1971 Fiat Other 850 Spider

903cc 4 cylinder

100GBS10103254

Clear

THE BEST! JUST THE BEST ANYWHERE! 1971 Fiat 850 Sport Spider 1300 Original Miles ; An Unrestored Museum Piece We didn’t believe it either…Until we saw it, walked around it, touched and examined it top to bottom, inside and out. This is a breathtaking example of what careful upkeep and storage in optimal conditions can yield. Easily the absolute finest 850 Spider we have seen since they were available new in showrooms. If it were possible to build-up a new 850 Spider out of NOS parts, from the X-frame up, the results would look pretty much like this – It’s that good: Original Paint ; Original Chrome and Brightwork ; Original Top ; Original Upholstery ; Original Dash Pad with no cracks ; Original Rubber Mats ; Original Windshield, Wipers and Blades ; Original Pirelli tires, tubes and valve-stem caps, (probably with some original Turinese air still in them!) Original Headlamps, Bulbs, Fuses, Wiring, Hardware, Clips, Most Hoses, and a hundred other details that are often lost on these fragile little cars. The engine fires-up up immediately and runs as-new. We have put about 150 miles on the car (still using break-in speeds until the odo cracked 1200 miles). The steering is light and precise, as new. Roadholding is very fine, even on the original tires, shocks and springs. Brakes are as-new, with a light but firm pedal. By any sane definition, this car is rust-free. The X-frame, floors, sills, all crevices and pockets underneath, all suspension mounting points, valance panels, trunk floor, and even the battery box are all clean and rust-free, with the original undercoating intact wherever it was applied. Unbelievably, hardware and fixtures underneath the car are shiny and clean. Bushings and rubber parts are excellent and pliable. The engine splash pans are still in position. Throughout this car, we found small details left over from the production line that are lost forever when a car is restored: Rivet studs, ends of rubber plugs and trimming, a bit of masking tape never removed from one of the top bows, small smears of paint on the wiring harness and hoses (where they were installed before the paint dried). It’s amazing. Realizing we are acting as temporary custodians to history, we have done our best to not disturb any of this original flotsam and jetsam. We performed only minimal detailing to the car: A gentle wash, Zymol Concours wax on the paint, Simichrome on the brightwork, Windex on the glass – That’s it. This Fiat is a Preservation Class dream, and will be welcomed at any Concours for Macchina Italiano just as it is. If the next owner wants to clean the crevices with Q-Tips and sweat some finer details, it will be ready for Pebble Beach. What’s the Story Here? This car came from the estate of the original owner, a collector whose taste runs more along the lines of Cadillacs and T-Birds. He enjoys extremely low-mileage originals, and his cars are displayed on jack stands in a temperature and humidity controlled building – Completely away from the sun's damaging UV rays, and free from freeze/thaw/bake cycles that can age rubber and vinyl even on cars that are not driven. He received the Fiat brand new in 1971 as part of business deal, and he gave it to his wife. They drove it only very sparingly, perhaps once around the lake every summer and in annual parades in town. The car never left their small Minnesota city until this summer. It has been kept clean, dry and properly stored after each use. It remains in stunning original condition. The driver’s side door was repainted back in the seventies, and is an excellent match in color, but a trained eye will notice some minor cracking (invisible in photos). The only non-original parts we could detect are the muffler (replaced with a genuine factory part), the windshield washer bag (which we replaced with a new OEM one, as the original became loose and was roasted on the exhaust), and the filters. The paint has very few flaws, nicks or marks (even on the nose), and only two tiny touch-ups that we could find. We could find no evidence of crash repair. The windshield is perfect, with no scratches, road-rash, cracks, chips or hazing. The top has a beautifully clear window, excellent stitching, and no tears or holes. It’s mounted on perfect top bows. It goes up and down easily and snaps closed like new. The seats and upholstery look like new: flawless, with perfect stitching and no tears, fading or damage. The Dash board is exellent, with a perfect pad that (amazingly) has no splits. The fake wood paneling on the dash is intact, unmarked and unfaded, but the passenger side above the glove has some cracks (where the headreast hits it when the seat folds forward). Finding original Fiat replacements for this Formica-like paneling is impossible, so we elected to leave it in place rather than to replace it with a non-matching substitute. It's really unusual to find an 850 Spider that still has this original piece installed above this glove box. The rubber floor mats are clean, undamaged and still pliable. Ditto for the trunk mat and securing strap for the folded top (both rare items in any condition). Gauges and controls all work, with the exception of the oil pressure gauge. We are working on this, and will endeavor to repair it for the next owner. We swapped the sender unit, but this didn’t help. The low pressure warning lamp works, and we will put our attention on the gauge itself. The wipers wipe, the blower motor blows (on two speeds), and the horn is loud ‘n proud. For a car that was in production for several years looking basically the same, there were several important changes throughout the life of the 850 Sport Spider. 