I love this stupid car!

[bradartigue]

Not sure what I'd do as an additional tune up. It has new plugs, wires, ignition module, coil, cap/rotor, fuel filter, air filter, timing is on, fresh oil, idles like a sewing machine, revs pretty nice and starts pulling fairly strong from about 4200-5500. Starts instantly even if its freezing outside. Never pings under load and only get premium gas.

Like I said at the beginning, I got it as an economy gas saver because my bronco drinks gas like a dragster. It has served that role very well. I just enjoy it so much it makes me want to play like a hooligan but its not quite up to it. After all, its ~23lbs /HP. I'm just looking for a way to find 50% more power. The V6 still seems like the simple shortcut all things considered, but I would like to see one with a strong 2.0 just to compare. Building the stock engine up sounds like $100 per HP and is not in my budget. I would leave it stock before I did that.

Which model is it? FI or Carbureted Spider 2000? If Carbureted then you get another 20HP out of it for very little cash. If its FI and you have poor acceleration then you may have a blown vacuum capsule on the distributor. If it is carbureted and has the original carb and air filter than, yeah it kind of sucks to drive.

[narfire]

Believe it is a FI...an 81. I found the head work and after market cams gave a great boost to the power/torque to my FI.

[MrJD]

I'll just leave this here http://youtu.be/qflPxNGETnA

In my opinion toyotas 3sge is the finest 4 cylinder modern engine in existence.

That being said, ima be a purist and run the tc 2.0 unless it dies.

[vandor]

> But when it wont even do a burn out...that's a little sorry.

Come on, even a Yugo can do a burnout! Just rev it up and drop the clutch in first gear, then floor it. Even under powered cars will start spinning the wheels from the inertia of the engine. I could spin the tires through first gear in my stock 1800 (admittedly on crappy tires), so I am sure you can do it in a 2000. Not responsible for broken driveline components

[paintdudeluke]

Well, like the title says, I really love the car. The Brakes are on the bench, the top is in the mail, I'm getting the tailpipe added because dumping it out in front of the pass' tire is annoyingly loud, getting the roll bar bent to put in and after all that, wheels,tires, paint. We'll go from there, but then it will look a LOT faster than it is. I'll be forced to do something then. I like the idea of a turbo.

[mscafide]

Another part of the equation is weight. You can lose weight and add a bit of power.

These engines like to rev and are well balanced right out of the box. A bit more fuel, some breathing, cams and compression will help wake it up. Maybe you will enjoy the sound of 9 or 10 thousand rpm's as much as a burnout.

We are just giving you some feedback. Just enjoy yourself.

Mike

[wizard124]

I am looking forward to having a fixed 4th gear syncro so that I can enjoy running through the gears as she was designed to do. Quicker would add to the driving pleasure. Personally, I most enjoy the car with the top down in the 25-60 mph range, shifting and hearing the TC purr. Freeway speeds I find loud and fatiguing, so faster is not a goal of mine.

I like the idea of small tweeks and mods to optimize the Fiat experience. Outside those constraints, it seems like just buying a different car to satisfy different goals and desires would be a simpler route.

[81SPIDERMATT]

you would be surprised how many people think the car is a lot faster than it really is ..... I just smile ..nod ... and pull away nice and slow ...

[speedracer]

Another part of the equation is weight. You can lose weight and add a bit of power.

Mike

I think your the first poster here to mention weight, which is surprising, and the most obvious way later Spiders lose weight is by ditching the tubular bumpers. Not sure if the OP's Spider still has the big bumpers, but with shocks, mounts, rubber and tubes, they weigh around 95 lbs together. That's a lot of weight!

Now, I've kept the big bumpers on my Spider because I want to keep it original and I'm not to concerned with speed, but if I were, the bumpers would be gone.

[speedracer]

you would be surprised how many people think the car is a lot faster than it really is ..... I just smile ..nod ... and pull away nice and slow ...

!

I love that one!

Better to pull away slowly and have people think your Spider is quick, instead of trying a fast get-away and confirming the fact that it is indeed not very quick!

[bradartigue]

I am looking forward to having a fixed 4th gear syncro so that I can enjoy running through the gears as she was designed to do. Quicker would add to the driving pleasure. Personally, I most enjoy the car with the top down in the 25-60 mph range, shifting and hearing the TC purr. Freeway speeds I find loud and fatiguing, so faster is not a goal of mine.

I like the idea of small tweeks and mods to optimize the Fiat experience. Outside those constraints, it seems like just buying a different car to satisfy different goals and desires would be a simpler route.

Yeah but double-clutching and downshifting make you sound like more of a badass. Synchros be damned.

It is the styling that has always led people to believe it is, or should be, a very fast car, and it simply isn't. By the standards of the day it was better than average, but average was like a Oldsmobile Delta 88. Regardless of fast it could - and can - outcorner just about anything made in the same era, so it depends on what kind of driving you want to do.

People here where I live are impressed with quarter mile speeds and things like that, so most European cars aren't even mentioned. We're inundated with Mustangs and Camaros.

[Ozzie4208]

I've got a 2000 carb , what can i do to get an extra 20 hp?
Ozzie

[toplessexpat]

Another part of the equation is weight. You can lose weight and add a bit of power.

This is indeed true. Do all the engine tweaks you want, spend countless hours in the garage tinkering and fiddling, missing meals..... And you lose a few more pounds! This has the added helpful side effect of meaning you can contort that little bit better to get under the dash (especially with the seats in).

[bradartigue]

I've got a 2000 carb , what can i do to get an extra 20 hp?
Ozzie

Change out the carburetor and manifold. Instant gratification on a carb'd 2000 (assuming it still has the ADHA and tiny port manifold). If your 2000 has a single port exhaust you can upgrade to a multi-port and that helps too. http://www.artigue.com/fiat I wrote a bunch of stuff on the topic you can review there.

[Ozzie4208]

Ok that is what I thought. I already changed out to an 1800 intake and carb, I also pulled the bumpers off.
Thank you
Ozzie