Matt Zerega
Passion, not Practicality.
Greetings Fiat lovers. I just bought a beautiful '69 850 Spider. I've got to drive a few hours to get it...by my self. The plan is to flat tow it home (all four wheels on the ground), using a tow bar mounted to a spare set of bumper brackets I've got. (I will not rent a dolly or a flatbed).
The problem: I've never had an 850 before; I don't know if the factory front-bumper brackets will tolerate towing...and I need to have as much fabrication done as possible, BEFORE I get to the seller's house!
The workshop manual thankfully says:
"Removal and installation of bumpers do not involve special difficulties. Bumper brackets are mounted in luggage compartment at front and in engine compartment at rear...". Removing the front bumper, and installing my spare brackets, sounds easy enough...
Can anyone tell me exactly how far apart the front-bumper factory brackets are? (So I can pre-cut a piece of tubing to mount between the two brackets). And, is there anyone who's flat towed an 850 Spider before, that can tell me about their experience?
Any helpful guidance would be appreciated.
The problem: I've never had an 850 before; I don't know if the factory front-bumper brackets will tolerate towing...and I need to have as much fabrication done as possible, BEFORE I get to the seller's house!
The workshop manual thankfully says:
"Removal and installation of bumpers do not involve special difficulties. Bumper brackets are mounted in luggage compartment at front and in engine compartment at rear...". Removing the front bumper, and installing my spare brackets, sounds easy enough...
Can anyone tell me exactly how far apart the front-bumper factory brackets are? (So I can pre-cut a piece of tubing to mount between the two brackets). And, is there anyone who's flat towed an 850 Spider before, that can tell me about their experience?
Any helpful guidance would be appreciated.