Rusty But Trusty

If you oddball car lovers can’t find a 124 sedan or coupe to fulfill your twincam 4-seater needs, the spider is a more ubiquitous and excellent alternative. If you get one with rust and it gets a bit worse because you use it as a daily, no need to worry as it’s a common car. And the excellent top makes it a nearly all-weather car, with a good heater and decent power and reliability. For emergencies, there’s even a pair of tiny seats in back you can use for short trips. Paralyzed by rust worries? Find yourself a galvanized Audi or Porsche and get used to being kicked out of classic car drives. Fix it again Tony? Shut up! Now we’ve got that out of the way, take a look at this 1974 Fiat Spider for a mere $980 in Boulder Creek, CA.

Not too bad, really – it’s said to be a complete project car, sitting on Panasports with good tires. The seller gives no indication of why the car doesn’t run – even a basic non-technical description of how the car failed could be helpful. That said, there are plenty of pictures to show that while the car wears some small dings and dents, it’s generally straight, complete, and appears to be void of any major rust issues. The engine on this 1974 car should be the 1756cc version, for a slight power upgrade over 1973.

The engine compartment is complete, and the engine appears to be equipped with a set of headers, though the generic air filter is not that great looking. The cam belt cover is missing, though some 124 enthusiasts prefer this, and since it’s a non runner you’ll want to assume basic maintenance like the replacement of that belt is on your agenda. The rattle can black paint job on the engine compartment is not nice, nor are the duct tape repairs to the interior panels, but for the price, you can’t really complain. If a non-runner is not an option for you, check out this 1973 Fiat 124 Spider for sale for $1900 in Auburn, CA.

Looks to be an original California car with the blue license plates to support that. This car is said to run and drive, but the fuel pump is on its last legs and brake work is also needed. A clean title offsets the minor back fees, and the overall impression is of a clean, straight car with little rust or body damage needing some light mechanical and cosmetic attention.

White Italian cars of this period with a red interior are always appealing, and while the slotted mags are not to everyone’s taste, they do look much better when polished. Interior looks a little ragged, with seat covers doing their best to conceal the cracked vinyl seats, a cracked dash and some less than even gaps between the fascia panels. Some new seat covers would be a good start, and the rest can get some attention once you’ve solidified the mechanical side of things. So which one would you pick? Can you do up the ’74 for less than $920 and get yourself to a better end result?

Tags: 124, convertible, Feature, Fiat, italian, spider, under $2000

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