Classic convertible

Description

Engine, drivetrain, suspension, running gear, exhaust: Runs and handles fine. This is a 45 year-old car, a Fiat (outstanding styling, handling, and driving experience, but not the highest reliability) and has not been restored. The odometer shows 49k miles. I don’t know if these are original or not.
There is looseness in the suspension, so it rattles a lot when going over bumps. I would recommend at some point replacing the bushings. In June of this year I had the entire distributor assembly replaced with a Marelli remanufactured unit. Tires are in good shape, including spare. The radiator upper attachment screw/studs are missing. The radiator works fine but wiggles at the top. Foam/fabric insulating panels that attach to the inside of the hood became detached at some point. This doesn’t seem to be an issue, but they can be replaced and re-bonded to inside of hood. I have one of the original ones that will come with the sale. The hood latch is not functioning. This is why it does not look 100% closed in the photos. Doesn’t affect driving as it is a front-hinging hood. Might be a lubrication or spring fatigue issue. Trunk latch is missing. Exhaust note is really nice but a bit louder than normal, probably due to a leak somewhere in the exhaust system. And the muffler is sitting a bit low. Its mounting strap should be adjusted to raise it an inch or two. 1974 is a great year for a California-based classic as this is the last year for which smog is not required. 1975 and newer require smog. The car has 4-wheel coil suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes which make for great handling for a car of this vintage.
Body, Paint, & Top – As mentioned above, it received a new coat of paint from the previous owner and has been indoors or covered ever since, so the paint is in excellent condition. Same with the top. The top fabric is very clean and in great shape. The vinyl rear window is in good condition with no discernable scratches but some faint wear from the simple action of raising and lowering the top. Several of the black, vacuum-formed plastic cosmetic pieces that cover some of the top’s folding metal structure are missing. Probably only someone familiar with early 124 Spiders would notice. It does come with a tonneau cover, which makes for very tidy-looking top-down motoring when snapped in place. To my knowledge, the car has never been in an accident. A very attentive eye can detect that the right rear chrome bumper is very slightly lower than the left one, so someone must have bumped into something at at some point. The bumper attachment members are not very stout so it shouldn’t take much to true it up. The chrome bumpers have some rust spots here and there if one looks closely. I don’t recall any bondo, but did not see the car when being prepped for painting. As you can see from the pictures, the body and paint show very well. There is some minor rust on the chrome pieces and at the lower, inside front corners of the hood as can be seen in the photos of these areas. There may be a few small additional small spots elsewhere.
Interior, instruments, seats, etc.: Sunshades are missing. Driver door handle button is super sticky. I’ve WD40’d it a few times, but it still takes a heavy double thumb push to unlatch the mechanism to open the door. Passenger side is easier to open. Crank windows and side pivot windows work. Seatbelts have been replaced. Rear seat does not have seatbelts, but if I was holding on to it, I would add some. From what I’ve read on the internet, adding seatbelts to the rear makes it legal to carry back seat passengers. Our kids love sitting in the back for a spin around the block. It really needs new carpet and upholstery – pretty sure it is all original. It is faded, cracking, etc. The foam in the seats is shot and the seat mounting points feel a little loose when entering/exiting. The photos show the car with seat covers which the previous owner/friend put on. As mentioned above the dash has had a cover installed that looks pretty good, except the windscreen air vents were never installed. I have the air vents which will be part of the sale. The wood panels in the dash and center console are faded and has some cracking. If holding on to it I would sand and re-varnish. Some of the metal trim between the panels is showing its age with the original black paint exhibiting chipping. There are some weird original switches and lights in the center dash that don’t seem to operate / do anything but also don’t affect driving. Parking brake works fine. No A/C. I don’t think ventilation system is working but I rarely drive it with top and windows up, so never really used it. The gas gauge, oil pressure and water temp gauge seem to have stopped working. Recently they were just sticky, such that a tap on them would bring back to life, but now they all read zero. As you can see from the pictures the bezel on the clock in the instrument panel is hazy. Weather stripping needs to be replaced. Side rear-view mirrors are wobbly. Center rear-view mirror is functional but has some hazing. The windshield wipers are non-functional. I think they are vacuum-driven so perhaps there is a hose the needs replacing or it is the switch or the mechanism itself. Stock radio was replaced with newer one with removable faceplate, but no speakers are currently installed. General
Disclaimer: car is being sold as-is. It runs, but given its age and that I haven’t gone through and replaced every system, anything can go out at any moment, so please keep that in mind when bidding. The new owner will need to either enjoy working on cars or be ok paying someone to maintain it in good running order. I’ve done my best to disclose all the issues above but there may be others that have gone unnoticed. We’re only looking for a fair sale price and hoping it goes to a good home that will enjoy the car.
History: One of my best friends purchased this car in the late 80’s for his fiancé. They held onto it until they began having kids. I purchased it from them in the mid 90’s as a single guy and held onto it until I got married and began having kids. I gave it to a farmer friend of mine in the early 2000’s. He enjoyed working on it, put a new top on it, had it painted, installed an aftermarket dash cover, maintained it well, and used it as a Sunday driver and in local parades. He kept it in his barn in the Central Valley the entire time he owned it. Thus the paint and top have remained in excellent condition. Several years ago with his kids out of the house he gave it back to me! Since then I’ve driven it only occasionally (once or twice a month) and have kept it under a car cover 100% of the time while parked.
Our whole family LOVES this car and REALLY hates to see it go, but, alas, it is time to make way for a newer daily driver and find a great home for this fun, beautiful, classic. Great article on the 124’s: https://www.thedrive.com/vintage/4213/a-vintage-fiat-124-spider-is-a-future-collectible