Fiat Side park lites

[spidersteve007]

My 78 Spider side lites are a distraction to me. I am restoring the car with engine completed and interior/body work & paint left to do. I was going to fill-in the 4 side lites for a more streamlined body. Has anyone else done this? Or felt urge to do it?
The front to back lines on the Spider are great. From the front fenders over the doors, and along the back fenders it flows, until I see these strange 2"x4" rectangles that interrupt the flow at each end.
I can't help but think it will all come together without these distractions.
Also I am shedding the rubber on the front and back bumpers and customizing them with a narrow strip of chrome diamond plate. Then I am adding a chrome 2" roll bar; these bumpers and roll bar will really bring the design together I think.
Has anyone else done this?

[Curly]

In my opinion there are a few aesthetic flaws with the 124 Spider resulting from compliance with US laws. One is the tubular bumpers (which probably accounts for more forum space here than anything else , another is the rectangular sidelights - European versions got away with a small circular light on the front guard and nothing at the rear. (I also don't like the large chrome number plate lights at the rear, but we'll leave that discussion for another time )
Like Spidersteve007, I belived the original Pininfarina design was much cleaner (purer) without the rectangular lights so took the opportunity to blank them off together with the large rectangular holes below the headlights, when the car was being restored and converted to right-hand-drive.
The bumpers are from a 124AC Coupe; but cut up and reshaped to match the different profile of the Spider.

[grittracing]

I have always liked the small round early style. I just havent found a close enough replacement to make the jump yet but i will do something before i go back in for touch ups

[akavinn1]

I would also like to remove them . I don't even like having the head rests on the seats .looks cooler without them

[DocGraphics]

The side markers were removed from my car too, long before I got it.



click on pic for bigger image

I have been looking at a few different types of small round LED lights (clearacve lights) to put in like the real early cars have.
Found some 3/4" & 1 1/2" with chrome bezels that might look good.
Also found both the red & amber w/ either colored lenses or clears lenses that just light up in color.

[akavinn1]

looks great !