my new(to me)124

congrats on the car man! Post new pics when the paintjob is done.

 

Congrats on the purchase.

How do you like the car overall?

 

Congrats, Michael! It looks clean from the pictures, and 1972 means NO SMOG EVER! We'll have to get together sometime so I can check it out. I'll have to wait for the snow to melt though before I can get any of my fun cars out!

Now all you need is a 275GTS badge on the back!

-steve

 

A 1972 124 spider was my first car ever. As a junior in high school, I absolutely loved it. The 1608 cc engine was the most powerful ever offered if memory serves, at least here in the US. Subsequent 1750cc and 2000cc engines were choked down and not as free revving.

No hood bumps, small stainless bumpers, it was the schnitzel. I remember it made some sort of Road and Track 10 best used sports car list in the early 80's. I had to have one.

That car taught me lots of stuff. At 78k, the original timing belt gave up the ghost. My dad thought I had a hole in every piston until we tore it down and discovered bent valves. We decided to replace 2nd gear at the same time.

I remember the service book called for a 60-pound spring scale to be pulled on the tensioner at a certain angle for the proper tension. My dad said, whatever, just make that baby tight! He ran a shipyard afterall, how complicated could this wacky little car be? Oh, whats that knocking sound? Thats why they reccomend orienting the oil pump pulley a certain way. Duh!

Of course, a month later he was towing me home from the movies after the belt sheared the teeth due to the monumental tightness on the belt. This time he brought home the sping scale tool thingie from the shipyard. I was getting really good at lapping valves by this point.

Then, of course, the car started running poorly. Couldn't figure it out although when the distributor locked up solid and kept the exhaust cam from turning that pointed me in the right direction. I could probably approach the flat rate time for head R/R after this go around. 3rd time is a charm, I always say.

Then, just for kicks, how about a complete repaint from orangey-red to Jen-U-Wine Ferrari red? At least, thats what I told the bodyshop owner. My dad and I removed everything, prepped the body and they sprayed it. $190 in real 1983 dollars. The first and last car I ever painted myself. I'm a quick study.

I also learned that when the fuel pump diaphragm fails you get an engine full of gas.

My dad could never understand my infatuation, but I think he gets it now.

 

In the flexy Spyder config, you pretty much can, as the back wheels pick themselves up and put themselves down in a tight turn on the edge of power oversteer.

Stock up on distributor shaft seals, though. I had one fail on my '71 BC back in '78 or so, and they were back ordered to the rubber trees. When they leak, they drip oil on the exhaust, and people keep telling you that your engine is on fire. And if you rev too high with a leaking distro seal, you can wind up with oil glaze on the points. I had to keep a thin file in the glove box.

Keep your eyes open for a hard top. There weren't many around, but sometimes people let the tops go cheap, after they've sold the car -- just to get it out of the garage. (They take up a lot of space when they're not on the car.)

I wound up having to rewire my lights. With all the wiring up and down the steering column, I wound up with only 9 volts across the bulbs. I couldn't see a thing on night stages, until I ran more direct voltage to the rally lights.

And watch out for SUVs in CA traffic. I was surprised how much *bigger* the Alfa Spider was, compared to the 124 -- and nobody today can even notice the Alfa.

 

Nice car! Are those 13" wheels? Just in case, here's a place that has 14x6 Fiat wheels for sale. I bought one for a spare for the Moretti (so that it could carry the same size tire as the other 4), and they're very well made and nicely finished. Just a thought...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&viewitem=&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.dll%3Fsofocus%3Dbs%26sbrftog%3D1%26catref%3DC6%26from%3DR10%26submitsearch%3DSearch%26satitle%3D250034490499%26sacat%3D6000%2526catref%253DC6%26fmmk%3D%26fmmd%3D%26fylo%3D%26fyhi%3D%26mppfqy%3D250034490499%26sargn%3D-1%2526saslc%253D2%26sadis%3D200%26fpos%3D29412%26ftrt%3D1%26ftrv%3D1%26saprclo%3D%26saprchi%3D%26fsop%3D1%2526fsoo%253D1%26coaction%3Dcompare%26copagenum%3D1%26coentrypage%3Dsearch%26fvi%3D1&item=250034490499

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bI6qpi35sj0

But if you're going to do anything fancy with your's, watch those sheet metal front shock mounts. I sheared one off during a rally in the Jersey Pine Barrens and launched a shock through the hood.

Good catch on the top -- new Abarth tops run 600 euros these days. http://www.abarth-gmr.be/new/parts.php?dzial=FIAT%20124%20SPIDER%20ABARTH#p_158

I had a lot of fun with mine. In retrospect, I still wonder that I survived it all.