Rusted Out 1970 850 Spider Fix-Up

kmead said:
Are you sure that there are not the upper mounting holes? Many cars from that era (including X’s) had the threaded hole next to the door. Though given how far you have had the car apart I suspect you would know :)

Alternatively I have noticed you have a welder and have demonstrated some minor amount of skill using it...
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Thank you! Maybe a very minor amount. There are indeed upper holes, but there is no way I could get the retractors to fit on the floor next to the seats. Just not enough room. Also, it sure looks to me like the top frame gets in the way of those upper mounting holes when it is down.
 
Daniel Gibson said:
Thank you! Maybe a very minor amount. There are indeed upper holes, but there is no way I could get the retractors to fit on the floor next to the seats. Just not enough room. Also, it sure looks to me like the top frame gets in the way of those upper mounting holes when it is down.
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The upper holes are where the original retractors were mounted. There was a guide mounted on the hole on the floor. These never came with three point belts. SB may have been optional in the early models. Side view mirrors were optional also.
 
72Fiat850 said:
These never came with three point belts. SB may have been optional in the early models. Side view mirrors were optional also.
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The early 850 Spider had an optional 3-point (fixed, non-inertia reel type) seatbelt, that's why there's always been a threaded upper mount for it (next to the convertible top pivot bolts). 2-point lap belts were standard issue.

belts1.jpg belts2.jpg

As for the side mirrors, early Spiders had a mirror fitted to the top of the driver-side front fender (just forward of the A-post), later cars had a different type of mirror fitted to the driver-side door, instead. These were standard factory parts. A passenger-side mirror was dealer-optional on the later cars (same mirror as the driver-side one).
 
Jeff Stich said:
The early 850 Spider had an optional 3-point (fixed, non-inertia reel type) seatbelt, that's why there's always been a threaded upper mount for it (next to the convertible top pivot bolts). 2-point lap belts were standard issue.

View attachment 28974 View attachment 28975


As for the side mirrors, early Spiders had a mirror fitted to the top of the driver-side front fender (just forward of the A-post), later cars had a different type of mirror fitted to the driver-side door, instead. These were standard factory parts. A passenger-side mirror was dealer-optional on the later cars (same mirror as the driver-side one).
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Jeff Stich said:
The early 850 Spider had an optional 3-point (fixed, non-inertia reel type) seatbelt, that's why there's always been a threaded upper mount for it (next to the convertible top pivot bolts). 2-point lap belts were standard issue.

View attachment 28974 View attachment 28975

As for the side mirrors, early Spiders had a mirror fitted to the top of the driver-side front fender (just forward of the A-post), later cars had a different type of mirror fitted to the driver-side door, instead. These were standard factory parts. A passenger-side mirror was dealer-optional on the later cars (same mirror as the driver-side one).
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i appreciate all the good info!
 
Well, I booted the fiat out of the garage and put the impala back in. It is supposed to be under cover at night. Anyway, there is so much crap coming out of that tank that I think draining it and trying to refill is pointless. And, as you may recall, the tank had some rust, so the shop told me trying to vat it might make it disappear. So, I think I am going to drop it out again (ugh), and try to have a new one made up. No more rust or crap tanks!
 
If the rust appears to be just on the inside, you might want to confirm it is really rust. I thought mine had rust but it turned out to be more gas deposits and crud. After cleaning, I discovered that the inside of the tank had some sort of transparent coating on it. Water would bead up on it and it would not rust. That was the factory tank.
 
dllubin said:
If the rust appears to be just on the inside, you might want to confirm it is really rust. I thought mine had rust but it turned out to be more gas deposits and crud. After cleaning, I discovered that the inside of the tank had some sort of transparent coating on it. Water would bead up on it and it would not rust. That was the factory tank.
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It is rusty! I had to seal up multiple holes. The tank place said they will not touch it. Maybe I will just make my own. That would be a challenge, and I still have some metal left!
 
Sounds like a fun project. Any thoughts on turning it into an extended range 850 with a bigger tank? I have no idea how much room you have to work with or what the stock tank holds. My tank felt much larger when the engine was stock and getting almost twice the mileage!
 
JimD said:
I have never owned an 850. How much room is there for a generic dune buggy cylinder style tank? There are lots of options out there. Just one example.
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Funny you mentioned dune buggies. I was looking at a project buggy today, and that tank is sitting high and proud!

It is pretty tight in and 850, and I have to make sure the filler spout is in the same place. Here is the tank as it looked when I took it out. Now that I am looking at it, I might need pro.

1C5705CF-DF81-4D5D-AA3B-63AEC829F6A9.jpeg
 
You love a challenge Daniel. How about Hydroforming your own tank. You have a welder and sheet steel, all you need is a pressure washer and some fittings. Check out the Colin Furze videos on the topic:



I know you can do it! :)
 
JimD said:
You love a challenge Daniel. How about Hydroforming your own tank. You have a welder and sheet steel, all you need is a pressure washer and some fittings. Check out the Colin Furze videos on the topic:





I know you can do it! :)
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lol! That looks freakin’ dangerous!
 
Daniel Gibson said:
lol! That looks freakin’ dangerous!
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You just have to make sure there is no air captured in the valves or steel plates. As long as it is all water, it might pop, but it won't explode. Theoretically anyway! :)

It looked like a way for you to create a puffy rectangular tank as a starting point. You seem reluctant, but I bet your mig welder is excited and your pressure washer is feeling a little nervous.
 
All under the car work needed to remove the engine is done, save the tranny mounts. I drained most of the tank while I was under there, and got some of the gas nasties on me, and man did it burn. That black crap dries into a very nasty black residue. I am thinking now that when the tank is out, I am going to fill it with water and cut a big hole in it. Let us see what we see. Grotty show and tell!
 
Engine and tranny are down and out, but still under the car. This dang old rain was not supposed to start for a few more hours! Oh well, I guess time to get back to real work.

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Aahhhh ...such a cute little engine and tranny. Anyone ever built a go-cart around one?

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And look...here is my precious now! So glad to see it again. I think it is giving me the finger. I rinsed it out a bit, and hardly anything came out! Probably already dissolved into that gas I drained. Since the weather has gotten yuckier, and I want this to dry out, we will cut it open in a few days. Unless I get impatient.

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