Rust issues

[BobSaielli]

I am new to the forum but thought I would inquire with regards to the steel used in the manufacturing of the 79-83 Fiat Spiders. I just finished a complete restoration of a 73 Alfa GTV, so I am conscious of the quality steel which was used in the Alfas. Does the Fiat have the same issues? Thanks for any responses.

Bob

[ga.spyder]

I am by no means an expert ,but I think the rust issues are similar in both makes. Before deciding on the Fiat I was in the market for an Alfa Spider.I was told to check floorboards , shock towers ,rockers ,fender arches,and trunk areas carefully on both makes.The Fiats had a bad reputation for rust when they were new!I dont know if it was deserved or not. There were stories of them being rusted when they came off the boat ,from being on the deck of open ships.Mine is rust free ,and is a great car! Craig

[rlux4]

I read on a forum somewhere that Fiat used a lot of steel out of Russia during this period that was not a good quality. Something about the blend during smelting. However, I have an '82 and it is virtually rust free. Of course it has spent it's life in southern Ca., so there was never a salt issue, and it was garaged. I think to get a Fiat 25 to 35 years old and have no rust the owners had to have been very careful to keep up with preventative measures. But they are out there. I shopped around for about six months before I found the one I was looking for.

[ga.spyder]

I agree ,they are out there.My 82 was always a Southern car(no salt!) and had zero rust issues. I looked at quite a few cars before finding this one. I paid $800 more than a similar car that did have some rust issues ,but looking back that was probably a bargain compared to the cost of repair. I got a lot of documentation w/ the car that show it was never a daily driver, or if it was they were short hops.I also spoke w/ 2 out of 3 previos owners and they had always kept it garaged.Any car left out or in harsh climates are going to rust. Some just quicker than others!
Craig