Any Fiat owners around here still? | FerrariChat

Any Fiat owners around here still?

Discussion in 'Other Italian' started by Slim, Dec 17, 2004.

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  1. Slim

    Slim Formula 3

    Oct 11, 2001
    1,735
    Pacifica, CA, USA
    Full Name:
    richard
    #1 Slim, Dec 17, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I remember talking about our Fiats a year or so ago. Well, I just got my '69 124 Spider back from the paint shop. It's not exactly a rocket but it's fun enough and I don't have to worry about it. It's pretty funny that I owned 8 different Fiats before I bought what is probably the most popular one.
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  2. Slim

    Slim Formula 3

    Oct 11, 2001
    1,735
    Pacifica, CA, USA
    Full Name:
    richard
    #2 Slim, Dec 17, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Oh, and when I go to the beach to surf or need to haul some stuff (like a Christmas tree...) I drive this: 1972 Fiat 238 Wohnmobile camper van with conversion by Weinsberg. Pop-top, stove, sink, fridge, sofa/table/bed, closets etc. It's only got 1438cc so please go around!
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  3. mikeyr

    mikeyr Formula 3

    Jun 17, 2004
    2,154
    Santa Barbara, CA.
    Full Name:
    Mike Rambour
    #4 mikeyr, Dec 18, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    proud owner of a 1973 124 Spider that I purchased in Feb. 1974, although my 124 has seen better days, its motor is running again as of 2 weeks ago in preparation for my daughter getting her license in 6 months, it was my first car and will be her first car.

    But she really wants to drive my other FIAT.
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  4. JBsZ06

    JBsZ06 Formula Junior

    Dec 6, 2003
    761
    Thanks for the photos of all the wonderful Fiat sports car..

    The 1974 X1/9 was a favorite back then...The Dino with the ferrari V6 was truly another beauty!

    The fiat 124 spyder was a long standing favorite too...
     
  5. ashsimmonds

    ashsimmonds F1 World Champ

    Feb 14, 2004
    14,385
    adelaide, australia
    Full Name:
    Humble Narrator
    if they managed to shoehorn that baby into the X, i don't think ferrari would even be on the map for me. :) the bertone X1/9 design is so purely timeless... every now and then i think it looks dated, but i park next to a "modern" car and 'competition' becomes an empty werd.
     
  6. davem

    davem F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 21, 2002
    8,210
    Stepford, Connecticut
    Full Name:
    dave m
    Had 3 diffrent X1/9's. A 74, 79, and lastly an 83. Great cars, lots of fun and cheap to fix. The 83 was kinda reliable too!
     
  7. aventino

    aventino Formula Junior

    Jun 16, 2003
    768
    Hong Kong
    Full Name:
    David L
    My dad's gone through at least a dozen (124,125,131,132 etc.) and currently has a coupe with the 5 cyl 20V turbo. So I suppose there's a degree of guilt by association.
     
  8. ashsimmonds

    ashsimmonds F1 World Champ

    Feb 14, 2004
    14,385
    adelaide, australia
    Full Name:
    Humble Narrator
    "kinda" is stretching it a bit... :D
     
  9. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    Ash -
    Amazing videos. How did you achieve such an incredible sound from your car.? Best sounding X1/9 ever.
    best
    rt
    Former 850 Spider owner
     
  10. dave_fonz_164

    dave_fonz_164 Formula 3

    Mar 11, 2004
    1,658
    Montreal, Canada
    Full Name:
    Davide Giuseppe F.
    the first car i learned to drive with was a Fiat Panda 750
    Dads first car was a Fiat 500 bak in 67


    there's just something cool about fiats..........
     
  11. lukek

    lukek Formula 3
    Rossa Subscribed

    May 2, 2003
    2,070
    San Francisco
    Full Name:
    LK
    learned to drive on my granmonther's Fiat 126p. My dad later bought a yellow 125p
     
  12. ashsimmonds

    ashsimmonds F1 World Champ

    Feb 14, 2004
    14,385
    adelaide, australia
    Full Name:
    Humble Narrator
    cheers. :cool:

    it's actually a 1608 DOHC stuffed in the back of it. 80x80 bore/stroke with relatively high (10.5-11:1) CR, fat cams and dual carbs. i totally blew the exhaust apart oneday when i went to hammer it, broke clean in two just below the manifold flange. :D so i knew it was time to go for something decent.

    those two vids with the screeching and stuff are PRE-exhaust a day or two after i bought it i guess... you can't even hear the exhaust in it, that noise is pure IDF's induction. :)

    i had to get it all custom made, HPC coated extractors, stainless free-flow twin outlet exhaust. cost me like $1300 for say 3 feet of tubing. :( but the sound... it's fun driving just driving around at low speeds, especially in our inner-city skinny streets with noise reverberating off buildings. everywhere i go car alarms blare into life. :D

    i always knew it sounded good, but one night at like 3am in a quiet hilly neighbourhood my dad (a petrolhead from way back) took it for a spirited burn through the hills. i couldn't believe my ears, nearly a mile away i could hear him changing at redline, echoing through the hills, and it just made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. i was flabbergasted... sure, it's no tubi-equipped 355 or maserati, but for a road-going 4banger i can't imagine any better than my italian symphony.

    here's a vid of me starting it up early in the morning the day after i blew the exhaust off. :D

    http://www.users.on.net/~ashsimmonds/Xnoexhaust.MOV (8mb)

    thanks for the kind werds. :)
     
  13. Farmers Agent

    Farmers Agent Karting

    May 24, 2004
    153
    Yes sir I have had quite a few 124 spyders. I would restore and sell them. I currently have a mint 1982 124. I'm keeping this one. I also have my 85 308 F-car. I have the best of both worlds. If I want a convert for the day I have it. Also saves some miles on the 308 and I do let my 18 yr old son drive the Fiat. HE always wants the Ferrari but I say "Nay,Nay" unless i am sitting next to him!!!!
     
