1967 Fiat 850 Spider

Convertible

4 - Cyl.

Manual

100GS0022069

Gasoline

                                    1967 Fiat 850 Spider (covered headlight) You are bidding on a rare 1967 Fiat 850 Spider, with body by Bertone. These early "covered headlight" 850 Spiders, as originally penned by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1964, are recognized as a significant, advanced example of modern small sports car design. However, by 1968 the headlights were changed on 850 Spiders to an exposed, upright position to satisfy new U.S. Federal headlight height standards, corrupting the beauty of the original design. The rare surviving early examples of this covered headlight design is now highly sought after by Italian car collectors. This car was sold new in Ohio in 1968 and therefore is titled as a 1968, although it was actually built in 1967. It has been upgraded to a later 903cc engine. I bought this car in 2008 and put it away in storage, intending to do a complete, ground-up restoration in the future. Early this year I purchased the very rare Abarth 1000 OT version of this car, which was completely restored which is why I'm selling the 850 Spider. All the bodywork on the 850 Spider was carried out by the previous owner. It was originally bright red and was repainted a similar red. While it looks good from a few feet away, there are several imperfections in the paint when viewed up close. When I took it out of storage last month, I did the necessary mechanical work to make it a smooth running, driving car. The engine runs well, the clutch works well, and the transmission shifts very smoothly. I have replaced the brake master cylinder and all four brake hoses. The brakes work well, and the car is mechanically good overall with the possible exception of the alternator, which does not appear to be charging properly. Of note, this car includes the difficult to find correct, original panels which seal the underside of the engine compartment for proper engine cooling. Often these are missing or badly rusted. While the body overall is much more solid than most of the 850s available, It does have some evidence of previous rust repair where areas of the floors have been patched in the driver's foot well and under the seats. Unpatched are rusted areas between the seat tracks and inner rocker panels. Ideally the floors would be replaced, but are usable as they are. The doors, trunk floor, suspension mounting points, jack points, and convertible top well all appear to be in very good condition. Most of the under-cabin cross member appears to be in very good condition, except where the rear legs of the X pass under the seat cushions, which are the low point of the floors. Here the floors rusted through and water attacked the X. On the passenger side, a 9 inch section of the X was cut out and replaced by fiberglass. This will require repair. I believe same section under the driver's seat is similarly affected. Replacement cross members are available from Chris Obert and from Everything Fiat's eBay store. Any competent body shop can weld in all or part of the X as desired, to make a permanent, solid repair. The hood, rocker panels, wheel wells, and frame rails seem good. The front fender bottoms have been patched; the driver's side patch has a crack. There is also evidence of a repair in the left rear quarter panel, apparently the result of a minor fender-bender. The original early design 850 bumpers are solid, and the chrome is good for a 43 year old car. The convertible top is quite old and should be replaced. All the rubber weatherstriping was removed by the previous owner when he painted the car. It is included, but will need to be replaced. The spare tire appears to be the original, and shows little wear. The tires and wheels are oversized for the car. You may want to replace them with an original set of wheels commonly found on eBay. The driver's door window regulator is broken, but repair parts are inexpensive and readily available. All window glass is good, with a very small bull's eye crack on the passenger side. The seats have split seams and should be reupholstered. Upholstery kits are available from Fiat parts vendors. The dashboard top surface is not cracked, which is very rare! The early, covered headlight Fiat 850 Spider is a wonderful, low-cost way to acquire a rare, coachbuilt Italian sports car. This very early 850 Spider would be fun, low cost classic sports car with some minimal repair work, or it would make a great candidate for a full restoration. It is now time for a new owner to take the car to the next level. Please Note: The glass for the covered headlights is missing, but the winning bidder will have the option to buy a complete pair of headlight assemblies from me for an additional $575.00 This rare, early Fiat 850 is available for inspection by appointment. Please contact me through eBay or at 973-975-2380 with your questions. (I have the car advertised elsewhere, so I reserve the right to end the auction early.) I encourage you to inspect the car in advance of placing a bid, and look forward to personally showing the car to you or your mechanic / agent. Since this is a 43 year old car, no warranty is offered or implied. It is sold "as is", "where is". The buyer is responsible for arranging shipping. The winning bidder is to submit a minimum $250.00 deposit via PayPal within 3 days of auction end, with the balance due within 7 days. Balance can be paid by PayPal, wire transfer, cash, or check, but the title will be transferred only when the bank verifies the funds. The car must be removed within 30 days of the auction unless other arrangements are agreed to.             >>>>>Auction Terms<<<<< Deposit is due within 3 days of auction's end Balance is due within 7 days and the car must be removed within 30 days. Shipping arrangements are the responsibility of the buyer. Please email any questions BEFORE bidding Listing created with eLister 2.8.6 for Macintosh from Black Magik Software.