1977 Fiat 124

Convertible

1.8L 1756CC l4 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

Manual

Clear

GAS

This is a rust-free garage-kept Southern California 1977 Fiat Spider 124 Show Car. I have owned this car for three years. What is most unique about this Fiat Spider is that it has been maintained by the same Fiat Purist Mechanic and his now retired father for over 20 years. I am the third owner he has maintained the car for. I have only driven this Spider on special occasions and my mechanic assured me the two previous owners also drove it only occasionally. The odometer reads 32916 but I’m sure it has rolled over, being a 1977 model! Several times I suggested to my mechanic that he make modifications to the car’s engine to make it faster, and he refused. He explained that it is as sound mechanically as it is because he has kept it original over the last 20+ years. I trust any mechanic who convinces you NOT to have work done on your car. Happily, because the car has not required anything more than general maintenance, I was able to dedicate my extra time and resources to making the car look like it just rolled off the assembly line, inside and out. I have entered this Spider in many Southern California Car Shows, including the world famous juried Concours d’Elegance on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. See photos. Last year, this car won the Best Italian Investment Trophy at The Best of France and Italy Car Show here in Los Angeles. Jay Leno is a regular at this event. I have included photos from these shows, including one of me with my Best Italian Investment Trophy. I was very happy to find that the seats and the doors panels were in perfect condition when I first inspected the car so they have not been replaced. Here is what I’ve done since purchasing the car: I had all badges, bumpers, trim, hardware and lights removed before repainting the car its original orange. No over-spray! See photos from Body Shop. I then replaced all the badges with brand new ones. I also had the lower chrome side trim re-chromed. The tires are new as are the Fiat hub-caps, which I found as new/old stock in Greece. I have to say, putting those new hub-caps on the car was my fave part of the entire restoration. It was like putting icing on a cake. The wheels have been re-sprayed their original color so they look as new as the tires and hub-caps! I replaced the old tan convertible top with a brand new black one. I replaced the tan carpet with jet-black carpet. I also bought gorgeous black Fiat Logo Mats, which look fantastic, simple and classy. Please note that the car comes with a detachable face-plate cd player, which was installed by a previous owner. It has not worked since I got the carpet installed, which means a wire was disconnected during installation. I did not get it working again because it was my plan to find an original Fiat AM/FM radio. The radio console also needs to be tightened a little. Note that it’s more fun to hear the race car sound of the engine so don’t be in a hurry to get the radio going again! And wait till you hear the horn. It’s LOUD and has that gorgeous, vintage import ring. I also replaced the original faded faux dash/gear box/glove box wood with real gorgeous, polished wood and added a simple, new Pininfarina Logo to the glove box cover. I replaced the clouded, broken clock with a brand new functioning one. The heater trim-level plate is brand new. The lower console around the new heater trim-level plate has some cracking but it doesn’t really show up because I covered the cracks with tiny strips of black tape. All dials and instruments work except the gas needle. It stopped working a little over a year ago. However, a tiny red low fuel indicator light comes on when the gas gets around 1/8 a tank so I lived with the needle not functioning. Even the tiny “courtesy light” above the gear shift works! I also bought a brand new boot for the car, which covers the convertible top when it is down. The sun visors are new – but need to be tightened. The side mirrors are brand new as are the boot hooks. I bought a new battery one year ago. The paint is absolutely flawless with the exception of several minor/tiny chips caused by me when I was detailing before shows. I have a jar of left-over paint (included with sale) that I used as touch-up so the little chips do not show up in photos – and I tried to photo them. Even the inside of the trunk of this car looks great! See photos. The dash is cracked, but it is not visible because the dash is now covered with a new black removable custom dash pad. I also replaced all the lenses for the rear tail lights. The plastic is brand new! There is some chipping on the right case for the lenses but this didn’t bother me enough to take action. Please note that on 11/23 of 2011, a fool slammed on brakes in front of me for a parking spot. I was going about 15 mph, shifting into 2nd gear, when I smacked him. Because I was going so slow and was able to brake pretty hard, there was no damage to the engine or the frame of my car. In fact, the tires didn’t even need re-alignment. However, I did replace the front left fender and there is a tiny dime-sized dent on the left side of the bumper. See photo. After this little mis-hap, I decided to have the car insured as a Show Car. This required an appraisal by a professional referred to me by my insurance company. The summary page from his report is included in the photos. In January of this year, he appraised the car at $13,000. I’m sure you’ll be relieved to learn that my reserve is nowhere near this amount! This car has a clean title, passed strict California Smog Requirements in December of 2012 (won't need to be smogged for two years!) and is registered until 01/14. Why am I selling it? Honestly, I love Fiat Spiders and have done so since high school (I’m 47, by the way). I’m selling it because I am on the market for a house and want to use the sale of this Spider towards my down payment. At Christmas, I got this car back from my mechanic who gave it a full service and a thorough inspection. I also took it back to my body shop where it was re-buffed. It is ready for you and any/all car shows in your hometown. Good luck! This car is sold as is with no guarantee or warranty. $500 non-refundable deposit due within 24 hours. Buyer is responsible for shipping/pick-up. Note that I have been actively selling/buying on eBay for 10 years and I have 100% positive feedback. Bid with confidence!