Need help with a car I may buy

[LunchBoxSpider]

So I went for a great test drive in a lovely 1977 Fiat Spider and I came back with a smile on my face. The car looks great, interior is good, and she pulls well. A bit sloppy in the suspension and steering so I suspected bushings. After the drive I did my usual underside inspection. Very little rust except for a slightly rusty but breaking/nearly broken weld where the front cross-member under the engine connects to the passenger side suspension frame. This scares me as I just took it for a vigorous drive. I need your help to determine what I should do. I like the car and I would have bought it if not for this spot. I still would like to buy it if it can be repaired. I am a budding welder but it is not my trade. I would like to know if it is repairable, and how much less I should offer. Again, the rest of the car is in 8 out of 10 shape.

I would upload an image but I don't know how to on this forum.


Thanks,

Jon

[baltobernie]

Hello Jon, and Welcome! Tell us where the car is located; maybe somebody will volunteer to look at the car. Your comment about the crossmember is worrisome, and you should seek expert inspection before proceeding. Remember that these are unibody cars, and some corrosion areas are prohibitively expensive to rescue.

Here are some well-written (if dated) articles for things to look for:
http://www.mirafiori.com/faq/content/buyspid.html
http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/200 ... uide1.html

[vandor]

>lightly rusty but breaking/nearly broken weld where the front cross-member under the engine connects to the passenger side suspension frame

You mean where the engine crossmember connects to the body? It is supposed to be bolted, not welded. There are 2 studs that hang down from the 'frame' (the body's lower box-section, under the inner fender). Sometimes these break, or get loose inside the 'frame' and just turn and can't be tightened. The quick fix is to weld the crossmember to the body.

The proper fix is to drill through the box section, reinforce the top, and drop bolts down. A lot more work, but the crossmember can be removed if needed.

[LunchBoxSpider]

Thank you both for the replies. Yes, I now believe the owner before these folks must have welded the joint to provide a "quick fix". It doesn't look good but the rest of the car is quite clean. The car is located in Central New York near Sylvan Beach. If anyone lives near there please let me know.

I think I will make an offer since this can be fixed. How difficult is the repair? I need to give the current owners some idea of how much a real repair of this area would cost so I can negotiate a lower price. I don't want to be unfair but I don't want to overpay for a car that currently doesn't command much money unless it is mint.

I have removed and replaced an engine/transmission out of a Porsche 914, use that for comparison if needed.

Thanks,

Jon

[hamlet]

There are plenty of spiders out there, and you should be picky, because there are plenty in good shape that can be had for not much. I would be worried about a welded crossmember.

[garion]

I used to live about 15-20 minutes from there, in Bridgeport off of 31.. Nice area..

Be watchful for rust, as you know, they salt the roads there. Even if it was driven only in summer, it still gets everywhere..

[vandor]

I would not think a shop would charge more than $500 for the repair, it's mostly labor, not many parts involved.
If you have mechanical common sense and some drill bits, you can do it.