79 restoration started

[kbee00]

Sooooo - after an ordeal that I won't bore you with - I finally picked up the car and am starting to go thru it. It's still in the trailer until a suitable space can be made available (hint - explain to the wife why her car needs to sit outside...).

I have run across one issue already - the PO didn't include the key for the trunk. It was open when I got it, now it is shut and the PO doesn't have a key. Anyone know how to open the truck without the key?

Here are a couple of teaser pics....






Thanks for your help!!

[Exit98]

Hi KB,

Hey you are new around here. Good luck with the "new" Spider.

It is really hard to ask a question about our Fiats on this board that hasn't been asked before. You will find the "search" feature to be your friend as you work to get your buggy back on the road.

So here, according to the lost trunk key experts is how to get into your trunK:

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... open+trunk

Let us know how it turns out.

Where are you from by the way?

[wachuko]

Just a wash is going to make it look a thousand times better. From the photos, body looks to be in good shape.

[kbee00]

There is rust around the mirrors - and I did find the lower rockers are rusty.....oh well. The PO didn't quite tell me everything.....so what's new, right? But the towers and other structural areas seems very good so I am not complaining.

The story of the actual acquistion and trip are actually more entertaining. Maybe one day when I can look back on it and the pain has subsided - (and the bills have been paid) - I will share it.

Since I planned a total restore anyway, replacing metal was part of the plan. But I didn't want to deal with a rusty hulk. So far, the rust seems manageable.

I hope to stay up to date with my restoration on the board - but don't hope for too much....I am not always good about keeping up with stuff like that. Besides, there are so many good restoration stories that mine will be boring in comparison.

BTW - I am located in SE Wisconsin. Little town called Mukwonago. north of Lake Geneva, west of Milwaukee.

[Zippy]

Just try to take as many puctures as you can as you go along. You will get so much satifaction looking back at the progress and how far you have come. You will also be able to share stories about a particular incidence even if you don't have time to present the total resto. Good luck and may the Fiat gods smile on your project.

[wachuko]

No restoration stories of our cars is boring. Please do share.

By the way, pm your address. I think I have a spare tail light that I can send you.

[samthedog]

Like all restoration stories and pics.
Any of us that purchased a 124 that could not get it on a lift, probably had some issues
the PO's didn;t mention.
It's good to hear you are replacing steel and not using a lot of body filler.
A plasma cutter and mig welder go a long way with making this job simple,and correct.

[kbee00]

Here are some more pics from when I finally got the boot open - little WD40 and the locked turned using the door key - thanks for the tip fellow Fiat owner

I think the boot was home to many many mice families over the years.....

Question - how do I remove the cover over the fuel tank? Looks like it is riveted in place....just drill them?

Spare is original - unbelievable. And only one small spot of rust - see pic of close up. I looked under the fuel tank cover and the tank looks perfectly clean. Of course it is probably full of interior corosion - but that can be fixed. Then again, I am converting to FI so a new tank will be neeed anyway....

Anyway - hope you enjoy the pics...






spare parts???

[kbee00]

Started cleaning and poking around a little today. Trunk looks solid except for area that looks like a bracket was welded from the bottom.

Interior is complete junk.

I pulled up carpet and sure enough - I was able to poke a hole thru the floor on drivers side near side rail. Seems to be contained to an area about 6" square -but I can't get under the car as it is still inside my trailer. Bummer - I was told the floors were solid. I am not happy about this development - mainly because one lie leads to another and now I am concerned there could be some real problems that would make a restoration not possible - at least on the budget I had set.

My own fault, right? Oh well - soldier on.

Anyway - you wanted pics -here ya go. I tried to resize them for ease of viewing...

[Fiat88]

Cool thread. Will be looking forward to your progress. Have a '79 myself.

[wachuko]

Thank you for the photos. It is a shame on the interior. That color combination looks very nice. You can get floor sheet metal sections and replace them, no worries there. But do check strut towers for cracks, door hinges areas also for cracks.

Can't wait to see more progress on this. Take care!

[pooldoctorstl]

Congrats on the car! What do mean about removing the cover over the fuel tank? If you are referring to the big flat flange, that is part of the tank. The tank is bolted down in the trunk, and it is probably full of rust. I took my tank to a local radiator shop and they boiled it out and coated it for $130, and it looked like new when I got it back. And you will probably need to replace the sending unit too. One other thing...if you are going to go "bumperless", pull the rear bumper while the tank is out.

Good luck and keep the pics coming,

Jeff

[kbee00]

Thanks guys - and thanks so much Jaime. I appreciate the parts.

Been so cold here lately that I haven't even had a chance to look at the car. Plus I run a high school robotics team and we are right in the middle of our "build season" - 5 nights a week from 4 to 9pm and 8 to 9 on Saturdays and some hours on Sunday for 6 straight weeks.... I don't know how the kids keep up with their homework. My wife forgot what I looked like....oh well.

I figured out the tank cover thingy - it was the cover that sort of hid the hoses going into the tank. It was held on by a few screws....duh!

Yeah, the driver door sags - cracked I'm sure. Hard to believe the car only had 40K on it....starting to suspect something there too....anyone say moneypit??!!

Maybe I'll turn it into a Chumpcar instead.....

Pics when the snow drifts let me back into the trailer....

[kbee00]

After spending a couple days going thru some of the car - I have decided to purchase a car that is in better shape than the POS that I stupidly purchased. I am going to use it as a parts car for the '79 I am buying. I can build a nice engine and put it in the new car when it's done. When I am done with the new car, whatever parts I have left will be available - but that won't be for a few more months. I should have the new car by the end of March and hopefully spring will come early and I can start working on it.

I hate the idea of parting out a car - but I really think it is too far gone. I am making some assumptions here as I can't get under the car to look - but looking at the areas I can see, it would be a surprise if the rest of the car didn't follow suit. Am I making sense here?

Anyway, when the new car arrives I will post pics. Cause I know how you all like pics!

[wachuko]

After spending a couple days going thru some of the car - I have decided to purchase a car that is in better shape than the POS that I stupidly purchased. I am going to use it as a parts car for the '79 I am buying. I can build a nice engine and put it in the new car when it's done. When I am done with the new car, whatever parts I have left will be available - but that won't be for a few more months. I should have the new car by the end of March and hopefully spring will come early and I can start working on it.

I hate the idea of parting out a car - but I really think it is too far gone. I am making some assumptions here as I can't get under the car to look - but looking at the areas I can see, it would be a surprise if the rest of the car didn't follow suit. Am I making sense here?

Anyway, when the new car arrives I will post pics. Cause I know how you all like pics!

That sucks... Not sure how folks can do sh* like that. Similar thing happened to me with the 944T I got... My old man always says that we pay for our learnings... sometimes with sweat, sometimes with tears, sometimes with money... but no leason in life is free. Glad to hear you are moving on to the next one and not giving up on the Spider.

Looking forward to the photos of the new car.