1971 was one of the better vintages for this model. It had the largest engine available, 903cc, which has more torque than the 843cc or (especially) the 817cc models. 71s also had a really sweet looking alloy sump which peeks out from beneath the back of the car ( a very cool item that screams "Abarth!") “Can I Drive it Home?” It will be up to the next owner whether or not they would like to use this car every day, or continue to preserve it as a historical artifact for the future. We vote for the latter, but it’s a free country. The 850 family is a particularly pleasant little species of Fiat, so we can understand the allure to enjoy a good one. We wouldn’t be uncomfortable driving this car to any destination. We have tested it for about 150 dry, sunny miles (enjoying every one) with no issues. Of course, it’s still an old car – an old Fiat, for that matter – so anything can happen at any moment. We would suggest a driver be very knowledgeable and prepared for any situation before embarking on a driving adventure to either coast. Questions? Please contact us through the eBay message board. We will answer inquiries quickly and honestly. We have much experience with FIATS and other Italian cars over the decades: We know them all, we love them all! PLEASE ALSO SEE OUR OTHER UNUSUAL LITTLE FIAT ON eBAY THIS WEEK! See It, Hear It! We have many more pictures of this vehicle, particularly underneath. Leave us your email address and we will forward to you two photo albums with about 90 more pictures, showing things in great detail. Also, see it in motion on You Tube: Search “MM1000 Fiat 850”, where we have two short vids (not Hollywood quality, but you’ll get the idea!) The Fine Print: GOOD LUCK! Please bid to the value this car may hold for you. Please feel free to ask questions or add comments. Please ask questions BEFORE you bid. We will respond quickly and honestly. This vehicle is garaged in Plymouth, Minnesota 55441, about ten minutes out of downtown Minneapolis, or a half-hour from the airport. Inspections are invited and encouraged! CONDITIONS: Winning this auction constitutes a legal and binding agreement between the Buyer, the Owner and the Selling Agents. Please bid sincerely and sensibly. Zero-feedback bidders must contact us first before bidding to establish some level of seriousness-of-intent; It's nothing personal, just business: We, and many others, have been stung on eBay Motors by too many dead-beat auction winners. Vehicle is sold "As-Is and Where-Is". If the Buyer comes to pick up this vehicle and is in any way dissatisfied, he or she will have the Option of walking away from the Deal with Full Refund of the Deposit and any Payments made to the Owner. Otherwise, no warranty is expressed, implied or offered. Neither the Owner nor the Selling Agents can or will take any responsibility for this car after it leaves the premises. PAYMENT: Buyer must make a $1000 DEPOSIT by PayPal within 24 hours of the Auction Close. The Deposit will secure the Deal for all Parties involved. Failure to make Deposit within 24 hours will risk Cancellation of the Sale at Discretion of the Owner and Sellers. BALANCE MUST BE PAID within 7 BUSINESS DAYS of sale by SECURE PAYMENT or CASH at PICK-UP. TRANSPORT: Buyer is responsible for all transportation arrangements and costs. This vehicle is garaged in Plymouth, Minnesota 55441, about ten minutes out of downtown Minneapolis, or a half-hour from the airport. We do not offer quotes on shipping. There are many vendors to choose from offering vehicle transport; eBay's "preferred" shipper, DAS, and FedEx/Passport are two great places to start getting bids. STORAGE: While the Auction Winner sorts out pick-up or transport arrangements, Owner can offer, free of charge, dry indoor storage for up to 30 days after auction termination. Longer periods can be arranged at cost if necessary. Seller cannot accept any liability during this storage period. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thank You for Looking! We are fluent in classic European cars. We are hobbyists, first and foremost, and happy to hear from you on the subject of cars or bikes. In addition to AUTOMOBILIA and PARTS, WE HAVE SOLD DOZENS OF VEHICLES ON eBAY...EACH DEAL A HAPPY ONE FOR ALL INVOLVED! >>MM1000auto>> was created to auction the THINGS WE LOVE MOST: CARS, PARTS, and AUTOMOBILIA