Help ID car

[mikecolleen]

My mother in law had purchased a Fiat brand new in 1984. She has recently given it to my wife and I. The car is out of state. The car has been garaged since purchasing new (has been sitting for a few years) The car has been sent to the automotive shop that has worked on it for over 20 years with an excellent service record. It has 48,000 miles on it. The car looks like the one on the top of the form, same color and everything. It has a sail boat emblem on it? What does the sail boat stand for? Is it the model type? The car is a 5 speed manuel, power windows, factory A/C, and leather interior.

Things that are being done to the car:
Timing belt
Water pump
Brakes all the way around
Fluid changes
new tires
A/C serviced

Future Projects: Where's the best place to purchase these items?
New Top
New Boot
New front seat upolistery.

[kristoj]

Fiat pulled out of the US market after the 1982 model year. Pininfarina continued to sell the Spider in the U.S. through the 1985 model year. Spiders from 1983-1985 were sold as Pininfarina Azzurra Spiders. The round sailboat emblem replaced the Fiat emblem. There were several subtle changes to the design between Fiat Spiders and Pininfarina Azzurras. Most notable Pininfarina Azzurras have mirrors on the driver's and passneger side and they are mounted on triangular fixed glass sections of the door (Fiat Spiders had functioning vent windows. The dash board is also different as well as many of the electrics. Also, Pininfarina replaced the rear seat of the Fiat with a carpeted parcel shelf.

[mikecolleen]

Thank You very much!!!

[mdrburchette]

You can check International Auto for the interior pieces. Other vendors may have them as well.

[kristoj]

You can also find upholstery and interior trim pieces at:

http://www.fiatparts.com
http://www.vickauto.com
http://www.worlduph.com

But just a word of caution -- most Pininfarina Azzurras cam with LEATHER, not vinyl upholstery. The leather replacement upholstery is more difficult to find and much more expensive.

[So Cal Mark]

I'd vote for world upholstery, and as for leather, most owners opt for vinyl replacement due to the cost. Personally, I like cloth since I don't like sticking to the seats like melted cheese in the summer

[gigi]

Hello! I also have an '84 Pininfarina Spider. Ours was dreadfully neglected prior
to my husband bringing her home from the pound. Seriously, my experience with
the top is rotten. In order to replace the shred of what-once-must-have-been-a
-top, the paint had to be done first. Apparently, the painting process ruins the top.
The nightmare of the painting saga lasted months and cost way too much.
Next time, I will deal with a very reputable shop and get a warranty worth having.
Now, the rust bubbles in the door are coming thru and the bodyshop went out of business.
Figures. The 'new' top leaks as well, just not as much as the rag did. I'm not touching
the upholstery until I know it won't get ruined with rainwater. I too thought about
getting a new boot as well, just haven't yet since I rarely use it. It does really dress
her up when we go out for showing-off. In the last couple years we've had her, most
of the money has gone into keeping her running. Mechanically sound is much more
important than looks; especially since driving her is like heaven!

[mikecolleen]

Just wanted to say Thank You to everyone for the hrlp!!!

[Tom]

The sailboat was a tribute to the Italian America's Cup sailing team that participated with a boat called Azzurra.

[Darsella1]

Here's some history if that helps:

http://mongrelmotorsports.homestead.com/Fiat2.html
http://www.esportscarparts.com/Fiat/SpiderHistory.htm

Vicks, Bayless and Bruce's (fiatparts.com) has Pininfarina parts. IAP does not have much and the interior parts are different than a Fiat Spider. Ebay is also a good way to shop for used parts. I've spent the last year restoring one from the frame on up.

FYI, the name "Azzurra" was dropped in 1985. They just called it "Spiderpininfarina". 83-84 are called Azzurra's.

The interior was leather/vinyl combo- not 100% leather, only the fronts were leather. Exactly the same as the LE and the Turbo. I had mine done at: http://tonyimportcar.com/upholstery.html

Bruce has the best and most complete and stock looking carpet kit (loop)- expensive, but well worth it. He can also find you a boot, plus boot parts. Both can be hard to find because they are different.

Lastly, watch for rust and treat it ASAP. Many of them have rust issues and if taken care of, they will last a lot longer.