If you were watching the news from this year’s LA Auto Show, then you know that Fiat just unveiled its new 124 Spider. This is big news and the car looks amazing, and it should be a success. The announcement might be just what it takes to make the original Fiat 124 roadster a more-desirable collector car.
The Pick of the Week is this 1978 Fiat 124 Spider that the seller says is a numbers-matching example with a 1,756cc twin-cam engine and five-speed manual transmission. The seller, a classic car dealer located in O’Fallon, Illinois, states in the ClassicCars.com listing that the car has correct tan vinyl seats and correct red carpets.
The “wire-wheel” hubcaps are not correct for this car, however, but that is an easy fix by either changing to a set of original Fiat wheel covers, or better yet, upgrading the wheels to one of the many styles of Fiat factory alloys.
These cars are amazingly affordable Italian roadsters, offering all the romance and the fun-to-drive aspect the Spider offers in an affordable and easy-to-live-with package. Forget the Fix It Again Tony jokes, they are nonsense. A nice 124 Spider makes for an easy-to-own and stylish Italian alternative to the scores of British roadsters beloved by their owners.
My first car was actually a Fiat 124, and I once had the pleasure of owning what is probably the world’s nicest 1968 124 Spider. The 124 Spider is a surprisingly modern car behind the wheel with four-wheel disk brakes and what is possibly the finest and easiest-to-use convertible top ever put on any roadster in history.
The asking price for this red Spider is a reasonable $9,559, and it would make an excellent addition to a car collection or a perfect first-time collectible sports car.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day
aside from the usual wheel well rust and the occasional need to put some cleaner and compressed air into the carb jets, the cars are fairly problem free. The biggest pain in the butt is the gasket that links the exhaust header to the pipe, which although brass nutted, still is a bit pain to change, and it happens far too often… if a header is still available, BUY IT!!!!…
Had a ’74 conv. Wondering why the guy jumped for joy when I sold it to him for a $1000. Now I realize it was the best looking One with nice thin chrome bumpers, smaller lights, twin hump on hood and in red with black interior, fully rebilt motor with new indents on top of Pistons to clear valves, good condition but my best friends mom worked at Toyota distribution got me a demo car 80 miles for low blue book Corolla GTS that I still have since 90 and is a fun,reliable Good looking workhorse of a car pulling cycles, jet skis etc with I trailer hitch I had installed! PS I put over 200,000 miles with no problems on that 124et