Help needed assessing a car near Harrisburg PA

[ThomasJ]

I found a car outside of Harrisburg PA and I am looking for a Fiat enthusiast that is willing to check it out for me. In the spring of 2011 I bought a car online and after being told it was "Solid" as a rock drove 7 hours one way to find that it was absolutely not as advertised. However after renting a trailer, borrowing a truck and dragging a friend along I took it anyway thinking how bad could it really be, at least it runs. Had fun and learned a lot about spiders while taking it apart but financially it really doesn't make sense to try and restore it, flush that money down the drain. This brings me to today, I found a 79 online with a blown motor for a very reasonable amount of money and it looks good based on the four tiny pictures posted. The issue is that I don't want to drive 7 hours (one way) to find I have made the same mistake twice. Is there anyone in the Harrisburg PA area that would be willing to check it out for me, I am just looking for a car with a solid body and floors (aren't we all); I am certainly willing to pay a reasonable amount for your time and gas.

Thanks for reading,
Thomas

[jfrawley]

I live about an hour south of Harrisburg and would have time (long story, don't ask) to go and look at it if there is not someone nearer. Let me know by sending a PM.

John

[NJFIAT1981]

Hi Thomas,
Where is it located?

[jfrawley]

Hey George it's in Shippensburg PA, west of Harrisburg.

[ronarthur]

If you are looking for a running car, locator8 (spelling??) has one for sale that is in the suburbs of Harrisburg. He has been trying to sell it for a while but central PA doesn't seem to be a hot bed for Spiders. I think George knows about this one.

[baltobernie]

Hey George it's in Shippensburg PA, west of Harrisburg.

Shotgun! Some great diners on rt. 30. Let me know when you're going.

[ThomasJ]

John has kindly offered to go check out the car if I can't find anyone closer and I may take him up on his offer (hate to impose on people). I am about an hour north of the border in Ontario so making the trip to check out the car just isn't practicle. My 81 just has too much rust (rear fender has a lip replacement, drivers floor shot upto and including part of the fire wall, inner rocker on the drivers side shot, filler in the front fender and more) so I am looking for a economical way of getting a Spider on the road. The one that I found looks to be in decent shape but the motor is blown which is OK for me considering my '81 runs fine. I will keep the thread updated.

Thanks,
Thomas

[jfrawley]

Bernie, I'm heading up there Thursday. I have to be there around 11:30 which means I leave here at 10:30 + or -. But it's not on Rt 30 from my house. It's up I-70 to Hagerstown and then north on I-81 to Shippensburg. If you shoot over here first you can check out the progress I'm making on the '80. Let me know.

JF

[NJFIAT1981]

Hi John,
I'll be in Gettysburg PA on Sunday. How far is it from you? Want to meet and I'll drop off those panels?

Hi Ron,
That's correct on locators 1981 Fiat. It's a swell spider and it runs very great. Will need a top and paint job. When I owned it I took it to Colgen Motors in Newark NJ and put a ton of money into it to make sure everything was sorted out and correct.

[jsz]

I have talked to this person about purchasing this car on Monday. Asked for more detailed description and photos of the floor pans, shock towers and rockers. She seems to have a difficult time with the added photos that were requested.
Good luck

[ThomasJ]

Well John did me a huge favor and checked it out and has convinced me to take a pass on it. Going to keep looking. Thanks John very much appriciate your time and expertise!
Thomas

[supplyguy]

Which one is locator's Fiat? These show up on craigslist near Harrisburg. I'm interested in the red one in the middle.

Appreciate any help. The $5000 proceeds from my BMW sale are burning a hole in my pocket!


http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/cto/2728116963.html

or

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/cto/2786655800.html

or

http://york.craigslist.org/cto/2752178359.html

[ronarthur]

His is the one in the middle. Camp Hill $2800.00 steel blue or whatever that color is called. All three have been on the Harrisburg Craigslist for a while. Like I said previously, Harrisburg doesn't seem like a hot bed for Fiats. I don't know about the other two but, George can vouch for loc8tor's that is for sale.

[HersheyPAGreg]

Which one is locator's Fiat? These show up on craigslist near Harrisburg. I'm interested in the red one in the middle.

Appreciate any help. The $5000 proceeds from my BMW sale are burning a hole in my pocket!


http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/cto/2728116963.html

or

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/cto/2786655800.html

or

http://york.craigslist.org/cto/2752178359.html

supplyguy,

I'm pretty sure I looked at this same car http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/cto/2728116963.html back in the Fall of 2010. (I say pretty sure because I looked at a red Spider 2000 up in Dauphin PA in 2010 and it's pretty unlikely that this wasn't it.) It drove well and looks real good on the outside, but the interior needed some work. It was missing the driver's side sunvisor and the other was missing the mirror. The wing window latches were missing, the carpet was pretty dirty and there was a big tear in the passenger side rear interior panel. My feeling at the time was that for almost $6,000 the interior should be in better shape. Other Spiders that I had seen online in that price range looked to be in better overall condition. The guy's a real nice fella but he was pretty firm on the price so I kept looking. Just my .02 for what it's worth.

I agree with ronarthur, the Harrisburg area isn't a hotbed for Spiders, I very seldom see one here. We do have a new Fiat studio http://www.fiatusaofharrisburg.com/index.htm though. I hope they do well and can move out of the strip mall one of these days. "leading the way by opening a new dealership IN The Shoppes of Susquehanna Marketplace. That's right- we're IN the strip mall-- right next to Starbucks!"

[NJFIAT1981]

Locators is the Spider in the middle. It was mine.Put a ton of $$$$ into it. Had it all done at Colgen Motors in Newark, NJ. The $6000 for paint and body work price scared me. (Got that price from a Porsche shop). I stumbbled onto my current spider in NYC. Original owner 46000 miles with no rust. Everything original. Purchased it and then sold locator my 81. Then I found a paint and body guy in PA that does very nice work for a very reasonable price. (Yes I would have kept the 81 if I knew about the paint and body guy at the time). Locators 81 runs great. Will need a paint job unless he had it painted. Otherwise it had everything that he advertised done to it. Very nice spider.