Dino spider w/ hardtop and V-12?

A buddy of mine told me that he once owned a Fiat Dino spider with the ultra rare hard top about 15 years ago, when he was living on the east coast. He futher remembers the car to have a transplanted Ferrari v-12 with velocity stacks. He sold the car ages ago, but he has been looking for it recently.

Has anyone seen/heard of a Dino with a v-12 transplant? Does anyone know of this car?

 

Serial number would go a long way towards making this easier to find.

Since the Fiat Dino wasn't meant for the US market, they are relatively rare, add the hardtop, v-12??? and who knows where it went.

I've never seen one remotely like this on the East Coast, but I've only seen two or three total.

DM.

 

I have a hard time believing this because I don't think you can get a V12 into the engine compartment of a Fiat Dino. I haven't measured a V12 of that era but I'm going to assume that they are longer than the dino V6 and space is quite limited in the dino comparment (an inch or so on each side!).

 

I'm agreeing with slim. But I would sure like to know if it is fact or not.

 

Would be an incredibly awesome toy but I agree with everyone else, I can't imagine it fitting. Just for grins, what are the rough measurements of a V-12 ? I can measure up the tiny space in my spider.

 

Yeah, the v-12 part of the story was pretty hard to imagine. He seemed pretty convinced, so I thought I'd ask the group.

I think it would be cool enough to find one which had the hard top option. I've never seen one of those either, but I've read that it was in fact offered.

 

I checked a few of my books and couldn't find a picture of the Fiat Dino Spider with hard top, but I did find this drawing.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I cheqed my magazines and I find only one very bad picture from a original factory hardtop. Even in the 1968 this was rare and very very expensive. mayby thats why its very seldom seen even here in Europe.
And about putting a V 12 engine in the Dino ,I dont think it is possible in a normal way , because there is only a little space left between the engine and the inner side-bords.Regards 308ROB
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I love the looks of the Fiat Dino Spyder! I thought about trying to find one a few years ago, but gave up.

 

They are out there, not a lot, but some pop up now and again, and at under $40K for the spyder, a true sports car steal, IMO.

DM.

 

here is a color shot of the factory hardtop. The second picture is of the 'berlinetta' - a one-off? - created by Fiat/Pininfarina. Both images from p.39 & 39 of "Fiat Dino" by Giorgio Nada.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Here's another version of the Dino by Pininfarina.

Never heard of any Fiat Dino with a Ferrari V12 in it.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

An aquaintance of mine just sold his Fiat Dino to someone in Europe. He also sold his 2 headlight 330. Wife made him do it as they bought a building a few years ago down by the fish market in NYC and restoring it has been eating them alive.

There was a coupe version of the car also that I have seen in Europe. I don't believe it was designed by Pininfarina. They are not really supposed to be the best of cars from what I have heard. How about the Pininfarina designed Peugot 204? 304? Pretty nice looking also along the Fiat Dino lines. Yale

 

Do you think the "v-12" could have been a v-6 with two plugs per cylinder?

 

The coupe was designed by Bertone, i have one and they are not the prettiest car around in my opinion. I also have a spider and that one is awesome
The hardtop is a rare option but they are around, my Spider had one but I sold it, I live in S. Calif. and I never planned on ever driving around with the top up.

 

I've got two small black and white photos of the spider with hardtop on my website here:

http://www.3jar.com/fiat/fiats.php?p=history

and some pictures of the prototypes mentioned/shown above on this page:

http://www.3jar.com/fiat/fiats.php?p=prototype