What Are Differences Between 66-85 1/2 Spiders

[perthling]

I picked up a 75 today, 26000 miles on the speedo, and it's been sitting over 10 years. Very straight body and everythings intact. It has the lower grille opening. It's one of the few cars I've run across that hasn't suffered a color change. Still has the original color code tag on the deck lid

As per Alvon's surmising earlier, 74 was the last year without the lower grille opening (my September car has no lower grille). My '74 also has a metal mirror surround, hump over the steering column, push-down selector for reverse, and six gauges. I can't confirm the accelerator linkage as mine hase been converted to RHD. Oh, and mine is still Red #152.

[agarair]

BIGGEST Difference . . . how young it makes you feel when you drive any of them! Personally, it makes me feel like 18 again, when I bought my 65 Cabriolet which I drove for four years before getting a new 71 1608, which still sits protected in the garage, to be enjoyed on the sunny days when I need to escape from todays troubles in the world and go back to a better place and time.

No matter what year you have, it is amazing how LITTLE difference there is in how most of us feel about our Spiders.
Toby sends.

[ROOK1]

Nice job, Rey! I can add a few things:

The '69, '69 gauges were shallow, with '70 and later being deeper and angled. At some later year, the speedometer went from 140 mph to 80 mph. The '76 speedometer cable was really weird -- 2 cables, with some little gizmo in between that counts the mileage for the catalytic converter, I think. The earlier cars had a rounded hump over the steering column, and had 6 gauges. Later cars (after 74 maybe??), had no hump and only 5 gauges (no oil pressure). The dash wood was a real wood veneer over plywood for the earlier cars, and fake walnut for the latter cars (after 74 maybe??).

The trouble light recepticle under the steering column changed from one design to another in '70. '70 and earlier had the loud double air horns in the engine compartment. Later years moved them up in front of the radiator, and then later to an all-electric horn in front of the radiator. My '71 are in the engine compartment. '70 and other early years had engine compartment lights. '71 had them. Denise knows what year these disappeared, I forget. For '70, the headlight switch on the dash was 2 position (on, off) and the column switch had 3 headlight positions (park, low, high). '69 and the years after '70, it was 3 positions on the dash switch, and 2 positions on the column switch. 70 had a push button for WW squirter pump under the steering column, later years incorporated this into the column wiper switch. My '71 is under the dash. The 69 gas pedal pivots from the floor (and seems very uncomfortable for me). 70 - 73 or so had the gas pedal pivoting from a plastic doohickey mounted on the firewall inside the engine bay. The accelerator linkage on all these earlier cars was all-mechanical (no cable), which gives tendency for awful bucking in 1st gear, especially with spongy motor mounts. Later models (after 74??), had a pedal bracket mounted to the inside firewall under the steering column, and connected to a cable to activate the throttle (solved the bucking).

The seatback tilt adjustment was on the inside of the seat for 69, and on the outside of the seat for 70. I think 70 was the only year with Kangol seat belts. Headrests were introduced in 70. The 70 had a remove key indicator lamp -- I'm not sure what other years had this. '71 does.

70 started with a 1438cc engine with engine mounted fan, evolved to a radiator mounted electric fan, and by the end of the year, was being sold with 1608cc engines. The tranny gear ratios changed slightly in 1970, and then again for 71 and later. 70 had a 4.1:1 rear end ratio. Other years had 3.9, or 4.3, or about 3.5 for the auto trans. The gear shift lever was a short design with a long-a$$ed black extension for 70, with pull-up for reverse. Later years (74 maybe??), it changed to a longer base lever with a shorter chrome extension, with push-down for reverse. My 71 is chrome with push down option. May not be original.

The inside rear view mirror was all metal housing for the earlier cars up through about 74 or so, and switched to a plastic housing. My '71 has plastic, may have been changed. The window glass was not tinted for 70 -- I'm not sure what year they started to tint the window glass. The door design changed in 74 (beefier with extra reinforment, different latch mechanism and different location for latch), and again in 79 (went to recessed exterior handles). 74 and later doors are more prone to cracked hinge mounts on the doors, mainly due to fatigue from the heavier doors.

Well, that's enough rambling for now. Please correct or fill in the blanks for the ???? if you have the information.

Alvon

The '75 I parted out had a factory electric fuel pump.

Dont forget about Choke changes and the "Mechanical/manual cruise control". I dont know of these changes but the '71 has manual choke and manual cruise.

Chris

[spiderrey]

i would use that manuel cruise when i was a just out of high school. i set it o the 700 mile trips to see my dad in oregon.

[SpiderHead]

1974 is the last year of the manual choke, but I think they maintained the throttle control through the CS1 series. (My '74 certainly has it, and If I remember correctly my '76 had it too)

For 1975 they switched from the 34 to the 32ADFA carb, which is an automatic choke.

1974 was the only year for my particular carb, and is the largest single carb installed by the factory. 34DMSA... it is also notable that is has a mechanical secondary, not vacuum... making throttle response under hard acceleration more immediate.

