Rebuild or not

[charlespontaven]

Hi everybody, I have a 1981 fiat 2000 that has been sat in the garage for about 10 years. I recently began assessing the work needed to get it on the road and have so far, replaced the fuel pump and filter, the ignition switch,timing belt and pulleys, thermostat and T joint and hoses on the radiator, battery etc. The problem is that I still could not get the car to start and with the help of a not so friendly local garage I still can't get the car to run. I've identified the problem as a blocked fuel line from the tank to the pump but in the meantime the mechanic tells me that the under frame of the car is in very bad condition. The support for the drive shaft is just floating apparently. I'm wondering if I should just cut my losses and rip everything of the car and have it sandblasted, welded up and zinc coated before spending any more money that I really haven't got. Can anybody give me bit of advice on the order in which I should dismantle the car and general tips about how best to get the body in shape before a rebuild?

[grittracing]

well as going threw a car fight now myself right now I have this to say. I wish I had labeled a little better. I did do labeling just wish I would have more detailed.also while taking the car a part put the items in zip lock bags label the bags than put that area of the car in one box. for example;" right door sticker plate with bolts " one bag and it go in a box with stuff for doors.than write on box if something needs cleaned, polished,painted or chromed and than make a paper list. and what box everything is in. i did not make a paper list and i put all the bags in different boxes and now its a guessing game of what is in each box. and now I go to put a part on the car. and find it or another part in the box that needs work or replaced before I can use it.
also I would build the engine and trans paint the engine area but not the rest of the car till the engine is in place. and running than paint. I need to take my car back to the painter. for finder work. I had a friend over helping me and before i knew it I had dents on the top of my finders where he was leaning and a chip where I had dropped the intake (yes i was using a fender cover it just hit on a intake stud)
just my 2 cents worth

[So Cal Mark]

as for the undercarriage, I'd assess whether the rust was structural or just floor pans first before making a decision

[dantye]

Hi everybody, I have a 1981 fiat 2000 that has been sat in the garage for about 10 years. I recently began assessing the work needed to get it on the road and have so far, replaced the fuel pump and filter, the ignition switch,timing belt and pulleys, thermostat and T joint and hoses on the radiator, battery etc. The problem is that I still could not get the car to start and with the help of a not so friendly local garage I still can't get the car to run. I've identified the problem as a blocked fuel line from the tank to the pump but in the meantime the mechanic tells me that the under frame of the car is in very bad condition. The support for the drive shaft is just floating apparently. I'm wondering if I should just cut my losses and rip everything of the car and have it sandblasted, welded up and zinc coated before spending any more money that I really haven't got. Can anybody give me bit of advice on the order in which I should dismantle the car and general tips about how best to get the body in shape before a rebuild?

1. Carefully inspect inside of fuel tank - if it is corroded, you could be wasting money on fuel pumps or injectors.
2. Then t.s. the fuel pump and FI system. See Artigue guides http://www.fiatspiders.com/F10/viewforu ... 9bbd0a3e71 on this board.
3. If you have the body sandblasted, you may learn more than you want to know about 1970-80s RUSSIAN STEEL. Steam clean undercarriage and inspect carefully first.
4. Don't expect to get even 1/3 of your "investment" back - it's for fun!

Good luck!

[dantye]

Mark's point about structural vs. other rust is important.

My photos show some pretty ugly rust that did not prove to be structural.

[charlespontaven]

Hello again Marc and Dantye, I just checked out the photos and I now see what you mean about rust not necessarily being structural. I don't think mine is that disastrous so I'll try and get it up on a ramp and get some photos for you. So are you saying that it might not be such a good idea to completely sandblast the car because there may be holes all over the place?

[dantye]

Hello again Marc and Dantye, I just checked out the photos and I now see what you mean about rust not necessarily being structural. I don't think mine is that disastrous so I'll try and get it up on a ramp and get some photos for you. So are you saying that it might not be such a good idea to completely sandblast the car because there may be holes all over the place?

Probably more a case of value received, how many coats of paint and bubbled/rusted areas are already apparent - and what you can do yourself. Seems the most important thing would be the filing system to get all the parts back in the right place - as a previous poster commented.

I am not really a paint guy, and money is limited, so we have decided to live for a year or two with the spray job that was on mine when I bought it - with a few touch-ups.

Perhaps more experienced folks can advise on the more technical pluses and minuses of sandblasting.

Looking forward to your pictures.