  14. icars

    icars Formula Junior

    Mar 28, 2002
    855
    Plano Texas
    Full Name:
    Rodney Haas
    Currently selling my 73 365 GT4 and keeping my 81 FIAT.

    My FIAT is the coldest FIAT on the planet. Yes I have dual Air. The back seat has been taken out and replaced with additional A/C for the Texas summers. It's all a matter of what I enjoy tossing around Dallas Traffic. I get far too little use from the Ferrari to make it worth keeping.

    My wife is pissed she like the Ferrari, I told her to take over the payments and maintenance and she could keep it. Thusly it still for sale :)

    So I will continue to have the 81 FIAT as my daily driver. I am looking for a Touring bodied Lancia as my "toy" car.
     
  15. WCH

    WCH F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Mar 16, 2003
    5,180
    My wife and I are looking for a 500 in terrific condition to keep our Vespa 400 company.
     
  16. Armand

    Armand Rookie

    Jan 11, 2004
    27
    NE Ohio
    Full Name:
    Armand
    Hey all, havent been here in a while....
    had 2.
    80 Spider, although I like to spell it SPYDER, yes, the Fi model.
    Was ok, brakes got mushy after a few hot laps, but the 74 X1/9 has to be
    1 of the most fun cars Ive ever owned...I still miss that car and Im sorry I didnt keep it.
    I sold it but still have the owners man, the 1 w/ the 1600cc index, my Fiat keyfob, buncha issues of Bravo, a poster of the SpYder.

    Armand.
     
  17. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,225
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    #18 moretti, Dec 21, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    well I just took my 2300S for a spin due to the fact the Ferrari is trashed and the BMW has steam pouring out of it and I must say I love driving this old clanger which will keep up with the gt4 on the open road, not in acceleration but in top speed which I find amazing !
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  18. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    #19 snj5, Dec 21, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    My first car was a 71 Fiat 850 Spider with 903 screamin cc's. While you see many 124s and X1/9s, you just don't see 850s anymore. A really nice Bertone design, taught me how to basically work on cars, and it was the most exotic car at my High School in 1976. I even saved up my paper route money and put on a JC Whitney header open muffler system which sounded like Richard Petty lived in the neighborhood. Of course, I aspired to an X1/9...now I won't even fit!
    best to all
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  19. Slim

    Slim Formula 3

    Oct 11, 2001
    1,735
    Pacifica, CA, USA
    Full Name:
    richard
    Thanks for posting the photos and info on your Fiats guys. I knew I wasn't the only one around here! I've had two '64 1500 cabriolets, a couple of 131s, a 2400 dino coupe, and now the campervan and the '69 spider. Someday I'd like to have a 2300S like Moretti posted!
     
  20. sjmst

    sjmst F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 31, 2003
    9,853
    Long Island, NY
    Full Name:
    Sam
    I am the original owner of a 1981 Spider 2000. It is in pretty much mint condition. I made the mistake of getting a bargain respray. Looks good from a few feet away, but no concours. By time it hits its 25th birthday (antique status) I will have it done properly.
    Met Brown with the beige top and interior. That's the color they had in the brochure that year.
     
  21. classic308

    classic308 F1 Veteran

    Jan 9, 2004
    6,793
    Westchester, NY
    Full Name:
    Paul
    was a 1976 Fiat 131;my second was a Fiat Strada (Ritmo in Europe). The Strada was injected and ran beautifully-engine and tranny were bulletproof while the rest of the car rotted away. Still got over 100K miles (most of them in NYC) out of it at a dirt cheap price-purchased it as a leftover when Fiat pulled out of the US market.
     
  22. dave_fonz_164

    dave_fonz_164 Formula 3

    Mar 11, 2004
    1,658
    Montreal, Canada
    Full Name:
    Davide Giuseppe F.

    my dad had an 85 ritmo 1.3 i believe, was a fun lil bugger, very durable car. what engine was offered on the american model?
     
  23. classic308

    classic308 F1 Veteran

    Jan 9, 2004
    6,793
    Westchester, NY
    Full Name:
    Paul
    It was a SOHC 1.5 liter with Bosch FI and I believe it put out the massive sum of 80 h.p.........
     
  24. ronfrohock

    ronfrohock F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 16, 2004
    3,918
    MA
    Full Name:
    Ron Frohock
    I have a '82 Fiat Spider,Red over Tan Leather with 80K fun miles on it.
    My wife, kids and I have had a bunch of fun in this car. We recently re-built the car from the bottom up, (engine, trans, suspension, brakes, paint, roof, interior,etc,) and it's ready for another 80K miles.
    I would strongly reccomend this car to anyone. I have never had a problem with it and I continue to drive it daily, in the summer when it's not wet.
    - Ron
     

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