In case it seems like they’ve been forgotten here, little European coupes of the post-WW2 era, say the 1950s through the 1970s, are among our favorites. They can frequently be inexpensive, and if you pick the right car, can still do many of the things a modern car does, with much more style and exclusivity. The RustyButTrusty fleet underscores this point, with both an Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT and a BMW 2002tii getting regular exercise. But it sure would be great to add another car from that class, the Fiat 124, to the group. You can find this 1972 Fiat 124 coupe for sale in Laguna Hills, CA for a mere $400.
As you can see, there’s plenty of issues with this car. But for a three-digit price, it’s LeMons-worthy, if nothing else. The body looks remarkably dent-free, though it does have a fair amount of rust for a California car. Said to be parked outside for 10 years, the registration sticker suggests it’s been down for the count for about 22 years. The seller recalls a cracked head, but fortunately there are so many old spiders out there that this shouldn’t be a difficult issue to resolve. It’s nice to see the original blue plates, Talbot mirrors and steelies with hubcaps.
The interior also looks pretty tidy for a neglected non-running car. You’ll want to do the usual check for black widows, mice, etc. while wearing gloves and a face mask, but all in all it seems to have potential. If it’s structurally solid, you could probably bring this back with an old 124 spider parts car for fairly short money, and consider whether you want to make a long-term investment in restoring this rare, sweet little coupe.
If the car is a structural loss, you should be able to sell these tail lights to some desperate exotic car owner (they’re on one of the lesser Lamborghinis, but which one?) for the entire acquisition price of the car.
Rusty But Trusty 
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