Which spider should I look to purchase?

[cjbambino]

Hi everyone. I have always wanted to purchase a spider and I am finally going to try and find a nice solid project car (people around me think I am insane and are telling me I am buying a money pit ). I am debating on whether to go with a 71-73 model with the 1608cc carbureted engine or a early 80's model with FI. Any recommendations? Pros and cons? Reliability issues or more rust prone issues with certain years? I do like the look of the early 70's model but I could always modify the early 80's model with a different bumper. I do hear that the 71-73 years are lower to the ground and handle better but I also hear that the FI is pretty peppy and is easier to maintain. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

[spiderrey]

Pick up an early car, because they are the best. Then find a wrecked f i model and transplant the f i motor,

[Kingme2]

I have a wonderful 1980 FI

I would buy an old one, and jam in a nice FI engine.

+1 for Spiderrey

[spiderrey]

You can also install a built up 2 liter with Carbs.

[Zippy]

If you have lots of money buy the best car you can afford and then you can make it look and perform the way you want. If you don't have a lot of money you need to decide if you want form or function. The early models are more appealing because of the bumpers and lower stance, they look truer to the intended design. Watch out for rust. The later models have the more modern mechanicals and can be made to perform better. Watch out for rust. I bought a car that was already restored, saving me thousands of dollars and lots of time. You see, people spend lots of money restoring these cars and then their situation changes and they wind up selling them for less than they put into them. I wasn't looking for a Fiat, I just happened across it, so I was lucky to find my car. If you are into restoring cars and have the skills to do it there is the reward of the satisfaction that you brought the car back to life. I do miss that aspect of it. Watch out for rust, it can really cost you more than it is worth. As you are looking for potential candidates look under the hood at the wiring. If it has lots of splices or the wrapping is removed from the harness you may be looking at a car with lots of electrical problems. Also, look under both sides of the dash for the same thing. And watch out for rust. Good Luck.

[spiderrey]

The later models have the more modern mechanicals and can be made to perform better.,,,, They all have the same mechanicals. The later ones just add fuel injection and performance choking smog equipment in some states. The later ones have a larger displacement engine. still same basic engine. Don't rush into a buy, shop around.

[Frog2Spider]

I agree with Zippy. Buy a car that 'fits'.

If you want a fun car to drive, buy one that is solid, un-molested and will only need routene maintenance.
These cars generally will have the higher purchase costs.

If you want a car to modify, don't pay for a car that's in original condition to begin with, because as stated,
original condition cars are usually more money.

If you are mechanically motivated, have a place to work on it, tools, and funds, buy a project, but be
OK with spending more time under it, than driving it. At least for a while.

Rust is the devil, no matter your choice. It can be cut out and replaced, but be prepared to spend
lots of $$$, if you can't do it yourself.

While the car that someone else restored may look like the best value for the money, and it can be, be careful
that you are not paying for work that is going to need to be re-done and/or corrected. New paint jobs need to be looked
at very carefully because they can cover up rust that was simply filled with bondo.

I don't think 'older or newer' matters so much, once you have decided on the car that best suits what fits you best.

[cjbambino]

Thank you all for posting. I guess what a lot of you are saying is that I should be looking for a solid car to start with and not focus so much on the vintage. My question is do I look for a car that has a solid body or something that is mechanically sound? Which is cheaper to fix? I am thinking drivetrain will be cheaper than body work and paint?

[georgeramos]

solid body for sure. There are usually a handful of cars posted on this forum that have had lots of love and $$$ poured into them that are for available for sale. That said there are always plenty of them available on just about every Craigslist across the country. Buy the BEST (solid body a must) you can afford and be ready to encounter a million and one little bugs that will need sorting. Some are easy, most are inexpensive but some are very frustrating. This place has a wealth of knowledge and Fiat folks are always generous and helpful.

I could not own one without this forums help. I tried (in the late 80's) and while i loved it i could not keep up with the costs of having someone else fix things.

Best of luck, I look forward to seeing the car you end up with and perhaps even offering advice if i can!

[Zippy]

The later models have the more modern mechanicals and can be made to perform better.,,,, They all have the same mechanicals. The later ones just add fuel injection and performance choking smog equipment in some states. The later ones have a larger displacement engine. still same basic engine. Don't rush into a buy, shop around.

Yeah, that's what I meant.

[johndemar]

Rust, rust, rust is the devil in these cars. Everything else pretty much just needs a wrench to replace.

Check the shock towers, floor pans, rockers, and wheel arches. The car is unibody making the sheet metal work a bit more difficult.

[spiderrey]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Exactly what he said.

[RRoller123]

Yep, they are all good if no rust, I really like my 1980 FI 2L, rust free.

[zachmac]

Yep, they are all good if no rust, I really like my 1980 FI 2L, rust free.

The rust is always free, it's getting rid of it that cost $$$$

[RRoller123]

hahahahah!!!