1979 Fiat 124 Spider
Discussion
I've owned this car for just a few weeks short of a year now. Anyone that has been following the tale will know that it has spent much of that time either in the garage, waiting to go to the garage, or otherwise waiting for some element of legal process to be completed.
Well, today, the painful journey ended and I collected a car that is correctly imported (and tax paid), correctly registered (and chassis number stamped), and correctly road legal (with a Controle Tecnique pass that was described as 'virgin').
The car is grubby and looking slightly shabby. Some of the rust has developed nicely after so long in the open, but it's roadworthy, it's legal and it's the summer. So, notwithstanding the really awful weather here at the moment, it's going to get some love, some cleaning and some use.
This was it, immediately after collection, parked next to the new daily. Rather shamefully, I have gone from a collection of 20 cylinders and 110 years collective age, to 8 cylinders and 42 years and a week.
It's an attractive little thing.
Well, today, the painful journey ended and I collected a car that is correctly imported (and tax paid), correctly registered (and chassis number stamped), and correctly road legal (with a Controle Tecnique pass that was described as 'virgin').
The car is grubby and looking slightly shabby. Some of the rust has developed nicely after so long in the open, but it's roadworthy, it's legal and it's the summer. So, notwithstanding the really awful weather here at the moment, it's going to get some love, some cleaning and some use.
This was it, immediately after collection, parked next to the new daily. Rather shamefully, I have gone from a collection of 20 cylinders and 110 years collective age, to 8 cylinders and 42 years and a week.
It's an attractive little thing.
It is a very attractive thing. Rather a nice stable you have there now, a cool modern for daily stuff and a single lovely, ice cold (cooler than cool) old special car for high days and (local) holidays. I think you’ve done the right thing on balance, nice though the Merc and Lexus were.
Edited by JeremyH5 on Wednesday 4th August 21:06
The Don of Croy said:
We still talking knobs here?
Nice Fiat, does it drive as good as it looks?
On the knob front, I'm drawn to number one. Nice Fiat, does it drive as good as it looks?
As for driving it, it's a hoot. Makes a brilliant noise and has decent (in a relative sense) performance. It's certainly a fun drive and feels very analogue and direct; quite the antithesis to its modern tech-heavy stable-mate*.
* I hate myself for sounding a bit poncey, but I can't think how else to describe it.
So, to costs...
The previous page revealed the 2 grand bill for import taxes (thanks, UKIP et al). There was an additional 660 EUR bill for the chassis number stamping and a TUV Historique, so around 3,000 in sunk bureaucratic charges.
Compared to that, the work was comparatively cheap, and rather less than I had feared. The mechanical work (mainly leaks) was 250, the bodywork and trim less than 400, seatbelts 166, thermostat and liquids 64. The car doesn't overheat but the temperature dial is flaky and is maybe a job for the future.
As far as I can tell, I haven't (yet) been charged for the tyres, unless that's hidden in other charges but I don't think so. He knows where I am once he sorts his admin out but as he's taken around 10 months of intermittent activity to sort the car out I'm in no particular rush to help him fix his accounts. (That said, they are very reasonably priced and I really like the chap that runs it, so if I owe him money I'll pay promptly).
All in, 6 grand for the car, a thousand to transport it, 3,000 to make it legal, and another thousand for roadworthiness. Even at 11 all-up, it's still considerably less than the garagiste thinks it's worth and in any case is a car that I plan to drive and enjoy rather than see in monetary terms.
Next jobs are sorting opaque rear window plastic, gear knob and wheel centres, but it also needs and deserves a wash and some spirited driving.
The previous page revealed the 2 grand bill for import taxes (thanks, UKIP et al). There was an additional 660 EUR bill for the chassis number stamping and a TUV Historique, so around 3,000 in sunk bureaucratic charges.
Compared to that, the work was comparatively cheap, and rather less than I had feared. The mechanical work (mainly leaks) was 250, the bodywork and trim less than 400, seatbelts 166, thermostat and liquids 64. The car doesn't overheat but the temperature dial is flaky and is maybe a job for the future.
As far as I can tell, I haven't (yet) been charged for the tyres, unless that's hidden in other charges but I don't think so. He knows where I am once he sorts his admin out but as he's taken around 10 months of intermittent activity to sort the car out I'm in no particular rush to help him fix his accounts. (That said, they are very reasonably priced and I really like the chap that runs it, so if I owe him money I'll pay promptly).
All in, 6 grand for the car, a thousand to transport it, 3,000 to make it legal, and another thousand for roadworthiness. Even at 11 all-up, it's still considerably less than the garagiste thinks it's worth and in any case is a car that I plan to drive and enjoy rather than see in monetary terms.
Next jobs are sorting opaque rear window plastic, gear knob and wheel centres, but it also needs and deserves a wash and some spirited driving.
Drove the car into work this morning and discovered that the wipers don't wipe. My extensive engineering experience(!), coupled with the fact it recently passed the MOT, would indicate that it's most likely to be a fuse (doesn't it?)
Where would I look for the fuse box and how would I know which fuse it was?
Where would I look for the fuse box and how would I know which fuse it was?
tobinen said:
Good news chap. As you say, now to enjoy it whilst there is still sunshine
That ship has sailed old chap. Bloody wettest summer since records began. Well, since my records began anyway. I'm looking forward to my Northern Spain and Portugal road trip in the other car to chase the sun. Will you get away now under the job circumstances?
CharlesdeGaulle said:
P5BNij said:
Thanks chum. I've really grown to like it. Plan to clean it this weekend if it's dry. 
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff