New member + need a photo or two ....

[FinnSpider]

Hi !
I bought my -79 Spider just 3 weeks ago from Germany. There aren't many of them around here, so I suppose I'll be posting questions to this forum quite a bit to get it going.

I've now gone through the rust spots and other places that should be repaired. My real problem is this: there is no back seat in this car and the whole area where the lower rear seat should be (I don't know what this is called but I hope you understand, the horizontal piece) looks a bit suspicious to me. It's not metal but some kind of framed wooden board instead, looks very much like home made alltogether.

Could somebody please be so kind and send me a photo how this area should look like when the back seat is removed? I understand it's too much trouble to remove the seat from some stranger, but if it should happen that your seat is already out of the car I would really appreciate your help (or if you have a photo from your restoration where this area is photographed).

Best Greetings from Finland and thank you for your time,

MK
matti.koho@softera.fi
Finland - Europe

[fiatfanatic]

My seat is out! I will take a picture of it this afternoon, and post the picture this evening.

[ventura ace]

Here are a few pics of a rough, unrestored car -- but it may show what you're looking for:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v26/v ... G_2271.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v26/v ... G_2272.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v26/v ... G_2273.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v26/v ... G_2274.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v26/v ... G_2275.jpg

Alvon

[Danno]

here are a couple more from my 1980. should be exactly the same as yours. I don't know what you are saying is wood, but hopefully it isn't anything structural, lol, just a shelf put in the spot of the seat! here are a few clickable thumbnails. I have more pics on my photobucket site, but these are the only ones that show that rear spot before and after cleaning and coating:

[mbouse]

If none of those worked for you, MK, do not be shy to ask for something different. We have no problem taking and sharing pictures. Your car should have (if you want stock) a basically useless bench seat and backrest. Since there is no leg room for normal humans behind the front seats, many folks have removed their seat cushions in favor of some type of home-made shelf or other. In fact, when Pininfarina made the Spider, they also removed the cushions in favor of a true parcel shelf.

Alvon - - what year is that car? also, what are those four hole brackets for? I've not seen them before on either the '78 or the '80.

[FinnSpider]

Hi !

Wow, this is an active forum !!

Thank you very much for your help. So it's totally open area. Makes sense, I suppose the previous owner has really built kind of a shelf with aluminium frame and cardboard. No wonder it looked like home made. I was already a bit scared to think that the seat base (bottom) has been cut off. Thanks again!

By the way, if it should happen that someone has a back seat he/she won't need, I'm interested. I know the shipping will be expensive, but I don't think I could ever find one from Finland. I can see from the photos that it's totally useless, but you see, in Finland we have a special insurance class for cars that are original+authentic+over 25 years old. When the car is inspected and approved, it will be almost free from insurance and totally free from Europen Union exhaust pollution tests.

Here's a couple of (cool) pics, hope you like them!

http://kuvablogi.com/nayta/prev/img930050.jpg
http://kuvablogi.com/nayta/prev/img930051.jpg

MK

[mbouse]

Your driveway looks the same as mine, here in Michigan, with all that snow.

That is a great looking car,and I don't blame you for wanting to get the interior back to stock. I am sure someone can find a seat back & bottom. maybe if you specify the vinyl color...you might get lucky enough to get a usable set already covered.

[FinnSpider]

"Any Color As Long As It's Black" ... ... well, front seats are black, but if something else shows up I won't say no. I'm sure I can get them done to correct colour here. So even a "project" kind of seats could do.

[mdrburchette]

If nobody steps up, I may have a set from a 79 you can have for the price of shipping. They will need recovered since they're dirty and beige though.

[ga.spyder]

I have had really good results with the interior 'dyes' sold by many vendors.I think that black would be especially easy to cover any blemishes and to match color.
Craig

[cecat]

I also have a back seat set from my brother blue 124, there not that heavy, just large, you can have it also for free, but shipping is from Los Angeles, CA. Were putting a custom boom box, w'Amp where the back seat would go. But if you have kids, they will fit in the back.

Here are the kids awake, and after the twisties mountain canyon run, out like a brick.

George
cecat@hotmail.com

[So Cal Mark]

you could also use one of the later Pinin rear package shelves rather than a rear seat. It sounds like the previous owner tried to emulate that look.
Great pics of the car. Do you ever get to put the top down?

[FinnSpider]

Email sent to cecat and mrdburchette. Thank you so much for your help in advance!

Do you ever get to put the top down? - Well, I have never done it so far, but I'm certainly looking forward to it .... July will be a good time to try without getting a "running nose". Our summer is short and sweet, motorcycle season is from early April to late September, really hot days are few, but I'm sure I will try. Which brings me to another subject: I'm thinking about building some kind of a "windstopper" (I have absolutely no idea what this is really called in english) behind the front seats, it seems to me that all modern cabriolets have it. You know, vertical aluminium frame and thin net to keep the turbulence away from the driver's neck. Again, if someone has good photos how this is done I would love to see them. Also if you can tell me by experince how to build it so rigid that it will stay up even if a truck drives by I would appreciate it.

[mdrburchette]

A friend of mine made this one for me with plexiglass. I haven't drilled the holes to install it but it fits under the headrests. He used screen mesh for his so some air would get through.

[stefhahn]

Hi FinnSpider -

check out this: http://cgi.ebay.de/Windschott-fuer-Fiat ... dZViewItem he ships throughout Europe. From time to time there is an offer for a pure plexi thingy (don't know the word either) which I'd prefer as these things look horrible in classic cars (IMHO).

ciao,
Stefan