Dan

[DUCeditor]

My own `77 had sat undriven and undrivable for three years. I thought seriously about selling it and brought it out of the dark 'barn" where it had sat for those years into the sun. I then gave it a couple of hours work with soapy water, a sponge, a vacuum cleaner and a polishing cloth. I then left it parked in the sun where my wife and I could view it as we decided what we'd do with her.

I didn't do a strict dollar and cents analysis. Instead I had her towed to a restoration service and asked the proprietor to look her over, access her condition, and make an estimate of what it'd take to get her back onto the road in a safe and reasonably reliable state.

He determined that she was basically sound and gave me an estimate of about $2500 dollars to get her back.

The question my wife and I then asked ourselves was this: Will we get $2500 worth of joy from her. And when boiled down to that simple equation the answer was a resounding "Yes!" And so we went ahead.

In retrospect I'd say that she earned her keep in pleasure points in about two weeks. The rest will be just delicious gravy.

I know the above is not the common way to make such a determination, but that is the basic formula I've used to determine this sort of thing since my youth. I measure thing's worth, not by any numbers in a Blue Book -- that is their value to other people -- but by my own pleasure index.

By any other standard I'd have been riding Suzukies and Hondas instead of Ducatis. I would have "put down" my beloved Samoyed two years ago to avoid the cost of needed veterinary surgery, I'd have sold off some of my guitars, been satisfied with a smaller home and had a battery-powered watch on my wrist instead of a Rolex.

But yes, I know, that's just me. And you've got to be you. The only questions is: Are you?

-don

Here she is the day I bought her home. New tires. A tuned motor. A rehung exhaust system. Replaced front end components. And a totally rebuilt brake system. Oh joy!

[mdrburchette]

It would be nice to see pics of the concerned area and, for that matter, the rest of the car. Then you need to decide what you can do yourself and what you'd need a pro to do. Some cars are not worth keeping so you may have to determine if it's better to keep it or cut your losses and find a better example. Most of us have been down this road and some will tell you they wish they never traveled it.

[dantye]

.... I know the above is not the common way to make such a determination, but that is the basic formula I've used to determine this sort of thing since my youth. I measure thing's worth, not by any numbers in a Blue Book -- that is their value to other people -- but by my own pleasure index....

Agree! Fiat Spider = An investment in FUN!

[charlespontaven]

Thanks everybody for your advice. I'm definitely not looking at the car from a "is it worth it financially" point of view. I've owned the car for 18 years and drove it to my marriage. In fact we had our first major dispute in the car on the way back from the ceremony because I forgot to clean the old seat belts and my wife got out of the car at the reception with a big black stripe across her wedding dress. Money is tight but I'm going to take the time and put her back on the road. My mean spirited local garage owner is just trying to sell me another car!

Charles

[TX82FIAT]

Charles, A black mark on a white wedding dress walking in to the reception. Your still married and still have the car after all these years. There is a dollar value associated with telling the story with the car and the wife present. Since you have owned and worked on a FIAT for many years I think you know what your getting yourself into. I try not to make decisions based on emotion but on dollars. Operative word is "TRY". I just dropped a lot of money on my Spider to do a few modifications that increase the fun marginally and will have no impact on the value outside of what i think the car is worth. The spine of the car being the transmission tunnel would be the ultimate make or break point. If that is rusted out you might be better off parting out your curent car and picking up another one on the cheap and putting moneny into it.

Ray

[charlespontaven]

Thanks again for the advice. My car is coming home from the garage today and I will get it up on blocks to begin work. Anybody got any suggestions on the best points to place the 4 jack stands to for easy working under the car. I was thinking of raising the car about 50 inches for easy working by placing wood blocks under the wheels. Then I thought again because I have 4 triangular stands that are rated for 2 tons each and would like to place them so that I can remove the wheels and get at the brakes. Where should they be placed? I promise I'll get some photos by the weekend.
Charles

[BEEK]

there are 4 reinforced jack points along the rocker pannel seams, one in the front and one in the rear both sides. when looking at the car from the underside , you will notice this. these points are at the seam of the welds not the flat bracing under the floor pan. there is extra metal plates welded in this area for jacking and jack stand use. sorry no pictures, but it should be aparent when looking at this area

[charlespontaven]

Hi everyone, I got the car up on blocks today and took out the seats etc. to see the extent of my rust problem. I'm including some photos and would really appreciate your advice. My first reaction is that it doesn't look too bad but maybe I'm missing something. I can see that the area around the seat slider bar is going to be a bit tricky to fix but it looks to me like the transmission tunnel is in good shape and the cross member looks to be OK. Let me know what you think. Thank you all
Charleshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/58314695@N07/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/58314695@N07/5355286264/