1976 Fiat 124 Spider Convertible Sport 1800 - Runs & Drives Great - Super Fun!

1976 Fiat 124 Spider Description

Up for auction is a 1976 Fiat 124 Spider Convertible Sport 1800. This car has been tons of fun and gets waves and compliments everywhere we go. We have driven her all over the PNW and she hasn't given us a single issue. My wife and I purchased her from a family friend who also took really good care of her. She has a clean title in my name and the current mileage of the vehicle is 94,875. The VIN is 124CS10107834

Mechanical:
When the previous owner (family friend) bought her, he was told by that owner that he had the engine completely rebuilt. Unfortunately, I cannot verify this. The engine does perform very well for it's age so it's very likely that this is the case.
Since we've had her, outside of regular maintenance, we purchased a brand new aluminum radiator (not installed but is included in the auction), a complete engine seal kit (not installed but is included in the auction), new PIAA horn, new rubber fuel line and fuel filter, brand new fuel tank inlet hose, brand new inner shift boot, brand new tires (we've put less than 300 miles on them), complete brake job including a brand new master cylinder, remote reservoir to master cylinder hoses, all five rubber brake lines, brake pads all around, and resurfaced rotors. You won't have to do a single thing to the brake system.
The engine runs and performs great but has a small valve cover leak. Due to this, sometimes when driving you can see a little smoke coming from the front end. This is oil seeping onto the exhaust manifold and burning off. The previous owner (family friend) tried temporarily fixing it with some gasket maker when he owned her. It worked out well enough but that gasket will need to be replaced at one point. Also, the center section muffler sounds like it's leaking and will more than likely need to be replaced. It doesn't sound bad at all, but you can definitely hear the exhaust leak when idling and standing outside the car.
The transmission shifts through all the gears and operates great. Sometimes if not fully warmed up, you'll get a slight grind when going into reverse. I'm almost positive that a simple clutch adjustment would remedy this.
She's a great driver as is, starts up quick every time, idles great, sits in heat without overheating (she's really been tested going in and out of car shows), handles great and stops very well. The only areas that need addressing are what I mentioned above, some exhaust work and that valve cover gasket.

Body:Overall, it's in pretty good shape considering the age of the vehicle. The car is very dry with the exception of the passenger side rocker panel. As you can see in the pictures, there are some rust holes in it. I do have a replacement (also seen in pictures) that's in great shape, that will be included in the auction. I just never got around to installing it. Outside of that, the car is very dry and won't need any rust work.
The primered spots shown are areas that were starting to show surface rust that the previous owner (guy before our friend) sanded down and primed to stop the rust from getting worse. All but one appear to be rust prevention. That one I just mentioned, is right behind the passenger rear wheel well. It looks to have some body filler in that area (can be seen in pictures). I don't know if this was a bad rust issue or a dent. I tried feeling behind it and everything feels fine so I can't be sure.
There are little dings and dents here and there but nothing is bad overall. I'd say the worst part about the body is the rear end. It looks to be pressed in a little around the driver side license plate light (can be seen in pictures). I'm assuming either this car rolled backwards into something, or another car rolled into her at a slow speed. A body work friend of mine said it could easily be pressed back out with some wood and a bottle jack. He said that's what they'd do at the body shop for an issue this small.
Also, I don't believe the hood is original to the car. It's straight and looks good but the area around the hood prop has been welded very poorly by someone in the past. It's my understanding that this is a super common issue with the hoods.
When we purchased her, the bumpers were on the car and it had a fairly stock looking appearance. I removed the bumpers because I had planned on converting to the early chrome style bumpers. The stock bumpers are included in this auction if the new owner wants them.
The wheels are pretty rare (or so I'm told). They were manufactured by a company in Corona, CA in the seventies. I've actually had multiple people offer to buy them from me, but I wanted to keep them with the car because they were on there when we got her.
The convertible top was also replaced by the gentlemen that supposedly rebuilt the engine. It's in good shape with a couple stitching blemishes that I'm sure can be addressed by an upholstery shop.

Interior:
The interior is all there with the exception of the driver rear seat belt, inner shift boot, front door panel pockets, and stereo/speakers. All those items were missing when we became her caretakers. The carpet is missing both front pieces that go near the foot area up towards the firewall, as well as both rear floor mat pieces. The dash is cracked and could use some help, as well as the rear seat cover.
The front seat covers are in great shape. Just some small areas where the stitching is loose, but I'm positive that an upholstery shop can fix them easily. The door cards and rear cards are in pretty decent shape. All gauges (clock is unplugged to prevent a dead battery), interior lights and misc components work perfectly.
All the glass is there and in great shape. All exterior lights work. All the door, trunk and body gaps look great, the hood would be the exception and could use an adjustment.

So, with all of that out of the way, let's put together a list to reiterate everything.
The good:
Runs, drives and stops great
Super reliable and incredibly fun
Two sets of keys
Supposedly rebuilt engine (can't verify)
Brand new tires
Brand new master cylinder
Brand new brake reservoir hoses
Brand new rubber brake line kit (all five)
Brand new brake pads (all four corners)
Resurfaced rotors
Brand new aluminum radiator (not installed)
Brand new complete engine gasket kit (not installed)
Brand new fuel line and filter
Brand new fuel tank inlet hose
Brand new inner shift boot
Brand new PIAA horn

The bad:
Needs body work
Needs exhaust work
Needs some interior work

Overall, she's in great shape for her age. If the next caretaker were to lower her a little and put some early bumpers on her, she'd look pretty awesome. This is a car that could be driven all over without doing anything to her, and I feel very confident that she's going to make her next owner very very happy.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask. The reserve is set low so bid with confidence. The license plate has been removed and will NOT be included in the auction. All sales are final and the vehicle is sold AS IS. Buyer is responsible for shipping or pickup. A deposit of $500 is due within 48 hours of auction close, this can be paid in person, PayPal, or cashier's check. The remaining balance will be due within 7 days of the auction end, this can be paid by cash or cashier's check. If using a cashiers check, the vehicle will not be available for pickup for 7 days after the funds have cleared.
Thank you very much and happy bidding.