Newbie in Vermont

[LEWISDR]

Well I picked up my 81 Spider yesterday. It is a thing of beauty. Pictures should acessable here (cut and paste):

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.j ... 9844706209

Some may recognize the car since it was listed on EBAY recently. I drove it home over 200 miles with no problems. It got better than 30 mpg and the way back.

Questions:It has 40,000 miles showing on the odometer and I beleive it based on how it looks and drives.

At 2800 rpm there is sound like a herd of elephants yelling faintly in the distance. It seems to come from the back end of the car. It happens in all gears. I hear it when accelerating or deacellerating. Anyone experienced this?

The clutch pedal is very stiff and hard to push in. Is this normal? Is there a fix?

My Veglia (speedometer) needle bounces around like it has Parkinson's. Normal or impending failure?

The car has the the original 13" wheels. Should I look for 14" wheels. Will it make a major difference in handling?

I don't know if the Guibo has ever been replaced. Should I do that immediately? Assuming everything else on the car is in good shape will it handle sustained cruising on the highway at 75 mph?

The steering feels heavy at low speeds is this normal? Are there any mods to improve this?

I would like to replace the transmission oil. Is it OK to just raise the front end of the car to do this or does the car need to be level?

Should I also post technical questions on Mirafiori to get the most responses?

I am looking forward to meeting lots of you fellow Fiatistas at meets and such. Is there a meet coming up at Lime Rock Conn?

Regards
Dan

[rlux4]

Welcome to the site Dan. Congratulations on your new car. Whew! Lots of questions. I won't attempt to answer them all, but I'll tackle a couple. I seem to spend a good deal of my recreation time on the two forums. I found FS.com first and had a lot of questions I had answered very quickly. It's such a popular site that there is a lot of feedback without a long wait usually. Mira is also great, a lot of people frequent both, but sometimes there may be a person on one or the other that is better equipped to answer a particular question. I've sometimes covered the same issue on both. Both forums are great.
There is a lot of discussion about the method used to fill the tranny. You could probably do it without raising the car, but it's so close to the ground it would be tight quarters. I raise the whole car and put four jackstands under it. Not only does it make access a lot easier, it gives you a chance to get under there and really check things out.
The usual thing to do when deciding what to raplace on our cars is; if you don't know when it was changed, change it. The flex disc and timing belt in particular are items where it's better safe than sorry.
Absolutely a great looking car!
Ron

[So Cal Mark]

Welcome and congratulations on gettng the car!
It's probably best to post your tech questions in the appropriate section rather than here, but you'll get answers in both places.
Driveline noise could be a failed flex joint, center support, u-joint or bushing in a suspension arm. I'd investigate before doing any more driving. A complete failure of the flex joint can cause considerable damage.
Jumping speedo usually requires cable lubing or replacement
High clutch pedal effort can be caused by a binding cable, bent pedal or a defective pressure plate. A loose or disconnected ground cable can cause the clutch cable to act as a ground path and ruin the cable. I'd look into this soon; the result can be a broken firewall or broken clutch pedal
Heavy steeing can be due to a steering dampner that is out of oil, or a binding tie rod end or ball joint. Front end inspection should be done.
IMHO, the 13" wheels are adequate for the car with good tires
Best to drain the tranny on the level, but you'll still get most of the oil out with just the front end raised, the problem will be getting the level right when you refill
Mirafiori? I won't comment on that one

[mbouse]

very nice looking car. you passed the entrance exam with pictures..right away

we can answer nearly every question you could post, if you give us the opportunity. i frequent that other forum, but i don't recommend it to any newbie of any age.

i have found over the years that the best way to address all the various issues you have with your car is, one a a time. and, as Mark says, in the correct discussion forum. either way, we will do our best to help you understand how best to care for your new baby. i will try not to double answer what the others have already supplied...

that stiff clutch could also be a worn out clutch.

that herd of elephants could be a herd of elephants. Have you been playing Jumangi lately?

when you put all four corners up on jack stands to change the tranny fluid, you will have the opportunity to change the rear differential fluid, noises could be coming from there too.

in my experience, the bouncing needle could also be a speedo cable. this is easily replaced.

be sure you have proper air pressure in the tires. check the ball joints and tie rods for wear and wobble.

i have no experience at 14" wheels, but really like the handling i have with my car and the stock 13". a rear anti sway bar certainly improved my cornering.

my mechanic says 5 years max on rubber parts, regardless of the milage. if your rubber parts have not been changed in a questionable time period, it is always inexpensive and safer to replace than to take a chance.

have fun, and keep us informed.

[LEWISDR]

Thanks gentleman. That is helpful. Sorry for not posting in the right subject.

Dan

[kristoj]

Only thing I would add is that none of these cars came with power steering, so it will always feel a bit heavy compared to any modern car. However, ensuring the steering box is full of 90W gear oil can make a big difference. My steering box was empty when i first got my car. Also, being an '81, you should have a six-digit odometer. So if it was rolled over, it would read 140,000 miles. Doesn't mean it wasn't replaced at some point, but judging by the photos, it looks pretty darn clean. Probably original. It isn't all that unusual to see Spiders with low mileage as a lot of them were summer toys. My car has similar mileage.