1968 Fiat 850

Coupe Coupe

817cc

Manual

100GC0150371

Clear

Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE This listing is for a 1968 Fiat 850 Coupe located in sunny Southern California. OVERVIEW This 850 Coupe is a Series 1 model with the desirable early exterior lighting (two headlights, two taillights, small sidemarkers) and early, clean body contours. Very few Series 1 cars were exported to the U.S. The VIN is 100GC0150371 indicating that this particular car was built in early 1968 with the 817cc engine and stronger dual-circuit braking system (disc front/drum rear). This car has lots of potential and is an excellent restoration project. It reflects the purest 850 Coupe design by stylist Mario Boano. This car would be the perfect starting point for an Abarth 1000 OT/OTS/OTR, 1300 Coupe, or 2000 OT tribute car. A later “quad-light” Series 2 car will not be authentic to the original Abarth cars. This 850 Coupe is a recent garage find, hidden from the public for roughly two decades in storage. The car has a clean title in my name and is currently on California non-operational status. There are no back registration fees due and this car is ready to be registered for road use. ENGINE/MECHANICALAs the photos taken just days ago show, the car needs a bit of work to be returned to drivable status. The car has been sitting in a dry garage for several years with the cylinder head removed, though the cylinder bores look shiny and the engine turns freely by hand. The head was removed when I received the car, but I do not know why – an educated guess says the head gasket needed replacement. The original cylinder head, valvetrain, intake, and Weber 30 DIC carburetor are included with the sale and show no obvious damage to my eye (see photos). I have made no attempt to get the car running. If I were to complete this project, I'd simply swap a running Fiat 903cc into the car. At “push down the street” speed, the brakes do slow and stop the car, so they have some degree of functionality – at least enough to get the car on and off a trailer, at present. The four-speed shift lever moves through all gears just fine. The tires are unworn and uncracked, with their original molding “nubs,” visible and were installed just a few years ago. The car rolls freely and is easily movable. INTERIORInside, the dash is cracked, but in far better condition than most original dashes that have all but disintegrated. Indoor storage has treated this cabin well. The original headliner is present with only minor damage, while the seats have some seam separation and cracks and the speedometer is missing its bezel so the glass is loose. The original wood trim is worn and cracked in spots, but present to make a template from. The rare, original twin-spoke aluminum steering wheel is in place as well as, early-style front seats with what appears to be original upholstery, the original headliner, sun visors, the rear seat and the “glove shelf” and heater. he glass is all intact, windows roll up and down and the car shows no signs of major modification from stock. The stock FIAT branded seatbelts are in place and the original FIAT branded keys are included, along with spares.EXTERIOR As is obvious in the photos, the car has some rust. Photos show these trouble spots best, you can see the worst spots are in a few common areas: front hood, trunk/front valance, and battery tray. The hood, you’ll just want to replace with a readily available spare – it’s not worth fixing. The floor pans look remarkably solid with some previous patchwork. There are minor dents on the driver’s side door and behind the passenger side door (see photos), but both should pull out cleanly.Both bumpers (plus correct over-riders) and even the original cooling tins at the bottom of the engine compartment are present. All badging is present including the original aluminum build plate, which confirms both the VIN number and the original red paint (paint code 159 Rosso). This car was loved for much of its life, I’d argue. Pease note this sale includes an original Fiat 850 Coupe owner’s manual, a photocopy of a period Car and Driver road test review, along with two rare, genuine FAZA 850 hop-up part advertisements published by the late guru and 850 racer, Al Cosentino. THE FINE PRINTThis 850 Coupe’s patina is honest and it’s ready to be made roadworthy once more. I encourage you to see this Fiat in person and bid to own because there is no reserve! Please contact me with any questions before the end of the listing and I’ll do my best to answer. A $100 non-refundable deposit via PayPal is required within 24 hours of auction close. The balance is due upon collecting the vehicle. This vehicle will have to be towed at the buyer's expense and it must be removed from my property within 10 days of auction close. I cannot tow this vehicle for you. The vehicle is sold AS-IS, WHERE-IS. Please do not bid if you can not uphold these terms. Best of luck, happy bidding! On Feb-24-16 at 14:32:01 PST, seller added the following information: To address a frequently asked question: No, I won't end the auction early and sell the car outside of eBay. I have listed this car as an auction and that is the way it will be sold. To that end, I also will not accept trades. I hope this helps anyone with similar questions. Thanks!On Feb-25-16 at 21:10:12 PST, seller added the following information: Another update addressing a few more popular questions: 1) A running 850 series engine (817cc, 843cc, 903cc) can be had for $1000 or less in California. Swapping an engine is about as time and labor intensive as on an air-cooled VW. If you've never done it before but are mechanically handy, budget 2-3 days and some Fiat forum/workshop manual advice. It will probably take less. Experienced folks will be done by lunch, or at worst case dinner. Add another day or so of brake refreshening and the car is likely to at least get down the road and stop when it reaches the end. If you know NOTHING about fixing cars, this is probably a $2k+ shop job to get running and driving. 2) The bodywork does not look structural in nature to me. All suspension, engine and trans mounting points look solid. The front panel and trunk rust is extremely common and a replacement panel has simple contours that are easy to fabricate. Remember, the factory Abarth cars that had front-mounted radiators were sold new with the front trunk floor cut out! The floor itself offers little chassis bracing, but you'll want to save that box section brace visible in the photos. The rockers don't appear to be in dire need of attention (see photos) and the floorpans and bracing there are in nice shape, having already been repaired. To my eye, none of the bodywork that this car could benefit from renders the car underivable, but of course you would want to fix it eventually. Again, I encourage you to see the car in person if you are concerned. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. 3) There's no reserve on this one, I'd like it to go to a good home where it will be restored. Please think twice about using this fine, restorable car for parts alone. This one doesn't deserve to be cut up, as local Fiat club members that have seen the car agreed. You just don't see these Series 1, twin-light cars in America very often.