What a LOVELY Dino!

Very pretty indeed. $65K doesn't seem too bad, if the description is accurate, and it might even have appreciation potential. It would be a fun car to own.

 

While I was still in school, dreaming of someday owning a 246 GT, I saw a FIAT Dino spyder in Milan, Italy. I really wanted one then, and still admire them to this day. This appears to be a very attractive example. Fred

 

And no cutting out / fuel starvation on left-hand turns.

 

From the pictures it does indeed look like a perfect Dino...

Unlike the other one that is for sale at this time on Ebay which has many non-original parts on it, this one looks unmolested and complete and correct. I can't believe it will go as high as the buy-it-now but it may be the best Dino (Fiat version of course) I have seen for sale in many years, needless to say I am watching it closely. Before someone takes me to task over that best comment, I know you can make anything look good in photoshop but I have to assume this is the real thing here, its a stunning car.

The engine is easy to work on compared to a 246 (or in this case 206) but there are still some tight spots that have caused me grief over the years, would not give it up EVER, as I tell my daughter cars may come and go but she will have to sell my Dino after I am dead and I am not that old yet.

*** Had to go back and look for a flaw it has the wrong radio blanking plate if the car has no radio is should have a blanking plate with the Dino script on it. uhm, that is it for what is wrong with it ***

 

that car is an absolute beauty. with only 1100+ made how many are left? i don't know that market but, 65k doesn't seem out of line

 

Don't know how many are actually left, the problem is that for a long time it was just a cheap Fiat and they were butchered to keep on the road, I know of 2 with Alfa engines in them and one with a small block in it. I have heard numbers of about 200 left BUT it was assumed that the real number was much higher and I have no idea how the person who gave out that number got it. We have a little cluster of them here in S. Calif. (3 alone in Santa Barbara although I have _never_ seen them on the road, I am told they run and they do look nice in their garage).

I think the better question is not how many are left but how many are still more or less original and not butchered. Even mine which I am quite proud of is no where near as nice as that one on ebay but mine is a driver, I do my best to keep it nice but I drive it a lot.

It is a interesting car, its amazing how many car guys know the car and come talk to me, I remember one time with John Corbani at a local burger joint, his 246 GT and my Dino were outside getting all the attention over lots of other cars. People seemed to think it was normal for a 40 year old Ferrari to be on the road but they were impressed a 40 year Fiat was still on the road, even if they did share the engine (close enough anyway, mine is a 2.0 and John's was a 246).

Just remember unless you do the maintenance yourself, compared to a Ferrari its a cheap Fiat with Ferrari maintenance costs. I think 65k is high BUT I have not seen one as nice as this one for sale in 10 or more years, 40k is about average with highs in the low 50s, this one should get to the mid-high 50s easy and I hope it gets its 65k No mine wont be for sale even at that price.

I may even drive my Dino down to see it this weekend, my wife said it would be a fun drive about 3 1/2 hours each way, 4 if we take Hi. 1 but she expects a nice hotel for the night, oh darn.

 

Actually there is a Ferrari club event there Saturday morning, could get some pics for you.

 

How many left? There are significantly less of these cars left than their Scaglietti bodied brethern, the Dutch Dino guys estimate about 50%. Most were sold in Europe and driven really hard, for the 2.0s built by Fiat, about 600 survivors, the of the 2.6s, built in Ferrari's Maranello factory aside the 246s, about 210 survive. M

 

I never turn down an offer of pics I may still be there but it is supposed to rain (I doubt it will) and old Fiats and rain don't get along well so I am waiting until Sat. morning to decide.

 

frankly, i look at this dino and think it looks great. i also look at most ferrari dino's and see problems based on photo's. basically, i am admiting my ingnorance of the fiat dino's subtleties, even though i would love to have one some day. what looks wrong in the photo's?

the was just an auction here in houston today that included a 73 fiat dino coupe. it had many dumb 246gt stickers plastered on it, but other thna that, it looked really nice. i only looked at it in passing as we were late to meet people. no idea if it sold or for what, but a 246gt fiat coupe is a very rare animal and this one looked nice.

 

It looks like it's been recently painted. I think it would really need a looking over as the inside is probably more worn than it appears in the pictures. I'd love to hear your comments if you drive down there.

 

+1, wanting someone here who has seen it to appraise it. Lovely car, Thinking of ways to pay for it right now.....can't come up with any

 

Ok, lets follow the pictures the Uro posted... this is STRICTLY based on cosmetics, I don't know about the mechanical condition of the car.

1st. picture, I see nothing wrong, everything is its place all the proper badges are there and none of the Ferrari stuff. There is something hanging below the motor on the right hand side of the car that looks odd but I assume that is a exhaust clamp hanging down on the 3-into-1 pipes, its hard to get the clamps sideways and there is enough clearance to let them hang down that you wont scrape them and lose them. I am assuming its nothing and there is nothing else visibly wrong in the picture.

