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[MrBill]

I have a chance to look at a spider that has been sitting for four years (maybe more). since this would be my first fiatn inspection, could i get some ideas of issues to look for caused by the long rest? it is an 80 but don't know yet if it is Carb or FI. any trouble spots i should look for or suggestions or thoughts are much appreciated...

thanks

[divace73]

if it is an 80 it should be FI, why was it parked?

[MrBill]

according to the seller, his cousin drove it down from Detroit and parked it in their aunts garage no reason given so far. It is now for sale because the Aunt wants her garage back...the Seller said it drove well before parking. He thinks that if he can get a charge in the battery it should start... I do not know what, if any, lay up was done so i would love some suggestions. I was out bid on Ebay for a nice 82.. this one is not as nice but it is "inexpensive" shall we say...

[azruss]

start with rust. check the rear fender flairs, under the doors, all the rocker panels, floor boards (especially around the edges), front and rear shock towers. look under the dash and under the hood for "creative wiring". check fit and closing of the doors., do they sag. are the gaps consistent on the doors, hood, trunk. is the windshield clear around the edges. upholstery and dashboard cracks. look under the hood, trunk, wheel wells at the sheet metal for signs that the metal has been hammered on. in other words is all the metal straight and smooth on the inside. is the gear shift smooth between gears without excessive play. look for oil leak patterns under the exhaust manifold, along the head gasket. look at the inside of the wheels for really clean spots or completey stripped metal (brake fluid leak). press clutch and brake pedals to see if they are smooth or sticky. does the brake pedal go to the floor. If all this is ok, then you can start looking at all the mechanical stuff. I'll let others dig into that.

[MrBill]

thanks Russ great help... have seen several of your pics... your car looks great.. ! maybe i can get one to that level someday.... but have to walk before you run!!!

[fiat218]

if it is an 80 it should be FI, why was it parked?

My 80 was not FI

[steve8462]

feed the engine fresh gas before starting it

[divace73]

if it is an 80 it should be FI, why was it parked?

My 80 was not FI

Is yours a CS2 or CS0?
It would have last of the Carbs...

[MrBill]

checked this one out.. seats pretty rough but the thing that made me walk away was the rusted shock towers... still looking...

[2ndwind]

Good decision

[Exit98]

Mr Bill.

If you are sure you want a Spider then just be patience. Your's is out there somewhere. Check ebay every day and throw out a wide Craigslist net. I used Search Tempest and Auto Tempest. I spent over 6 months looking for mine, traveled to 5 states and ended up buying one off ebay 3000 miles away. The more I looked the more I learned. Half the fun is in the journey.

Good luck.

[ga.spyder]

Here is a old,but excellent Spider buying guide.It has all the info you could ever need.I agree about casting out a wide net.There are several decent cars on the Atlanta craigslist.I drove 250 miles to inspect mine before bidding on it.A couple days later,I made the 500 mile round trip to pick it up. Dont be afraid to ask someone here to look at a car in their area for you! Good luck
http://www.mirafiori.com/faq/content/buyspid.html

[MrBill]

thanks guys.. made a road trip last weekemd to look at an '80 It was very nice but needed to ..."have the brakes bled because it has been sitting" ... Also they would not let me road test it. ( considering the brake issue it may be for the best!) It was nice looking some surface rust in a couple of places and the center console where the radio is was a little messed up but if the brakes had been working ... it would be in my driveway now I need to get something i can drive right away to keep my wife happy and then tinker with it as time goes on..

It had one other issue.. maybe someone can shed some light on.. they told me that when it got hot and would not start to take off a connector located at the front of the FI housing.. what would that be? it was a modular plug and once when the car would not start back up we pulled that off and it fired right up... ???

[RRoller123]

cold start injector possibly. Maybe fires when warm and shouldn't be firing.