looked over the car. Joe met Tommy. Joe learned about my love of these cars and why I was buying this car. And knowing it was going to a good home and will see the road again next summer Joe said he wanted to lower the price. So Joe sold Tommy and I the car for $700.00
Joe never drove the car in the winter so its never seen salt. It was stored indoors. The paint it shot, and needs to be done over. Found the brake problem already was the compensator valve. Bob & Tommy

[kmead]

Welcome to the forum and really enjoyed the story. Congrats on coming back into Fiat ownership.

I hope you and your son have many hours of enjoyment together working on it. My eldest has Aspergers (a mild form of ASD), he has no mechanical aptitude but a strong drive to read (and own) lots of books and music is one of his gifts as well. Its great that you have embarked on this, careful though, you may come home to the entire Fiat in pieces in the garage...

Congrats and looking forward to pictures of you new acquisition and of course you and your son.

[mdrburchette]

Welcome Bob and Tommy! Many of us have introduced our kids to cars through our Fiats. Just another reason why these cars are special to us. We look forward to pics of you two enjoying your new ride.

[Nancy1340]

Welcome Bob & Tommy!
Looking forward to more post and some photos of both the car and Tommy working on the car.
Sooooo where are the pictures? LOL