1980 Fuel Inj. -- What month did production begin?

[focodave]

I am trying to discern how early, after fuel injection was introduced, my car was built.
It was built in March of 1980.
Most of what I have read says that Spider fuel injection was introduced around mid-1980.
My car came with a California emissions sticker on the cowl, under the hood.
Does anyone know, for sure, when the fuel injection was officially introduced on Spiders?
Any chassis number information that marks a definite beginning of the fuel injected cars?

[4uall]

I too have a 1980 FI (jun man date I think)

This might help

The four-cylinder engine used in the Spider and Coupé was a double overhead cam, aluminum crossflow head version of the sedan's pushrod unit. It started in 1966 with a capacity of 1438 cc progressively increasing to 1608 cc in 1970 (although this reduced to 1,592 cc in 1973), 1,756 cc in 1974 and finally 1,995 cc in 1979. Designed by Dan Vano. Bosch fuel injection replaced the previously used Weber carburetors midway through 1980. In 1981 and 1982, Fiat USA, Inc. partnered with Legend Industries to create approximately 700 turbo models for US markets. There was also a supercharged model called Volumex offered toward the end of production, which was sold only in Europe, where it cost 35% more than a regular, fuel-injected Spidereuropa.[a] This family of engines was designed by ex-Ferrari chief engineer Aurelio Lampredi and in one form or another remained in production into the 1990s giving it one of the longest production runs in history. The double overhead cam (DOHC) version was the first mass manufactured DOHC to utilize reinforced rubber timing belts, an innovation that would come into nearly universal use in the decades after its introduction. Its family powered race cars such as: FIAT 131 Mirafiori, Special T, Lancia Beta Montecarlo, Delta Integrale and many others.

1400 (1,438 cc) - 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp)
1600 (1,592 cc) - 106 PS (78 kW; 105 hp)
1600 (1,608 cc) - 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp)
1800 (1,756 cc) - 118 PS (87 kW; 116 hp)
2000 (1,995 cc) - 78 PS (57 kW; 77 hp)
2000i (1,995 cc) - 105 PS (77 kW; 104 hp), 102 hp (76 kW; 103 PS) for North America and Japan[4]
1,995 cc - 120 bhp (89 kW; 122 PS), turbocharged for USA[5]
VX (1,995 cc) - 135 PS (99 kW; 133 hp),[4] supercharged

[divace73]

this Q always comes up, and I think there is not a definitive answer. There is a lot of info in the inter web but most of it is contradicting. I have a FI car, now my compliance tag (tag on the door Jam) is missing, which is the only identification to date, and this is often compliance not manufacture..I have an early VIN sequence of numbers which 'should' put may car late 79 / early 1980 but I don't know for sure.
Unless of course something dodgy was done to my car prior to ownership?????

[SunnySideUp]

For what it's worth - The entry for Fiat 124 Sport Spider in Wikipedia has a table that shows chassis number 00171001 as the start of the FI version in 1980. Here's the site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_124_Sport_Spider

Useless trivia: The 1st edition of the FI models did not have the heater manifold on the aluminum intake plenum like '81-'82 Spiders or '83-'85 Azzurras.

[bradartigue]

Who the hell is Dan Vano? The line of text that says "Designed by Dan Vano" appears in a Wikipedia article, then seems to have been copied all over the place from there. The motor was designed by Aurelio Lampredi, the car was designed by Tom Tjaarda.

FIAT began introducing Fuel Injected Spiders into the USA in 1979 as 1980 model year cars, sold Fuel Injected in California and everywhere else as Carbureted, but towards the middle of the production year (Spring of 1980) you could order either one. Carbureted Spiders didn't sell as well once both were on the lots. As to which car was the starting point...this might be a "who knows for sure" as no two books on FIAT VINs really match up. One guide has:

Type CS0
May 1979
Chassis # 1938507
Another has Chassis # 157654

But this doesn't seem right as my former 1980 CS2 was made in June of 1979 and is Chassis # 158464 and is carbureted...

FIAT literature and instruction books began appearing with Fuel Injection inserts in early 79, and usually have really fine brown clothed sales guys and wacky music.

[focodave]

Thanks to all who have replied.
My chassis number is 174466.
I was hoping I had one of the earliest fuel injected cars on the road (just for bragging rights) but it looks like it is difficult, at best, to determine exactly when F.I. was introduced.
So the date on the door jamb is not the date (month) of manufacture?

