67 Fiat Dino Spider restoration

Thanks. I'll pass this over to the mechanic. But I think the bigger issue we are trying to fix is not the ignition switch but the wiring. We decided it was best to try to rewire things back to original and we needed a new (original style) switch to do it. The car ran. But there are issues dealing with re-wiring. I believe it can run for years with no issues. Many told me this switch would work and in fact, it was. But we have a different problem we are chasing and want to eliminate things systematically and not make it worse.

I did find the switch. I had to verify a few things but its on its way.

 

Yes that is the way it was. Pre-fill.

 

Finally my ignition lock showed up on Friday. I'll go over next week and find out the situation.

 

Went to visit the car today now that the Ignition switch is in. So far we haven't seen a problem with the fuel pump. The mechanic did say the fuse box is cooler and he hasn't blown any fuses. The car does start but the battery is flat for sitting around for 2 months.

Also he fixed the fuel sending unit. Just a stuck float. So all the gauges now work. The plan now is to try to get the car ready to leave the shop next week. Its still got issues but we can deal with those after paint, interior and top. The big stuff should be out of the way.
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I will be so happy the day this is dropped off at the body shop.

 

I drove it today and..... Its ready to go to the body shop. Its not perfect by a long shot but it runs quite well.

What has surprised me is that it has more power than you would think. If you drive it hard it really gets up and moves. And the gearbox feels excellent. And its got a quite comfortable ride. I've made an appointment to bring it over to the body shop on Monday. I think I'm going to pick it up and take it home for a few days. The mechanic wants me to put some miles on it.

It starts up quite well without the choke but runs rough until it warms up. Then everything runs smooth.

The flat spot at 3000 RPM is gone with some more carb adjustment. The mechanic redlined it several times and said there were no issues. The original airhorn compressor works.

The car does not run hot at all and does not burn or drop any oil, which is pretty amazing.

But the list of things that still need to be fixed is pretty long. We've decided to take care of those when the body is finished. Then we are going to remove some of the center console before it goes for the new interior. I think the interior, top, and carpets will go in pretty quickly.

We still have some electrical problems in the center console. Its been rewired and a bit of a mess
The heater fan does not work. Not sure why.
I bought a new heater value but its the wrong one. We have no idea the condition of the heater core. It could be rusted out and would need to be rebuilt
The points I bought did not fit properly so we put in the old set. So I have to figure out how to get the correct set. Or we might put back in the new electronic distributor.
The clutch is better but still a bit slow to return. We need to figure out why. Maybe some use might help because it all looks fine. The brakes feel pretty good though.
The high speed of the windshield wiper still blows the fuse. One of the knurled connectors to the wipers is stripped. Might be a Fiat part.
The air and heater cables in the center console are stuck and missing some parts.
There is a terrible sound when turning the steering wheel. Not sure what it is. We have to figure it out. Something is rubbing in the steering column. But steering is very good.
One headlight is out.

My concern is still what we find when we strip the paint. And I need a new top, probably a new windshield and the rubber gasket.

Really have to thank the patience and expertise at O'gara Las Vegas. When it first arrived I thought maybe 2 months and it would be out to the body shop. I missed by 5 months. Gearbox came out twice. Carbs cleaned and reassembled twice. A month to get a new starter from the UK. A fuel tank that took 2 months to repair. Two months to get the correct ignition switch. Waited for parts that we never knew we needed when we started. Incorrect parts arriving. Things we found that were fixed incorrectly some time in the past.

It was a bit of a mess but its coming back to life!

 

I was originally. But I knew several months ago that was impossible.

My next goal is to drive it to Monterey next year

 

I drove the car to the body shop Monday. We went over the project and agreed to the budget. Rough estimate is a month to finish. I’m in no hurry. I’ll post progress as it moves along.

got to order a new windshield and rubber gasket along with new plastic grills in the hood.

just a rough guess but I’m thinking we might be finished in early Spring.

 

Today was one of my biggest spending days since buying the car. I purchased the:

Leather interior skins for front and rear seats as well as door panels ($6000)
Windshield (new) ($600)
Windshield rubber gasket ($500)
Plastic hood grills ($400!)
Left and Right interior armrests (new) ($400)
Various new rubber gaskets for lights, handles, etc. ($200)

And put down a deposit for a new convertible top to be custom made. When done its about $1800

But, this ends pretty much the big stuff. Still need a new carpet which runs about $500. I'll deal with the radio later but its another $500.

Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel but its just a pinhole.

If I add up all the parts so far (just the parts, no labor or paint), its about $20K. Am I nuts or what?

I could have saved $5000 going with a standard black vinyl interior that the car originally came with but I think the leather will really increase the feel, look, and value. And I get it in the exact color I want. So what the heck. Shoot me.

 

The sample painted and photographed indoors. It is metallic. This is a really small piece. About 2 inches long. But I think its pretty close to this 275.
Trying to create something of 60's classic darker red but with a bit of modern splash. Image Unavailable, Please Login
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Outdoor photo. The metal flake is exaggerated in this photo from the camera. In person I think its beautiful.

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What’s in the box from Superperformance?

 

Not much in that big box. 1 of the 6 plastic grills I need, the rear rubber seals for the taillights, the rubber for the trunk hinges, the rubber for the door handle and the 2 big things:

1) the Left and Right armrests (the blue is a protective cover for the chrome)
2) a complete arm mechanism for the wipers. This should solve several issues. I have the correct wipers for it which are not standard with today's cars.


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When its done drop by and I'll let you drive it. I hope to finish in the Spring, a little more than a year since I got it.

In that time I've driven it about 10 miles.

 

Windshield showed up from Superperformance.

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Opened the crate today. There is indeed a new windscreen inside and a new rubber gasket for it. Old school!

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The new convertible top has been made in Italy. Should be shipped early next week.