2nd. picture, perfect

3rd. picture, door gaps look odd to me but with the "photographic" quality of the paint, I assume its a lighting issue or something else, giving it the benefit of the doubt here. I see nothing hanging down under the car which reinforces my thinking that the exhaust clamp is what you see in the first picture since it would be hidden by the front wheel.

4th. picture, almost too perfect the taillights are clear and bright, hardly ever see that, they usually are badly yellowed and faded. No Ferrari Badging

5th picture, Ok, finally something wrong. The carpeting is wrong, it should not have the Dino script, this is a aftermarket carpet that is on Ebay all the time, nice stuff but not right. Seat belts are a "maybe", they are not original but they are the proper period type that was most likely put in when the car was brought into the U.S. same style as my Dino's and most that I see on most Dino's. However since they are not factory, you should check their mountings, some are done correctly, and some are just drilled any old place to get past inspection in the 1960's. The door armrest and inside door handle is off of a Fiat 124, fits perfectly and its what my own car has also, there is talk in the Dino group to make correct repro arm rests and handles but its not been done yet.

6th. picture. This is the best view of the dashboard, it cracks easily and often, cant see any cracks but its a poor view. You can see a incorrect radio blanking plate in the center console, this implies the car HAD a radio at one time, it did not come with one, they were dealer installed. You can see the speaker grill in the correct place, the material the center console is made of is thinner in that area from the factory and that is where the dealers installed the speakers. By the way that steering wheel is correct and very expensive, I have seen them fetch $1,500 on ebay.

7th picture, now the good stuff. Air cleaner is missing a decal, its easily avaible less than $10 but its missing. There is a missing cable in the carbs, the later series car had a hand throttle, now I don't know if this car is early series or late but it has the late series bracket so it should have the hand throttle, you can see the bracket with the bolt hole that should be holding the cable in place. Assuming this is a late series car, it should have a Dinoplex and that is missing. Not a big deal, car runs great with a MSD and optical pickup but if you want perfect original it should be there, I am only assuming its a late model car based on the hand throttle bracket.

8th picture, everything looks good here, if that overflow tank is original it needs to be replaced...its easily available.

9th picture, tires look old and stiff, don't like the look of them but I drive my cars so I wont tolerate old tires, one big item in this picture is the FIAT center cap, its CORRECT for this car and VERY rare and VERY hard to find.

That is about it...now mechanically its the same as any Dino, engines get worn BUT with Fiats they got less care and more idiot care, so you really need to check out the mechanical's because a lot gas station mechanics probably got their hands on it. Also these cars were not rustproofed and for a long time were cheap and worthless, so they were driven in any weather and left out to rot. The top condition on this car appears "ok" so that implies its not a new top, that implies the car was not left out in the weather a lot and may not have had a lot of rust but that I used the word "implies" too many times in this sentence. Rust free cars are out there, one of them is in my garage, I had to hunt a very long time to find one and my motor was shot (note WAS).

 

Mike,
It would appear that you are correct in your inclination towards second series. According to Mike Norris' book, 0001065 is a (1968 not 1967...but that's another story) Second Series 2-litre Spyder. In addition to your observations, here are some additional visual cues: In the engine bay (washer bag location on pax-side inner wing, rod-type throttle linkage); and interior (solid seat coverings, rheostats for instrument lights & wipers, heating & ventilation controls on console behind the gear lever) that seem to confirm that this is a second series spyder. Interestingly, the central arm rest in back may be a carryover from the first series. As for the engine, let's hope that it is also from the second series: Significant internal improvements that we can't see.

Again, I'm referencing "FIAT DINO -- Ferrari by another name."
Coop

(I see it made $50K, but not Reserve.)

 

Ferrari club started its weekend trip at The Collection last Saturday and I only got these photos before the Nikon refused to operate and ack the mem card, leaving me photoless for the rest of the weekend. Really needed a camera for Mtn biking in the gorgeous desert.
This is a VERY nice Dino.

- Hey has anyone heard from Fiat Dino owner A Marton recently? He didn't make it to Bella Italia last month...
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That is a stunning Dino ! Thanks for the pics sorry it broke your camera. I saw Andrew post a few weeks ago on the Fiat Dino mailing list but have not spoken with him a short while now, he will be around eventually or I can call him.

And Celestial, you are correct major changes to the second series motor. Biggest change is the valve adjustment method, the shim is on top of the cup so you do not have to remove the camshaft to set the valve clearance, that must be a major nightmare to set the valve clearance by having to remove the camshaft, with the later series camshaft stays in just like a 246. Other changes were minor compared to that one, carb change and other stuff. And you are right, I had not looked for the VIN that would make it a 2nd series and not too far from mine at 000986. And VERY good catch on the wiper bag, I missed that one.