[vandor]

In my list of Spider VINs the last carbed (CS2) car I have is 0163070, made 10/1979
and the first fuel injected Spider (CS0) on the list is 0164242, also made 10/1979

The VIN list of the German Spider club is far more extensive than mine, so examining that may reveal further detail.

[divace73]

In my list of Spider VINs the last carbed (CS2) car I have is 0163070, made 10/1979
and the first fuel injected Spider (CS0) on the list is 0164242, also made 10/1979

The VIN list of the German Spider club is far more extensive than mine, so examining that may reveal further detail.

That is interesting my number is 124CS0*00169158 so I have to gather it is between 10 (more like 11 or 12 1979) and Jan 1980??

EDIT: Do the euro versions have the same type compliance door card?

[rdv]

That is interesting my number is 124CS0*00169158 so I have to gather it is between 10 (more like 11 or 12 1979) and Jan 1980??

EDIT: Do the euro versions have the same type compliance door card?

Hi,
yes all fiat spiders have the type compliance plate on drivers side.
You are looking for the manufacturing date of your spider?

In the spider registry i can find some spider with VINs nearby with documented manufacturing date:
- 124CS000169087 in 79/12 (USA)
- 124CS000169148 in 80/07 (D oftenly the registered date in US)
- 124CS000169298 in 80/04 (I)
- 124CS000169402 in 79/12 (CO)
- 124CS000169528 in 79/12 (USA)
- 124CS000169722 in 79/12 (USA)

So i would say your car is build in dezember of 1979!

You can find the worldwide spiderregistry on the german site:
https://fiatspider.de/de/interaktiv/fah ... ister.html

To search for type CS0 (fuel injected 2000 spider) just use:
https://fiatspider.de/de/interaktiv/fah ... uchen.html
and type in the searchkeys:
- Spidertyp: CS0
- Baujahr: 79/12


The registry will be updated soon!

Good luck with that informations.

Ciao,
Ralf
(Admin of the spider registry)

[rdv]

Thanks to all who have replied.
My chassis number is 174466.
I was hoping I had one of the earliest fuel injected cars on the road (just for bragging rights) but it looks like it is difficult, at best, to determine exactly when F.I. was introduced.
So the date on the door jamb is not the date (month) of manufacture?

Hi Focodave,
your date of manufacture seems to be right! In the spider registry i found following spiders nearby with the same date:
- 124CS000174212 in 80/03 (USA)
- 124CS000174352 in 80/03 (B)
- 124CS000174453 in 80/03 (USA)
- 124CS000174520 in 81/07 (D, seems to be date of first registration in the states)
- 124CS000174782 in 80/04 (USA)

My first documented fuel injected spider (type CS0 Spider 2000) is:
- 124CS000164014 in 80
:
- 124CS000164242 in 79/10 (first found build date)

The spider type CS0 Spider 2000 (fuel injected) started with model year 1980, which began after the works holiday in summerly august 1979.


Good luck!

Ciao,
Ralf

[bradartigue]

For what it's worth - The entry for Fiat 124 Sport Spider in Wikipedia has a table that shows chassis number 00171001 as the start of the FI version in 1980. Here's the site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_124_Sport_Spider

Useless trivia: The 1st edition of the FI models did not have the heater manifold on the aluminum intake plenum like '81-'82 Spiders or '83-'85 Azzurras.

The 1980 FI did have a heater manifold on the intake - it was brass and removable. There was an air gap between it and the manifold and the later model (which was integrated) worked much better.

[focodave]

Again, many thanks to all who responded.
Ralf, thank you.
That is great information.
I guess I don't have the first injected Spider on the road, but I am still very proud of her and I love her just the same!
Thanks, again.
Dave

[81SPIDERMATT]

tell you what .... whenever I see you car on the road whoever I am with I will say ... there goes the first fuel injected spider ... maybe by rumor it will happen

[4uall]

[focodave]

Ha!
Yes, 4uall, I did LOL.
That's great, Matt.
Tell everyone!
It's kind of like when Howard Stern kept repeating that he was the "king of all media" and lots of other people eventually started saying it and believing it. It works.
I like it.
I've got the very first fuel-injected Spider ever produced, and it's still on the road.
There, I said it!