For some reason, a recent search yielded a surfeit of Fiat sedans. You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking most of these cars had taken the “ashes to ashes, rust to rust” route, and there are usually only one or two for sale at a time in North America. However, right now there are at least 4 available, and it’s quite likely that some of the other 128s recently featured here are still available. The real score would be a small bumper 128, but those seem to have gone the way of Elvis (nobody’s sure if he’s dead, but occasionally some nut job claims to have seen him – the same statement applies in both cases). Check out this 1976 Fiat 128 2-door sedan for sale with bidding at $750 and two days left to go.
The seller revived this 53K-mile car in 2011 after a 20-year sleep. The entire fuel system was full of varnish, but apparently the car is now a fantastic runner after a good clean-out. It is said to still have issues with the automatic choke, to not produce a lot of heat, and to need a new fuel gauge sender and heater fan switch. Perhaps the choke and heat issues are both related to a malfunctioning thermostat. The seller says it’s been a great winter car with studded snow tires mounted on the front. He provides several pictures, and they show some other interesting cars in his yard including a pair of Isettas and what looks to be a Triumph TR4, TR250, or TR6. A good wash and polish would probably do a great deal for the car’s looks. While it shows some surface rusting, there’s nothing visible that would be fatal.
Next up is a pair of 128s in the Seattle area. First in the pair is this 1979 Fiat 128 4-door sedan. In that color, with the iron cross wheels and later 128 grill, it almost looks like a junior 131/Brava. It seems to have some rusting where the side molding was installed, as well as under the windshield, and behind the front wheels. But the seller calls it more reliable than his American cars, and also raves about its snowy weather capability. It comes with studded tires and needs a new clutch, together with this 1976 Fiat 128 4-door SCCA race car. It’s clearly been a while since this Fiat last raced, but it does run and comes with some extra spares in the back seat. Make sure to toss that fake spoke wheel cover from grandma’s Lincoln (seen in the back seat) in the trash before you schlep this thing home. Oh, the price? Well, the seller mentions he’d like to trade for a running spider, so if you can come in around $2000 you’re probably doing okay.
Last, but far from least, is this 1979 Fiat Brava 4-door sedan, also for sale in the Seattle area, asking $600 and listed on the same page as the 128s above. Yes, it’s an automatic, but at the price, a good-running car with a little rust, an 1800 head on a 2000 engine with a 32/36 Weber. You could kill many birds with one stone here – add another car to the fleet, get a little parts cache thrown in, and have an automatic as a way to warm that special someone up to the classic car driving lifestyle.
Tags: 128, brava, Feature, Fiat, italian, sedan, under $2000
Rusty But Trusty 
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