5k: Vintage Racer: 1970 Fiat 124 Sport Spider
The Fiat 124 Sport Spider was penned by Dutch-American designer Tom Tjaarda and built in a
remarkable multiple decade production lifespan starting in 1966 and
ending in 1985. The 124 Spider was upgraded as the years went by for performance, emissions, and safety, but
the same basic chassis, suspension, and engine was retained for the entire lifespan. Today, a used 124 Spider is an affordable way to get into an Italian car with a sweet sounding all-alloy DOHC engine mounted up front. Find this 1970ish Fiat 124 Spider Vintage Racer
currently bidding on ebay for $3,450 with 3 days to go, located in Virginia Beach, VA. Tip from Don.
The seller of this 124 Spider does not disclose the year of manufacture for this car and given the lack of bumpers, you can’t even tell if it is a pre-or-post 1973. The only clue to the year of manufacture comes from the 1608cc engine displacement which was only available from 1970-1973.
Under the hood is a 1.6 liter DOHC inline-4 cylinder engine that puts out 110 horsepower in a typically Italian fashion. You’ll need to revv it to find those ponies, but the sound should be nice and this one has some racing parts for additional sound, fury and ponies.
You won’t be able to take your wife out for a Sunday afternoon drive in this Fiat because the entire thing has been gutted and a roll cage installed for racing purposes. This is no longer a street car and now a dedicated track machine.
See a cheaper Italian classic for track duty? tips@dailyturismo.com
Chrome? We don't need no stinkin' chrome. We got black spray paint!
Seems like this guy's taken a rare, exotic near-classic and transformed it into an incredibly esoteric and unreliable track car. As a better choice, a certain other import with similar proportions and power (also with a multiple decade production lifespan) comes to mind.
I'd rather see a car like this in original or restored condition as a weekend canyon cruiser.
Personally I think the world would be a very boring place if every track car was a Miata. Respect to the guy who wants something different and is willing to deal with shortcomings. Developing an uncommon donor chassis into a decently performing vehicle can be a lot of fun. Then again, so can driving a perfectly reliable car. To each their own…
I agree Miata is NOT always the answer. But the above just looks like a hack job.
Those rear bumper shocks point to a post-'74 build, and tail lights appear to be from '79 – '85. I'm not a marquee specialist though, someone a bit better versed in these will have to chime in.
Those wheels look like legend car wheels. An easy way to get a little wider track width without throwing a bunch of cash at a car.
In some ways this makes the little 'vert Fiat look like a ton of fun to me but then I feel a bit sad in it's being reduced to a track whore, and a rough one at that. It has to be a lot of fun sure but I why so junkyard ya know? And I love junkyard dogs too, bring on more black paint!