Buying a 1972 Spider. Any local mechanics?

[Tristan]

Well, I just moved to LA, for better or worse. I don't have a car, and I have always wanted a Spider. My biggest mechanical project before has been a 1960 Lambretta Scooter. So I am no expert.

I have found a 1972 Spider with what I have been told is a 78 engine in it. It looks pretty good, not really any visible rust, plenty of faded paint. The wheel arches were a bit soft underneath in one or two quarter sized spots, but had been painted it seems a while ago. (not so good I know). However all in all it does look pretty clean.

Its $1200. I don't have a garage. I would happily fiddle with it outside, but what I would really like is some advice from a local Spider friendly mechanic to come visit it with me. I can't afford to buy and have to immediately throw in another $1000 for a new x, y, or z... That said I am fully aware its a $1200 car. A part of me is hoping I'm going to get a bit lucky.

So anyone near Manhattan Beach?

If not, any big tips for me? I've read most of the buyers guides I have dredged up on Google...

Tristan

[rlux4]

Tough call Tristan. I can totally understand your yearning for a Spider, and if you've read up on them, you should know what you're getting. That said, two things concern me. (1) Limited mechanical experience. Things will come up that will need to be worked on. Not that Fiat's are any worse than other cars, but your car will be 36 years old. I believe most of us do the work on them ourselves, and not only to save money, but we love our cars. Even the working on them part. If you can't afford to have a mechanic do a lot of your work, you'll be able to do it with the help of the members here, it just means the car would tied up longer. (2) No garage. There are Fiat owners who don't have garages, but if I were in that position, I'd be very sure to have a reliable cover of some sort for the car. Rusted out floor pans and rocker panels along with other parts are very common when these cars are left out in the elements.
It may sound like I'm trying to talk you out of it. Absolutely not! Just go into it informed. And know that when you do need mechanical help it's here, and it's very good and knowledgeable. The forum is so popular that you can usually get an answer in very little time.
Good luck. Keep us informed.
Ron

[Tristan]

Thank you Ron.

I've spent the last two days reading this site, and its really a fantastic source of information. Its all very well reading the buyers guides, but with no up close experience of a Fiat, it could have a honda engine in it for all I know. For all the reading, experience comes quickest from making mistakes, which I am trying to avoid, and I suppose I'm trying leverage you guys to see if I can avoid setting fire to my wallet!

Fingers crossed.

T

[So Cal Mark]

I'm not sure if we have members near Manhatten Beach, but you might ask the owner if he used a local mechanic for any repairs. If he did, I'd pay a visit to him. The other option is to take as many pictures as you can and let us look them over. Pix of the engine, front and rear suspension, front crossmember, etc
Have you driven the car yet? Are there obvious leaks under it?

[Tristan]

No, he was a nice mechanically minded chap who didn't use anyone local. The car hasn't been driven for two months. He has only owned it for six months, and then bought a buggy and seems to want to move on. Thought it had a duff starter, but after a bit of investigation seems its just the kill switch, He is charging battery now, and if its all go I'll pop back. No obvious oil underneath.

Stupidly I didn't take any pictures, but here is one of his.

[So Cal Mark]

I'd be a little suspect that he lost interest so quickly. Perhaps he found it was going to need more work than he thought when he bought it.
Once you test drive it, drive it pretty hard in case some defects don't show up when babying it. I'd brake hard and look for pulling or noises. Noises when accelerating from a stop also. Also bend down and look at the oil pan for dents, and especially at the crossmember where it mounts to the unibody. If there are cracks there, negotiate a lower price. Try all of the lights at the same time, some electrical troubles won't be apparent until there is maximum load. Also, let it run long enough to see if the cooling fan cycles

[Tristan]

Thank you Mark,

Specifically when you say "noises" I take it you mean, clunks and knocks?

[So Cal Mark]

yes, clunks or knocks.
Typically, here is my general feeling about price ranges and conditions. Of course there are exceptions and good deals, but generally
less than $500--probably a parts car or will need complete renovation to even drive
$500-$1500-----should run, and the higher the price the better it should run. Usually a 1200-1500 car will be driveable but need something to be a daily driver.
$1500-2500----decent enough to be driven on a consistent basis, maybe only needing interior or paint
$2500 and up--daily driver and better as the price goes up

[rlux4]

Clunks, knocks, grinding, whining, scraping, iffy shifting. I just put $1500 in a rebuilt tranny, flex disc, carrier bearing and clutch kit. When I bought my car it had no 4th, and grinded going into 2nd. I knew it would need this work so I figured it into what I paid for it when I got it. You should be able to tell a lot by following Mark's advice, feel and listen real good. Don't let the owner sit next to you and talk your ears off.

[Tristan]

Thats a great reality check, thank you. The interior and paint are a bit crappy, but thats the stuff I am not in the least bit daunted by. It has a brand new hood in a box, but if it doesn't feel right I'll take your price guide to reassure me there will be another one around the corner.

With my situation realistically I need to do all I can to get a mechanically sound car.

They do make you drool and reach for your wallet though, whatever condition they are in!

Thanks Mark. /rlux

[Tristan]

Mark,

I notice your the proprietor of Allison Automotive about an hour away from Manhattan Beach?
If I got it up there, what would you charge for a "once over", or is this even something you do?

T

[So Cal Mark]

private message sent

[greggl]

I test drove that car back in September/October, right before your new buyer must have bought it. Previous
Owner was looking for $1800 at the time. I actually made a lowball offer, but never heard back.

The car was interesting. Paint was definitely rough. Bit of visible rust here and there. She had a bit
of a backfire on decel, brakes were weak and needed work and there was some rough shifting
in the lower gears. The exhaust was basically straight pipes/glass pack so she's also pretty
anti-social Aluminum mag wheels which I really liked... ask Mark, I bought an identical
set from him.. one of the first things I did when I got my car!

In the end, I bought a 72 in November from Mark that he had put back on the road. She's up
there right now for brake work, some noise when shifting and a few other issues. I was also looking
for a car in the sub-$1500 range, but I went in expecting that everything could fail and I'm
prepared to deal with it.

As for the yellow and black one you're looking at... you're not looking at an out of the box
daily driver... there are known issues going in and you can be sure there are gonna be more -
budget accordingly. I did like the car, btw. Its great to have a car that skips the whole
emissions thing in CA.

[Tristan]

Huh,

Now that is interesting. Small world isn't it! So in your with your experience, plus a few months of sitting, it must need a bit more done to it. . .

Sounds like its time to keep lookin. I just did some calculations, my "all-in" for a daily driver is about 2k. I have three months to wait before I get my work permit. (I'm British for all my faults), so I do have plenty of time. Just not so much money

I'll be sticking around these forums though. Thanks guys, this is a wonderful example of how forums should be.

T

[Danno]

Tristan, Kudos to you for looking at an italian car when your natural instinct is probably an MG or something, lol.