fiat 124 spyder towable ??

[bigjon42]

I searched but could not find any referces. Is the 125 spyder towablem 4 wheels down or on a dolly ? Jon

[kd1wo]

I've only used a flatbed trailer. With only 2 wheels on a dolly, the overhang is too long.

[kmead]

Yes you can flat tow one.

[fiat218]

I searched but could not find any referces. Is the 125 spyder towablem 4 wheels down or on a dolly ? Jon

i hooked my tow rope around the lower control arm and towed it 30 miles. no choice
sorry mine is a 124. CAN'T READ

[bigjon42]

Thanks for the replys, I was worried about transmission oiling problems. Sounds like it will be O.K.

[red107]

I towed my fiat with a tow dolly from St. Louis to Seattle. Two years later I towed it from Seattle to Florida via flat bed trailer. The flat bed trailer is heavier but much safer and much better on the drive train of the car being towed.

[bobplyler]

Is it automatic or manual? Automatics have a problem being towed, but most manual transissions don't.

[CajunMike]

Is it automatic or manual? Automatics have a problem being towed, but most manual transissions don't.

Mine is an auto and I tow dollied it on two separate occasions over 200 miles. I disconnected the driveshaft both times and had no problems with the transmission.

[fiat218]

Is it automatic or manual? Automatics have a problem being towed, but most manual transissions don't.

Mine is an auto and I tow dollied it on two separate occasions over 200 miles. I disconnected the driveshaft both times and had no problems with the transmission.

Any automatic u suppose to disconnect the drive shaft, rear drive, what about the front wheel drive train, u have to dolly them or what, I know u can pull,any car for a short distance with no damages on the tranny.

[baltobernie]

Towing a 5-speed Spider with a tow bar presents two problems: Where/how do you attach the bar? It is out of the question with blade bumpers, and even the big-bumper car mounts aren't well-suited to this task. At least one owner posted details here on how he reinforced his bumper mounts to accept a tow bar. The other problem is the pin locking the steering column is only about 1/4 x 1/2". If that or the ignition switch failed, you'd have some real excitement

Dolllying a 5-speed Spider presents four problems. The first is transmission lubrication. Without the engine running, the transmission isn't being splashed with lube. This does not seem to present a problem for short trips, but I wouldn't do it for hundreds of miles. A solution here is to disconnect and secure the driveshaft. #2 is the dolly itself. The Spider has a very narrow track by today's standards, and the minimum vehicle width on some dollys is greater than the Spider. The third problem is engine lubrication. If you raise the nose of a Spider for an extended period of time (and particularly if you bounce the car around in that position), all the oil in the cam boxes will drain back into the crankcase. So the first engine start following dollying is murder on the engine. #4 is muffler and/or tailpipe clearance with the car on the dolly. One of our club members has a narrow dolly, and in his truck he has a trolley jack, portable compressor, a battery-powered impact gun, two Fiat wheels and tires, and an assortment of everything from lug nuts to bailing wire. Even he gets caught out sometimes, not knowing the condition of the Spider he's fetching.

I'd recommend renting a U-Haul or other 4-wheel car trailer one-way or roundtrip. The Spider is a very light vehicle, so you could tow such a rig with even a mid-size SUV.

[fiat218]

Towing a 5-speed Spider with a tow bar presents two problems: Where/how do you attach the bar? It is out of the question with blade bumpers, and even the big-bumper car mounts aren't well-suited to this task. At least one owner posted details here on how he reinforced his bumper mounts to accept a tow bar. The other problem is the pin locking the steering column is only about 1/4 x 1/2". If that or the ignition switch failed, you'd have some real excitement

Dolllying a 5-speed Spider presents four problems. The first is transmission lubrication. Without the engine running, the transmission isn't being splashed with lube. This does not seem to present a problem for short trips, but I wouldn't do it for hundreds of miles. A solution here is to disconnect and secure the driveshaft. #2 is the dolly itself. The Spider has a very narrow track by today's standards, and the minimum vehicle width on some dollys is greater than the Spider. The third problem is engine lubrication. If you raise the nose of a Spider for an extended period of time (and particularly if you bounce the car around in that position), all the oil in the cam boxes will drain back into the crankcase. So the first engine start following dollying is murder on the engine. #4 is muffler and/or tailpipe clearance with the car on the dolly. One of our club members has a narrow dolly, and in his truck he has a trolley jack, portable compressor, a battery-powered impact gun, two Fiat wheels and tires, and an assortment of everything from lug nuts to bailing wire. Even he gets caught out sometimes, not knowing the condition of the Spider he's fetching.

I'd recommend renting a U-Haul or other 4-wheel car trailer one-way or roundtrip. The Spider is a very light vehicle, so you could tow such a rig with even a mid-size SUV.

very well said. i my selff would have realized all that
thanks for sharing that information

[lesholmes]

Yes you can flat tow a 5speed/124 I do, I have retro fitted a tow hook-up, thru the front bumper,very legal I do run the 124 on gas stops while she is still on the hook. homer.

[bigjon42]

Thanks for all the input to my original question. Was thinking of towing on a very well built older factory dolly
to events behind my motorhome. Clearances on the rear of the spyder would be fine on my dolly, but I was worried
about transmission oiling problems. Sounds like they would be an issue. Had not even considered cam oiling issues.
Wouldn't that be an issue on any car being towed long distances on a dolly? I have towed my FWD Corolla thousands
of miles on a dolly behind my motorhome. Jon

[IndyMark]

I towed to FFO last year using a rental dolly for the front wheels. It was right after I rebuilt the 5 speed. I just had it in neutral and it worked out fine. It makes you nervous with the back end sitting low but no problems. I recommend removing the speedo cable so you won't rack up mileage on the odometer.

[baltobernie]

Thanks for all the input to my original question. Was thinking of towing on a very well built older factory dolly to events behind my motorhome.

If I were planning on doing this on a regular basis, I'd manufacture some sort of detachable bracket to hold the (disconnected) driveshaft, and I'd swap my right cam cover for a left one (the one with the oil filler cap). I'd then allow the car to leak or burn a pint or two before each event. Upon arrival, I'd add some oil to both boxes. Zoom zoom. I overlooked Mark's suggestion about the speedo cable. My insurer limits me to 3k/yr., so this should be taken into consideration. Disconnecting the drive shaft would solve both the lubrication and mileage issues.

OTOH, if I could afford a motorhome, a pristine Spider, and the time to attend multiple events, I'd buy a trailer.