1959 Fiat

500 Coupe

2 - Cyl.

Manual

110156025

Gasoline

Up for auction is a classic fiat 500- 1959 model. I have owned this car for about 5 years, hoping to finish it, but i have other projects and little time, so sadly it needs to find a new home. I bought this car in california after returning from a trip to Italy where I saw a lot of these cars zipping around the cities and countryside. the car was essentially in pieces- never having been put back to together after getting a paint job. although it was intimidating to buy a car like this, i did so because the body was in absolutely remarkable condition for a car of this vintage. it has virtually no rust and and very few flaws at all. the paint was still shiny and the undercarriage was solid and showed no evidence of any repairs. the previous owner said that at one time it had a larger motor in it- he was not sure what it was ( this is evidenced by some welded motor mounts on the back of the frame, a small access hatch put in to the motor firewall, and the fact that the rear springs seem to be ready for more weight). the sale included a running fiat 500 motor and tranny that was out of the car, the front seats, muffler, clamps, trim pieces and boxes of extra parts. i have started to slowly reassemble and label things. im still not sure what parts are missing, but the vast majority seem to be there. in the pictures you can see that the floors were recently replaced with new aftermarket floorboards, a new, full sized three piece rubber floor mat is placed in the car, and the front seats are just placed in the car to show the configuration. all of the glass is in great shape, and all the windows have brand new seals. there are several other new seals that came with the car that i have not done anything with- i assume that they are door seals. this is the north american import model- which is extremely rare and has the bugeye headlights and a MPH speedometer. the suicide doors also make it very rare, as fiat changed to the conventionally hinged doors a couple of years later. the dashboard lights/swithches are wired and contained within the front boot area where the fuel tank is. i started to label them as well as the wires in the engine compartment in order to prepare everything for reassembly. the motor is mounted in the car but is not hooked up electrically. the tranny is in but the axels are not yet bolted on. i have a video of the motor running as a "bench test" in the car (with an external fuel tank and me operating the throttle lever by hand) which i recorded today. the motor sound pretty good considering it has probably been a while since it last ran, and it could likely use a tune up. i will include this video with the listing picures if i am able, if not, email me and i will send the video to you. the motor is a 2 cylinder- 500 cc, which give the car great fuel efficiency (up to 60 MPG i think) , but actually moves the car along pretty well as the these cars are extremely light. the tires are brand new, and the wheel wells are very solid and seem to contain a really effective layer of undercoationg that has completely protected them from any rust or decay. the sunroof mechanism seems to be complete and work effectively. the vinyl sunroof cover is a bit aged, but functional. i have seen new sunroof covers as well as just about any new part needed, here on ebay and several other sources here in the US and abroad that offer items relatively inexpensively. I have included pictures of one little ding and two areas on the hood that have a small whole where someone planned to install hood hold-down pins. these are fairly small and easily reversed. otherwise the body is as solid as i have aver seen, particularly for a car this old. it just has a few scratches and chips in the paint. the bumpers are chrome in great shape. everything should clean up nicely with minimal effort. again- this is an opportunity to have a very rare car in exceptional condition for its 50+ years of age. it could be a fairly simple project without taking up a lot of space. i am not very familliar with these cars, so please ask questions and ask for pictures of specific thing you want to see. i want you to be confident in what you are buying and i want to see this awesome car back on the streets. the car will include a bill of sale only, but my experience in registering cars this old, has been easy and hassle free. i may list the car locally, so i reserve the right to end the auction if it sells. for the auction there is no reserve. i will be happy to show the car locally or if you have an agent that wants to inspect it i will do everything i can to accomodate. i will cooperate with any shipping companies, as long as the buyer makes all of the arrangements. i will accept paypal for the deposit, but the balance must be paid in person, or with a bank check, or add the 4% that paypal charges in order to pay through them. thanks and good luckOn Feb-24-12 at 10:17:51 PST, seller added the following information: 2/24/12- several people have asked about what modifications had been made when there was a larger engine in the car. besides the access hole in firewall and the two motor mounts that were added, i am not sure. it seems that the springs are beefier judging by the camber of the rear wheels. i was planning on cutting them or replacing them in order to get it back to stock look. i dont really have a reference point of what it all looks like stock, so please request pictures of any specific items that you want to take a closer look at and i will send them off to you. thanksOn Feb-27-12 at 13:58:33 PST, seller added the following information: 2/27/12- i have had many requests for more pictures detailing the motor area and undercarriage. i have taken more pictures of these area. please request pics at wiland@hotmail.com and i will forward them to you. thanks