After running through the asinine gauntlet that is California smog law yesterday (my Alfetta, which does about 2K miles per year while I use transit to get to work), I thought I’d shift my focus to some pre-smog cars… specifically, the Italian ones. With that off my chest, here are a couple that look fun while also saving you the pain and cost of running an occasional driver through smog every two years.
First off is this 1970 Fiat Spider in Spokane, WA for $1350. Notice the cleaner-looking early style with small chrome bumpers, hubcaps, and no hood bulges. Fiat Spiders actually have a great level of significance to me since my parents had a light-orange ’69 on their honeymoon, and my first ride in a convertible was in an early 80s model on a beach excursion with my teacher from the Franco-American school in Palo Alto. I also considered one as an alternative to my Alfa Spider when I had my accident, but the cars that were affordable were also less attractive. Lastly, knowing what the Lampredi twincam can do under the hood of my smog-burdened Beta, I’d love to see what this 1970 car could do with twin carbs and some light modifications… I’m sure it would be able to hold its own with any contemporary Alfa.
