She's 50...
- Thread starter NM850
- Start date
DanielForest
True Classic
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NM850
True Classic
Beautiful. Is it a 68 or 67?
NM850
True Classic
I'd be interested to know the serial number. The info I have is that 68 started with 0024965. Mine is 0027144.
I have reason to believe my car was converted to upright headlights.
When I bought the car from the original owner it was obvious that it had been repainted (not the paint pictured) so I asked when that was done. She said it had never been done except for a small touch up at the rear quarter where she backed into something. The nose panel inside the truck is in primer where as the rest is green as it should be. Having no reason to doubt the original owner the only explanations are it was damaged in shipping or it was changed to upright head lights by the dealer. Why? I don't know. Could it be because they could no longer sell the covered headlight cars?
Do we know what the serial number was where the change was made from covered headlights to upright?
Mark
FIATFREAK
Mine is 23289.
I guess it’s possible, but your car also has the round side marker lights. The early cars like mine don’t have any side marker lights. That would require a different wire harness to convert. Sounds doubtful.
I guess it’s possible, but your car also has the round side marker lights. The early cars like mine don’t have any side marker lights. That would require a different wire harness to convert. Sounds doubtful.
NM850
True Classic
Good point. More likely it was just damaged in shipping. After studying the structure on my 67 more closely I think I'll put the converted thought to bed.
Interesting on your serial number. The chart I have (from La Fiat 850 Spider Bertone by Valgiusti) would make yours a 67. Was it perhaps first registered in 68?
Jeff Stich
True Classic
The VIN's in Valguist's book may be a little off. Try using this chart (courtesy of an old Rear Engine Fiat Club newsletter), instead:
If it was obvious the car had been repainted, but she said no, then I'd believe my own eyes over her statement - the car was repainted. She either didn't know it, didn't remember it, or knew it & was lying.
What color paint is under that primer? If it doesn't match the original (green) color on the firewall underneath the dash (or the paint code # on the rear VIN tag), check again for any other color under that trunk paint. Go down to bare metal if you have to.
Dealers were not required to just stop selling their covered-headlight cars, nor to convert them to upright-headlight front ends - they were allowed to sell out their remaining stock on hand. Halting importation of non-DOT-spec cars was an issue handled by the US Feds & Fiat USA, the dealers had no direct involvement in this.
A car damaged in shipping would simply have that damage repaired using appropriate early parts, or if severely damaged beyond reasonable gains, stripped of all usable parts for spares & written off.
Jeff Stich
True Classic
Plus, the car would need new-style fenders front & back. The mounting areas for those little domed lights are factory-recessed into the fender so the lights mount flat (vertically).
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NM850
True Classic
Jeff thanks for joining the conversation.
The point I was trying to make ( obviously not well) is the car was obviously repainted. I truly believe she did not know. I mean she was the original owner from 68 to 96 and had tear in her eye when I drove off. I paid $900, her newspaper classified asking price. She had no reason to lie and she told me about the repair to the rear quarter.
The whole car is green and when I had the dash off it was hand written Verde ( just like my 67 has hand written Rosso) Just the nose panel is primer. Not the type of primer you normally see in body shops but a really dark primer that I've seen on other replacement panels that come from a supplier.
Also the repairs inside, like where the the gussets to fenders are welded on are not up to factory standards.
Thanks for the info on the DOT requirements.
Mark mentioned the additional wiring for the side lights and as I looked at my 67 I came to the same conclusion as you point out. The panels are different, clearly where the side marker mounting was stamped during production.
My conclusion is the car was never a covered headlight car. It was damaged, repaired and repainted prior to being sold new.
The full story may never be known but it's not really that important. But is fun speculating on the history of our cars.
The point I was trying to make ( obviously not well) is the car was obviously repainted. I truly believe she did not know. I mean she was the original owner from 68 to 96 and had tear in her eye when I drove off. I paid $900, her newspaper classified asking price. She had no reason to lie and she told me about the repair to the rear quarter.
The whole car is green and when I had the dash off it was hand written Verde ( just like my 67 has hand written Rosso) Just the nose panel is primer. Not the type of primer you normally see in body shops but a really dark primer that I've seen on other replacement panels that come from a supplier.
Also the repairs inside, like where the the gussets to fenders are welded on are not up to factory standards.
Thanks for the info on the DOT requirements.
Mark mentioned the additional wiring for the side lights and as I looked at my 67 I came to the same conclusion as you point out. The panels are different, clearly where the side marker mounting was stamped during production.
My conclusion is the car was never a covered headlight car. It was damaged, repaired and repainted prior to being sold new.
The full story may never be known but it's not really that important. But is fun speculating on the history of our cars.
NM850
True Classic
Thanks. Obviously the book I used is wrong even if it say the charts came from Fiat Storico