Did you drive your Fiat Dino today? | FerrariChat

Did you drive your Fiat Dino today?

Discussion in 'Other Italian' started by dinoart, Oct 7, 2020.

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  1. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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    Oct 30, 2004
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    Westminster CA
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    David
    I did last weekend. 1967 #282. Took it to Long Beach (So Cal) for a Sunday brunch with the FCA Ferrari Club of America. Notice the similarity curves between the 612 Scaglietti and the spider Pininfarina design in 40 years span. I wonder if they got the tail lights from the same part bin. o_O

    Try to resurrect the Fiat Dino thread here since I can't find much under 206/246 or other Italian section...
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  2. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Feb 11, 2008
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    Vegas baby
    I have always loved this car and tried to get one when they were in the 40-ish price range. Then they jumped like 300% in few months and I stayed away.

    Many of them are in pretty poor condition since they weren't considered very valuable since the 70's. But I think the design is beautiful and the Dino engine is marvelous. I have driven one and I think its just as good a classic sports car as you can get and more fun than an Etype.

    AND -- thank you for not adding the "prancing horse" logo on the back. I can't stand that and it was done way too many times.
     
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  3. DWR46

    DWR46 Formula 3
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    Jun 19, 2012
    1,810
    Mr. Mayor: I just came back from another test drive in our newly acquired 2400 Spider. Car has been fully and expensively restored and drives wonderfully. I agree with all your comments. These cars are exceptionally nice to drive and the styling has gotten better with age. Not many left and very few really nice ones.
     
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  4. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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    DWR46
    Pictures please. Thanks.
     
  5. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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    The Mayor
    You're right. There was a horse on the back per PO when I got the car 4 months ago. I immediately removed it. Luckily there was no hole involved.
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  6. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Feb 11, 2008
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    As you know, 2400's are very rare. Something like 180 were made. I always wondered what the 2.4 engine and independent rear did to the first gen car.

    They are at heart simple cars with a rather exotic engine. The old enemies of rust, some terrible mechanics working on them who didn't understand them, poor maintenance have put too many into an early grave. Now that they are more valuable, more people will put the effort into preserving them. They are an unknown classic to most.

    I think Fiat considered this would be their Etype but it never happened. Perhaps it was too expensive and when they did the 124 series, it was a huge hit. Those who own them now get a taste of what 60's engineering was like and how much we have lost in personality and "quirky-ness" that makes cars and driving special.

    She's a beauty.
     
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  7. DWR46

    DWR46 Formula 3
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    Jun 19, 2012
    1,810
    Mr. Mayor: The production numbers for the 2400 Spider are 420, 424 or 425. Take your pick! Actually, 425 seems to be the most correct number. However, most "experts" estimate only about 40-45 cars are in the States. As for survivors, I do not know, but not that many.
     
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  8. FiatRN

    FiatRN Formula Junior

    Nov 21, 2008
    311
    Denver, CO
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    Jonathan Drout
    I've driven the 2litre and the 2.4litre. The 2.4 felt more settled and accurate, but both were delightful. The 2.4 engine definately has the torque you miss in the 2litre. I dreadfully regret never getting myself one when they were affordable to mortals. They are great cars.
     
  9. Mang

    Mang F1 Veteran
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    Jul 11, 2007
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    Add me to the list that should have secured one when they were affordable - Similarly like a 206 Dino and Mangusta once were. Beautifully designed car!

    I’m curious - I thought Beverly Hills Car Club was a ‘red flag’ type of place to buy cars?
     
  10. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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    Oct 30, 2004
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    Mike
    I knew BHCC and their reputation for a few years now since I live in So Cal and currently own 2 85 QV 308s. I used to own two Dinos 73 and 74 so when this Fiat Dino popped up on their web site at the beginning of the COVID lock down in early April I had to take my chance. I went and tested drove the car. It needs a lot of TLC but nothing I can't handle. I couldn't get anyone to come out to do a PPI because of the quarantine. The car hasn't been running may be eight years but BHCC did the basic stuff to get it going. No smoke on cold start up but lots of oil leaks. The show room was empty of customers since it was by appointment only so I was able to take my time with the car taking pictures and checking out the rust since these cars were well known for rust.. After some haggling a deal was reached and drove it home the next day in almost empty LA freeways.

    Two weeks later I had a post purchase inspection PPI and the car was a good buy with 145 -150 compression all around and no rust. Regarding BHCC, I would buy cars from them again as long as you do your homework. They have at least 200 classic cars in the multi gigantic warehouses.

    I no longer have the Dinos but as for the 73 and 74 Ferrari Dinos I paid k65 and 75 respectively in the same year 1999. I remembered passing on chairs and flares for 10k more. There was one CF sold on BAT last week for 540k. So these Fiat Dinos are still a bargain even the fully restored ones. They are huge popular in Europe. I don't know how many are in the States but don't see any until I got mine.

    BTW, the alloy 2 liter engine of this early car shows some lagging but once it passes 2000RPM it becomes howling beast to red line 7000.
     
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  11. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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  12. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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  13. rdefabri

    rdefabri Three Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 4, 2008
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    Same. I wanted one probably 30 years ago, never jumped on one. Too late.
     
  14. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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  15. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    Nov 9, 2010
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    Muffin-Tops
    I found this one in PA, https://bringatrailer.com/2011/05/17/woodshed-find-1968-fiat-dino-spider/

    The guy trailered it over to CT, we sorted out some of the parts, and it got picked up by BaT before they did auctions. I think we paid like $16.5K for it as is and sold it for $30K.

    Man, I miss that and the two Coupes (67 and 68) I owned. Both red. They are fantastic cars.

    I have a friend in ATL who's asked me to commission the Recommissioning of his coupe, he bought it with his father about 30 years ago....He says it's time :)
     
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  16. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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    Cool story. I wonder where about is the car and what it looks like at the present time.
     
  17. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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    Exercise both cars today, 67 Fiat Dino and 85 308 QV. OMG they both have beautiful sounds coming out, the Fiat with factory IMSA and Tubi exhaust for the QV. Can't get any better.
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  18. bjwhite

    bjwhite F1 Rookie

    Mar 17, 2006
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    Brian White
    Love the Dino. Vintage front Italian number plate mounted to the rear? Why not mount it on the front?
     
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  19. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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    Oct 30, 2004
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    Hi Brian
    Bought the car with plate mounted in the rear with the US plate. I didn't want to relocate it although it's correct to be in the front. Some day when I have time I would like to trace back to Rome to see who owned it before imported to the state.

     
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  20. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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  21. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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  22. desmomini

    desmomini F1 Rookie
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    Nov 18, 2003
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    That is, like, the perfect car.
     
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  23. dinoart

    dinoart Formula Junior
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  24. Bryanp

    Bryanp F1 Rookie

    Aug 13, 2002
    3,799
    Santa Fe, NM
    Dyke - did you pick up the blue one from Sheehan? The resto pics on that one were simply amazing. I was in the hunt for the yellow 2.4 that RM auctioned off from that Elkhart, IN collection in October, but they were so unforthcoming w/ info that I stayed away; the only response I got back re: the state of the engine was "the curator think its turns over, but will need a tune-up . ." whatever that means. I have driven a friend's 2.4 Spyder in DC; a religious experience. Still in the hunt . . good ones are far and few between unless you are willing to go to Europe where the vast majority remain.
     
  25. bjwhite

    bjwhite F1 Rookie

    Mar 17, 2006
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    Brian White
    Nothing wrong with going to Europe....that's for sure. Except it's harder to fly over now to look at a car these days (nee impossible).
     

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