-Ryan

[rlantz]

Wow, such great information some of you can recall and with such good details. I worked at a Fiat dealer in Southern California from 1972 to '82 and this brought back good memories but trying to recall all the little details is tough. For now I will add that like Ryan my 1974 spider has manual choke and some other small details is this was the first year for smog pumps (special heads for the air injection ports) and first year for Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve. In California the 1975 was the first year for the Catalytic Converter (CAT). The '74 was the first year for the electric fuel pump and used up to 1976 then in 1977 it was back to the block for mechanical.
So many details on just the engines over the years i.e, plastic Timing belt covers, to metal covers and external voltage regulators to internal. But moving away from the details on the engines and back to more broad easy to spot items.
The 1980 spider 2000 was the first to have Fuel injection 2000cc engine. Center dashboard had few new lights Fasten seat Belt warnings and key chime. Also the Fuel injection version an "EX GAS Sensor" light that was added to the center dashboard.
This was the year the Speedometer went to reading only 80 MPH. The '80 spider also added new color coordinated seat belts and optional leather steering wheel and gearshift knob. The wheels were a new design with optional light alloy wheels. Wait there’s more, the Hazard warning light switch was relocated to the center panel. At the back of the vehicle there was a new insignia for Fuel Injection with added key trunk lock. A new electrical component tray was added under the dash below the glove box for new relays and chimes. Next to that for the fuel injected version the electronic control unit was mounted. OK so now I am rambling on too much. Rick

[GOPAPA]

Wow, such great information some of you can recall and with such good details. I worked at a Fiat dealer in Southern California from 1972 to '82 and this brought back good memories but trying to recall all the little details is tough. For now I will add that like Ryan my 1974 spider has manual choke and some other small details is this was the first year for smog pumps (special heads for the air injection ports) and first year for Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve. In California the 1975 was the first year for the Catalytic Converter (CAT). The '74 was the first year for the electric fuel pump and used up to 1976 then in 1977 it was back to the block for mechanical.
So many details on just the engines over the years i.e, plastic Timing belt covers, to metal covers and external voltage regulators to internal. But moving away from the details on the engines and back to more broad easy to spot items.
The 1980 spider 2000 was the first to have Fuel injection 2000cc engine. Center dashboard had few new lights Fasten seat Belt warnings and key chime. Also the Fuel injection version an "EX GAS Sensor" light that was added to the center dashboard.
This was the year the Speedometer went to reading only 80 MPH. The '80 spider also added new color coordinated seat belts and optional leather steering wheel and gearshift knob. The wheels were a new design with optional light alloy wheels. Wait there’s more, the Hazard warning light switch was relocated to the center panel. At the back of the vehicle there was a new insignia for Fuel Injection with added key trunk lock. A new electrical component tray was added under the dash below the glove box for new relays and chimes. Next to that for the fuel injected version the electronic control unit was mounted. OK so now I am rambling on too much. Rick

NO Sir ! Rick ,,you didn't rattle on too much at all.. I ask for details from owners and got a book full and now you Rick a man who worked at a dealership and seen first hand the brand new differences between some of the years is a plus for me ..

thank you and if you think of anything more ,,come on back and jot em down.. Gopapa

[SpiderHead]

I'd like to add that 2004 was the first year that California drivers could remove a smog pump legally from their Fiat Spiders!... and sadly, 2005 was the last.

so, the 1974 being the first Fiat with a smog pump, was also the first to lose it legally.. lol

California ended the 30 year rolling exemption in 2005. 1975 and older cars are the only ones that can truly go hog-wild with zero regard for smog.

Dual carbs anyone?

-Ryan

[So Cal Mark]

by no means is it legal to remove any oem emission equipment on any car in Calif! Cars built in 1975 and earlier just don't require smog inspections anymore. There are also Federal emission laws in effect, though there aren't any inspections.

[fasterfiat]

More rust.

[124spiderman]

One little giveaway with all Italian cars is on the glass.
Every Italian make will have a letter prefix then a single digit number e.g. '8' signifies a 1968 or 1978 model.
It becomes tricky with the Spiders as they were built from '67 to '85',
but surely you'll be able to differenciate say a '72 from an '82 just by its looks alone.

[fasterfiat]

Where on the glass? I'm interested because the car I just bought that I thought was a 69 that says 68 on the title actually has the vin with 0009990 on it may be a 67. Hmmm?

[124spiderman]

On the door glass and the quarter glass, usually top right hand corner there should be a diamond type logo SECURIT or SAINT GOBAINE under that there is an alphabetic letter e.g. 'H' then a single numeral, mine has '2' which indicates its a '72. This is also on the front windshield - although this is unreliable as the windshield gets replaced at some stage so its not a reliable source.
This is on all Italian cars.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigtimes_fiat/3432627769/

[fiat218]

i was reading this part here and i own a "69 and well the grill is a bars, what did u mean as in the spacing,
the grill was a 7 or 8 bar set up that ran till 69. extremely hard to find, and good looking. the car also had round side markers like the euro cars.

mine is a 7 bar, so they are hard to find?
i like the honey comb ones better

[spiderrey]

if your grill is in real good shape, and you prefer the honey comb grill. i would trade you. i have a brand new honey comb grill still in the factory bag. just a thought.