Had a great 'Fiat moment' today

[ga.spyder]

We had a beautiful morning today,so I broke out the Spider.I talked the wife into a ride into town for some errands.Everywhere we stopped,we had some kind of comments on the nice car or a thumbs up from other drivers.My wife talked me into stopping at WalMart for some groceries,even though I pleaded that my Fiat is not a grocery getter!
As we came out,there was a PT Cruiser that parked near the Spider and a very elderly man got out and was checking out my car.As we walked up he said"I love-a dis car" with a very thick Italian accent.He went on to tell me about the red one he had owned.He was originally from Italy,and moved after WWII as a young boy.His older brother worked for Fiat in Turin! His wife had owned a red 1500 convertible,that she put 300K on.The best car she had ever owned.The old man asked if he could hear it run,so I cranked it up and had him sit in the seat and rev it a couple times.His toothless grin was priceless!!He said"This is what a car should look and sound like,not this hunk of crap we are driving".My wife said she thought he was going to cry.Very cool moment,that reminds you why we love these cars and the emotions they can generate!

[rlux4]

Way cool Craig.
And hey, my car has been to Walmart lots of times!
Ron

[dantye]

I agree with rlux4:
It's the Rolls Royce you DON'T take to Walmart, not the Spider!
But that really is a great story, Craig!

[Ky2000]

Great story...

[124JOE]

i think that my fiat helped me get my job

my boss is from sicily"with a thick accent
he just rented the building across the street and without power hooked up he seen my garage door open
so he walked over to ask me for an extention chord
he and his cook was hanging drywall with little experiance
i gladly handded over my chord he lloket at my car just a bit and went back to work
i was busy thay day.the next day i went over and hung all the dry wall that was needed
and returned every day untill the pizzaria was opened
he paid cash"not much"at first thten when it opened,on the payroll i went
i work hard fast and smart"in my head any way"
but i am his favorite.he said "no matter what happens we will always be friends"in his italian

hes had a restaurant for thirty yrs and finaly started his second one and found me

[SunnySideUp]

WOW, ga.spider! That is great! I love those kind of experiences. We had our Spider out today for a trip to the exhaust shop for a repair. On the way back home we were being a bit "sporty" on the main arterial listening to the exhaust note and how much better it sounds without leaks! We were ahead of a pack by a good 1/4 mile and thought we were "alone" when out of nowhere a black Jetta popped up behind us. It then pulled along side and the driver rolled down his window, gave us a nod, thumbs-up, and a big grin. He then pulled off at the next side street and disappeared. It's never ceases to amaze me how these cars evoke a response or emotion wherever they go.

[RRoller123]

I recently pulled through the local Dunkies for a cup and the girl in the window said ooooooo... is that a Ferrari? I almost said yes...

[dmwhiteoak]

Yeeeaaaah baby, it's a Farrari !

[RoyBatty]

I know what you mean with this Spider effect.
Last week while eating lunch at a Subway shop in Folsom, I watched a good looking young lady leave the shop with her lunch and as she walked past my Spider she stopped to snap a picture of it with her camera/phone.
Week before that I had the young man at the Taco Bell drive thru window asking me what it was and where he could get one.
Also in the last month I have had the owner of a local pizza shop, yes another lunch stop, befriend me.
It seems he was a Fiat mechanic back before they left the US market. Anytime I go in there for lunch I am sure to end up talking cars with old Joe. He just happens to be very Italian and fully understands the way we feel about our Spiders.

[johndemar]

Cool story Craig. I think we can all relate when driving around.

I had to take the spider back to the body shop this week to have them pop out a small dent. My son while carrying his bike through the garage he managed to hit the metal pedal into the front fender. When I went back to pick up the car, 3 or 4 of the guys working at the shop commented on how nice the car turned out. No one there had seen it since they painted it last summer and it's taken me this long to get it back together.
The owner, Tim, relayed a story about how his son, TJ, standing next to him, once scraped a newly painted Corvair the entire length of the car with his bike. TJ asked if his Dad would ever live that down. Tim simply said "nope."

The other thing I've noticed is that cars that would normally pull out in front of you from side streets will now wait for you to pass so they can see what it is you're driving.

[ga.spyder]

The incedent yesterday really touched me.If you could see the absolute joy on that old guys face.... I know we all get these reactions,which is really amazing from a car that many thought to be a lemon!I have owned quite a few other sports cars,but have never had the kind of emotion these cars seem to bring out.That is why at car shows,parking lots,gas stations,etc...I always speak to every one who shows any interest in the car.I will stay and talk as long as they want to! My wife asked me"Does this stuff happen everytime you take the car out?" Yeah,pretty much!

[Chihua33]

Just had my first moment like this today...push the car out of the garage...wish I could drive it out! But a husband and his wife and young son walked by, said the nice neighborly hello and the husband kept looking back. Finally he turned around and asked me what I had there. After some small talk come to find out he is a Toyota mechanic and was very interested in the Fiat. Gave me some pointers on what to check out and overall really liked my car!

Even though mine isn't running yet, it's still drawing the looks! Love it!

[124JOE]

thats great invite him over for some hotdogs
cooked right outside your garage on a tinker day

[MrWampus]

I'm amazed at these Spider experiences too. I have them all the time as well. It's really special because when I owned my first one in the mid 80's I NEVER got that kind of response. They just were not appreciated at all back then. I was recently pulling out of a parking garage and a guy walking past said, "Wow! Great Fiat. I used to have one a long time ago. Thanks for keeping it on the road!"

Comments like that make me feel like I have a sort of social responsibility to keep this car running and in good condition. I get those kinds of comments almost every time I drive it.

The big test will be next Saturday. Somehow I agreed to take my car to a local Italian car show sponsored by the local Ferrari enthusiasts club. (Some of you may have gotten an email from Kevin) I told him what I have and that my car is by no means a show car and he said this is not a Grand Concours D'elegance it's just people who love Italian cars. So I said ok, I will attend the show and will allow you to put a dash placard on it. He sent the attendee list this week and it is full of Ferraris, Lambos, Masseratis, etc. I am one of 2 Fiats, the other is a 2012 500. I'm a little concerned about the "snob factor" but I am very secure in the fact that I wouldn't have any more fun if I had spent ten or twenty times what I paid for "The Mistress" like most of those guys probably did. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[dantye]

...The big test will be next Saturday. Somehow I agreed to take my car to a local Italian car show sponsored by the local Ferrari enthusiasts club. (Some of you may have gotten an email from Kevin) I told him what I have and that my car is by no means a show car and he said this is not a Grand Concours D'elegance it's just people who love Italian cars. So I said ok, I will attend the show and will allow you to put a dash placard on it. He sent the attendee list this week and it is full of Ferraris, Lambos, Masseratis, etc. I am one of 2 Fiats, the other is a 2012 500. I'm a little concerned about the "snob factor" but I am very secure in the fact that I wouldn't have any more fun if I had spent ten or twenty times what I paid for "The Mistress" like most of those guys probably did. I'll let you know how it turns out.

They are not all budget-busting snobs by any means.

Don't worry about snobs - there snobs about any subject you can name. If you are lucky enough to see a DeTomasso Panterra, those guys will often know more about their car than the average F.L.M. owner, and have an easier time keeping it running. Of course, the F.L.M. owners may tell you that a DeTomasso is not an Italian car, but It is every bit as Italian as the new FIAT 500.